Ever since “Sleepy Insect Music”, Andrew Hargreaves and Craig Tattersal have shown a deft touch – harnessing guitar, violin, beats and tape loops that poke their heads through each others’ doors but never quite get cosy – rather like a depersonalised cog of Ambient sound, rubbing shoulders with Modern Classical, library music and Electronica. Tape loops are the focus on this 36 minute piece from the ever-interesting Slaapwel label. Single tunes from Simon Scott, Greg Haines and Peter Broderick have cogitated their own formula for the ethos, so the middling concept is to have work that creates a half-asleep state, a nearly-there-but-not-quite-paralytic slumber. All releases have been worthy and gratifying so far, so – do the boats sink or swim with “Do The Boats Dream Of Electric Fritz Pfleumer”?

The most poignant observation I can make is that it’s not a strictly sleeping record. While the beginning is lulling and softener-fresh in warmth, sharper elements intrude later, thus the track doesn’t adhere to the basis of a purely functional loop. The primary effect of this: it bridges the ideological continuum of intrusion and comfort. These two protocols are constantly reshaped amongst more alive n’ kicking music of the information age ilk. But as with any reality, there’s a point where normality can turn to agitation. The subconscious flexing a “things don’t seem quite right”. Notions of aggression: rush hour, traffic noise, and loneliness get whacked on your bill if passive in the context of nighttime listening. This consequently leads to a questioning of the dream state as a veritable oasis for release; for the artist, and participant, who wishes to reinterpret these universal signposts of life, and make them good.

Expanding on Slaapwel’s dream-inclusive ethos in their own words, Hargreaves and Tattersal say: “One theory is that dreams act as a way for the brain to discard or use up ideas that were not fully formed in waking life, so that the brain space can be used up the next day for new ideas. It was our aim to convey this theory within music.”. Resulting, they’ve spelt out “shelf life” with this work. Five plays passed and I was still uncovering new nuances. Plenty of them, indeed, are half-realised: a loner’s march of chimes kissing the foreground; uprising tones that heighten sensory perception later; stuttering field recordings speckling like snowdrops on a slate roof. If this is to do their theory any justice, there’s nobility it has translated to music so presentably prim. You can tell a lot of work has gone into this. As such, many of my subsequent listening periods were guided by a common listener’s adage: with records of depth, there’s usually a refreshed perspective to be gained when you return to them.

Verbalising unmooted by hazards relating to the practice of sleep records is tough nonetheless, because a) there’s natural reluctance to awaken out of semi-awake awareness, and b) when you do return to lucid sensory control, the after-effects of this semi-awake state recur less, causing generalised responses to what was experienced. Just as you forget your exam work if you don’t study it often enough, music becomes fodder for forgetfulness when we don’t have the right context for it. Dreams habituate in a central void of these ideas, because it’s your history being recalled in sometimes subconscious, sometimes “wishing to forget” ultimatums. “Do The Boats Dream Of Electric Fritz Pfleumer” is one sound document I won’t be forgetting very quickly, and it can be guaranteed to see in your 2012 with dreamy intent. – Recommended!

- Mick Buckingham for Fluid Radio

www.slaapwelrecords.com
www.slaapwel.bandcamp.com/releases

Following on from Traba earlier this year, Simon Scott once again provides a masterclass in engagingly textural drones. Based around a short guitar loop and interspersed with layered tones, high frequency static and various bleeps and clicks, Silenne is a single track of 33 minutes, designed to lull the listener to sleep through gentle repetition.

The initial inspiration behind Silenne was Scott’s own habit of falling asleep in the sunshine whilst listening to music and the hazy, dream-like quality of the piece reflects this feeling perfectly. Even in the approaching winter, the piece evokes images of a lazy summer evening, the recurring guitar motif drifting in and out amongst the ever changing backdrop of gentle tones and sporadic insect like glitches.

Using Max MSP processing on his vocals alongside harmonic sine waves, Scott layers tones that drift between a gentle background hum to a dense, all encompassing force. To compliment the melodic line, a bass harmony appears at varying intervals, providing a stirring rumble in the distance. With a gradual shift, the initial guitar loop eventually merges with the enveloping hums and gentle white noise to reveal a dense swathe of layered tones, the occasional hint of static flickering in the distance. The soundscape stretches and slows, soaring into the ether before the almost imperceptibly gradual return of the melodic motif.

The second half of the piece inhabits a sparser, gentler space with a stark background of minute sounds flitting around the listener, the occasional percussive attack accenting phrases. The familiar guitar loop advances and retreats through the soundscape, more fragmented and distant than before with the gradual rise and fall of the low-fequencies acting like a slowing pulse.

Although not breaking any new ground, this is certainly a rewarding listen and Scott manages to maintain interest throughout the piece through well crafted, subtle changes that engage the listener without disrupting the sleep-inducing nature of the work.

- Review by Katie English for Fluid Radio

www.slaapwelrecords.com
www.myspace.com/o3o3o

Competition

For your chance to win a copy of the album simply answer the following question:

Name the last track on Simon’s Miasmah Recordings release.

Yeah yeah yeah I know its another easy one. Send answers through the usual contact form

Closing date 21/11/10 Good luck!

Ruis is the latest offering from Sonmi451, the solo project of Belgium’s Bernard Zwijzen. The artist wrote this thirty two minute long track especially for the eccentric Slaapwel Records, a label which will only release music suitable for falling asleep to.

Slaapwel’s previous offerings are top-drawer and feature such works as Peter Broderick’s Music For A Sleeping Sculpture and Jasper TX’s The Quiet Season. Indeed, Ruis shares an intangible link with those previous releases, a common aesthetic which goes beyond the obvious goal of sleepiness.

The slow-paced track begins with delicate electronic sounds and a sparse piano melody, looping with subtle changes throughout. Zwijzen’s talents as an arranger shine in this display of subtle minimalism. The music moves onward and slow evocative strings swell, complementing the other instruments perfectly.

Heavy in atmosphere, the piece compels the listener to stop all other thought and listen carefully, to let the music bring on a feeling of euphoria. Like the final moments before sleep, the album is timeless, and all sense of perspective is lost unto the music.

Released as a run of 500 CD’s in cardboard packaging with a poster by graphic artist Louis Reith, Ruis is a stunning release which delivers its goal of lulling the listener into joyous oblivion. – Review by Adam Williams for Fluid Radio

Available through Slaapwel from the Bandcamp link above and also through Experimedia here

COMPETITION:

For your chance to win a copy of the album simply answer the following question:

Name the first CD released on Slaapwel Records

Send your answer to this contact form

Closing date is 15/07/10

www.slaapwelrecords.com
www.sonmi451.be

This hand assembled package contains 32 wonderful minutes of music to fall asleep to by Sonmi451 on a high quality CD + poster made by graphic designer Louis Reith wrapped in a sweet, sweet cardboard…

I was unaware of Bernard Zwijzen’s project Sonmi451 until he sent me an email saying the music he was sculpting was sleepy too. Obviously I was interested, but told him Slaapwel is not a joke. Sleepy music is not enough: it has to work, I need to fall asleep before I can even think of releasing it. He promptly made a 32 minute piece aimed at making people fall asleep. I tried and I slept.

The piece is a wonderful walk along slowly pulsating sine waves, lingering piano loops, cradling strings and the solar warmth of little cracks, pops and soft hisses. Ruis truly is a hidden treasure. At first it seems to be nothing more but a lovely track, “ordinary” prettiness, though once you put it on while you’re trying to sleep, it becomes as essential as your pillow or your favorite blanket. It is probably the most efficient piece we’ve had the chance to release. A lush, soft and hypnotic path into unconsciousness. – Wim, Slaapwel Records

Available through Slaapwell from the Bandcamp link below and also through Experimedia here

Also make sure to check out the Sonmi451 mix that Bernard did for us early last year that can be downloaded for free here

www.slaapwelrecords.com
www.sonmi451.be

Wixel 09: 12 Records In Twelve Months by Fluid Radio on Mixcloud

Wim Maesschalck returns to the Fluid roster with a mix selection containing bits and pieces from the whole 2009 project by wixel, focussing on the more ambient compositions.

It contains these tracks either partially or completely:

Briksdal
Cloud Fields
Jotunheimen
Melsbroek
Aesthetics of Clouds
You’re Inside Your Own Shadow
Skatebeats
Ramberg
The End Part One
ADS 16402
Hum For The Domino Sparrow
January 4th
Making Up The Bed
Cloud Formation
Friends Part 2 & 3
In Clouds
Untitled

About The Wixel Project:

I discovered the delicate sounds of Wixel early last year thanks to a good friend and was immediately blown away not only by the quality of the artists music, but also by the vison for his 2009 project; To produce a fresh release each month of the year! Well he managed to do just that, with each offering being of the highest quality. Wim has now released the full project on 12 gorgeous limited edition packaged cd’s that are a MUST buy for anyone looking for a real gem of a collectors item.

While I was eating with 6 lovely friends during new year’s eve, I suggested we all should do something new in 2009, something we hadn’t done since we were born. Unfortunately not many responded, someone told me she was going to travel by herself and I said I was going to release 12 records in the year 2009. I don’t know how I came to think that it was logical to say something like that. However, I persisted, and went to make 12 records in the year 2009.

At times it was great, other times it seemed like the most stupid idea I’ve ever had. I tried to find my way in new genres, I visited old songs and sometimes I would record my surroundings and build songs with that. In the end, it turns out I’ve made 12 records, together clocking in at exactly 365 minutes. Some music is ready to be thrown away obviously, other bits I’d love to keep as they are. They’re part of the year 2009 like some other good memories.

I highly recommend to not listen to the project in its entirety, but rather soaking up one release at a time. The favourites of people tend to include “Clouds”, “Blood Red Bird”, “An Empty Canvas” and “Norway”. Maybe one of those is a good place to start?

Thanks for listening – Wim

If you are interested in purchasing any of these fantastic limited edition releases visit here

• 

  You want the whole set?
  The Paperback Edition set is yours for 80€ shipping included. 12 cd’s, 365 minutes, 81 songs, probably enough wixel to last a lifetime.
• 

  Winter. 15 short songs of melancholic melodies on an acoustic, nylon string guitar. Nothing but the warm sound of nylon & wood.
• 

  Clouds. Dense and foggy cloudscapes, slow moving piles of air. 30 minutes of unhurried unfolding ambient compositions.
• 

  Blood Red Bird. Introvert and melancholic folksongs held together with ambient sound callages of tapehiss, decaying guitarstrums and piano. Some vocals by Kristof Deneijs & Ellen Evers

  
• 

  Slaapliedjes. This record aims at nothing else but making you fall asleep. 10 highly soothing, repetitive, monotonous songs lovingly crafted with nothing but lonely and random guitar notes.
• 

  Two Old Songs. Almost 30 minutes of cinematic music. Made with postrock guitars, big drums and tingelingeling pling plong electronics. Soft shoegazing build-ups and slow unwinding fade outs.
• 

  An Empty Canvas. 2-step beats, deep sinewaves, looming choir-loops and mournful strings. 7 songs hiding somewhere in the dark fields of crackling ambient and reverb drenched dubstep.
• 

  Slaapliedjes #2. One long composition made with tape delay and acoustic instruments. Play this if you want to fall asleep and you will be snoozing in no time.
• 

  Norway. Field recordings from Norway. Rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, lofoten islands & hikes carefully manipulated and wrapped in a blanket of ambient drones and white noise.

  
• 

  Sway With Me, Aimlessly. A few old pop songs with an acoustic folk guitar, humming vocals, shy drumcomputers and an overload of glockenspiels. All songs were written for a pretty girl, when I was younger.
• 

  Unwind. The sound of unwinding. Drowsy guitars wrapped around field recordings of basic household chores like doing the dishes or hanging up some laundry.
• 

  Somewhere Between The Sun & The Moon Part II. Best seen as the second disc of a non-existing deluxe 2CD version of the album Somewhere Between the Sun & the Moon, released in 2008. Where ambient and postrock meet.
• 

  The End. Exhausted by making 11 other records, this is the sound of finally going to sleep and letting things go. Ambient, floating, random and quiet. Vocals by Laure Geslin.

www.wixel.be

Peter Broderick - Crawl Into My Bed by Fluid Radio on Mixcloud

We are thrilled to have Peter involved in this month’s mix schedule, and even more so knowing that ‘Crawl Into My Bed’ is an exclusive 1 hour edit from his recent live performance in Belgium…

On December 10 and 11, 2009, I played two very special concerts in Leuven, Belgium, at the amazing STUK venue. They were label nights for Slaapwel records, who only release music to sleep to, and had recently released my Music for a Sleeping Sculpture…  They installed 50 beds, and everyone in the audience slept over, while me and two other artists performed in the middle of the room.

I only have a recording of the first night.  I went on around one in the morning, and performed for two and a half hours or so, until I my musical brain was tired, and then went to sleep among the audience.  I started off performing quiet versions of a couple songs people had requested, and then improvised the rest around a couple loose themes.

I have made a one hour edit of the recording from that night.  I wouldn’t recommend listening intently all the way through, but instead maybe try putting it on quietly in the background while you go about your business, cleaning your room, working on your computer, cooking dinner, taking a walk, laying in bed, etc. – Peter

www.slaapwelrecords.com

www.myspace.com/peterbroderick

This is what is known as ‘spectacular’! I hope that grabs your attention as you’ll need to be super fast to get the new Peter Broderick release as there are only 500!

We’re rather happy to present you with another wonderful addition to the Slaapwel Records set. Peter Broderick is a talented musician to say the least. He knows how to make wonderful folk songs (“Home”), hauntingly beautiful piano & string compositions (“Float”) and he rocks the violin with Efterklang. But is he also up to the task of making music to fall asleep to? You betcha!

With “Music for a Sleeping Sculpture of Peter Broderick” he delivers the goods. Upon hearing this slow-paced work for vocals, piano and field recordings, I immediately decided this would be an indispensable part of my nighty night set. Toothbrush, pyjama’s, Lars (my secret teddy bear) and “Music for a …” ! That’s the way it’s gotta be. It’s one long 30 minute piece that slowly evolves and really draws you into the breathtaking dreamworld of Peter Broderick.

This time we’ve made 500 copies. It comes in a hand assembled package with a high quality CD and 3 inserts in a beautiful cardboard box with a picture of a sleeping sculpture of Peter Broderick. You can get yours through the slaapwel records store. Thanks to modern technology, you can download and listen to it immediately if you buy the CD for 10€.  Click this link for a sample, some pictures and shipping options. If you run into problems or if you have any question at all, just send us an e-mail through the contact page.

The record will be shipped next Monday. People who attend the slaapwel records labelnights in Leuven will be able to get it there. – Wim

www.slaapwelrecords.com

www.slaapwel.bandcamp.com

Just discovered this gorgeous collaboration between Machinefabriek and Soccer Committee…

After Wouter van Veldhoven it is time to introduce Mariska Baars and Rutger Zuydervelt. Those names maybe won’t ring a bell, but if I tell you they are also known as Machinefabriek and Soccer Committee that might make you say “a-haaa”.

In case it doesn’t I highly suggest you check out the raving reviews about them on Boomkat. “Thole” is their 3rd collaboration (I think, I might have lost count with the dozens of Machinefabriek releases coming out each year) and it’s probably my favourite too. “Thole” is one long piece that begins quite grainy/breezy/sandy and just slowly ebs away through various guitar motives/theme’s, sometimes with Mariska’s sweet voice hiding in the back, singing you to sleep.

It reminds me a lot of those early Tarentel records, the slowpaced guitarpieces from Labradford & One Mile North also come to mind.. or those incredibly lovely guitar-ambient pieces Godspeed You Black Emperor used to have. “Thole” will be a perfect friend if you want to drift off, just like seeing a ship leave the shore, becoming smaller and finally disappearing behind the horizon. I am very happy they made this for Slaapwel Records. The music comes in a beautiful chipboard box with two lovely pictures taken by my good friend Nilo. It looks/sounds/IS awesome. – Slaapwel Records

Grab it here