Between their known history and stylistic similarities, Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown's current project, Boy Friend, is destined to be compared to their former band-turned-solo-project, Sleep ∞ Over. But in "Egyptian Wrinkle," the Austin duo's title track from their upcoming debut proper for Berlin's Hell, Yes Records, they breathe an urgency into the wall of organ, synth, and slide guitar that is unique from the layered bedroom meditations of Forever, and more in line with this past year's Lovedropper 7" or their old work on the Outer Limits 7". On record, you can the electricity of their live set; Christa's lively, dancing croon while calmly multitasking behind her keys and Sarah's stoic, ruminating stance while methodically manipulating her echoing guitar seem as vivid in your mind as they would in real life. --Matt Sullivan, Altered Zones
MP3: Boy Friend: "Egyptian Wrinkle"
The Egyptian Wrinkle LP is due to drop February 6th, 2012 on Hell, Yes Records
When we (full disclosure) released the devastatingly gorgeous debut 7" from Austin's Sleep ∞ Over in early 2010, it was difficult to envision Stefanie Franciotti's hazy dream-pop project ever again scaling the lofty musical and emotional heights of absolute gems like "Outer Limits" and "La Rose," especially since two-thirds of the group defected shortly thereafter for reasons unknown. But on her debut full-length Forever-- largely a solo effort, with an assist from Christine Aprile of Austin's Silent Diane-- Franciotti delivers on the promise of those alternately shimmering and haunting early singles and then some, crafting a cohesive and immersive collection of spectral love songs.
Out of the haze and murk of opener "Behind Closed Doors" emerge fully-formed, utterly enveloping pop jams like "Romantic Streams" and lead single "Casual Diamond," teeming with the kind of unforgettable, heartbursting melodies that earned Franciotti all of those early Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush comparisons. These lovely, relatively straightforward numbers are interspersed with warped, beautifully ominous ambient pieces like "Porcelain Hands" and the bleak, Grouper-in-outerspace-esque "Crying Game," recalling the more free-form exploratory noise that Franciotti creates under her "psych murk" side-project Raga Chrome. She has no qualms with getting suffocatingly dark on these mood-setting soundscapes, but the eerie and occasionally harsh dissonance only serves to make the pop-focused moments on the record that much more affecting and cathartic.
The depths plunged on the aforementioned "Crying Game" set the stage for the highlight and emotional core of the record: the powerful, one-two gut-punch of "Stickers" and "Don't Poison Everything." It's here that Franciotti reaches her compositional and emotional zenith, definitively transcending any and all lazily dismissive "witch house" tags, and at the same time, cementing Forever's place as one of the most bewitching and essential albums of the year.
Forever LP is out September 27th on Hippos In Tanks
[Photo by Bryan Derballa]
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Romantic Streams"
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Casual Diamond"
From the opening moments, it is clear that Forever, the debut LP of Austin, TX's Sleep ∞ Over, is an album that dwells in intimate places. Full of warm, lightly crackling synth tones and lush ambient echoes, Sleep ∞ Over's music has us gazing at our shoes and staring at the stars in equal measure. Dreamy, ambient sections are punctuated by drum machine-driven power ballads like "Casual Diamond" and "Romantic Streams." Forever was recorded in the wake of Sarah Brown and Christa Palazzolo's departure from the band to form Boy Friend, making Sleep ∞ Over largely the solo project of Stefanie Franciotti, whose past credits include singing lead in the freak-folk outfit Silver Pines (with members of Pure X). I had the chance to chat with Franciotti recently on a number of topics including her recording process, other dimensions, and overcoming hardships in order to make her first album a reality.
AZ: Did the line-up change (from a trio to a solo project) have a big impact on how you record?
Stefanie: I mean, yeah. As far as the recording was concerned, when we were writing the songs to get it ready, it just ended up that I was doing most of the writing by myself, so I pretty much continued on with the endeavor. I either played parts by myself, or I would get my roommate Christine, who sang back-up on some of the tracks and played some guitar and stuff. I basically had my roommates fill in the gaps when I needed it.
[photo by Erez Avissar]
We're psyched about Balam Acab's upcoming Wander/Wonder LP and Sleep ∞ Over's Forever, so it was like an unexpected, delicious combination of two of our favorite pizza toppings when Balam Acab's remix of Sleep ∞ Over dropped today. This reworking of "Romantic Streams" gives the ethereal original a darker, murkier edge. --Jasmine Zhu, Altered Zones via Stereogum
[image by Max Capacity]
Welcome to the 11th installment of our monthly mix series. For July, we got Stefanie Franciotti of Sleep ∞ Over to select some of her favorite cuts from AZ last month and sequence them together with picks of her own. Ranging from the vintage dream-pop of Dead Can Dance and Strawberry Switchblade to the dark-and-rheumy synth experiments of Austin contemporaries SURVIVE and Troller, v11 showcases the ear for electronic texture, symphonic swells, and ineffable melancholy that has kept her recent "Romantic Streams" single on repeat over here. Other highlights include some Vashti Bunyan-esque atmopsheres from France's Twinsistermoon and the blown-out title track of LA Vampires' recently Zoned In collaboration with Ital, Streetwise. --Emilie Friedlander, Altered Zones
Altered Zones | July 2011 | Mix Series v11 | Sleep ∞ Over
11 Decadance: "On and On"
Sleep ∞ Over's Forever LP is out September 27th from Hippos in Tanks
--Previously:
Instantly blown away by the curious, antiquated beauty in this track from Sleep ∞ Over's forthcoming debut on Hippos in Tanks. Stefanie Francinotti's vocals are enchantingly spectral, shrouded in dusty attic echo and floating to climactic heights in "Romantic Streams"' second half, and glows warmly in the spidery bed of synthesizers and vintage drum machine crash. The dizzyingly lush quality in this new track was largely buried in the cassette clutter of her Night People release and subsequent singles, but "Romantic Streams" salvages the peculiar, hauntological nature of those earlier tracks, whilst enlivening it with magical dream pop flourishes and haunting old-time psychedelia. --Shea Bermingham, Rose Quartz
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Romantic Streams"
Forever is out September 27th from Hippos in Tanks
[image by Max Capacity]
In celebration of one full year of Altered Zones, we're going back to where we began and observing our very favorite tracks of 2011 thus far. We pulled together all of AZ's contributing blogs' top picks and assembled a 25-song list of cuts that can't missed. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones
Balam Acab: "Oh, Why"
Bill Callahan: "Baby's Breath"
Clams Casino: "I'm God (Instrumental)"
Devin Gary & Ross: "Four Corners"
Dirty Beaches: "Lord Knows Best"
Ford & Lopatin: "Emergency Room"
Gang Gang Dance: "Glass Jar"
Grimes: "Vanessa"
Holy Other: "With U"
Iceage: "White Rune"
John Maus: "Believer"
Julian Lynch: "Terra"
LA Vampires Goes Ital: "Streetwise"
Light Asylum: "Dark Allies"
Matthewdavid: "Like You Mean It"
Panda Bear: "Alsatian Darn"
Peaking Lights: "Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)"
Protect-U: "U-Uno"
Pure X: "Don't Wanna Live, Don't Wanna Die"
Purity Ring: "Loftcries"
Puro Instinct: "Stilyagi"
Sic Alps: "Do You Want To Give $$?"
Sleep ∞ Over: "Casual Diamond"
The Weeknd: "The Morning"
Woods: "Pushing Onlys"
AZ contributor Gorilla vs. Bear just announced a one-night, nine-act festival on Saturday, July 23rd at Dallas' historic Granada Theater, featuring AZ faves Julianna Barwick, Pure X, Sleep ∞ over, and Grimes, among others. An excerpt from the announcement below:
"The inaugural lineup couldn’t be much more representative of the inspiration and history behind this blog, as it features our current favorite band (White Denim), the newest endeavor of one of my favorite rappers of all-time, and the creator of the best album of 2011 to date (Shabazz Palaces), the debut of the new project from a Dallas icon and founder of one of the most beloved bands in the history of our hometown, and much more. The bill is rounded out by a few of our favorite — and most posted about — artists that are currently making music: Julianna Barwick,Grimes (who’ll be coming off a stint opening for Lykke Li’s current North American tour), Sleep ∞ Over, Pure X, Sunset, and Dreamed, with DJ sets coming between bands from Dallas’ own Sober.
Tickets are on sale now. Everything will kick off a little earlier than usual, and we encourage you to come out and spend the evening with us. The first 200 people through the door will receive the limited edition poster pictured above. Hope to see you guys there."
--Previously:
MP3: Julianna Barwick : "The Magic Place"
A few hours ago, Chocolate Bobka just dropped the newest track from Sleep ∞ Over. While "Bathsalts" is on a song off her debut LP, out on Hippos In Tanks this summer, the MP3 you're hearing here is actually sort of a teaser/remix hybrid, wherein the album version of the song is being played on two different speed-controlled tape decks simultaneously for a hauntingly beautiful effect. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Bathsalts"
Follow Sleep ∞ Over's brand new Soundcloud and stay tuned for more info on the album
--Previously
A little over a month ago, Chris at Gorilla vs Bear premiered the woozy, heart-wrenching track that is Sleep ∞ Over's "Casual Diamond"-- the brilliant peak of the upcoming debut LP set to drop this August via Hippos In Tanks. Now, Elon Katz of White Car has taken the track and given it an elegant new spin. "Elon's Tesseract Remix" is shrouded in the same fog as the original, with glitchy alien whirs and blips tossed in at almost improper moments, as if the listener is being called out for eaves dropping on someone's intimate moment. To prep for the upcoming LP, Sleep ∞ Over is hitting the road with This Will Destroy You and the newly dubbed Pure X. Grab the tour dates here and make sure to hit them up if they're in your area. --Jheri Evans, Get Off The Coast
SLEEP ∞ OVER: "Casual Diamond (Elon's Tesseract Mix)"
You can still grab the Casual Diamond 7", featuring a b-side remix by Laurel Halo, from Hippos In Tanks, stay tuned for more info on their next album
Shout out to No Conclusion for this one. Slightly over a week ago, Austin's enamored gems, Sleep ∞ Over, pulled a few tracks together for NC's weekly guest mixtape series (#35 to be exact). A mix best listened to while lying down by yourself, the tracks are the perfect compilation of pensive pop numbers-- swoony, gauzy, and down-tempo. Despite the mix bursting with classics from Vini Reilly's The Durutti Column to Simeon Coxe's Silver Apples, the mix doesn't sound dated whatsoever. Kate Bush-- who has recently announced a new album to be released in May-- is featured twice on the mix, plus there's a choice jam from the Cocteau Twins, who had Star Slinger apply scissors and glue to their "Elizabeth Fraser." Download the mix and peep the whole tracklist at No Conclusion. --Daniel Gottlieb, Altered Zones
Be sure to catch Sleep ∞ Over live in May with their Austin buddies Pure X, and grab their Casual Diamond 7", which includes the Laurel Halo remix, on Hippos in Tanks
Laurel Halo turns the new Sleep ∞ Over single into a skittering, swirling machine-like jam that’s much colder than the original, but every bit as haunting. --Chris Cantalini, Gorilla Vs Bear (via XLR8R)
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Casual Diamond (Laurel Halo Remix)"
Laurel Halo’s remix appears on the limited Casual Diamond 7″ single, out tomorrow on Hippos in Tanks
[click here for full-size poster]
Update: Girl Unit has unfortunately had to drop out of SXSW due to visa issues. However, we're thrilled to announce that Montreal dream-pop artist Grimes was kind enough to fill in on short notice and will now be opening the showcase on Wednesday at noon. Her debut full-length, Halfaxa, dropped last fall on Arbutus, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you should really do that. You can download the whole thing here for free, and donate if you like what you hear.
Altered Zones is coming to SXSW, and we are basically throwing the party of our dreams. Now it might be our first year repping in Texas, but we're no strangers to the flood of options spread over those four days in March, where another crowded, ass-reeking backroom beckons you at every turn. We wanted to do more than just put some bands we like up on a stage. We wanted to do something that not only supports the artists we love, but also brings the visual aesthetic of our site into the real world. Ideally, something that lives up to our name.
So we thought about our favorite kinds of parties-- the ones you find yourself in at 3 a.m. on your last night in Texas. These are the parties this pilgrimage is supposed to be about, but which we're often too exhausted to embrace by the time they roll around. So instead, we're throwing that party on Wednesday afternoon, deep inside the dark, windowless, neon-blazing wolf den known only as 'ND,' a black box we'll have bursting with massive visuals, flashing lights, and fucking amazing music.
Taking full advantage of ND's potential for sensory overload, we've hooked up with Austin-based multimedia artists Tommyboy and VidKidz, who'll be casting mind-shredding live video genius onto the venue's eye-popping 30x20-foot, floor-to-ceiling HD projection wall. We can barely count the hours we've spent transfixed by these dudes' insane online video mixes, but we always come out the other side feeling like we just time traveled through an internet k-hole. It's something we're pretty sure everyone should experience at least once.
Like AZ itself, the transportive environment is just a visual extension of the music, and we could not be more excited that this party is being graced by performances from these artists who, to us, are among the most creative in the DIY underworld. Their music isn't just 'new' in the temporal sense, but truly new in the progressive sense-- artists we admire for their rulebook-burning approach and dedication to the advancement of the form.
Btw, we don't really believe in too much mystical shit, but we just realized this is our 1,000th post, and somehow that seems like a good sign. Just keepin' it weird, bros.
Wednesday, March 16th
ND @ 501 Studios
E. 5th + Brushy St. (map it)
-- Schedule
05:00 John Maus
04:00 Puro Instinct
03:00 Pictureplane
02:15 Sleep ∞ Over
01:30 Laurel Halo
12:45 Matthewdavid
12:00 Grimes
+ Weird Magic DJs
+ Visuals by Tommyboy + Vid Kidz
MP3: John Maus: "Do Your Best"
MP3: Puro Instinct: "Stilyagi (feat. Ariel Pink)"
MP3: Pictureplane: "Beyond Fantasy"
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Casual Diamond"
MP3: Sebastien Tellier: "Look (Laurel Halo Remix)"
Instantly smitten with this quiet storm of coughing fog machines and scorched '80s dream-pop from Austin's Sleep ∞ Over, which has evolved into the solo project of Stefanie Franciotti since fellow founding members Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown departed to form Boy Friend. This track is pulled from the forthcoming "Casual Diamond" 7" on SF's Hippos in Tanks label, which comes backed by a Laurel Halo remix. As previously reported, Sleep ∞ Over's debut album is slated for summer release. --Emilie Friedlander, Altered Zones
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Casual Diamond"
"Casual Diamond" 7" is out April 4th on Hippos in Tanks
Last month, rumors spread that Austin's Sleep ∞ Over had broken up. And when tracks from members Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown surfaced under a new moniker, Boy Friend, it didn't exactly silence those whipsters. But, we're happy to have confirmed today that Sleep ∞ Over will live on as the project of Stefanie Franciotti, and that Christine Aprile of Silent Diane, among other friends, are working with her on an upcoming LP for Hippos in Tanks. The album will be preceded by a new 7" featuring a remix by Laurel Halo, due out in March, with a European tour to follow. Here's one of our favorites by the original lineup, from last August's sold out 7" on AZ contributors GVSB + Weekly Tape Deck's joint Forest Family label.
MP3: Sleep ∞ Over: "Outer Limits"
Grab more Sleep ∞ Over sounds at Light Lodge + Night People and revisit their AZ guest post
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