Sleep

My first EP, Sleep, was released at the tail end of 2024. As fall came early in my area, the colder temperatures and shorter nights led me to explore more quiet and mellow sounds. The idea came to me for songs that brought forth the feeling of a sleep cycle. Sleep is a little different for everyone, as some people struggle with it, others welcome it as a friend, but I feel there are also similarities for this universal activity.

“Liminal” starts with a strong pad and vocal harmonies leading to a rhythm that works to find its footing, much like how we shift and adjust in a space to prepare for sleep while our minds tell us it’s needed. Strong but shuffling melodies combine with some gentle vocals to illustrate the push towards unconsciousness and we remember snippets of life. Then, “Moonlight Drift” is a much quieter track with very brief arpeggios, distant melodies that intertwine, and a subtle beat that establishes a gentle groove throughout. The mood coincides with the deep sleep we experience, without dreams and with limited awareness of the world around us.

“Lull” is a brief break as we may dream of something that slightly disrupts our sleep or a noise or light that causes us to wake briefly. “Circadia” is then more playful as we move closer to R.E.M. sleep and dreaming, with familiar sounds mingle with unfamiliar melodies.

Finally, we end with “Waking Reverie,” which sounds playful and a little fun as we start to wake up. The cover continues the idea from my Overgrowth album with grass growing around and also from the sleeping fox.

Anyway, these were some of the thoughts that went into making this little EP. I also like the play on words and personally style it as “sleEP,” also just for fun. You can listen on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Tidal, and of course Bandcamp.