Slaapwel xvii, Particles by Katharina Schmidt

Dear friends,

We recently released slaapwel xvii: particles, by Berlin based artist Katharina Schmidt.

Particles is a long form piece based on looping guitar harmonics and was written in late 2020.

After years of playing drums and piano in various bands, Katharina's solo work is influenced by indie, experimental, and improvised music. Exploring interests in storytelling, sonic topographies, and generative techniques, her music uses electronics, field recordings, and self-built interfaces alongside acoustic instruments. We're very happy and proud to add her work to our roster!

The album comes in a handmade package. Design is by ORDNER, based on two Polaroid photographs by Stefan Lingg. Ian Hawgood did the mastering.

Check it out here

As always, thank you for listening, and thanks to everyone who already purchased the album!

😴

Slaapwel xvi, The Night Hag by Kreng + Svarte Greiner: sleep music, but not as you know it

What if two exceptional artists team up for a unique collaboration to give you their own, personal interpretation of sleep music?

Slaapwel is very honoured to present you The Night Hag, a 33 minute piece composed and performed by Kreng and Svarte Greiner.

Pepijn Caudron aka Kreng is a composer for movies, video games, dance and theater productions. He has been the in-house composer of the Belgian surrealist horror-theater company Abattoir Fermé for more than 10 years.

Svarte Greiner is the solo guise of Berlin based Norwegian Erik K Skodvin. Working mostly with darkly painted soundscapes through bowed guitar, effect-pedals and a varied sound making tools, his music and live performance can be seen as something of a time stopping cinematic experience. He also runs his own label, Miasmah.

Be warned: The Night Hag is an album about sleeping and of course you can use it to fall asleep with. Yet Kreng and Svarte Greiner are not your typical lullaby makers or Slaapwel artists.

Inspired by the phenomenon of sleep paralysis the duo created a fascinating and, eh... paralyzing piece using sustained piano (Kreng) and miasmachine (Svarte Greiner).

But don’t be afraid. Just lie down, take a look at Chris Hefner’s beautiful artwork and close your eyes. It’s sleeping music, but not as you know it.

Get your copy here

Stay safe, take care and let us know what you think of the album!
And, as always, thank you for your support.

--

Slaapwel xvi

The Night Hag

Kreng: sustained piano
Svarte Greiner: miasmachine

Artwork: Christopher Michael Hefner

Liner notes: Guy Peters
Mastering: Ian Hawgood
Design: ORDNER

Slaapwel presents slaapwel xv: Bruma, by Ciro Berenguer

Slaapwel is very happy to welcome long time friend and Argentinian guitarist Ciro Berenguer to its roster. 

Bruma is a one-track album in true Slaapwel-style: ‘Los entresijos de la noche’ (literally: ‘The ins and outs of the night’) is a carefully constructed and detailed longform piece, using electric guitar, synths, tape loops, field recordings and processed sounds. 

Listeners familiar with Berenguer’s previous work will recognize his typical minimal style with fading, constantly evolving themes.

Bruma is not only perfect to lull you asleep, but also a very welcome, soothing soundtrack for these strange times.

“Late autumn, the dreams, their colour and their shape. Blurred memories and travels. The seconds before and after falling asleep. The awakening. The boreal and southern winter. The end of the day, the mist where these sounds were born.”

Ciro Berenguer is a guitarist and composer from Argentina, living and working in Barcelona, Spain. He likes both traditional and nontraditional ways of playing the guitar: processing the sound through electronic devices or playing just the guitar alone. He previously released on Dauw as member of Sokkyō (with Heine Christenen/Ghost and Tape) and solo on Eilean Records. 

Bruma is composed, produced and recorded by Ciro Berenguer.
Mastered by Ian Hawgood.
Cover + insert photography by Peter Forest Studio.
Design by ORDNER.

Release date: 6 november 2020

The album comes in a hand assembled cardboard package.

Get your copy here

A new slaapwel release!

Dear sleepy friends!

It’s been a while, but we’re still around and yes, we have an exciting announcement. We proudly present ’Periphery’ (slaapwel xiv) by Danny Clay, a composer and teaching artist from Ohio currently based in San Francisco. His work is deeply rooted in curiosity, collaboration and the sheer joy of making things.

I’ve been a fan of Danny’s work for a long time. A few years ago, I had the honor to work with him on a collaborative album. This went so well that asking Danny for making a sleepy soundtrack felt like a logical step. And guess what: he said yes and came up with ‘Periphery’, which consists of 4 realizations of the same score, performed with flute, cello, piano and tones.

Danny: “Periphery takes a simple tune that I heard at my grandparents’ church as a child and unravels it, leaving the remnants to drift among each other and the original to loom as a kind of vague feeling at the edge of the senses.”

In other words: ‘Periphery’ is a perfect companion to fall asleep with.

The album comes in a hand folded and stitched limited edition of 250 copies. Artwork by Jon Fischer, design by ORDNER, mastering by Ian Hawgood.

Get your copy here!

//Stijn, Slaapwel Records

World Sleep Day with Fred+Ginger & Seaworthy

Dear Sleepyheads!

Today we're celebrating... World Sleep Day! Fred+Ginger, a Belgian fashion multibrand,  contacted us some time ago to team up for this special occasion. The first 500 customers between today and march 18th will receive a very nice present: a downloadcode for Seaworthy's masterpiece 'Sleep Paths'.

Check it out here.

Nighty night!