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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=81069 Printed Date: December 23 2024 at 03:40 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Sleepin PillowPosted By: toroddfuglesteg
Subject: Sleepin Pillow
Date Posted: September 09 2011 at 14:06
SLEEPIN PILLOW were formed as a six-piece outfit in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2004. They've had strong enthusiasm to play 'modern psychedelic rock blended with Greek and Eastern traditional music, with English lyrics'.
SLEEPIN PILLOW released their debut album 'Apples On An Orange Tree' via Shift Records in 2008, that could be appreciated as one of Top 5 of the best albums released in 2008 in Greece. 'Amplifier In My Heart', their first video clip, could be on airplay over and over in lots of local TV stations, and also other songs be heavily rotated in Greece.
Their second work 'Superman's Blues' was released in April 2010 - they're trying to win the peak of popularity all over the world.
I got in touch with the band and Antoine answered my questions.
When,
where and by whom was Sleepin Pillow formed ? Did any of you, past
and present Sleepin Pillow members, play in any other bands before
joining up in Sleepin Pillow ? Why did you choose that name ?
The
band was formed in 2004 when Nomik, Aisha Sama and Rispa made their
first attempts on experimenting with the first songs of the band
“Hail messiah” and “Winter dreams”, trying to
find
their
musical
identity
and
space
around
the
sound,
lyrics
and
atmosphere
of
what
would
later
be
the
first
Sleepin
Pillow album "Apples On An Orange Tree". The addition of
Nick
Zaqueline
to
the band helped in adding
a more
traditional
feel to our sound with
instruments
like
the bouzouki,
the clarinet,
the ney
and other ethnic
percussion.
While
composing
“Apples
On An Orange Tree”
two
more
members
were added
to the band: Antoine,
who brought along an
electro-ambient
aura,
made distinct in the second
Sleepin Pillow album
“Superman's
Blues”
though
the use of
analog
and
digital
synths
and
Skinman,
who gave
the
band
a
more
solid
and
tight
sound
with his exquisite drumming skills.
Sleepin
Pillow members used to be active in other bands in the past. Nomik
was, and still is in “Universal Trilogy”, Aisha
Sama in “TestTube”
and
Antoine in “Five Star Hotel”.
The
name Sleepin Pillow was chosen by Aisha Sama and Nomik when during a
walk in the park, Aisha came up with the word “pillow” and Nomik
just added the word “sleeping”, it's as simple as that. The name
however carries strong connotations. It’s
about our
dreams and
the
subconscious
that
exists
somewhere
within
us,
that comes at
bedtime
and
tells
the truth,
sometimes keeping
us awake
and
others
putting us to sleep like little
children.
It’s
the
common truth
that
unites us
all.
Every
time
we
sleep
it
wakes
up and
sends
its
messages
in
a
primordial,
ever-existing language.
It
makes us forget everything that goes
against our nature,
all
those things that we are forcefully taught
to
say
and think according to the environment
in
which
we
live.
Perhaps
after
all, sleep is the only time in our life when we are truly free from
ourselves.
How
was the music scene in your area when you started ?
There
was a lot of interesting stuff going on at that time, many bands were
forming under the veil of rock, indie, britpop, somewhat imitating
the English and American scenes that they were influenced by. Still
it was quite difficult to find a band unique in character. And of
course there has always existed the greek so called pop and folk
scene with the kind of music that we were never really proud of.
Over
to your two albums. Your debut album was Apples On An Orange Tree
from 2008. Please tell us more about this album.
It's
hard to be an apple in an orange tree. It’s even more difficult to
admit it. To go out on the street and say it, without fearing the
consequences of diversity, the marginalization, being described as
graphic. We’ve heard many things like "this guy scares me"
(referring to Nomik as King Midas) or "this is not the place to
be playing the bouzouki with so much reverb on the vocals». On the
other hand, there are people that have embraced us for the diversity
in “Apples on and orange tree”, and the most amazing thing is
that they accept it spontaneously and naturally. This is very
important. It's not only about music. It about social dimensions and
the way man is organized in society, with institutions and
stereotypes, the unwritten rules and the “punishing” of
offenders.
Your
second and most recent album is Superman's Blues from 2010. Please
tell us more about this album.
"Superman's
Blues" is a step forward, which had already been done in the
studio, at rehearsals and in live concerts since the presentation of
“Apples On An Orange Tree”. For example, we were playing at a
show in Mani (Pelloponisos) and even during the soundcheck we would
come up with new ideas that would eventually find their way to the
new album. As the band began touring we all bonded together.
“Superman's Blues” captures this whole trip thoughout Greece, the
places we gigged, the energy we took from the people and without
realizing it within a year after “Apples On An Orange Tree”, 18
preproduction songs had already been written. That's why the band
released the second album rather fast, less than two years since the
first one. People were already expecting it, since we played some of
our songs at our gigs, and their reactions surprised us! The
new sound, the new approach, the addition of electronic elements, the
stark contrast of technology - drum machines of the 80's, loops of
the 90's together with the Bouzouki - were all embraced by our
listeners.
We
won't forget when we got to Athens, six days before the album was
released and the world already knew some of our songs and sang the
lyrics!
On
a final note, the lyrics of “Superman's blues” are about the
contradiction of
the modern man,
“Superman”, who
has
accomplished
so
many
technological
advances and
has
exponentially
risen
his
standard
of living,
but
forgotten
his
real
nature,
and
his true
values
are
lost through
the
stereotypes
which he
built,
his apathy towards
violence,
xenophobia and the social-political-religious
racism;
through
a
world that nurtures inertia as a virtue,
and
apathy as wisdom.
We believe that the lyrical highlight
of
this album
is
the
experimental
track “Big
Circle”
where
layering
upon Nick
Skalkottas'
music,
a
primordial
creature
from
the deepest
reaches of the cosmos observes Superman and hands him The Ten
Commandments as a testament to his achievements, while
laughing
at
us and our diversity,
as universality
is
its
only
truth.
What
is the availability of your albums and where can they be purchased
from ?
You
can purchase our CD albums from our official website at
http://www.sleepinpillow.com/shop" rel="nofollow - - :// - . - . - /.
In
the meantime we are open for collaborations with the goal of
distributing our physical CDs to record stores across the globe.
What
have you been up to since the release of Superman's Blues and what
is your current status
? Any plans for the future ?
We
are currently playing concerts all over Greece and hopefully abroad.
We have also completed the music video for “An idiot’s point of
view”, and we are planing on creating a live recording album soon,
as well as a documentary for the story of the band so far.
How
would you describe you music and which bands would you compare
yourself with ?
Firstly
we cannot and will probably never put
labels in our music.
We
keep saying that people
who
listen to our music
can
not
categorize
it and
this
is
something
we
really
like.
We
don’t deliberately use the
kemenche,
the bouzouki or
the bagpipes
in order
to be characterized as
"ethnic".
We
use
instruments
as
tools
in
the
overall
aesthetic
that
we
want
to produce. If in a song we go through a Greek
musical scale
with
Indian
ney
and
another one with
a
creaking door
sample, it's simply a
matter of
freedom
of choice.
Labels
are a restraining factor in music; they force you to
move
along
the beaten path,
so
that
you
end up with a more
digestible
product. Sleepin
Pillow
do
not express that way.
Our
ritual
begins
at the
studio,
in the
way we
rehearse,
in the way we
are
jamming
on
new
ideas,
the three,
four or
six
of us.
It somehow always works out! One thing is for sure, listening to our
CD is an entirely different experience than actually being there at a
concert, where the music fleshes out in front of you.
We’ve been told that the best experience is being at a Sleepin
Pillow rehearsal, when the lights dim out, notes start flowing and we
begin our journey. That is the reason why we are currently looking
into having shows in unconventional spaces, straying away from the
usual practice of having the band on one corner and the audience on
the other.
We’ve
been tested
among the years
as
distinct units.
Most
of
us
rehearsed,
writen
music
and
stayed up at night
together
much
earlier
than
Sleepin
Pillow came to be. Our relationship
has
been tested
and
passed through
many
levels,
we know
each
other very well,
we
have grown
together
and
although
we
are different
we
have common perceptions.
Τhrough
music, we look for the
psychedelic
feeling
of the
notes,
the
melody,
the patterns,
the mystery and the unpredictability
of
ourselves. We
trust
in
this journey,
none of
us is afraid of
being
spiritually exposed,
because this quest makes us feel
complete.
We
all have various influences, but
at times the artists that were most important to us - as to a lot of
people – are Radiohead,
Porcupine tree (“Stupid dream” years), Massive attack, Led
Zepellin, Tool, Holy f**k, Death in vegas, Portishead and Manos
Chatzidakis.
To
wrap up this interview, is there anything you want to add to this
interview ?
We'd
like to continue our journey for as long as it takes and hope to
share it with as many people as possible. It's the joy in sharing and
experiencing together that gives real purpose to our music.
Thank you to Antoine & Sleeping Pillow for this interview
Their PA profile is http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6136" rel="nofollow - and their homepage is http://www.sleepinpillow.com" rel="nofollow -
Replies: Posted By: Stooge
Date Posted: September 09 2011 at 18:48
Nice interview, and a great band.
------------- A fun place to review and discuss metal: http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/" rel="nofollow - MetalMusicArchives
Posted By: AstralliS
Date Posted: September 10 2011 at 03:28
Now you can check the band's minisite on: http://sleepinpillow.prog-sphere.com/" rel="nofollow - http://sleepinpillow.prog-sphere.com/
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