Arms and Sleepers

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Business Lady on Thu 10 Dec, 2009.

Portland's Arms and Sleepers have mustered up a particularly chilled slice of vinyl entitled 'Matador' just for you. These north american composers create a very specific form of ambient music mixing spatial electronics with live instrumentation to create warm, cuddly jumper on a cold night, type tuneage, perfect for a winters evening. Elements of Hood (and possibly Aqualung?) are present on this collection. Swaying vocal melodies backed up with Boards...esque organic beat programming give these songs a tasteful autumnal vibe that you can't help but enjoy. Everything on 'Matador' is done in small, subtle doses, from the Uzi and Ari vocal on 'The Archetekt' to the almost non-existent, ghostly piano phrasing of 'Simone'. Kinda reminds me of Thom Yorke's stuff if he had a taste for Sigur Ros and ambient post-rock. Total tranquil stuff.

Arms and Sleepers are a duo of comprised of Max Lewis (Boston, MA) and Mirza Ramic (Portland, ME). Formed in 2006, they have produced multiple albums, EPs and hand-made releases, most notably the Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive EP (Fake Chapter, 2006) and the well-received Black Paris 86 (Expect Candy, 2008). Following an intense touring schedule in 2008 and 2009 that included appearances in the UK, Europe, and North America and saw the band opening for the likes of Asobi Seksu, The Books, Her Space Holiday, Cass McCombs, Lymbyc Systym, This Will Destroy You and Caspian, Max and Mirza took a break to focus on a new proper full-length in the summer of 2009. The result is Matador, featuring contributions from numerous musicians, including Tom Brosseau (Fat Cat Records), Shelley Short (Hush Records), Ben Shepard and Catherine Worsham (of Uzi & Ari), Philip Jamieson (of Caspian) and Mona Elliott (of Travels).

Matador is an album studded with varying themes and textures. The synergy between a haunting sonic mix and delicate, ethereal lyrics yield an ambitious, precise whole. Maintaining consistent intensity and energy, the music and artwork both reflect the moodiness behind the concept of the album, which can be summarized as a reaction to the surroundings and circumstances Max and Mirza found themselves in throughout the past two years. Matador also finds the duo expanding on their sound, reaching for a new and fresh direction. Vocals are more prominent throughout the album than with previous releases, and the band ventures into new soundscapes, incorporating an expansive array of instruments. The result is a cinematic and hypnagogic mix of rusts, antique grays and olive greens which evoke an eerie nostalgia - memories of places you’ve never been and things you’ve never seen.

Be the first to review this record. Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!