Sleep Party People

Sleep Party People

Sleep Party People is the project of Brian Batz, a Danish multi-instrumentalist from Copenhagen. It begins as a one-person home-recording act in 2008 and develops around Batz’s use of an old, worn piano, electronic processing and a modified vocal sound that creates an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere. His influences include Boards of Canada, David Lynch and Erik Satie.

Recording style and sound

The project centres on a blend of organic and digital textures, with lo-fi piano, ambient elements and electronic treatment used to produce a hypnotic and unsettling feel. Batz describes an interest in instrumental ambient music and in the combination of acoustic and electronic sound worlds. The music is often associated with the space between waking and sleep.

Albums and releases

The self-titled debut album appears in 2010 and draws on the material first developed through the project’s early recordings. A second album, We Were Drifting On A Sad Song, follows in 2012 and includes the track “A Dark God Heart”. The third album, Floating, is recorded in San Francisco with producers Jeff Saltzman and Mikael Johnston and is completed largely during that period.

Live work and recognition

Sleep Party People gains attention through support slots with Trentemøller, The Antlers and Efterklang, as well as appearances at Roskilde Festival, By:larm and Eurosonic. The project also tours widely across Europe, plays a first Asian tour, and attracts a large online audience through a live video that reaches more than a million views.

Musicians

Although Sleep Party People begins as a solo project, live performances involve Brian Batz together with Kaspar Kaae, Ask Bock, Rasmus Lindahl and Jacob Haubjerg.

Labels

The project is associated with A:larm Music / Universal Music in Denmark, Blood And Biscuits in Europe, Riot Factory in Norway and Sweden, and White Wabbit Records and White Noise Records in Asia.