Audiosleep

NNN - Clarifications first. There is no movie called Chloe. That's all smoke and mirrors - unless, of course, you believe that a film can exist as a solely aural experience. It certainly wouldn't be the most outrageous proposition of cinematic art. Audio:Sleep are being clever-clever here, but it doesn't mean they don't go a long way toward making it work. Chloe, the soundtrack of a non-existent flick, is an evocative musical amble full of moody energy, strolling beats and occasional stabs of rhythmic panic. It's not so much Godspeed! (too techno-friendly for that) as Bowery Electric - a little triphop, a little lo-fi, a lot good. - Dylan Young - NOW Magazine

Chloe isn't real. This disc is supposed to be a soundtrack for a fake film invented by Audio:Sleep as a hook to hang their hypnotic rock-hop suites on. It's an interesting stunt and a good way to draw people into songs that take awhile to reveal their intricacies. Head-nodding beats and airy synths dominate and, taken cursorily, they end up sounding plain ("Lovesick"). But given time, the Toronto quartet's layering of guitar warbles and cracked-speaker white noise asserts itself, poking out from behind thick trunks of Patrick Dinglasan's bass and the dub-meets-Doves leanings of Jeff Bartels' keys. Like a good film, Chloe demands attention, but those willing to give it will be amply rewarded. - Joel McConvey - Chart Magazine

"Audio:sleep's fake movie movements are the real deal: swelling, emotional epics (waxed over by guest DJ Dopey) that evoke the wide screen grandeur of DOVES and ELBOW" - EYE Weekly

What is space rock anyway? Blissed out guitars, electronic fills, dischordia, confusion, etc. If any/all of the above indicators are true, then Audiosleep are space rock because they possess all in droves. Audiosleep are space rock. Ok. The well-orchestrated pieces put together by this Toronto band seemed to perfectly capture the nuances of this late night appearance at the El Mocambo, regardless of what the tedium of the crowd would lead you to believe otherwise. Just when the music would ease off and settle into more of an ambient groove, another swell would hit, eardrums would buzz and vertigo would sink in. They might look a bit weird but Audiosleep's greatest strength is its ability to turn simple building blocks like standard drum beats and guitars into these epic sound structures that widely outdistance the sum of their part-the musical equivalent of turning horse (manure) into strawberry shortcake. Audiosleep are a definite timeslot hit. Coming soon to a brainwave near you. - Cameron Gordon - SoulShine Magazine

Never judge a book by its cover. Rudely shoved into a white cardboard sleeve, Audio;sleep's 20-minute EP is nearly flawless, delivering dreamlike instrumental pieces that hover somewhere between movie soundtrack and jam band grooves. The Toronto-based trio's strength lies in theme and variation; each song is based on a simple drum beat or melody line that never strays too far from the original feel, yet always sounds fresh. "Yoshi" opens with lush keyboard before kicking into a live drum an bass loop that carries the song. "New Sexy" is raw, gritty and highly danceable, while "Pelican" is an epic track that builds for over seven minutes before crashing into a sea of droning noise. Simple yet sophisticated, Audiosleep is an unassuming package that packs a wallop. - Chuck Teed - The Coast

If you are one of those folks who enjoy swirling space noises with lingering guitar lines, Audiosleep is a must for you. My only complaint about this trio's first release is that it is only a three-song EP, and even though one of the tracks was ten minutes long it was way too short. Patrick Dinglasan, Chris Moncada and Trevor Sloan formed their first band in high school but started this project in 2000. Their space-rock music perfectly balances the ambient, groove, experimental and electronic side of things. Structure and sound experiments are heard at alternating times, going from one direction flawlessly into another, making this release enjoyable and very unpredictable. It makes you feel like you are exploring the Andromeda galaxy. Their slow-moving basslines, lingering echoes, delays and slightly distorted fuzzy guitars evolve until there is nothing left but wavy oscillations in randomly synthesized soundscapes layered among the most quiet, whispering voices. And to top that all off, they throw in fun, light-hearted "I'm In Love With A Robot", a synth-driven pop/rock song. Audiosleep's strong melodies and beautifully timed outbursts of bleeps and other futuristic synth noises make for wave upon wave of intense sound installation. Nothing's too outrageous, but nothing's too accessible. It's a seamless space journey, a timeless listen. - Anne Sulikowski. - Wavelength

"Audiosleep - 'Self Titled' (Independent) - a 3 song EP from a Canadian outfit which straddles the wall between pure electronica and experimental rock. Very promising. Hoping there's more where this came from." - U of T (CIUT) Radio Show

It's experimental, it's instrumental, it's ravishing, it's heart pounding, it's Audiosleep.

A follow up to their 2004 debut album, Audiosleep was released on the internet February this year (www.audiosleepmusic.com). The beats are so intriguing and make you bop your head. While other songs are mellowed out like "Afternoon" that has a guest musician on the trumpet that gives it a jazz feel (also in the song "March"). Also the tracks "96" and "Wonder" contain a guest on the violin. Only three songs out of the 10 tracks contain singing by Trevor which to Audiosleep, his voice is just another instrument to the combination.

Most of them are friends from childhood, these Torontonians wrote, performed, and produced the whole album right in their hometown. "Millions Suns" has a catchy groove and upbeat pace. The track "St. Joeseph" has a climactic array of electronics to build a love for the song In the most hollow of hearts.

The band is currently practicing to prepare for live shows to support this album! So hopefully whenever that happens we can all go see what's like to live in technicolour. Music like this makes the world make sense.

- audioblood.com

The photo on the press release is perfect! Three of the guys grew up together in Toronto so the KISS-themed kids birthday party shot is musically perfect.

Audiosleep is definitely electronica. Fittingly, rather than embarking on the traditional release format, Audiosleep, the band’s self-titled sophomore, was released online worldwide Feb. 27, 2007 … but if you haven’t heard of them, worldwide don’t mean very much.

Off the top ‘march’ is so full it invades your room from corner to corner: a bit dark, extremely ambient and nicely layered, mixing into a fuzzy trance beat. The majority of the release is instrumental, letting the band showcase the kind of music they do well.

From first track to last the overall experience is good. Their drones, blips, synth arrangements and deep bass drum hits create a mix of audio that if you don’t watch yourself could very well put you to sleep. That’s not a bad thing either, it simply shows these four guys -- Trevor Sloan (keyboards, vocals), Patrick Dinglasan (bass, guitars, drum programming), Chris Moncada (drums), and Jeff Bartels (keyboards) -- know exactly the kind of experience they want you to have -- trancy.

The only thing about electronica that never seems to fit is the vocals. They’re always whispered and when they do get a bit aggressive they never really materialize. The three tracks on this self-titled release are perfect examples of how most electronica bands approach vocals -- poorly.

Claiming danceablity is a bit much, because you don’t really dance to electronica -- you trip out, which Audiosleep accomplished often throughout the CD. But it can sometimes become repetitive making you wait and wait and wait to be impressed again.

- Sceneandheard.ca

#2 on the Electronic Chart at CUIT Toronto

#7 on the Electronic Chart at CHUO Ottawa

#5 on the Electronic Chart at CFBX Kelowna

#9 on the Elecronic Chart at CFRU Guelph - All April Chart Numbers