Sleepjunk, by Emperors New Clothes

Sleepjunk

by Emperors New Clothes

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Entrance This is a great record. What makes it special are all the interludes and the sound crafting wrapped around the pieces. This aspect of the album takes it well beyond most others. Bravo!

gjdalglish This is the most original, ground breaking, extraordinary sound I’ve heard for decades. Mind blowing.

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1.	Heading Out (Past Mendota Tower) 05:55	buy track
2.	Dream I 00:32	buy track
3.	Swamp Fever 05:40	buy track
4.	Dream II 00:22	buy track
5.	Spirit Catcher 03:52	buy track
6.	Dream III 01:33	buy track
7.	Dream IV 00:42	buy track
8.	Space Junk 08:35	buy track
9.	Toxic Waste 02:44	buy track
10.	Dream V 01:08	buy track
11.	The Sleepwalker 05:19	buy track
12.	Dream VI 00:27	buy track
13.	Cinema Green 07:36	buy track
14.	Strange Charm 08:21	buy track
15.	Dream VII 00:19	buy track
16.	More Bodies Than Souls 02:42	buy track
17.	Twister 03:16	buy track
18.	Dream VIII 00:17	buy track
19.	Boogie Electric 04:34	buy track
20.	Dream IX 00:38	buy track
21.	Double Helix 07:23	buy track
22.	Time Lapse 02:52	buy track
23.	Charm Decay 02:05	buy track

about

Emperor’s New Clothes – ‘Sleepjunk’: The lost album, out now!

‘The most chaotic band I ever worked with’ – Eddie Piller

Since their beginnings, Emperors New Clothes always walked the line between order and chaos, regularly collapsing and reinventing themselves with new ideas and lineups. Founded by Luke Hannam and Andy Knight in North-East in the late ‘80s, they were signed by Eddie Piller with an expanded lineup, having moved to London in the midst of the burgeoning acid jazz scene. While a foundation group on the Acid Jazz label, Emperor’s New Clothes went against the grain of the wider scene with an ever-expanding blend of free jazz, dub, and sound experimentation, and a seemingly ever-revolving lineup.

There was a feeling amongst the band that their ideas weren’t fully realised on record, but the acquisition of a sampler proved to be a game-changer as they started work on what would be their third album. After a period of experimentation and writing, two weeks were booked at a residential studio, away from London distractions, and Trevor Jackson – impressed by their live show - was brought onboard as producer.
For various reasons, of which there are various accounts, the resultant album from these sessions remained unreleased. Luke Hannam left shortly after recording to work with Gramme, while Andy continued to widen his sonic exploration. It looked as if this little chapter of Acid Jazz history was set to be lost forever.

Fast-forward 30 years, when by chance, current Acid Jazz director Dean Rudland reconnected with Andy. With the lost album always brooding , they set about finally getting the record out as originally intended. ‘Sleepjunk’, as it became known, doesn’t sound quite like anything else from its time. Hip-hop, Drum’n’Bass and Post-Punk sounds rub shoulders with melodic lines nodding to Ornette Coleman, Augustus Pablo and Sun Ra. The layered sound-world evokes everything from the musique concrete of Edgard Varese, to the minimalism of Steve Reich. Something truly different from the Acid Jazz vault and an album we are very excited to finally share with you.

credits

released June 2, 2023

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Acid Jazz Stories London, UK

An occasional look at the Acid Jazz vaults and the music that lies within.

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