Drowse (band)
Drowse | |
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![]() Drowse performing live in 2014 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Portland, Oregon, United States |
Genres | Experimental, Slowcore, Shoegaze, Indie Rock, Folk, Drone, Ambient, Electronic, lo-fi, Noise Pop, Post-Punk |
Years active | 2013 - Present |
Labels | The Native Sound, Apneic Void, Television Records, Oligopolist Records |
Associated acts | Floating Room |
Website | https://drowsepnw.com/ |
Members | Kyle Bates, Maya Stoner, Alec van Staveren, Kevin Gwozdz, Parker Johnson, Taylor Malsey, Tuesday Faust |
Drowse is the musical project of American musician and producer Kyle Bates. Based in Portland, Oregon, Bates founded the project in 2013 and released the debut album, Soon Asleep, in 2015.
Bates collaborates with other musicians during his home recordings and live shows.
History
Before forming Drowse, Bates played in local bands and recorded music on his laptop.[1] In 2011 Bates experienced a dissociative mental breakdown that would inform the first few Drowse releases.[2] In 2013 he released an EP, Songs to Sleep On through Television Records and began performing live with help from Portland musicians Alec van Staveren, Kevin Gwozdz, Parker Johnson and Taylor Malsey.[3][4]
Drowse released its debut album Soon Asleep through Apneic Void Sounds in 2015.[5] The album featured Portland based singer Tuesday Faust.[6] Following the release of Soon Asleep, Drowse recorded music that was contributed to Miserable's 2016 album, Uncontrollable.[7]
In 2016 Drowse released an EP titled Memory Bed through New York based label The Native Sound.[8] Memory Bed featured vocal and lyrical collaborations with Maya Stoner of the band Sabonis.[9] Drowse has shared the stage with a wide range of musical acts, including Planning for Burial and King Woman.[10]
Musical style
Drowse derives influence from multiple genres and has been labeled "drone-pop",[3] "shoegaze/drone",[11] and "dream pop."[12] Vice described the project's sound as "the aural equivalent of blood rushing back to a sleeping limb"[9] and likened it to a "post-black metal take on" English shoegazing band Slowdive and Texas post-rock band Explosions in the Sky.[10] Spin writer Matt Malone noted that "Drowse prioritizes music over lyrics, using vocals not to tell a story as much as add an instrumental layer to the music's soothing fog."[11] A.V. Club critic Brian Shultz characterized the project's sound as "breathy, entrancing, and certainly a little bit eerie."[13] Cris Lankenau, writing for Willamette Week, compared Drowse to other Pacific Northwest musical acts Mount Eerie and Grouper.[14]
Discography
Studio Albums
- Soon Asleep (2015; Apneic Void Sounds)
EPs
- Songs to Sleep On (2013; Television Records)
- Memory Bed (2016; The Native Sound)
Other releases
- Naive Sleep (2014; self-released)
- Covered (2015; self-released)
Music videos
- "Melt" (2015; dir. Ayers)[6]
- "Break" (2016; dir. Bates, Stoner)[11]
- "Memory" (2016; dir. Bates, Stoner)[15]
References
- ↑ "The feeling of sickness – an interview with DROWSE". www.idioteq.com. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ Prado, Ryan J. "The Narcotic Story". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- 1 2 "Tape Haul August 2014". Tome to the Weather Machine. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ Tbtci (2016-10-29). "The Blog That Celebrates Itself: Soon Asleep with Drowse - An Interview". The Blog That Celebrates Itself. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ Leipzig, Travis (2015-06-09). "Album Debut: Stream Drowse's 'Soon Asleep'". Noise & Color PDX. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- 1 2 "Drowse 'Melt' (video)". Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Unknown Pleasures: We Caught Up With Kristina Esfandiari Of Miserable". MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine. 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Premiere: Drowse - "Memory"". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- 1 2 "Premiere: Drowse's 'Memory Bed' EP Is a Beautiful Study of Detachment - Noisey". Noisey. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- 1 2 ""Melt" into Drowse's Hypnotic Exploration of Suicide and Medication - Noisey". Noisey. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- 1 2 3 "Drowse Composes His Own Mental 'Break' On New Single | SPIN". Spin. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Drowse - 'Memory' | Sounds Better With Reverb". www.soundsbetterwithreverb.com. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Here's what's coming to record stores and streaming services in August". 2016-08-03. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Drowse Commits His Life to Tape—the Pain, Recovery and Everything in Between". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Lose Yourself in Drowse's 'Memory'". CLRVYNT. Retrieved 2016-10-27.