Last night, Sleep Party People wrapped Atlas in a warm blanket of dreamy compositions. Brian Batz and his live band brought forward a range from epic build-ups to catchy light melodies, all with his distinct blend of electronics and live instruments.
Inside and photos by Naomi Hiller. Jutland Station.
Arriving at Atlas shortly before the show, early birds watched from the room’s edges as the band sound checked in plain clothes. Their tests didn’t sound like anything in particular, until Batz stepped up to a mic. The unique warbly voice of Sleep Party People is enough to send shivers down your spine.
Coming back on stage at 21:15, the five-piece had changed into their signature black jeans, hoodies, and white rabbit masks. Each musician’s bunny had different black markings, adding personalities to their characters. Although the masks exposed their mouths, the heavy vocal filters separated voice from body. Thus the musicians became seemingly mute instrument-toting rabbit men.
Batz was closed in to a downstage corner by an arrangement of instrument stands, monitors, pedals, and other gadgets. The rest of the band perfectly supported Batz’ compositions. Even with four other musicians, he was constantly layering loops and triggering new sounds. Watching this from up close highlighted the complexity of Sleep Party People’s recordings and the amount of work they require.
The crowd was treated to songs off the new album, Floating, out May 30th. On a whole, Batz’s vocals seemed to have taken a step back on the effects. It was nice to hear his lyrics come through, while still holding on to the floaty filtered quality he’s known for.
“In Another World,” the first track released off Floating, held on to its vintage cinematic tone. The song has a less airy quality than much of SPP’s older work, but maintains the eerie aesthetic. Unexpected sounds seemed to constantly be appearing. Batz punctuated the track with a deep and twangy guitar solo.
The set had a lot of great guitar lines and solos overall. This brought focus to SPP’s compositions, which are easy to get lost in as recordings. Another focal point was Batz’s synth breakdowns. This blew me away on one of the first tracks. Luckily he came back later for another rabbit-ear bobbing rip on the synth.
Sleep Party People’s live manifestation brings forward an interesting play on the dynamics of live music. The more the artists stared down at their instruments, the better their masks’ hanging ears looked. This counters many preconceptions of ‘good performance’ or audience connection. The audience was instead connected to musical atmosphere and character. The show pushed progressive concepts of live music that pair well with Batz’s overall process.
A quiet calm came across the room when Batz turned to his keyboard for a rendition of “Heaven is Above Us”. The song’s simple melody and soft vocals were a nice interlude from the set’s several hard-hitting upbeat tracks. The guitar and bass rabbits hung their ears in silence, while another twisted dials to tie Batz’s piano into a broader ambient soundscape.
Sleep Party People ended the show by taking off their masks and greeting the audience with smiles and “tusind tak”s. The show gave the audience a lot to look forward to with the new album. Even more so, the set left the crowd with unique memories of the music’s enveloping qualities and a shared experience of space and time.
This article was produced independently by Jutland Station.
