Happy New Year to anyone who’s reading – we’re all set for 2019 as we plan an exciting schedule! We’re working on plans on a few new ideas but firstly, we’ve some celebrating to do: we’re about to achieve our 50th album release! Sleeplaboratory1.0 is a concept album compilation in which we invited label artists and friends to create a piece of sleepy music. It releases on January 26th 2019 in a run of 100 copies. We wanted the compilation to help relax and lull our listener and we’re delighted with the result – we hope you will be too. This one features artwork by our regular collaborator Federica Jeanne de Luca and sound art from a line-up which includes Janek Schaefer, Sven Laux, M. Grig, Maps and Diagrams and Daniela Orvin. The album is presented in a special gatefold-LP style CD, similar to the Paper Relics special edition we did last year. We love this style of packaging and we’re toying with the idea of making this option a more regular thing…
Whitelabrecs low-run releases will be made available suddenly without official release dates, meaning they’re likely to sell out fast. The best way to keep informed is to join our mailing list which can be located through our website menu.
press release
Whitelabrecs began in January 2016 and since our first limited edition release three years ago, we’re proud to announce our fiftieth edition in the form of a special compilation album. Previously we’d released ‘Whitelabsounds’, which had no particular theme; a cross section of label artists and friends. This time, our label owner Harry Towell wanted to curate something with a specific theme so that this occasion was marked by a concept album.
‘Sleeplaboratory1.0’ is a sixteen track cross section of modern Ambient artists touching on everything from minimalist drone and modern classical cinematics to electro acoustic and synth influenced works. It is released in a run of 100 physical copies, as we’ve chosen to create a ‘gatefold LP’ styled CD package, complete with beautiful artwork provided over 4 panels by our regular collaborator Federica Jeanne de Luca. The album is also available digitally in a range of formats, carefully mastered by Tim Diagram who also contributes a track as Maps and Diagrams.
This album is intended as a relaxing companion for either conscious or sub-conscious listening, with contributing artists briefed to create something vacant which is likely to induce sleep. Harry selected the artists with the theme in mind and to help them understand his vision, he shared a link to Janek Schaefer’s ‘Lay-by Lullaby’ released on 12k back in 2014. It is an album which has been a huge part of his personal sleep routine, with him playing it at low volume on his iPod in bed ever since it was released so it seemed to be the perfect starting point.
Harry’s motivation behind creating this sleepy album was primarily due to his fascination on the relationship between Ambient music and sleep: Robert Rich, Max Richter and Tanner Menard all performed notable sleep concerts for starters. Harry was particularly honoured when Janek Schaefer agreed to provide the opening track to this accumulation of calming works and it was he that introduced the National Geographic edition at the time which had a large article about the science of sleep and how it sits in modern society.
Additionally, Harry was expecting the arrival of his first child during the production stages of Sleeplaboratory1.0 and he wanted the album to be particularly calming for babies.
We will not make any recommendation on how our listeners might best enjoy this record and so it’s down to you to choose the best environment to listen, whether this be late at night with headphones, on a loud system or perhaps played through Bluetooth speakers in and around your home.
credits
Curated by Harry Towell
Mastered by Tim Diagram
Artwork by Federica Jeanne de Luca
whitelabrecs.com 