When I was but a wee lass in high school, my best friend Charlotte had one of the more upscale houses in the Cupertino neighborhood, complete with a top of the line hi-fi system that no one but the master of the house was allowed to touch. At 15 we of course ignored all threats, using the house made empty my workaholic parents, we took refuge from the perils of young adulthood, immersing ourselves with some nice herbs, headphones, the most excellent leather barker loungers, and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I can remember it, albeit hazily, to this day.
Team Sleep’s debut release quickly threw me back to those days of blissful escapism, longing for a time when I could actually devote one entire hour to doing nothing but focusing on every element and instrument of an album from track to track.
And I’m here to tell you, this new release deserves your full attention.
This 10 year old child of Chino Moreno and Todd Wilkinson was born as an experimental way to stretch their creative muscle, with no intention of having it touch anyone but themselves. Wilkinson wasn’t even in a band, and Moreno was on the verge of the Deftone’s first release, Adrenaline. Then, a third member was added, DJ Crook (a Monkey Bar resident in Sac), bringing with him club toys in the way of turntables, mixers, and programming tools. Fast forward to 2001 and its studio time with producer Terry Date. Those sessions were leaked to the Internet (a common thing these days), leaving the members bummed, not so much because die-hard fans were disappointed, expecting it to sound like the Deftones , but because the cake wasn’t done yet.
Fast forward again to 2005 where Team Sleep has delivered 11 tracks that are simply stunning. Free from the Deftones formula, Moreno becomes an even more sensual crooner for make-out music, hot and heavy in the back of a 60s Mustang (not the most comfortable car, but oh, so cool). Other cooks in the kitchen include Rob Crow from Pinback, adding a cover of lush, indie icing, and Mary Timony giving things an eerie, female vocal touch. Rich with a mixture of ingredients, Crook’s sophisticated programming hails to the level of DJ Shadow’s The Private Press or the dark sultriness of Massive Attack’s Mezzanine. Moving like a right arm with the left, Crook’s layers compliment the drumming skills of Zach Hill (from Hella), including the epic proportions of “Live From The Stage.”
I still listen to Dark Side of the Moon, and I probably will until I’m ’80 in some rest home in Littleton (actually if that happens, you have my permission to call Dr. Kevorkian on my behalf). Team Sleep has also captured that timeless essence, so in this hurried world of always-connected wireless access, cell phones/mp3players/toe nail clippers, standing in line for your half caff-mocha with a twist of lime, do yourself a favor and take 40 something minutes to just immerse yourself in something real.
