Sleepthief is an American electronic music recording project formed by producer and composer Justin Elswick. Elswick began writing music for the album ten years prior to its release. The album was mixed, mastered, co-produced, and co-arranged by Israel Curtis. Sleepthief's first album, The Dawnseeker, was released in 2006.
Sleepthief is most often compared to musical groups such as Delerium (in its output from the mid-1990s onward) and Balligomingo, which produce emotive, melodic, synthesized music with what is often described as New Age-influenced ethnic characteristics from other cultures. Also similar to these groups is Sleepthief's use of pop music-based song structures with performances by female singers: eleven vocalists contribute to The Dawnseeker, many of whom are established recording artists, and some having worked with the aforementioned groups previously.
Contents |
Born in Southern California, Elswick served as an LDS missionary in Texas and received a B.A. degree in History from Brigham Young University. Throughout this period, he became a self-taught musician. Justin also studied in Ireland, graduating with a Master's degree in philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin followed by a law degree at J. Reuben Clark Law School. He is currently a practicing attorney in Provo, Utah.[1]
In addition, Elswick wrote for Musical Discoveries, a music website dedicated to female vocalists, as an associate editor.[2]
Elswick began working on songs with Curtis around 2003. Russell Elliot, editor-in-chief of Musical Discoveries, put Elswick in contact with singer Jody Quine[3] in December 2003;[1] Quine became the first singer to join with the project, recording three songs and being filmed for a music video by 2005.[4] Vic Levak, who worked with Balligomingo along with Quine, also worked with the group.
| The Dawnseeker | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by Sleepthief | |
| Released | June 27, 2006 |
| Genre | Electronic, pop |
| Label | Neurodisc |
| Producer | Justin Elswick, Israel Curtis |
All songs written by Elswick and the vocalist featured except where otherwise noted.
The lead single, "Eurydice", was released as a digital download as well as a limited-edition CD single. The tracklisting for the single is as follows:
The follow-up single, "The Chauffeur", is a cover of the Duran Duran song of the same name and will be released in the same formats. 11 different versions of the song, as well as a bonus track "Send Me an Angel", with Kristy Thirsk on vocals. A limited edition CD single featuring the music video for "The Chauffeur" is also slated for release via www.neurodisc.com in the upcoming months.
The tracklist is as follows:
Music videos were filmed for "Tenuous", "Eurydice", and "The Chauffeur".
| Labyrinthine Heart | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by Sleepthief | |
| Released | August 31, 2009 |
| Genre | Electronic, pop |
| Label | Neurodisc |
| Producer | Justin Elswick, Israel Curtis |
The lead single for the new album, "World Gone Crazy", features the vocals of Coury Palermo and was released as a digital download EP on June 30, 2009. It includes the original version as well as several remixed versions.
The track "Skimming Stones" performed by Kirsty Hawkshaw is a reprised version that was originally released on a compilation album featuring various female vocalists, "Sirenes: The Beauty of the Female Voice". A music video was also produced for this track. "Skimming Stones" The lead single for the new album, "World Gone Crazy", features the vocals of Coury Palermo and was released as a digital download EP on June 30, 2009.
The next single was "Reason Why", a duet performed by Coury Palermo & Zoë Johnston (Digital EP - 23rd March 2010). Also a video has been shot for the track, set in the Provo Tabernacle, now destroyed by a fire in December 2010. Along with several remixes, a new song,titled "Asunder", was released. It is performed with the neoclassical/celtic duo Mirabilis.
The tracklist is as follows:
Afterwards Justin released two new tracks, included in the compilation "Beauty 2 - Music That Touches The Soul" (25th October 2010). The first track "Another Day" (with Kyoko Baertsoen) is a cover of the song originally by This Mortal Coil. The second, "Empyrean" (with Suzanne Perry) was performed with the glossolalia technique.
He is currently busy with a side project, named Spythriller, (in collaboration with Caroline Lavelle and Israel Curtis). The first video and related single will be released 15th November 2011. Every four weeks a new song will be released until the album is completed, after which it will also be released as a physical CD. The first track to be released was Nightwish cover song "Nemo", followed by "Spythriller". They can be found on the Spythriller official site and YouTube official channel. In addition, he is working with Roberta Carter-Harrison on her solo album and with Carla Werner, for her solo dance album. A new Sleepthief release will likely be released in early 2012. It will be a 7-track EP. Kirsty Hawkshaw, Coury Palermo, Carla Werner, Jody Quine, and Kristy Thirsk are the singers. In the beginning of June, Jody Quine recorded her two tracks titled "Mortal Longing" (as the EP) and "Falcon in Snow". They are in the same vein as "Eurydice" and "World Gone Crazy". A video for "Mortal Longing" was shot in September in Utah and is being editing (including the use of special effects) for release as a first single, tentatively at the beginning of 2012.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||