Arms and Sleepers
| Arms and Sleepers | |
|---|---|
| Origin |
Boston, MA, USA Portland, ME, USA |
| Genres |
Ambient Trip-hop |
| Years active | 2006 – 2012 (indefinite hiatus) |
| Labels |
Fake Chapter Records (USA) Expect Candy (EU) Friend of Mine Records (Japan) Ericrock (vinyl) |
| Associated acts | The List Exists |
| Website | armsandsleepers.com |
| Members |
Max Lewis Mirza Ramic |
Arms and Sleepers is an ambient/trip-hop duo consisting of Max Lewis (Boston, MA) and Mirza Ramic (Portland, ME). The band was formed in 2006 and has since released a handful of albums and EPs, most notably the Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive EP from 2006, the well-received album Black Paris 86 released in 2007, and Matador, which was released in November 2009.
The band gives a cinematic experience when performing live, backing their music up with synchronised visuals created by Dado Ramadani, an artist from Boston, MA.[1]
History
Formation and Black Paris 86 (2006–2008)
Both Max Lewis and Mirza Ramic were members of The List Exists, a post-rock band local to Brunswick, Maine. The band eventually split up in 2006 after being together for three years, and Arms and Sleepers was started by Lewis and Ramic as a result. Ramic explained that the band name "is the meaning of so much of the world today and in the past, and probably the future. While so many are fighting and killing ("arms"), others are ignoring it all (the "sleepers")."[2]
The first release from Arms and Sleepers was the Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive EP, which was put out on Fake Chapter Records in November 2006. The EP was positively received,[3] and featured some tracks that would end up on the band's first full-length release. This was followed up with the self-titled EP which was released on Milkweed Records. The next two releases by the band, Cinématique and Lautlos EP, were limited and self-released by the band. The group's first full-length album, Black Paris 86, was released in 2007 on both CD (Expect Candy Records) and 2x12" vinyl (Ericrock), and received a lot of praise in reviews.
Matador (2009–2010)
The band followed up their album with another self-released EP in early 2009, entitled The Motorist. Shortly after, the duo began work on their second LP, Matador. Matador was released in the USA (Fake Chapter Records), Europe (Expect Candy), and Japan (Friend of Mine Records). Like the band's previous full-length, Matador was also released on 12" vinyl. The album was well-received, and was noted for being more vocal-centric than previous releases.[4][5][6]
Arms and Sleepers also released a split EP with The American Dollar, entitled From The Inland Sea. The EP was released digitally in December 2009, with a vinyl release in early 2011. Both bands released three new songs each on the split EP, and a 7th bonus track which both Arms and Sleepers and The American Dollar collaborated on will be released exclusively on the vinyl. Arms and Sleepers have since then released two EPs. The first, Matador Alternate Versions/B-Sides, was released on the European tour December 2009, Instrumentals I was released on CD in March 2010. The full length vinyl only Remix album Matador Remixed came out in May 2010 (Expect Candy).
The Organ Hearts (2011-present)
The band released its third album in May 2011, exclusively on Expect Candy. Once again the album features several collaborations with Ben Shepard of Uzi and Ari.
Hiatus
On April 4, 2012 the group announced that they would be canceling their upcoming tours and be going on an indefinite hiatus. They did play on Dunk Festival in March 2013.
Discography
Albums
- Black Paris 86 (2007, CD Expect Candy Records, 2x12" Ericrock)
- Matador (2009, CD & 12" Fake Chapter Records (USA), CD Expect Candy (EU), CD Friend of Mine Records (Japan))
- Nostalgia for the Absolute (2011, Download, Expect Candy)
- The Organ Hearts (2011, CD Expect Candy)
EPs
- Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive (2006, CD Fake Chapter Records)
- Arms and Sleepers (2007, CD Milkweed Records)
- Cinématique (2007, CD Self-released)
- Lautlos EP (2007, CD Self-released, tour-only CD)
- The Motorist (2009, CD Self-released)
- From The Inland Sea (2009, Split with The American Dollar, 12" Self-released)
- Matador Alternate Versions/B-Sides (December 2009, CD Self-released)
- Instrumentals I (March 2010, CD)
- A Man, A Plan, A Canal: Panama (August 2011, Self-released/Expect Candy Download only)
Other
- Holiday CD/DVD (2007. CD/DVD Self-released)