"it's my time now..."
The minimalistic magnetism of "Sleepy" by Los Angeles based artist body / negative, and featuring Midwife, feels like a somber meditation. The dreamy moments of static, of real life recorded moments, anchored lightly to piano notes in repose with what might feel like a spirit singing in the shadow of the song hit me at the top of my stomach, right beneath my heart. It is the kind of soundscape that listened to over and over again acts as a repository for your own feelings, children's laughter and familial times of your own past will surely blend with those of Andy Schiaffino aka body / negative like fingers intertwined while holding hands.
From a body / negative Instagram post:
[my next & final single for the new record comes out next tuesday, november 21 - this one is entitled "sleepy" and was created alongside @mercury_tracer - this song is my absolute favorite on the album and maybe in my entire catalog. plus, it's the only song that instantly makes me cry. there is an accompanying music video that was created w/ @realojmetal that is comprised entirely of old footage of my parents. this song is wholly devoted to them. 🤍 can't wait for you to hear it.]
I can relate to losing both parents. My mom and dad have been gone a long, long time and I remember at one distinct point in time feeling like an orphan even though I was fully an adult when my last parent, my mom passed. As I listen to "Sleepy" (on repeat) and think about a lot of things: my parents, the birth of my 3 kids and even what death might really mean I am going to past important Liner Notes about body / negative's latest album "Everett" for you to read.
LINER NOTES (bracketed):
The album’s eight tracks were developed in collaboration with luminaries Andy has long admired, weaving a tapestry of emotion, thought and sensibility. Notably, Madeline Johnston, under the moniker Midwife, co-produced tracks "sleepy,” “ataraxia,” and the titular “everett.” Sleepy also incorporates field recordings from Randall Taylor, the Portland-based artist who performs under Amulets. “persimmon,” the album’s sixth track, emerges as a harmonious crescendo of Andy’s guitar and vocals, joined by heavier guitar from Justin Maranga of Ancestors and Dune Altar Records. Persimmon was later mixed and co-produced by Megan Searl, an audio engineer who has worked with Florence + The Machine, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Atticus Ross.
By Andy’s own admission, Everett is a manifestation of their psyche’s most vulnerable corners. The album was initially set to be recorded in Midwife’s studio in Las Cruces, New Mexico, however, tragedy befell Andy and their family when their father fell terminally ill. As a result, most of the album was written and recorded while Andy looked after their father in hospice. The work is tinged with themes of love and loss, echoing the sentiments of body / negative’s last opus, Fragments, from 2020. The artist dedicates Everett – in its entirety – to their late mother and father.]
-Robb Donker Curtius
https://bodynegative.bandcamp.com/album/everett
https://www.instagram.com/bodynegativela/
A landline’s static. A piano’s trill. A whisper down the hall. As Everett unfolds, it seems to carry delicate memories on wings of melody.
Mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott, Everett is the third musical release from body / negative, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Andy Schiaffino. Everett’s lo-fi sound blends elements of shoegaze and ambient, while certain moments enter experimental territories. Much of the album is recorded through a hand-held tape recorder, while Andy sings through a landline-style handset in lieu of a microphone, giving the vocals the nostalgic hum of a phone call. Tracks “flowers (the proverbial you),” “everytime,” and “persimmon” feature the artist’s signature instrument – a 1960s Wurlitzer 200a.
The album’s eight tracks were developed in collaboration with luminaries Andy has long admired, weaving a tapestry of emotion, thought and sensibility. Notably, Madeline Johnston, under the moniker Midwife, co-produced tracks "sleepy,” “ataraxia,” and the titular “everett.” Sleepy also incorporates field recordings from Randall Taylor, the Portland-based artist who performs under Amulets. “persimmon,” the album’s sixth track, emerges as a harmonious crescendo of Andy’s guitar and vocals, joined by heavier guitar from Justin Maranga of Ancestors and Dune Altar Records. Persimmon was later mixed and co-produced by Megan Searl, an audio engineer who has worked with Florence + The Machine, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Atticus Ross.
By Andy’s own admission, Everett is a manifestation of their psyche’s most vulnerable corners. The album was initially set to be recorded in Midwife’s studio in Las Cruces, New Mexico, however, tragedy befell Andy and their family when their father fell terminally ill. As a result, most of the album was written and recorded while Andy looked after their father in hospice. The work is tinged with themes of love and loss, echoing the sentiments of body / negative’s last opus, Fragments, from 2020. The artist dedicates Everett – in its entirety – to their late mother and father.
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://bodynegative.bandcamp.com/album/everett
https://www.instagram.com/bodynegativela/
A landline’s static. A piano’s trill. A whisper down the hall. As Everett unfolds, it seems to carry delicate memories on wings of melody.
Mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott, Everett is the third musical release from body / negative, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Andy Schiaffino. Everett’s lo-fi sound blends elements of shoegaze and ambient, while certain moments enter experimental territories. Much of the album is recorded through a hand-held tape recorder, while Andy sings through a landline-style handset in lieu of a microphone, giving the vocals the nostalgic hum of a phone call. Tracks “flowers (the proverbial you),” “everytime,” and “persimmon” feature the artist’s signature instrument – a 1960s Wurlitzer 200a.
The album’s eight tracks were developed in collaboration with luminaries Andy has long admired, weaving a tapestry of emotion, thought and sensibility. Notably, Madeline Johnston, under the moniker Midwife, co-produced tracks "sleepy,” “ataraxia,” and the titular “everett.” Sleepy also incorporates field recordings from Randall Taylor, the Portland-based artist who performs under Amulets. “persimmon,” the album’s sixth track, emerges as a harmonious crescendo of Andy’s guitar and vocals, joined by heavier guitar from Justin Maranga of Ancestors and Dune Altar Records. Persimmon was later mixed and co-produced by Megan Searl, an audio engineer who has worked with Florence + The Machine, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Atticus Ross.
By Andy’s own admission, Everett is a manifestation of their psyche’s most vulnerable corners. The album was initially set to be recorded in Midwife’s studio in Las Cruces, New Mexico, however, tragedy befell Andy and their family when their father fell terminally ill. As a result, most of the album was written and recorded while Andy looked after their father in hospice. The work is tinged with themes of love and loss, echoing the sentiments of body / negative’s last opus, Fragments, from 2020. The artist dedicates Everett – in its entirety – to their late mother and father.
body / negative, shoegaze, indie rock, alt pop, moving soundscape, illusory pop, "Sleepy" (feat. Midwife) Official Video, new album "Everett", homage to parents,
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