“ What could be interpreted as taking the unimportant (obsolete technology) and unintentional (electromagnetic interference) and sculpting it into something that is clearly deliberate and made with clear intent results in a mesmerizing album from an always fascinating artist.”
— Creaig Dunton, Brainwashed
“This is the purest form of industrial music imaginable: not the robots or construction equipment, but the wires and the sparks.”
— Richard Allen, a closer listen
"I found this a most enjoyable noise album, as it is noisy but listenable; it has a concept, and yet one could choose to hear without overthinking about the concept and enjoy the sheer noisiness of the music. Keller’s dynamics reach for the ultimate depth of the bass and some piercingly high-frequencies. My noise highlight of the week!"
— Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly
"After listening to 'Sleep room' many many times, I am still at a loss for the most connecting words to describe this composition. Would it be ok to just say "wow" and leave it at that?"
— Ken Lower, Lost in a Sea of Sound
Elevator Bath is elated to announce "Sleep room", the electrifying new album from Alex Keller. This marks Keller's return to the label following his exquisite collaborative LP with Sean O'Neill and top-notch mastering work for releases by Adam Pacione and Thomas Bey William Bailey. His first solo album in nearly a decade (since 2015's ingenious "Black out"), "Sleep room" is a work of singular magnetism and well worth the wait.
Sources for these recordings include decommissioned computer server, vintage ECG POTS, modem/network router, non-functioning laptop, UV light insect trap, LED lights, power supplies, urban bus, commuter trains, homemade electromagnetic oscillators, stun gun, homemade Jacob's ladder, and vintage vacuum cleaner. All pieces (excluding the title track) are based on real-time studio improvisations, made with multiple homemade electromagnetic transducers often attached to gloves, as well as commercial electromagnetic microphones.
This uniquely peculiar array of both instrumentation and technique is nothing if not fascinating, and as a final product, "Sleep room" easily lives up to this intrigue. Though the album is utterly distinctive in its methodology, it is first and foremost a meticulously rendered, expertly produced collection of abstract sound art. Jolts of static and bursts of white noise collide with buzzing tones and distant drones; throbbing electrical pulses join with natural resonances and vibrations, fully utilizing the stereo field and frequency spectra. The album is also a highly individual statement with every facet of its creation bearing Keller's stamp: instrument building, recording, mixing, mastering, as well as cover art and photography were all performed by the artist. In other words, "Sleep room" simply resembles no one else's work. This album is the culmination of Keller's uncompromising creative integrity wedded to a total commitment to process. The results speak for themselves. Among so much rather pedestrian material which passes for experimental music in recent years, "Sleep room" stands out and stands tall as a challenging and sophisticated work, as satisfying as it is anomalous.
Headphones are not required though listeners will find them rewarding.
Note: The title “Sleep room”, as well as those of the album's individual pieces, refers to debilitating experiments that were performed involuntarily on people with mental illness as part of the CIA’s Project MKUltra, some of which included exposure to electromagnetic signals. Listener discretion is advised.
credits
released July 5, 2024
Alex Keller is an audio artist, sound designer, curator, and teacher based in Austin, Texas. His work in the media of performance, installation, and recorded release reflects his interests in architecture, the hidden, language, abstraction and music. Keller has focused on electromagnetic induction as a sound source since 2012. Spurred by his fascination with the invisible forces that surround us, as well as the ones we only imagine, he has created multiple generations of transducers that emphasize the gesture of the performer to find new ways to interact with the electromagnetic spectrum. His performance work is focused on inherently unstable technology, including crudely circuit bent devices, magnets glued to giant fans to create electromagnetic oscillators, and salvaged technology. By creating a situation where the results are unstable, the performer’s attempts to work with recalcitrant tech create an appreciable tension to the audience.
Alex Keller is an audio artist, sound designer, curator and teacher working in performance, installation, and recorded releases. His work is based in his interest in architecture, language, abstraction and music.
Read my interview with Colin here: https://soundsvegan.com/2025/07/colin-sheffield-elevator-bath-interview-en. His newest album "Serenade" is the perfect combination of sounds and atmospheres. Sounds Vegan
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