Wednesday, March 9, 2011


Michael Brook & Pieter Nooten- Sleeps with the Fishes (1987) MP3 & FLAC


This one-off collaboration between Michael Brook of Infinite Guitar fame and Clan of Xymox's Pieter Nooten is an absolute stunner, a largely forgotten gem in the expansive 4AD catalog that ranks with the best of the label's eighties-era releases. Similar in tone to This Mortal Coil but far more focused and sumptuous, Brooks' always impressive guitar work weaves and melts into meticulously constructed soundscapes, which are further fleshed out by cellos and ambient keyboard washes. While much of the album is instrumental, Pieter Nooten provides hushed vocals on several tracks, all of which rank among his finest performances on record. Released in 1987, Sleeps with the Fishes sounds like a logical (and quite beautiful) progression of both the dream-pop and dark ambient genres that bloomed during the eighties, and, in some ways, presages the direction Dead Can Dance would take on their final albums. Not to be missed.

Sleeps with the Fishes
 1. Several Times I  (3:03)
 2. Searching  (3:22)
 3. The Choice  (4:29)
 4. After the Call  (5:16)
 5. Finally II  (1:53)
 6. Instrumental  (3:53)
 7. Suddenly II  (1:30)
 8. Suddenly I  (2:36)
 9. Clouds  (4:27)
10. Finally I  (3:49)
11. Several Times II  (2:05)
12. Equal Ways  (5:00)
13. These Waves  (3:12)
14. Time  (1:51)
15. Several Times III  (1:12)



15 comments:

  1. scurfie, no problem. This one's such a gem; glad I could share it!

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  2. I've just sat here for five minutes or so thinking what I could write about this and I'm coming up a complete blank. Whatever I write will simply be far too clumsy and really, you've about said it all above.
    Not to be missed indeed. Sublime.

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  3. WOW! You're wonderful! Thanks so much!

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  4. Anon. I was really happy to post this. What a wonderful album!

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  5. Mace, sublime indeed. More people need to hear this

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  6. Excellent post Voix. Thanks a lot.

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  7. Mate, if you've got more stuff like this you may as well forget any requests ...
    Needs to be said again: sublime.

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  8. Anon., this actually was a request

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  9. Take 2: Mate, if the guy who requested this has *more* stuff like this on their list ... well, it's obvious what needs to be done ... ;)

    Simply wonderful music.

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  10. What a wonderful album! You save my vinyls !!!
    Thanks Thanks Thanks

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  11. None the less I moderately like the first two albums of them, I've never been a Xymox fan, but this work seems very enjoyable. It's much better than the serial C.O.X. works. Thanks for the introducing!

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  12. (rl) matiné, I like this album a lot as well

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