In 2004 Elephant Island, the first, barely labelled Sleeparchive 12”, appeared in Hardwax - a record of stripped down sound with hand-stamped labels in a plain cardboard sleeve. It was a record of beautiful, sparse beats, the likes of which had not been heard since the mid-90s Sähkö releases, leading to intense speculation about the identity of its producer, the haunting echoes, static and bleeps fuelled theories that it was, in fact, Mika Vainio, or perhaps a new Hawtin project – even a collaboration between the two.
Sometime after Recycle or Research the mystery was more or less solved and it was revealed Sleeparchive was Berlin producer Stephan Metzger, mostly. Metzger hinted that ‘another shy guy from Berlin’ may be involved in an interview with Philip Sherburne in late 2005, most likely with the fourth Sleeparchive EP Infrared Glow, which caused a new flurry of identity-spotting with its denser sound and movement.
Metzger (aka Roger Semsroth) used to be Skanfrom, who, until 2003 released new-wavy electro on labels like Morr Music, City Centre Offices and Suction Records. Skanform also released on his own, now defunct electro synthpop label A.D.S.R. Television Set is another moniker, the last release Normal Day (12") on Genetic Music in 2004. He is also a member of Bakterielle Infektion, a minimal electronic (whatever that means nowadays) duo with Uwe Marx; their most recent release was the CD Cities Of Glass on Genetic Music in 2005.
All of the records under the Sleeparchive heading, and Metzger’s live performances, have an internal spatial consistency, clean lines and wide-open chasms that create extra dimensions with rumbling bass and static blips; danceable atmospheric bleepscapes. Metzger’s sound is far from the now loaded interpretation of ‘minimal’, but it is steeped in the older sense of the word - reductive but full of space.
Sleeparchive will be joined by DJ Pete (Hardwax) aka Substance, responsible for several deep and spacey 12”s on Chain Reaction, and one half of Scion with René Löwe. The two will tag together, Sleeparchive live with Pete mixing a few records, and then Pete will continue on into the wee and winking hours.
> www.sleeparchive.de
> www.djpete.de
Appearances:
> CTM.07 > INFINITE BEATS
> CTM.03
