Sleepless Droids - Dust

The funny thing about naming your project Sleepless Droids and then taking a seven year hiatus from releasing any piece of music is that people will begin to crack jokes about how you must have been asleep for that whole break. I am one of those sarcastic and unapologetic people who will crack a joke like that. But, seriously, it was astonishing that this project vanished for such a long time. Their debut album "Decision" which released back in 2012 was met with positive reception from many fans and critics alike. Our very own Julian Nichols at the time gave the album an amazing 9.0 out of 10 in his review and it is impossible to argue with that near-perfect score. I suppose many of us were waiting for Sleepless Droids to release new material be it in the form of a single, EP, or even a remix but alas we were all left in the dust.

However, unexpected and out of nowhere like finding water among a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, Sleepless Droids popped up out of Australia and dropped a very unexpected EP titled "Dust". While I was gobsmacked by the return of this producer his appearance was welcomed with broad, open arms and I metaphorically hugged the electro-industrial icon through the cables that connect me to the world wide web. A CD released alongside the album as well and if you're thinking of supporting him, please grab it. He's offering the CD for super cheap; it's like a morning McDonald's run. 



Either way, the EP kicks off with the title track; a wonderful song that crosses into the industrial rock territory with some funk-driven guitar work beneath the surface. Epic synth walls decorate the chorus while perfectly placed drum kicks pound throughout the song. Not to mention Sleepless Droids' very own voice comes in and fades away in echo; emotional yet powerful; synthetic with a touch of humanity. The second song on the EP 'Believe' is a gorgeous and cinematic piece with plenty of glitch-textures giving it a sci-fi edge. Throughout this song there's also a background humming which illuminates this trans-human ascension. The last song on the album is a different, in-house remix of the title track titled 'Dust (Substance)'. The best way to describe the song is as a club remix; if you want to dance you give your local DJ five bucks and force them to spin this. Either that, or you take over their set and tell them that they don't know what they're doing. 

To repeat myself, Sleepless Droids' return was not expected but, damn, they still have the production skills and synthesizer mastery to make a good EP. My only hope is that this is just a tease for an upcoming album and that we shall be hearing more from them very soon. Don't go away again; I don't think my headphones would appreciate that. 
Feb 18 2020