Tulipomania ‘Dreaming of Sleep’ album out now, plus animated video for ‘Then and Only Then’
Tulipomania 'Dreaming of Sleep' album out now, plus animated video for 'Then and Only Then'
Several years since their latest release, Philadelphia art-rock duo Tulipomania presents their fifth album “Dreaming of Sleep”, released via Sursumcorda Records.
With cover artwork by Michael Speed, senior designer at Beggars Group London, this record involves executive producer Howard Thompson (Elektra, Island, Almo Sounds), having discovered and/or worked with Adam and the Ants, Billy Bragg, MC5, Mötorhead, PiL, Psychedelic Furs, Robyn Hitchcock, The Sugarcubes, Suicide, among others.
As of November 17, the “Dream of Sleep” album is available digitally from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where it can also be obtained on CD and vinyl.
“Musically, the album feels like an interpretive dance to me. A reaction to overwhelming anxiety and frustration – while also mirroring and grappling with this ridiculous anxious age we are living in. Lyrically, consciously, and subconsciously, the themes of loss, frustration and fear are I think clearly on display – with anger, disbelief and a realization of a total lack of control or even influence beyond what we could exert on the instrumentation, the songs and the animations themselves,” says Tom Murray.
“We tried to use only the first takes of any performances or musical ideas as much as possible. Vocals were recorded in one or two takes in almost every case. We wanted to make everything about the groove and the song. We wanted to not be tempted to use instrumentation we are already comfortable with. I think this lack of control and slight on-edge process pairs well with the music and lyrics. I hope the results speak for themselves.”
In the lead-up to the album, Tulipomania released the lead track “You Had to Be There” and a remix created by UK music legend Martyn Ware (Heaven 17, The Human League) and Charles Stooke, which was featured on WIRE Magazine’s cover-mounted Wiretapper CD compilation for October.
Below are the two videos.
The latest animated video for “Then and Only Then” features lip sync, original and vintage footage shot frame by frame, collaged on sheets of black paper – is an official selection at the CutOut Fest International festival of animation and digital art this November in Mexico. “The music and the animations that support it explore outrage, powerlessness – and the knowing kind of sorrow that emerges from those states of mind – often in bursts of absurdity. Being aware of the ridiculous often feels like salvation,” says Cheryl Gelover, who first met Tom Murray, the other half of Tulipomania, through experimental film and animation classes.
Tulipomania’s animated music videos have been featured in film festivals worldwide, with several already showcasing their latest few videos as an official selection, including the Leeds International Film Festival (UK), StopTrik (Croatia, Poland), AniFilm (Czech Republic), Malatesta (Italy) and CutOut animation festival (Mexico).
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