Finding Their Place
Sleep Token are one of the most interesting, and intriguing bands in the UK at the moment. Their rise has been nothing short of stratospheric, formed less than a decade a go, they have released three albums, a fourth is on the way next month. A headline slot at Download Festival follows shortly after, the band have already made the jump into arenas and they made it look effortless.
The band have managed to do something rather unique however, they have made themselves accessible. Whilst also having a rather unique niche. Since their inception in 2016, Sleep Token have remained anonymous, wearing cloaks and masks on stage, very rarely conducting media duties and interviews and not using real names. The front man is simply known as 'Vessel' and the rest of the band members using pysedumsn and numbers as their names II: The drummer and percussionist. III: Plays bass during live performances. IV: Plays guitar and provides backing vocals during live performances. Espera: Touring member providing backing vocals.
This anonymity has added an intrigue and suspense to the bands performances and ultimately their music. Alongside the music the band have built a whole Lore and World that surrounds them, and the songs. It all centres around one common thing, they are ‘committed’ to worshiping the ancient deity known as Sleep. Each song is a Token (or an offering) in the name of Sleep.
The band have added to this lore and world, using codes, alphabets, logos, which all create extra information, theories and potential conspiracies for the hardcore element of the bands fan base. When researching this post, I found whole articles about the Lore of Sleep Token, and countless social media posts which saw fans searching for answers in potential breadcrumbs that the band had placed, or maybe not placed.
These different elements add to the appeal, and mystique of the group. It's something quite unique to the band. Of course having a world which surrounds the music is something that has been done before. Gorillaz do it to great affect, and have been for a couple of decades now. Those songs, and albums become wrapped up in different stories, with the different characters 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, Noodle.
The Gorillaz characters also make up the members of the band, and there have been members that have come and gone. Paula Cracker, Cyborg Noodle, Ace. Similar to Sleep Token, these characters have a back story. All of them eventually convening to form Gorillaz. The main difference between the two bands however, is that Gorillaz is made up of virtual characters. In the case of Sleep Token, the character of 'Vessel' is played by a real person. Who is playing up to a role, a persona.
He is the one who in the world of Sleep Token has direct connection to Sleep, he offers the songs, and the live performances to the mysterious god like figure.
Of course artists and bands have played into characters before. David Bowie went through a whole host of different personas throughout his career, and used characters throughout his songs, even bringing some back. 'Major Tom' was first seen in 1969 with 'Space Oddity' and then came back 12 years later in 1981 on 'Ashes to Ashes' as a shadow of his former self.
He himself played into characters to 'Ziggy Stardust' , a sexually curious alien rock superstar. 'The Thin White Juke' a much more controversial character, who in his time made some ostensibly pro-fascist statements. ' Aladdin Sane' which was seen by many as a continuation on 'Ziggy Stardust'.
Despite being known for this characters, these were all played in a piviotil part of Bowie's career. The early to mid 1970's where for many Bowie released his best work. Those songs have lived on despite the characters now coming to pass. Bowie seemed to be an expert in never hanging on to a particular moment for two long.
People thought he was insane to kill 'Ziggy Stardust' in the way he did, but it didn't take him long to come up with something else. Bowie also pretty much gave up his character personas after 'The Thin White Juke'. Instead he focused on making different more sincere music, which led to him working on the Berlin trilogy.
The Beatles also experimented with characters, after the band had stopped touring in 1966, they went into the studio to record a concept album, which would ultimately become 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. The whole concept of the album was to represent a performance by the fictional band. This alter ego, would gibe the band freedom to experiment and release the shackles that had been set by fans. It would release them from The Beatles image.
It allowed The Beatles to make something that no one was expecting, they embraced everything from Indian Music, to the Beach Boys, to the Doors. This record was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before. The Beatles thought that they needed to use these new personas in order to create this art.
Sleep Token however, are almost a hybrid of these three. They have the world building of Gorillaz, the unique powerful characters of Bowie, and these characters aid the songwriting in a similar way to how The Beatles did in 1967.
In the years from 2016 to now, this has been a huge help to the band, however, with the recent success. A sold out arena tour, and festival headline slots further down the line, as well as a Top 10 single in the UK with 'Caramel'. Is this Lore and the characters that have been created helping or hindering the band?
More and more casual fans, myself included have found the band in recent years. 'Take Me Back to Eden' Sleep Token's third album received critical acclaim, and through social media they were presented to a whole new fan base. Who aren't as bothered by the back story, the breadcrumbs, easter eggs. They are here for the songs.
Vessel seems to be discussing the current place and identity of the band in recent singles to 'Caramel' and the most recent release 'Damocles' are the most autobiographical songs the band have ever written and recorded. 'Caramel' sees the band take aim, at certain elements of the fan base. It feels like the band talking, this isn't the sound of the characters anymore it is the sound of those behind the mask. Addressing the fans.
One line that really hits the nail on the head around this theory is this one “every time they try to shout my real name just to get a rise from me”. Certain elements of Sleep Token's fan base have been trying to reveal who the man behind the mask is. He wants to remain out of the limelight, however, due to the success of the band. There's constant eyes on the band from more and more people than ever. It just seems tat those who have been there from the start are the ones who are trying to unravel more and more about the band.
Despite the comments that the song addresses. It's Sleep Token's most succesfull track. It hit the Top 10 in the UK.
'Damocles' is another really autobiographical song, and it's a weird one. I was discussing it with a friend last night. It's not a traditional Sleep Token track. It's brutally honest. The band don't know where they stand right now, and are definitely unsure what happens next. I suppose they are unsure what people will think. How do the fans see us.
For a band that have made a rise through having this lore, and unique character driven story. It seems that they want to get rid of at least some of it. The last thing they want is to get pigeon holed into one genre, into one sound and marginalised by the whole music community. They also have to contend with the fans who have gotten them their, the current social media climate and metal fans who cannot see the band as a serious metal outfit. Whilst also maintaining their anonymity. It's a very unique time for the band, of course navigating these challenges is difficult, and rather special to them due to their rather distinctive circumstances.
The band have gotten to a stage where they have an arsenal of songs, that the purists, and hardcore fans can fall back on. 'Take Me Back to Eden' was their most accessible record to date, their recent singles have charted high in the UK. They have an opportunity to embrace change, obtain new fans and I hope decide the future on their own terms.
In all honesty, I cannot see a world where the band keep the anonymity for much longer, it was all part of the build up. With the songs becoming more accessible, and the band becoming more famous. I feel as if dropping the whole thing could benefit them. Vessel is a supremely talented frontman, musician and song writer. Should he drop a character and move onto something new. The Beatles killed Billy Shears, Bowie killed Ziggy. Damon Albarn constantly dips into and away from Gorillaz.
I just hope that Sleep Token manage to find their place, do they carry on the way they have been? Or do they rip up the script they have written and begin something new?
Thank you for reading
Jack
For Joe