Emperor's New Clothes - Sleepjunk (2023)

‘The most chaotic band I ever worked with’ – Eddie Piller Since their beginnings, Emperors New Clothes always walked the line between order and chaos, regularly collapsing and reinventing themselves with new ideas and lineups. Founded by Luke Hannam and Andy Knight in North-East in the late ‘80s, they were signed by Eddie Piller with an expanded lineup, having moved to London in the midst of the burgeoning acid jazz scene. While a foundation group on the Acid Jazz label, Emperor’s New Clothes went against the grain of the wider scene with an ever-expanding blend of free jazz, dub, and sound experimentation, and a seemingly ever-revolving lineup. There was a feeling amongst the band that their ideas weren’t fully realised on record, but the acquisition of a sampler proved to be a game-changer as they started work on what would be their third album. After a period of experimentation and writing, two weeks were booked at a residential studio, away from London distractions, and Trevor Jackson – impressed by their live show - was brought onboard as producer. For various reasons, of which there are various accounts, the resultant album from these sessions remained unreleased. Luke Hannam left shortly after recording to work with Gramme, while Andy continued to widen his sonic exploration. It looked as if this little chapter of Acid Jazz history was set to be lost forever. Fast-forward 30 years, when by chance, current Acid Jazz director Dean Rudland reconnected with Andy. With the lost album always brooding , they set about finally getting the record out as originally intended. ‘Sleepjunk’, as it became known, doesn’t sound quite like anything else from its time. Hip-hop, Drum’n’Bass and Post-Punk sounds rub shoulders with melodic lines nodding to Ornette Coleman, Augustus Pablo and Sun Ra. The layered sound-world evokes everything from the musique concrete of Edgard Varese, to the minimalism of Steve Reich. Something truly different from the Acid Jazz vault and an album we are very excited to finally share with you.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Emperor's New Clothes - Heading Out (Past Mendota Tower) (5:55)
1.02 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream I (0:32)
1.03 - Emperor's New Clothes - Swamp Fever (5:41)
1.04 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream II (0:23)
1.05 - Emperor's New Clothes - Spitit Catcher (3:52)
1.06 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream III (1:34)
1.07 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream IV (0:42)
1.08 - Emperor's New Clothes - Space Junk (8:36)
1.09 - Emperor's New Clothes - Toxic Waste (2:44)
1.10 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream V (1:09)
1.11 - Emperor's New Clothes - The Sleepwalker (5:19)
1.12 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream VI (0:28)
1.13 - Emperor's New Clothes - Cinema Green (7:36)
1.14 - Emperor's New Clothes - Strange Charm (8:21)
1.15 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream VII (0:20)
1.16 - Emperor's New Clothes - More Bodies Than Souls (2:43)
1.17 - Emperor's New Clothes - Twister (3:16)
1.18 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream VIII (0:17)
1.19 - Emperor's New Clothes - Boogie Electric (4:34)
1.20 - Emperor's New Clothes - Dream IX (0:39)
1.21 - Emperor's New Clothes - Double Helix (7:23)
1.22 - Emperor's New Clothes - Time Lapse (2:52)
1.23 - Emperor's New Clothes - Charm Decay (2:05)