Dream The Electric Sleep - Heretics (2014)

Dream The Electric Sleep (or DTES, for short) are a Progressive & Alternative Concept-Rock quartet from Lexington, KY, USA. DTES was formed in 2009 by Matt Page (vocals, guitar, keys) and Joey Waters (drums, vocals). The line-up was completed with bassist Chris Tackett (ex-“Hyatari” and “Chum”), and guitarist Andrew Hibpshman (who was introduced in early 2014 to reinforce the band’s live sound).

DTES’s discography includes the self-produced first album “Lost and Gone Forever” (2011) and the 4-track EP “Acoustics & B-Sides” (2012). DTES was featured on specialized magazines (“Classic Rock”, “Eclipsed” & “Progression”) and their positive reception among Prog & Heavy Rock communities led them to perform in the coveted “Church of Prog” slot at the “Rites of Spring Festival (RoSfest)” (USA). Back from the festival, DTES entered studios in May 2013 to record their second full-length album, entitled “Heretics” (released in February 2014).

“Heretics” represents DTES’s search for more thought-provoking themes and subjects, which are explored on their lyrics. It is an ambitious concept-album the follows the life of Elizabeth – a fictitious character who joined the suffragette movement in the early 20th century to fight for women’s right to vote. Elizabeth’s role was inspired on real women who were marginalized during their lifetime for their thoughts and actions, and who are depicted on the front cover of the album (most of them have been also represented on “Judy Chicago’s” picture called “The Dinner Party”). The song titles make references to works of literature and art connected to the concept (see below).

Regarding the music, “Heresies” reveals DTES’s evolution in the field of composition and genre-bending prowess. DTES has many influences. Their main inspiration comes from Progressive bands like “Genesis”, “Pink Floyd”, “King Crimson”, “The Moody Blues”, and “Rush”, which have a sonic crossover with: Alternative Rock bands (“U2”, “Radiohead”, “My Bloody Valentine”, “Killing Joke”, “Doves”, “Seam”, “The Flaming Lips”); British Shoegazing icons (“Catherine Wheel”, “Ride”, “Swervedriver”); Heavy Prog & Psychedelic/Space Rock bands (“Muse”, “Astra”); Post-Rock acts (“Oceansize”, “The Life and Times”, “Neurosis”, “Cult of Luna”); and Stoner, Doom & Experimental Metal outfits (“Torche”, “YOB”, “Jesu”, “Tombs”, “Boris”). But DTES know exactly how to manipulate their influences to really surprise the listener, achieving excellent sonic results. DTES’s compositions follow the same line of Alternative Rock, Psychedelic, Shoegazing, and Post-Rock standards, but are complicated and stretched out to the Progressive patterns. DTES drive their songs in a determined style, then, by adding long instrumental sequences or well-crafted guitars solos, they steer the music to a totally different stylistic direction, not forcing it at all, but guiding it through new paths that could never be anticipated by the listener.

Most of the 11 tracks of “Heretics” show that transmuting pattern. The title track “Heretics” (4:50) pours down heavy Space-guitar riffs that are trespassed by Psychedelic-Stoner vocals. “Elizabeth” (8:22) begins like a 90’s melodic Alternative Rock, with soaring vocals and delicate guitars that recall “U2” and “Radiohead”, but takes a detour back in time to feature a long guitar solo in 70’s Rock style! “Utopic” (6:38) begins like an eerie ballad with sensitive vocals, but accelerates frantically on bass & drums from middle to end, concluding on epic guitar riffs. Still better are “To Love is to Leave” (8:01) - another ballad driven by a powerful vocal tune that grows on a great bluesy guitar solo and has its climax on a heavy sequence of memorable Doom guitars; and “The Name You Fear” (6:09), which gallops on epic bass and drums, being sided by melodic harmony vocals and guitar solos (for fans of “Muse”). “It Must Taste Good” (8:31) is a Post-Rock with waving melodies, echoing vocals, and kilometric guitar solos that precedes the very best tracks “I Know What You Are” (6:42) (which dramatically puts in contrast deep melancholic vocals against epic ascending instrumentation); “Lost Our Faith” (2:05) (a folk intro); “How Long We Wait” (9:28) (an energetic Alternative Rock that softens into a long Progressive part full of floating guitars and vocals, ending on symphonic French horns); and “Ashes Fall” (8:07) – a heavy song, loaded with a dense concentration of lysergic Doom, Space & Post Metal riffs, featuring a Progressive guitar solo. The album still has the less transmuting, but not less interesting, “Fist to Face” (4:15). Dream The Electric Sleep is a first class band having a modern Progressive approach to their compositional style, and their album “Heretics”, although not aimed to the orthodox Prog-Heads, will be highly praised by fans of Progressive-oriented Alternative Rock, Shoegazing, Heavy Psychedelic/Space Rock & Post-Rock who like “Radiohead”, “My Bloody Valentine”, “Catherine Wheel”, “Swervedriver”, “Ride”, “Killing Joke”, “Doves”, “Seam”, “The Flaming Lips”, “Muse”, “Astra”, “The Life and Times”, “Simeon Soul Charger”, and so on.

Band members and collaborators involved in Dream The Electric Sleep are: Matt Page – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Keyboards, Lyrics; Chris Tackett – Bass; Joey Waters – Drums, Vocals; Andrew Hibpshman – Guitar. Additional Musicians: Seth Meyers – Cello (tracks 1, 3, 7, 11); Nathan Williams – French horn (tracks 1, 4, 8, 10, 11). Spoken excerpts on “Ashes Fall” read by L.A. Watson & M. Page. Cover art by Matt Page; layout by C. Tackett & M. Page. Recorded at Sneak Attack Recording Co, Lexington, KI; Engineered, Mixed & Mastered by Jason Groves. Produced by DTES. Song titles and the works of literature & art that have inspired them: “Heretics” + “Elizabeth” = “Heresies” (art journal from the 1970s); “Utopic” + “To Love is to Leave” = “A Room of One’s Own” (essay by “Virginia Woolf”); “The Name You Fear” + “It Must Taste Good” = “The Yellow Wallpaper” (short story by “Charlotte Perkins Gilman”); “I Know What You Are” + “Fist to Face” = “Cornered” (video artwork by “Adrian Piper”); “Lost Our Faith” + “How Long We Wait” + “Ashes Fall” = “Waiting” (spoken word performance written by artist “Faith Wilding”).

Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 3 from 29. August 2011

EAC extraction logfile from 8. November 2014, 16:49

Dream The Electric Sleep / Heretics

Used drive : Optiarc DVD RW AD-7173A Adapter: 4 ID: 1

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 48
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000

Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
Sample format : 44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo


TOC of the extracted CD

Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 4:50.34 | 0 | 21783
2 | 4:50.34 | 8:22.26 | 21784 | 59459
3 | 13:12.60 | 6:38.13 | 59460 | 89322
4 | 19:50.73 | 8:01.20 | 89323 | 125417
5 | 27:52.18 | 6:09.45 | 125418 | 153137
6 | 34:01.63 | 8:31.43 | 153138 | 191505
7 | 42:33.31 | 6:42.54 | 191506 | 221709
8 | 49:16.10 | 4:15.32 | 221710 | 240866
9 | 53:31.42 | 2:05.61 | 240867 | 250302
10 | 55:37.28 | 9:28.51 | 250303 | 292953
11 | 65:06.04 | 8:07.55 | 292954 | 329533


Range status and errors

Selected range

Filename E:\+EAC+\Dream The Electric Sleep - Heretics.wav

Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 5.3 X
Range quality 99.9 %
Test CRC 312A3FF8
Copy CRC 312A3FF8
Copy OK

No errors occurred

End of status report

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