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DJ Olive, "Sleep"
This long ambient composition from DJ Olive is aptly named. Deep swelling tones and their lighter counterpoints massage the brain and implore eyelids to close, with all the comfort of a bedtime story.
Originally created as a way to help friends return to sleep during the stressful period following 9/11, this aural sleeping pill is one of the most peaceful recordings I've heard. Yet surprisingly, this album is never boring. It maintains interest even as it soothes, luring the listener further into its dreamlike logic. Deep waters give way to gentle pulses and short harmonic riffs that fade as if they were never there. A heavier influence intervenes, yet eventually is overtaken by airy drones. The recording displaces time with its lack of obvious signposts, seeming both longer and shorter than its actual length.
As a sleeping aide, it's hard to beat. While staying awake to hear everything it offers is rewarding, it's so purposefully relaxing that doing so is a difficult feat.
