Artist: Matt Coldrick
Album: Music For A Busy Head

Label: Absolute Ambient

Music For A Busy Head
In a world that never sleeps; full of electric light, cable TV, the Internet, e-mail, jet travel, etc., stress is a given and sleep an option. An estimated 70 million among us suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. Many wish for a consistent entry into the sleep state - an internal "sleep switch" to take their brain off-line for several hours as their own natural devices for this are malfunctioning. Sound designer Matt Coldrick addresses these concerns on Music For A Busy Head, a pleasant album that blurs the borders between new age, chill-out, spacemusic and drones.

The seven tracks on this album move gradually from monochromatic dronescapes to multi-layered interlocked sequencer loops and onward to shifting harmonies and wandering melodies; all within a design meant to enhance lower levels of consciousness. Coldrick utilizes his synth's spectrum of sound alternating between warm bass swells and lofty cloud enshrouded voices; the stratification of sound exemplified as this album is felt as strongly in the feet as it is in the more cerebral areas. The focus becomes a bit clearer as the album advances along its gentle contour; yet the listener moves inversely, deeper into the phases of sleep. Each piece plays in a key corresponding to a colour - the tone's analogous visible frequency.

Music For A Busy Head will go through repeated cycles in continuous play mode, hopefully syncing-up with the listener's sleep architecture. It is said that "sleep is for dreamers", as the sleeping brain does experience intensely powerful mental events. So why not take advantage of this potential? When day is done, don't just "go to bed" or "hit the sack", instead listen to Music For A Busy Head and take part in an uncontrolled experiment to chart brain activity during the night - in your bedroom turned sleep lab.

- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END   17 July 2002

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