body / negative is 22 year old queer, nonbinary ambient artist and producer Andy Schiaffino. They will be releasing their debut album Fragments later this month and today we’re excited to premiere a new single from the record called “The Big Sleep.” The song features Void of Course and is equal parts melodic and dissonant, utilizing live instrumentation and electronics, showing off Schiaffino’s versatility as a producer amd performer.
The song opens with a simple electric drum beat with thumping bass and guitars with a light, soothingly hypnotic phased effect. When their vocals enter the mix it adds a new depth to the recording, bringing in an angelic, ethereal melodicism reminscient of artists like Grouper or even Beach House at their most lo-fi.
body / negative was raised in an Spanish speaking Catholic immigrant family that exposed them to classical music amd opera. In fact, Schiaffino’s earliest musical training was in classical piano, but eventually they felt limited by the confines of classical piano and moved towards creating field recording-based ambient work. These works were often recorded in lo-fi capacities, purposefully remaining as “perfectly imperfect pieces.” Simply arranged and clocking in at just over two minutes, “The Big Sleep” certainly has the feeling of a perfectly imperfect work.
Fragments will be out on October 23rd through Los Angeles based label Track Number Records. “The Big Sleep” follows the album first track and previous single “Figure 8 (Schoolhouse Rock)” which is a cover of Elliot Smith’s own haunting cover of the Schoolhouse Rock song.
Fragments Track List
1. “Figure 8 (Schoolhouse Rock)”
2. “Letterhead”
3. “Catholic Guilt”
4. “Between Spaces”
5. “With You”
6. “Safe As Houses”
7. “The Big Sleep” (feat. Void Of Course)