Since 2002 Neon Sleep has been used as a performance & recording alias by Rob Ashworth. Releasing a debut album in May 2005 to great reviews 'Endormi et r?ver' makes for an interesting starting point into Rob's musical projects. Rob Ashworth also performs under the name 'Gaunt Story' There is more than one artist called Neon Sleep. The other is Henning Sommer who works under the name 'Neon Sleep'. (description taken from the official Myspace)
Rob Ashworth also performs under the name 'Gaunt Story'
There is more than one artist called Neon Sleep.
The other is Henning Sommer who works under the name 'Neon Sleep'.
(description taken from the official Myspace)
Henning Sommer from M?nster stands behind the shy name Neon Sleep. Currently he studies German and Philosophy. After he played guitar in a couple of bands and wrote acoustic songs alone, he applied himself to electronic music and started Neon Sleep in December 2006. He played reams of shows in the first year all over germany ? Munich, Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg etc. - in front of an upbeat audience. In June 2007 he released his first promotion-single Make Me Move On and started to write songs for his upcoming album. Established radiostations like 1live and Fritz-Radio for example introduced him to a larger audience and he was invited by Kai3 for an interview and liveperformance on TV.
At the first sight it seems as if one could say Neon Sleep is handmade electropop when you want to pigeonhole this kind of music. But that is way too easy. On the one hand it sounds catchy with a full load of synthisizers, on the other hand Henning's music is fragile, shy and sad with a heart-warming voice. The range of the arrangements is large and so are the moods which Neon Sleep evokes. But all songs are connected by great and beautiful melodies that captivate the listener with clarity and certainty. At the same time Henning's songs neglect falling down to battered patterns. His unique and beautiful voice takes the electronic part of his music and pushes it to a special kind of mixture. These songs seem to be exposed: vulnerable and honest.
But what is Neon Sleep about? When you watch Henning on stage ? with his guitar, synthisizer and laptop ? singing with eyes closed ? you pretty soon get the impression: it's neck or nothing. His songs are about being lost, searching and fading, remembering and oblivion, coldness and hope. Forthwith you notice that every song is attended by a deep personal note and authenticity.