SLEEP FOREVER is the solo venture of Zurich-based musician Markus Weber who is a member of post-punk electro duo VEIL OF LIGHT with Michael Hofstetter and have opening for THE SOFT MOON in Switzerland on their curriculum vitae.

However with VEIL OF LIGHT set to release a new album ‘Hymns Of Faith & Trust’ in the middle of February, as occasionally with Sweden’s DAILY PLANET and their instrumentalist Johan Baeckström, the musical and productions lines do blur.

Following up 2022’s full length debut ‘Boyhood’, Weber continues to fuse classic synthpop sounds with house-influences, with the appropriately titled ‘Alter Ego’ all drenched in a reverbed introspection. The words “wistful” and “escapist” are obvious descriptions for SLEEP FOREVER but with lyrics relating to personal experience, the songs are immediately accessible and THROBBING GRISTLE this is not…

It’s with this wholehearted sincerity that the album’s opening song ‘Shine A Light’ offers a slice of bouncy and breezy synthpop that recalls PET SHOP BOYS, complete with glissando string effects although SLEEP FOREVER achieves this with a dreamier disposition. ‘Pacific Wild’ follows a not dissimilar path for that melancholic but ultimately joyous feeling filled with the sorts of melodies and counter-melodies that wouldn’t have been out of place on the MTV European Top 20 in 1988.

The ‘Alter Ego’ title song perhaps doesn’t soar to such heights but is pleasant enough with its layered tuning while ‘Indifference’ plays with a moodier metallic dressing. ‘Head Over Heels’ though is not a TEARS FOR FEARS cover but a rhythmic sophistipop number recalling WHITE DOOR. Sung in Deutsch, ‘Augen Zu’ takes the sophistipop direction further and actually sounds like JOHNNY HATES JAZZ in the 21st Century.

With an intro sounding as if it is about to burst into ‘Dreamland’ by PET SHOP BOYS, ‘Pillar To Post’ chugs along with digital slap bass in an accessible Italo disco fashion and sparkles in the instrumental break while ‘Undertow’ is uptempo without being disco and although reminiscent of A-HA, it comes over as slightly less accomplished than the Norwegian trio.

‘Keep On Pretending’ is another slice of synthy sophistipop but the vocal stylings grate over 12 songs and this album is perhaps a bit too long, losing steam in its second half. However the opening two numbers ‘Shine A Light’ and ‘Pacific Wild’ highlight the capabilities Markus Weber and are certainly worthy of playlisting.

‘Alter Ego’ is available as a digital release and a limited-edition cassette from https://sleep4evr.bandcamp.com/album/alter-ego

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
31 January 2025