Bleep

South-England-born and Scotland-based composer Ben Chatwin breaks free from his Talvihorros moniker for his debut under his birth name on London’s modern classical imprint Village Green. Written and recorded at his home studio in a rural spot not far from Edinburgh, the instrumental arrangements of The Sleeper Awakes layer dense string drones and repetitive guitar patterns to colourful ambient soundscapes. Chatwin used not only his trademark guitars, but also a 100-year-old keyboard instrument to create the material. The Dulcitone, designed by Glasgow’s Thomas Machell, is considered the forerunner of the Fender Rhodes, and resembles the sound of a glockenspiel. Its magic fully unfolds on songs like ‘203 Years’ and ‘Mirorring’, where Chatwin shows off the distinct touch of the instrument, rendering audible the process of the hammers hitting its inbuilt tuning forks.