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Sleepwalker (EP)

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Sleepwalker
Minogue kneeling in a white dress, leaning back with her hands held up.
SoundCloud artwork
EP by
Kylie and Garibay
Released24 September 2014 (2014-09-24)
Recorded2013–2014
StudioParadise (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length15:06
ProducerFernando Garibay
Kylie and Garibay chronology
Sleepwalker
(2014) 		Kylie and Garibay
(2015)
Kylie Minogue chronology
Kiss Me Once
(2014) 		Sleepwalker
(2014) 		Kiss Me Once Live at the SSE Hydro
(2015)
Short film
"Sleepwalker" on YouTube

Sleepwalker (alternatively titled Kylie + Garibay) is the debut extended play by musical duo Kylie and Garibay, composed of Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue and American record producer Fernando Garibay. Musically, it is influenced by electronica and, in a departure for Minogue, reggae and dancehall. Its lyrical content begins a story arc, from loss to recovery, concluded by the second Kylie + Garibay EP.

The EP was released via SoundCloud on 24 September 2014, to coincide with the start of Minogue's 2014–2015 Kiss Me Once Tour, where a specially produced short film was played before the beginning of the show. The short film was directed by William Baker, and was uploaded to Minogue's YouTube channel on 19 November 2014. The short film contains three of the tracks from the EP, with the exclusion of "Chasing Ghosts".[1][2][3][4] The songs were originally part of the sessions for Minogue's 2014 album, Kiss Me Once, but never saw inclusion on any version of the album.

Background and recording

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In 2013, Australian singer Kylie Minogue announced she had signed a management deal with Roc Nation, an entertainment agency handled by American rapper and businessman Jay-Z.[5] The announcement was made after she parted ways with her long-term manager Terry Blamey and the British label EMI.[6] For her twelfth studio album, Kiss Me Once, she collaborated with several composers and producers, including Mexican-American producer Fernando Garibay.[7] The producer began his career in the 1990s and has always wanted to work with Minogue, whom he regards as a "real-life Tinkerbell" because of her whimsical charisma.[8]

Garibay's intention in working with Minogue is to create music that resonates with her existing fanbase while also attracting a new generation of listeners, rather than attempting to reinvent her image.[9] "What's great about working with established artists [like Minogue] is the different perspective you get to choose," he said.[9] However, the songs they wrote together were eventually dropped from the album, which was released in March 2014.[10] Garibay believed the decision stemmed from a misalignment between his creative vision and Roc Nation's plans for Minogue, and the material deviated significantly from her previous releases.[10] Minogue considered the songs produced by Garibay to be excellent, but ultimately could not include them on the final tracklist.[11] "My mindset has been working on it for such a long time... The songs will find the right home when it's the right time", Minogue said.[11]

A few months after the album release, while in Los Angeles, Minogue contacted the producer to express her desire to complete the tracks.[10] She went to Garibay's home studio, Paradise Studio, and finished them in a week.[12] These recordings including three unreleased tracks from Kiss Me Once—"Glow", "Wait", and "Break This Heartbreak"—which was co-written by songwriters MNDR and Peter Wade.[13] Additionally, Minogue and Garibay co-wrote a new song, titled "Chasing Ghosts", along with MNDR and Sterling Fox.[13] MNDR, whose song "Les Sex" appeared on the tracklist of Kiss Me Once, was pleased with the recordings.[14]

Music and lyrics

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Garibay (pictured in 2024), the EP's producer, conceived of the project as an exploration of heartbreak and unrequited love.

Sleepwalker draw primarily from electropop and dance music,[15] but music critics largely considered it an experimental project for Minogue, showcasing a diverse range of influences including pop-rock, ska, disco, reggae, and dancehall.[16] John Earles of Classic Pop opined that the inclusion of dancehall and reggae demonstrated Minogue's clear connection to the prevalent style of her then-management company, Roc Nation.[17] Laurence Day of The Line of Best Fit commented that the project "sounds far from the glossy sheen we're used to [hear]" from the singer.[18] The EP is characterized by the distinct musical style of each track.[19] "Break This Heartbreak" is an electronica song, while "Glow" offers a darker, moodier atmosphere punctuated by echoing effects.[20] Both "Wait" and "Chasing Ghosts" incorporate elements of Afro-Caribbean music into their compositions.[21] Critics highlighted "Chasing Ghosts" as the EP's most sonically distinct track, differentiating it from the others by including male rap verses and ska influences.[21]

Heartbreak and unrequited love are the primary themes of Sleepwalker, inspired by the emotional low the duo were experiencing during the songwriting process.[22] Its title reflects the desire to sleep through the pain of heartbreak, evoking the image of a zombified, emotionally devastated person.[23] The EP chronologically charts the stages of heartbreak through a cathartic dance narrative: beginning with a moody and devastated state, the listener progresses through the various phases of healing.[23] The EP concludes with "Chasing Ghosts," a brighter, guitar-driven track intended to offer a hopeful look toward the future.[24] "Everything is interweaved into this magical, cathartic movement," Garibay explained.[7]

Release

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The EP was released via SoundCloud on 24 September 2014.

Track listing

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All tracks produced by Fernando Garibay.[25]

Sleepwalker[13]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Glow"
4:24
2."Wait"
3:40
3."Break This Heartbreak"
  • Minogue
  • Garibay
  • Warner
4:14
4."Chasing Ghosts"
2:48
Total length:15:06

Personnel

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The following credits are adapted from APRA AMCOS:[13]

References

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  1. ^ White 2014
  2. ^ Villa 2014
  3. ^ Web Guy Brett (19 November 2014). "Kylie Minogue Debuts 'Sleepwalker' Music Film With Fernando Garibay". B105 Fm's Scoopla Music. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  4. ^ O'Mance, Brad (24 September 2014). "There are four new free Kylie Minogue songs online right now!". Popjustice. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  5. ^ Izundu & Savage 2013
  6. ^ Evening Standard 2012
  7. ^ a b Wass 2015
  8. ^ Wass 2015; Maddox 2014, 3:34–4:14
  9. ^ a b Wass 2015
  10. ^ a b c Wass 2015; Maddox 2014, 1:07–2:16
  11. ^ a b Daw 2014
  12. ^ Maddox 2014, 1:07–2:16; Rogerson 2015
  13. ^ a b c d Writing credits for Sleepwalker from APRA AMCOS:
  14. ^ MNDR 2014
  15. ^ Day 2014; Villa 2014; Rogers 2014; White 2014; Hot Press 2014
  16. ^ White 2014; Ruelle 2014; Rogers 2014; Flynn 2019, p. 100
  17. ^ Flynn 2019, p. 100
  18. ^ Day 2014
  19. ^ Ruelle 2014; Day 2014
  20. ^ Goncalves 2014
  21. ^ a b Villa 2014; Goncalves 2014; Maddox 2014, 4:14–4:50
  22. ^ White 2014; Wass 2015; Maddox 2014, 2:41–3:28
  23. ^ a b Wass 2015; Maddox 2014, 2:41–3:28
  24. ^ Maddox 2014, 4:14–4:50
  25. ^ Andrews 2022, p. 170

Websites and print sources

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Media notes

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