Sleepwalking by Mariana Semkina
THE DEBUT SOLO ALBUM FROM THE AWARD-WINNING IAMTHEMORNING SINGER-SONGWRITER
Featuring Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Craig Blundell & Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson) and the St. Petersburg Orchestra "1703"
'an adorable ethereal presence... Her vocals are beautiful too, haunting and ghostly' - The Independent
Following the success of four highly-praised albums with Iamthemorning, the lyricist, singer and co-songwriter Marjana Semkina (also known as Mariana) releases her spellbinding debut solo album, Sleepwalking. Characterised by her composed and unique voice, complex melodic lines and poetic lyrics with literary references, Semkina has often compared favourably with Kate Bush. The new material draws from the Iamthemorning soundscape but exists fully in Marjana's world; a compelling mixture of alternative folk, pop, drama, beauty and emotionally purging lyrics. A blend akin to the darker folk of Aldous Harding, Marissa Nadler, Sumie and Florist.
To aid the recording of Marjana's vision for Sleepwalking, she invited renowned keyboardist, drummer and bassist Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Craig Blundell and Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson), as well as the St. Petersburg Orchestra "1703" and frequent collaborator Vlad Avy. The album artwork makes reference to Semkina's love for classical art, unifying photography with the 17th-Century Vanitas movement; a genre of still-life painting that includes objects symbolic of death's inevitability and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures, exhorting the viewer to consider mortality. The album's music echoes the questions posed by the artwork, it is stripped down to raw emotion: no sugar-coating, no filters, just creative thought caught in the moment.
Marjana has performed with Iamthemorning on two European tours in support of their acclaimed fourth studio album The Bell, first in support of Riverside in September and second of The Flower Kings in December 2019. She also performed a solo show earlier in the year with Anathema's Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh, and also with Iamthemorning at London's prestigious Bush Hall. Semkina has been cast in the limelight of modern alternative music, as Iamthemorning won Album of the Year at the Progressive Music Awards with Lighthouse, and by winning both Woman of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year in the 2019 Prog Magazine readers' poll.
Tracklist
| 1. | Dark Matter | 3:15 |
| 2. | Am I Sleeping Or Am I Dead | 4:27 |
| 3. | Turn Back Time | 4:08 |
| 4. | Ars Longa Vita Brevis | 3:03 |
| 5. | Invisible | 3:10 |
| 6. | Lost At Sea | 5:03 |
| 7. | Skin | 4:56 |
| 8. | How To Be Alone | 2:53 |
| 9. | Everything Burns | 3:18 |
| 10. | Mermaid Song | 4:35 |
| 11. | Still Life | 4:09 |
Credits
License
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Created in May 2008 to provide a home for the growing post-progressive genre and an evolving, flexible and adventurous style of music without boundaries.