Biography
There are five artists with this name:
1. A popular British alternative band active from 1993 to 1998
2. An active dubstep/techno producer from Coventry, England
3. An experimental hip-hop musician
4. A garage rock band from Oklahoma formed in 2008.
5. 90s emo / post hardcore band from Staten Island, NY. Later changed their name to Serpico after getting paid off by the English band.
1. Sleeper was a Britpop group which formed in 1993 in Manchester, England. The band consisted of Louise Wener (vocals, guitar), Jon Stewart (guitar), Diid Osman (bass) and Andy Maclure (drums). The band released three albums - Smart, The It Girl and Pleased to Meet You - and split in 1998.
Their breakthrough song, Inbetweener, featured a memorable video with Dale Winton, who was a popular icon among students at the time. Sleeper also recorded a cover version of the Blondie song Atomic, which was used as a track in the film Trainspotting. Their version was quite well-received and the only criticism is that it was too similar to the original.
The It Girl was arguably their finest moment with Lie Detector, Sale of the Century and Statuesque as the defining tracks. It was produced by Stephen Street then famous for his contributions to The Smiths, Morrissey and Blur. It captured the imagination of the Britpop era. Wener admits that they were basically hanging onto the coattails of the bigger bands including the likes of Blur and Oasis.
The original band name for the band was Surrender Dorothy. They took that name from the smoke trail telling Dorothy to surrender in the Wizard of Oz movie.
After the band's split Louise Wener went on to have a successful career as a novelist.
The band was the inspiration for the phrase "Sleeperbloke", referring to the disparity between the glamorous singer Wener and the other frequently ignored members of the band (who tended to be far more anonymous and stood at the back). The term is still used by music press journalists and musicians, to refer to any person of limited standing within a band or an especially drab and unremarkable individual. Sleeper were said to be amused by the term and even produced an ironic "Sleeperbloke" T-shirt which sold well
The real-life Sleeperblokes were:
Jon Stewart (born Jonathan David Stewart, 12 September 1967 in Sheffield) — (guitarist)
Diid Osman (b. Kenadiid Osman, 10 April 1968 in Woking) — (bassist)
Andy McClure (b. 4 July 1970 in Liverpool) — (drummer)
Discography
Albums
Smart - Feb 1995, #5
The It Girl - May 1996, #5
Pleased To Meet You - Oct 1997, #7
Singles
Swallow- Jan 1994
Delicious- May 1994
Inbetweener - Jan 1995, #16 (UK Chart)
Vegas - Apr 1995, #33
What Do I Do Now - Oct 1995, #14
Sale Of The Century - May 1996, #10
Nice Guy Eddie - Jul 1996, #10
Statuesque - Oct 1996, #17
She's A Good Girl - Oct 1997, #28
Romeo Me - Dec 1997, #39
2. Electronic music producer from Coventry specializing in darker styles of dubstep ("Mass Transference EP" Pt 1/2), and techno ("Enter" EP). Minimalist yet detailed razor sharp bass music. Often collaborates with District.
www.facebook.com/pages/Sleeper/113978267823
sleepermadethesethings.blogspot.com
soundcloud.com/sleepermusic
3. "Sleeper is a auteur of claustrophobic, sample-based hip-hop production. His work, both as an accomplished musician, and as a respected tattoo and visual artist balances a breadth of spirit with worldly, emotional depth. Finding influence and community in the worlds of classic hip-hop and artistic, experimental rock, Sleeper fills his tracks with sound, leaving an MC with just enough room to create or with the luxury of saying more by saying less. His music is lo-fi with purpose: grainy sounds are used to lend atmosphere to larger, modern electronic sound collages, grimy drums sound out familiar hip-hop patterns beneath thick layers of sound. Sleeper is a craftsman in the truest sense of the word."
4. Sleeper is a raucous punk trio from Oklahoma, formed in the latter half of 2008. They have released a single tape to date, on their own Excitable Boy tape label.
5. Sleeper were a 90s emo/post hardcore band from Staten Island, New York. After a few releases as Sleeper, they were forced to change their name because of the existence of the UK group Sleeper, with the same name. They then changed their name to Serpico.
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