SleepResearch_Facility is a dark ambient artist from Glasgow, Scotland, specializing in sleep-conducive beatless ambient music which is both artistic as well as functional.
Overview
SleepResearch_Facility consists of the single band member Kevin Doherty. His music usually contains no rhythmic elements, but instead relies on spacious, extended, richly-textured sounds. Occasionally, true 'musical' elements appear in his work, such as sustained chords, but the majority of his compositions consist of evolving layers of manipulated noise and mechanical drones. He deliberately attempts to avoid any sonic elements which would be likely to disturb a sleepy or sleeping listener, such as sudden loud noises. The music of SR_F is also intended to create an aural environment which allows listeners to let their thoughts drift, being gently guided by the music. The following advice is provided for listeners: "recommended playback level: just above quiet". A more detailed overview of SR_F can be found online. The works of SR_F are inspired by power stations, distant motorways, certain sci-fi movies and various aspects of nature, including thunderstorms, empty frozen tundra, deserts, jungles and rushing water. Two complete albums were based entirely on the manipulation of a three-minute recording of a malfunctioning Dimplexelectric fan heater. So far, all albums by SR_F have been produced or engineered at Somnambu-Lab in Glasgow. The correct spelling of the artist's name is SleepResearch_Facility, but Sleep Research Facility is a commonly seen variation. In April 2012, a new album called Stealth was released on Cold Spring.
"Dark Side Of The Lune" on Au Clair De La Lune, INFREQUENCY, 2009
"AB-Mix" on Rope to the Sky, Ambientblog.net, 2015
"theta2delta" on From Here to Tranquility Volume 9 - In Dreams, Silent Records, 2018
Merchandise'''
SR_F appeared on the February page of the Cold Spring Calendar 2007.
Critical response and public exposure
The majority of feedback on SR_F's work is extremely positive. Steve Roach has written a complimentary review of SR_F's albums Dead Weather Machine and on his website, and even sold the albums from his online store while stocks lasted. SR_F's work has also been highly praised by ambient websites such as AmbiEntrance and Aural Pressure, and the artist's official guestbook contains many positive comments which have been submitted since 2004. In 2005, some of SR_F's music was broadcast on Dutch Radio 4FM. Radio 6 program FOLIO broadcast a full SR_F radio special on 2 October 2007. SR_F has performed live at several venues:
17 December 2007 - Altaira ambient night at The White Orchid in Toronto, Canada, alongside Shatterwave, Cauterwall, This Instrument, dreamSTATE and Slopoke.
The January 2008 edition of Terrorizer included a feature on SR_F in the "Breaking Faces" section.
Interviews
There are three known SR_F interviews available on the Internet, which provide a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the albums, as well as background information on SR_F in general.
Ortus Obscurum
Sometime between 2001 and 2003, SR_F was interviewed by Ectonaut at Ortus Obscurum, "a webzine devoted to writing about the various types of music referred to as Neo-Classical, Dark Ambient, Ritual, Fantasy, Neo-Pagan, Industrial, Electronic, Experimental and so on".
Cold Spring Supplement
In January 2007, SR_F was interviewed for the January/February 2007 edition of the Cold Spring Supplement, prior to the release of Deep_Frieze on the Cold Spring label.
Hidden information on the official website
The official SR_F website used to contain some pages which appeared to be hidden from the general public, since there were no known links to them from anywhere else on the site. These pages have now been deleted, but some of the MP3s which they linked to are still available.
[|Audio Project Archive]
The Audio Project Archive page contained additional information about released albums, details about upcoming albums and unreleased works, as well as free tracks in MP3 format. The Sargasso MP3 from the Electronarcosis Series is still available.
Assembler
This little-known project is related to SR_F, and produces mechanically-rhythmic dance music. An overview of Assembler was available in the Audio Project Archive. Currently, no tracks have been released on CD. Assembler had its own website, which consisted of a home page, a main page and a collection of free tracks in RealAudio format: "Two Towers", "Hack1 quick edit", "Hack3 Final mix", "Whole in 1" and "one tower". MP3s of the tracks Sentinals, Union Station, Jack-2-Jack and Kernals are still available.
