...for example, I've developed this habit of going to sleep with my iPod. It's like a nightlight or a stuffed animal for kids. I need it in order to get to sleep. However, it can't do all the work alone; normally I have to read some boring ass Russian literature (right now: Anna Karenina) in order to induce drowsiness. Then it's time for some drone/ambient stuff to nod off to - music that holds a steady equilibrium, without much change in dynamics. Some of my favorites along these lines include Mogwai and Earth.
But lately I've noticed something rather interesting when I've incorporated Sleep's Dopesmoker into this routine. (For those of you who don't know, Sleep were a super-heavy stoner/doom metal band that sounded like Black Sabbath on Qualudes. They featured Matt Pike on guitar, who would go on to form High On Fire.) Dopesmoker is the band's once-canned major label debut, consisting of the title track which clocks in at over an hour, along with a bonus live track titled "Sonic Titan". It is by far away the most effective record in getting me to slumberland. Vocals don't kick in on the title track until around the 20 minute mark and I'm normally long gone by then.
The odd thing is that each time after listening to this album at night, I will wake up the next morning to find my iPod sitting on my bedside table. It's always paused at about 45 seconds into the next track, "Sonic Titan". I never have any recollection of either stopping the music or placing the iPod on the table. This might not seem like much to some, but I'm not one to do things half-asleep. When I'm stirring at the witching hour, I'm normally aware of it. Often when I employ these sleep-inducing tactics with other albums, I'll wake up at some point after they've finished to put my iPod on the bedside table and quickly fall back to sleep, with the ability to recall doing so the following morning. I don't function that way with Dopesmoker and it's beginning to creep me out. It's almost like it works a little too good. I must be taking some sort of subliminal bong hit through my ears in order to more easily reach the REM cycle. Weird stuff.
And while on this subject of falling asleep to music, may I recommend not attempting to do so with Sunn O))). I could go to their live show with earplugs and a sleeping bag and call it good. But I tried to pass out to Monoliths & Dimensions once and was frightfully robbed of a night's rest; seriously, some of the most unsettling audio I've ever come across. That's not to say it's offensive, it's just...ah, I can't describe it. It's just one of those things you don't fool around with in the dark, like chanting "Bloody Mary" in front of the mirror.
