Brooklyn Electropop Artist Paul Feder Honors His Father On “Never Sleep” EP
Brooklyn electropop artist and synth tinkerer Paul Feder is back after his 2021 ambient 80s pop-inspired EP “Nightwalk” with a new upcoming EP, “Never Sleep”. Playing as a follow-up to its predecessor, “Never Sleep” picks up right where “Nightwalk” left off. Feder’s unique combination of ambient tones, varied beats and emotive vocals are an indication he’s decided to stick with experimental electronica, and thank goodness he has.
Feder straddles the worlds of pop and experimental electronica, with the former very much on display in his earlier releases “Lose My Mind” and his remixes of vocalist Holly Abraham’s 2018 hit “Shore” and Jane In Space‘s “Mental Abrasions,” which were all decidedly more pop. With “Nightwalk” and the forthcoming “Never Sleep”, however, his experimental side is more forward as he explores the thoughts and feelings that plague us when the rest of the world sleeps.
With “Nightwalk” being described by one reviewer at Music-News.com as ‘a lofty record that flows between observer and observed in a slick piece of Euro-tinged electronica,’ “Never Sleep” has a more down-to-earth focus. It was written during and inspired by the pandemic so the thoughts and emotions contained therein have a universal appeal, with its title track a sonnet to those afflicted with insomnia due to anxiety during the lockdown.
A lifelong gearhead, Feder’s love for electronic music is firmly rooted in the 80s and 90s, which comes through strongly on “Never Sleep”. In fact, the initial tunes were written and recorded on his 90s-era Yamaha CS2X keyboard.
These vintage synths permeate the whole EP and soothe the listener into nostalgia while the ambient tones create a feeling of emotional safety as Feder’s vocals navigate these difficult topics. The end result is a relatable, catchy piece of experimental electropop.
In three songs, Feder channels bouts of insomnia (“Never Sleep”), explores the growing divide between present time and youth (“Home”), and takes the listener on a symbolic train ride to the end of the line and beyond (“Wonderful Day”). “Never Sleep” is dedicated to Paul’s father, Jack Feder, who passed away in December 2022. The EP was produced in Paul’s home studio in Brooklyn, and mastered by David Little Mastering.
“My upcoming EP Never Sleep contains three songs I wrote in 2021-2022. It was a hectic time both in the world and for me personally and these songs come out of that era. In early 2021 I unearthed my 90’s Yamaha CS2X keyboard from my parents’ attic and began to play, channeling pandemic anxiety into what would become the title track of the EP. Never Sleep is dedicated to my father, Jack Feder, who kept encouraging me to “finish the songs!” when I had trouble letting them go. He passed away in December 2022. I produced the EP in my home studio in Brooklyn, and it was mastered by David Little Mastering.”
