Cape Sleep
“Ambitious, delightful” – The Guardian (UK)
Cape Sleep is the new band of Dutch artist Kim Janssen, who previously released three albums under his own name. Upcoming album ‘Video Days’ (February 23, 2024) will be Cape Sleep’s debut and serves as a tribute to pop culture from the past.
Under new name Cape Sleep, Kim embraces his long desire to play in a band, surrounded by musicians and singers. With ‘Video Days’ he takes a step away from his autobiographical songs and shares fairy-tale-like stories filled with characters wandering from place to place. Cape Sleep is the name on the marquee that draws you into the world of the songs before you step inside the theatre.
The album ‘Video Days’ is bursting with nostalgia, a love letter to the past pop culture with endless references to everything from old Westerns and 90s Disney movies to REO Speedwagon songs and musicals by Lerner and Loewe.
Amidst a rain of sparkling synths, muted disco guitars blend with pounding drums, warm pianos, an occasional harpsichord, and a stray boys’ choir. The album is a revolving door of characters leaving the Savoy in 1940s New York, spending summers alone in extravagant hotels, searching for lost cities in the Amazon, standing shoulder to shoulder with stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age, and sneaking through museums at night.
‘Video Days’ travels through fragments of 80s Synthpop and 70s Soft Rock while maintaining a sensibility reminiscent of 50s adult contemporary pop: a contemplation of love, friendship, and the world in general.
‘Video Days’ is Kim’s most focused and poignant work to date, remaining faithful to his use of a wide range of instruments and the inclusion of a broad array of guest artists. The album features contributions from Remy van Kesteren, members of Klangstof and Moss, as well as orchestral arrangements by Paul Jacob Cartwright (Father John Misty) performed by members of Stargaze and the Metropole Orkest.
This is what the press had to say about his first full band show at showscase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag:
“A grandiose set that the likes of Matt Berninger and Sufjan Stevens would be proud of” – Drowned in Sound
“A great show…that only an idiot would miss”– 3voor12
“Near perfect, go see this show” – OOR
“Pastoral beauty” – NRC
“Impressive show” – Trouw
