Soaring in from Tel Aviv is indie, alternative, and synth-pop artist May Fall. With his recent dreamy single, "Sleep," he explores the enigma of slumber.
Israeli artist May Fall is best known for his progressive metal background with Rotev/Road to Evenmind, leading him to gain traction in the electronic realm with synth-driven singles like "Blind Zone" and "Same Code."
Now settled in his mix of synth-pop, avant-pop, nu-funk, and retro wave, May Fall is ready to continue winning over listeners far and wide with intricate synthesizer layers and undeniable grooves.
With his latest single and accompanying music video on YouTube, "Sleep," May Fall's newest single comes from his sophomore EP, Submerge. While the video, directed by Thanos Kallianiotis in the historic city of Thessaloniki, Greece, offers hypnotic, dreamlike visuals, the song stuns the listener with pulsating beats and ethereal harmonies.
Expanding on this lush listening experience, "Sleep" starts with dreamy synths and twinkling keys that transport us into a new dimension. As May Fall begins blessing listeners with his warm vocals, he sings introspective lyrics that explore sleep as a refuge, a path into one's psyche, and an escape from our busy, fast-paced world.
What remains impressive is the song's timeless nature, with sounds reminiscent of 80s synth-pop infused with modern twists and turns for a genuinely refreshing listening experience. He effortlessly helps listeners travel into the depths of their subconscious while keeping their feet tapping with wicked basslines and stunning melodies that leave us starry-eyed. It's a beautiful, meaningful song with us looking forward to that end-of-day shut-eye.
Looking to catch some ZZZs? Hit play on May Fall's newest single, "Sleep," and consider yourself refreshed. Find the new song on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to Buzz, May Fall! We're so impressed by the dreamy nature of your recent single, "Sleep." What inspired you to write a song about the enigma that is sleep?
Thank you for having me here. I’m excited to be on Buzz and happy to know that you like “Sleep”! The human mind, and the place of sleep in it in particular, is a theme I’ve been revisiting in my writing for a long time, back from my band’s Road to Evenmind 2010 concept album “Diagnosis: Unsolved” that had the image of a bed with someone sleeping in it on its cover artwork, just to illustrate how central this topic was to me even then. However, “Sleep” takes it even further; it’s a eulogy to sleep. It’s inspired by my complex relationship with it, as many times in my life, it was the biggest comfort I craved, which turned it into a sweet and sublime yet dangerously addictive habit. It is dangerous because sleep in these situations is more than just sleep. It perhaps reflects the fulfillment of a momentary will to die (sorry for the seemingly narcissistic self-reference to a line from RTE’s song “Casket Bed”), and the more you are attracted to it could be a warning sign to your true aspirations. There’s a lot to it, and “Sleep” was a great opportunity to explore it.
How does "Sleep" relate to the theme and concept of your upcoming sophomore EP, Submerge? Why did you choose to release it as the lead single from the project?
Submerge explores the dark side of the human mind. This thread connects all the songs and the unpleasant internal struggles that some of us go through. The tension between the secret wish to disappear versus the primordial survival instinct. The previous single, “Determinist,” touched on that topic, but its focus was more philosophical, with whether we could have chosen other than what we did and, if not, what the point of regret was. The upcoming singles will deep dive into the dark depths of the inner self, but I think “Sleep” reflects the entry point. It moves through the two sides of that portal – the painful awakeness – being above water in terms of consciousness but below them in terms of feeling, and the enigmatic sleep – where your mind dives underwater where you find a sweet, uplifting nothingness or a surreal parallel existence that can be either wonderful, horrible or both combined. The cover artwork of Submerge also captures that dichotomy, watching yourself underwater from above the surface, so I think that “Sleep” is probably the most suitable to draw you in to listen to the full EP.
What was your creative process when creating such dynamic, soul-soothing instrumentals and production for "Sleep?" How did you go about it?
Thanks for this great question and compliment. “Sleep” is a very untypical May Fall song in terms of its atmosphere, as most of my songs are more upbeat and funky. However, like most of them, it started with composing its melody on the piano. It’s always important for me that the harmony will be captivating and emotion-provoking when stripped from all layers of production. When I felt, I got this with “Sleep” and went on to realize how the sound would be built on top of the harmony, but I encountered a challenge as there were two main parts of the song – the verses and choruses, that were very different from one another in their atmospheres. The verses are groove-driven and punchy, while the choruses are mellow and fluid – which perfectly serves the duality of the song’s theme but makes it challenging to stitch together seamlessly. So, I started experimenting, layering, and tweaking synth sounds. I got to this wet and fuzzy synth-bass sound that worked well for both the soft yet punchy bassline verses and soothing legato chorus bassline. However, I had to build two different sets of drum samples for both parts – an 808ish-sounding dry kit for the verses and a spacious, slappy-sounding one with a long reverb for the choruses. Now, I realized I needed synth pads throughout the song to keep its flow, but the pads that fitted the verses were evolving with a sweeping filter while the chorus needed a warm and steady caressing pad sound. So I found the piece that joined everything together in the form of a dreamy bell that gradually leads into the choruses, where it becomes the melody that carries the chorus alongside the ‘sleep sleep’ whispers.
What was your experience working alongside director Thanos Kallianiotis for the Greece-filmed music video "Sleep?" What was that collaboration like?
Working with Thanos Kallianiotis on this video was a great experience. He’s a true artist, he shot and edited the video, and directed it alongside Angelo Kalfopulos, who’s also a great visionary. I was searching for videographers with unique styles when I came across Thanos’ work. His creativity and ability to convey feelings through the screen blew me away. He really liked “Sleep” and was excited to make its music video. I flew to Thessaloniki to shoot the video in an incredible location he found, an enchanting 200-year-old house. It was pristine and looked like it was frozen in time. Walking around there just gives you the chills, and walking around in this place is so inspiring. Every room you enter brings up new and crazy ideas. We experimented a lot with weird and creepy shots. While the shooting sessions were intense, it was also great fun. Thanos, Angelos, and I instantly clicked, both on the artistic and personal level. We share a similar sense of humor, which made the whole experience more relaxed and enjoyable. After that, Thanos worked his magic in the editing room, and I was just stunned by the result. He managed to capture the essence of the song, its theme, and atmosphere and bring it to life in a mesmerizing music video.
If your audience could experience anything when listening to "Sleep," what do you hope that is? What was your goal in terms of the listener's experience?
There are a few songs that manage to drive me both emotionally and intellectually, both musically and lyrically. It takes a bit of unusual and surprising yet pleasant composition of harmony, melody, beat, and sound with lyrics you can deeply relate to. Musically, I find songs like Duran Duran’s “New Moon on Monday”, Aerosmith’s “Hangman Jury”, Type O Negative’s “Love You to Death”, Chesney Hawkes’ “The One and Only” and Louis Cole’s “Things” to do this to me. I can listen to these songs repeatedly, return to them a few years later, and still get that feeling of warmth and watery eyes. I hope “Sleep” will cause some listeners to feel that way too.