Tourist / Sleeper

Musician/producer James Welch is a Hampshire-born British expat living in Berlin and recording under the moniker Seams. His 2012 double EP Tourist/Sleeper combines his previously released Tourist with the newer recordings of the Sleeper EP. More of a conceptual diptych than a twofer, the EPs play like conjoined chapters of a novel. The four songs of Tourist are breezy affairs rich with ambient field recordings. “Hung Markets” pulses lightly with organic electronica. The first moments feel like you’re jetlagged in Bali as looped chimes subtly approximate the repetitive rhythms and tones of Indonesian gamelan music. “Carnival” follows, with reedy vibraphone notes and the background sounds of a festival crowd, before “Nachtmusik” steps up the fidelity with a vintage music box unwinding over crisp beats. “The Glow” opens the Sleeper portion with darker moods and disturbing samples of a clipped male voice moaning over childlike cries. Though “Potential” is a bit more uplifting, Welch still sews it together with dark hues and icy techno flourishes. “Punch” bounces and bustles with humid nightlife energy.