"almost asleep" by last past.
last past. is a dream pop / indie rock group from Kyiv and 1/3 of the Ukrainian shoegaze super-group that surprised us just before Christmas with the release of before you fall asleep (electricity). The collaboration includes Rippedd, plaaaato and last past. and offers "the atmosphere of falling into a dream".
The closing track of this dream release is "almost sleep," written by Vadim of last past. The song also closes out episode 13 of _____ mood. Having already talked to a different third of this young musical collaborative, Rippedd, I'm happy to add another slice to the dream pop pie.
Tell me about your song “almost sleep”.
I was inspired to write the song by my own worldview. I always didn’t really like the concept of sleep. In fact, we spend ¼ of our lives just sleeping. I would like to do much more during this time, but the sleep process does not allow me to do it. The first words of the song speak directly about this: “sleep enough, but I think it’s all wasting my time”. That’s the idea.
Who are your musical influences?
I was inspired to create music by Castlebeat and although our sounds are different, he showed me that you can create music yourself. That’s why I write music myself and although the people who play with me are also a very important part of my project, they don’t participate in the recording of the songs.
It sounds like you prefer to work and record alone… what was it like to collaborate with the others for this song?
It was actually fun, although we had difficulties with deadlines. We supported each other in the process, especially since we all know each other. We didn’t have any problems with the idea and concept itself.
What would you do with all that extra time if you didn’t have to sleep?
Twenty or so extra years would give me an incredible opportunity to do something I’ve been putting on the back burner. It seems to be that I will not have enough time allotted to me in order to realize all that I want. The most interesting thing to me is understanding that I’m only 21 and I’ve already managed to do so much in this world, considering that 15 of 21 of my years I was a child. So, 20 extra years in my life could help me a lot.
I think it’s amazing how young you are, what you’ve made and what you hope to achieve.
I’m grateful to you in return that you speak so many pleasant words and are interested in this. Without it, creativity would have much less meaning, it seems to me.
What if sleep makes you more productive?
Recently I read about a practice that allows you to sleep for three hours and be energetic. I want to learn more about it and try to experiment with my body. Unfortunately, we need sleep, so I cannot do without it. But, you can reduce the time you sleep and save a lot of time.
What else do you like to write songs about?
I have a strange love for things that few people are interested in, or so I think. Few people pay attention to the beauty of space, so I have a lot of things related to it. I also like to interpret my thoughts into lyrics, which sometimes turns out pretty cool. In the future I want to do it more poetically.
What do you look forward to in 2024?
In 2024, namely in the spring, I plan to release an album, which will be my debut. I will be an LP, the idea of which has been brewing in me for a long time. But before the album, I plan to release one single from it, sometimes at the end of the winter.
What’s the best music to fall asleep to?
Hmm, for me it’s always been Lord of the Rings music, haha. I really love fantasy and everything related to it. “Elven” motifs have always had a wonderful effect on my sleep.