Sleepers: Unlocking The Unknown with Franco Falsini

until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious (Orwell  in 1984, etched on the sleeve of ‘Kontrol Teknologies’ by Nubian Mindz)

Since its inception Sleepers has without doubt demonstrated the ‘IT’ factor, be it through quality line ups, widely researched ‘A&R’, occult artwork and a far-reaching theme of punk ethos.

So what’s it about? Throwing parties at their Ohm sweet home, with line ups involving established and young talent (Nicolas Lutz, Binh, Omar, Saverio to name but a few staple names) and of course the charismatic live set by some unsung hero typically featured on the label (or about to be). The label draws in producers from a range of scenes: each a character such as “90s” producers Dave Campbell and Nubian Mindz, electro outfits CN (WéMè Records, CPU) and Automatic Tasty (CPU), Japanese gaming producer Osamu Sato (Sublime) not to mention the too cool for any label Cool & Frank and band members-cum-analogue enthusiasts such as Andrew Lagowski.

Described as “an electronic music collector’s dream” with releases “bound to be future classics” by Discogs user ‘strictly_business’, an appreciation of underrated artists and a support of the underground resonates with the concept. In fact, the name itself explains everything…According to Urban Dictionary, a Sleeper is “a person who is an outwardly common looking item, but possesses something special or unique inside”.

If you describe someone or something as a sleeper, you mean that they unexpectedly become successful, often after a long period of being inactive or unknown (Collins)

Punk or rather post-punk is rooted in its foundations with artists such as Todd Sines inaugurating the label with Sleepers 001 Atlantic EP, then came Eric Random most known as original member of The Tiller Boys and his collaborations with Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks), Cabaret Voltaire and Nico of Velvet Underground (who played a live set for the party in November last year) featuring on the upcoming release with double LP Wire Me Up.

November’s edition at Ohm sees the party invite Italian producer/dj and multi-instrumentalist Franco Falsini. The ‘live act’ at times draws on the connection to our scene… For Franco perhaps the most obvious link is his 90s Italian underground dance music era with his label Interactive Test featuring as himself, as various pseudonyms and projects, alongside fellow Italian producers including Model Citizen, Mario Più, Miki, Roby J, Francesco Farfa... His live project Open Spaces, with Nemesis and Giacomella, as well as the parties he threw of the same name, “were a driving force for the techno rave scene in those years before finding shelter in the psychedelic goa scene in the years ahead” - YouTube video montage of Open Spaces live.

As well as on his own label Franco's music appears on Dangerous and his track with S. Noferini “Dance To The House” recently featured on the  compilation series ‘Welcome To Paradise’ (Vol. III on Dutch label Safe Trip, 2018).

Franco Falsini - leader of 70s space prog band Sensation's Fix

Franco Falsini performing on stage in the 70s

Album cover for 1976 album 'Finest Finger' [Polydor]

Francesco Zappalà, Gabry Fasano, Franco Falsini aka Open Space.

Franco continues to play today. Here he is performing a Sensation's Fix show in California, June 2017

Before dance music, Falsini was lead member of prog rock band Sensation's Fix (which he formed in 1974). Sensation's Fix was “pioneering”, “Florence's answer to Faust or Pink Floyd” (as commented on by The Guardian), receiving international acclaim albeit some years later with DJ Shadow sampling the band on his 2002 album ‘The Private Press’. In 2008, Sonic Youth hosted an exhibition "Sensational Fix”; in 2011 John Elliott (Emeralds) reissued Falsini's 1975 solo album Cold Nose.

In the early 80s, Falsini softened his style somewhat producing Electra's "Feels Good" – the italo-disco anthem was played by figures throughout the industry from Horse Meat Disco to Aphex Twin (The Guardian). And in 1983 he produced an entire album of new wave pop as The Antennas.

For Franco much of the noughties involved psytrance raves, festivals and street parades in his hometown Florence, wider Italy and Europe (CanaPisa Street Parade, Million Marijuana March, TransPecos Equinox), as well as intimate Sensation's Fix shows in Italy and the US. In the summer of 2017, Sensation's Fix took its shows to California, performing together with Ariel Pink and Professor Cantaloupe.

Franco Falsini - Shows YouTube Playlist

70 years old today, Sleepers founder Sacha tells the story that as a teenager he’d go to Falsini’s psy-trance raves – that’s how he discovered him. And ahead of the next Sleepers (November 30), he shares his 5 favourite Falsini tracks spanning a career that ranges from experimental new wave to the dancefloor. 

Top 5 Selection from Sacha:

Franco Falsini - Cold Nose - Parte 1 [Cold Nose, 1975]

Sensation's Fix - Smooth and Round [Portable Madness, 1974]

Sensation's Fix - Telepathic Children [Fragments Of Light, 1974]

Agent Fylfoyt – Bionaut [Agent Fylfoyt EP on Interactive Test, 1991]

Elements ‎– Elements [After Hours Links EP on Dangerous / Dig It, 1996]

Sleepers: Unlocking The Unknown with Franco Falsini

Edited by Kaajal Shah