This year for World Sleep Day (March 18th), we have partnered up with ambient recording artist Snoozy to release a collection of four nature soundscape albums inspired by the botanicals used in our botanical sleep oils, Anatomē Journey. Available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, the records take the listener on a sonic journey through the landscapes where the central ingredients of each anatomē essential oil sleep blend are sourced: Cornish Lavender, Somali Frankincense, Blue Chamomile and Japanese Seaweed.
We have asked Snoozy’s team members, Adam Rider, James Harwood, and Marit Berning to tell us more about the music creation process, the challenges they encountered, the places they visited, as well as a bit more about them and their lives in London.
Can you tell us more about the records you created for anatome?
The records reflect the landscapes from where the key ingredients in the oils are sourced. They include Cornwall, the Northeastern part of Somalia where Frankincense is harvested, the Allgäu in Bavaria where Blue Chamomile grows and the coastline of the Kii Peninsula in Japan, famous for brown seaweed. The soundscapes are composed of our own sound library of field recordings, as well as samples taken from other sources so that the birdsong and nature sound match the location. The soundscapes are idealised reflections of these places, carefully composed, balanced, and mixed to reflect a journey through the landscape and create a sense of place which is evocative and calming.
It’s a tremendous privilege to go out into beautiful parts of nature and record. Capturing birdsong, the sound of rain on a roof or the lapping of the ocean, all creates a sense of calm in the same way that we hope that the Snoozy albums do for our listeners. It’s always exciting as well to get home and listen back to everything - all the sounds are very evocative of the recording process. Then there’s the excitement of hearing a soundscape coming together during the production phase. Just with any other musical recording, you’re constantly trying to make it the best it can be.
What have you found most challenging?
It’s hard to find the silence we need to make the recordings. The sounds of people and machines are quite hard to escape, but when you find that peace and get the sounds you need it’s a very rewarding experience. We hope they create similar good vibes when you listen.
Tell us your story - from where you grew up to your most exciting phase?
We all grew up in London and spent most of our twenties working across the art, music and fashion industries. In March 2020, as the pandemic hit, our insomnia and anxiety struggles became more acute. We started researching contemporary ambient music and relaxation techniques, one thing led to another, and we created Snoozy.
What is your London? What is it about?
Our London is Hackney, where our office and recording studios are. For us, it’s about a place we find comfortable surrounded by like-minded people and businesses that share our politics and ideals.
What is your morning routine?
We try to avoid screens when we first wake up. We put on some light classical piano music to ease ourselves sonically into the day. We try to have a healthy breakfast, calls with our collaborators, then we plug in and go.
Coffee or tea when you wake up?
We all have different tastes. James has an English breakfast tea, Marit prefers a fresh juice and Adam is a fan of iced coffee in any weather.
What do you do to motivate/ switch up your energy throughout the day?
When we’re in London we are generally busy moving between meetings, seeing artists in our recording studio on Hoxton Street or at our desks. If we’re feeling stuck, we’ll go to Yoga or for a long walk through the city. Snoozy also allows us to go and document sounds in amazing locations. We spent January in Belize making a series of albums which are being released in association with a conservation charity for Earth Day this year.
Where have you been in Belize?
We are partnering with World Land Trust to create a series of albums of field recordings that we made in Belize. A portion of the proceeds will go to the World Land Trust for the duration of the copyrights. We travelled around the country from the Rio Bravo Conservation Area, along the Belize River, to the Meso American Barrier Reef and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. We also visited some of the beautiful islands off the coast. Belize is a small country, but rich in biodiversity and a vital environment for many plant and animal species. The World Land Trust has worked to protect Belizean forest since 1989, so we are very excited to support their efforts with these records.
With a demanding work life, how do you keep your focus?
The three of us support each other and working together helps us to share the strains of managing two new businesses. It helps that we’re all really motivated by what we do and feel that it’s a privilege rather than a chore.
What is a relaxing evening like for you?
Making Snoozy is a sort of meditation and very relaxing - you can really zone into the tracks and transport yourself to the ocean or a peaceful forest.
What are you listening to at the moment?
We usually have Radio Nova playing in the office, it’s a really cool independent Parisian radio station that plays a mixture of popular and rare records. To relax we are loving Masahiro Sugaya’s Horizon album and Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. Otherwise, we are currently enjoying Little Simz, Tycho Jones and Psykhi. Tycho and Psykhi are released via our label Globe Town Records.
What are you reading at the moment?
Marit has been reading First Comes Love by Tom Rasmussen, James is really into Kazuo Ishiguro, and Adam has just finished reading Gay Bar by Jeremy Atherton Lin.
Where in your home have you created your haven?
The aesthetic of the space you inhabit is integral to what you can achieve within it: every room should be a haven and that applies to both our office and studio too, both of which are filled with art and plants. We find it really helps with everyone’s creativity!
Sleeping is one of our clients’ main goals. How do you sleep better?
It’s important to give some thought to your sleep environment. Shutting down the body’s fight or flight instincts by creating the best possible sensory environment. Soothing scents can really help - we’re big fans of Blue Chamomile by anatomē - along with taking control of your soundscape. Unsurprisingly, we listen to Snoozy to help us sleep.
What is your self-care routine?
We all remain very active. Walking between meetings and across the city often as well as practising yoga or swimming.
What are your 5 top tips for living well?
Other than the usual
- Work with people you love
- On things you love
- In a place you love
- Get an air purifier
- And a therapist.
What is your go-to meal?
Pasta with fresh pesto.
Who in life has inspired you the most? How?
The list is really long. At the moment, Virgil Abloh has had a huge impact on how we view creative work and collaboration.
Where do you go to find space, or to be with yourself when you’re not at work?
There is something very calming about the River Thames, around Limehouse where the river gets really wide is an amazing quick escape, the sky opens up and it doesn’t feel like the city.
What is the mantra or philosophy to face life’s challenges?
Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
