Released in 1995, Faithless’s anthemic dance record Insomnia told the bleak tale of a man who “can’t get no sleep” - hence the song’s title - and had people dancing all night. 27 years on, we have a new 27-minute remix designed to help you nod off. That’s progress for you.
The Blissful Sleep Remix was commissioned by CBD specialist OTO, who enlisted the help of sleep scientist James Wilson and Faithless’s Sister Bliss. You’ll note that the tempo has dropped to 100bpm - said to be the optimum BPM for sleep - while the runtime was dictated by the average time that it takes British people to drop off (27 minutes, apparently).
Explaining her involvement in the project, Sister Bliss said: “It’s hard to believe we produced Insomnia 27 years ago in a garden shed. Being in there all day and then DJ-ing at night was like having permanent jet lag, so I came up with the title ‘Insomnia’, because I literally couldn’t sleep.
“Once released, the track became an anthem for a generation of late night clubbers who, as the lyric goes, were also getting ‘no sleep’. With that legacy in mind, the opportunity to collaborate with OTO on the creation of a Sleep Remix was one I couldn’t turn down. I can’t wait to get the track out there and help a nation of bad sleepers finally get the rest they’re craving.”
James Wilson, meanwhile, said: "Sister Bliss has done an incredible job of incorporating sleep science into the new remix of Insomnia - from dropping the tempo to the match the resting heart rate BPM to the incorporation of AMSR-style spoken word Insomnia: The Sleep Remix has all the ingredients to guide you towards a blissful night’s sleep.”
‘Sleep tracks’ are definitely having a moment right now; only last week, it was announced that James Blake has created a ‘sleep soundscape’, and producer Tom Middleton has created an entire spatial audio album devoted to helping you get your head down.
