Tulipomania – Dreaming Of Sleep (Sursumcorda Records)

Tulipomania released their highly anticipated full-length album “Dreaming Of Sleep” on November 17th via Sursumcorda Records. You already had a chance to read reviews for “You Had To Be There” and “You Had To Be There (Martyn Ware & Charles Stooke Remix),” and we also posted news about “Then And Only Then.” These three singles served as adequate sneak peeks, but this material consists of many exceptional compositions where Tulipomania showcased all their experience, knowledge, skills, talent, ideas, and musicianship. For those who missed our reviews, Tulipomania explores many music genres throughout the entire material. Perhaps post-punk comes to mind first, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon goth rock, synthwave, darkwave, or various electronic, experimental, and avant-garde music genres. They fully stacked this material with all the vital elements borrowed from these styles to illustrate such rich and luxurious sonic imagery.

You’ll notice how synths rule here. Tulipomania may lean more towards post-punk or goth rock than synthwave, but they prefer synths over guitars. Their preference resulted in such a fresh and unique take on the genre, where all the instrumentations shine impressively. You’ll notice how this comprehensive collection of songs carries many jaw-dropping moments. Of course, we talked about “You Have To Be There” and “Then And Only Then,” but this material carries many brilliant songs where Tulipomania’s creativity shines in the limelight. “And Then” is one of those complex synth-driven post-punk songs where profoundly detailed drumming takes control over magnificent synth themes, leads, and ambiances. Track like “Do You Remember” levitates much more towards the traditional post-punk sound, with some subtle involvements of goth rock elements. It’s one of the best tracks on the album because Tulipomania included the arpeggiated, reverby chord progressions and riffs that really make the difference.

“From DC To Daylight,” “Fades Away,” and “Blank – Gone It’s Gone” showcase some involvements of industrial, darkwave, and coldwave moments. Tulipomania unquestionably returns to the synths with these songs, but they seem even more intricate than the remainder of the album. They showcase the darker side of Tulipomania, with a strong presence of goth rock and dark ambient sound. These are the moments where their love for synth music bursts with sheer power and creativity. Every song contains mindblowing themes, leads, melodies, harmonies, and ambiances that will immediately force you to repeat the entire album. But Tulipomania saved the best for last. Songs like “Shines On,” “It’s About Time,” and “Time Will Tell” offer the same dark ambiance as the previous tracks, but they seem far more melodic, soothing, relaxing, and ethereal. You’ll notice how wisely assembled melodies are penetrating your listening apparatus from all possible directions, while the wobbly basslines and well-accentuated drumming performance offer more than necessary groove and pace. Tom Murray’s vocal performance emphasizes all these instrumentations from scratch to finish, while Cheryl Gelover decorates particular segments. Their vocal maneuvers match together, making these compositions even more fun to listen to.

“Dreaming Of Sleep” is one of those albums you should put on your radar if you’re looking for an exciting, fresh, unique post-punk experience. Tom Murray and Cheryl Gelover invested so many brilliant ideas into this material, and their effort paid off in a magnificent album with many jaw-dropping moments. The album is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!