Julian Kindermann

Insomania

Written, engineered, and mixed by Julian Kindermann

Performed by Insoms

Mastered by Tom Deis

Artwork by Sydney Cook

Poem by Leonard Cohen

While studying remotely in California during the pandemic, I found myself consumed by anxiety. One of my worst panic attacks occurred while driving home from an illegal punk show in the industrial district of San Francisco. I used that night as the premise for this composition Insomania, written for my band Insom’s performance at the Phoenix Theatre in December of last year. This recording sought to tie together multiple disparate recordings and performers from across England and America. The song is through-composed and because it chronicles my car ride, the composition is innately tied to changes in space/location. To support this narrative, I recorded various ‘real’ reverbs from my home in Brighton and on the Sussex campus. The most striking of these is the use of the Meeting House’s massive ambiance towards the end of the song. It also includes examples of mimesis and field recording to further this premise.