Stones Throw signee Sofie introduces her debut record with dreamlike ballad “Asleep”

Sofie spent years in LA making her name as a DJ, including playing an early role in the development of Boiler Room. Now, having returned to her teen hometown of Vienna, she’s been setting her sights on solo songwriting.

“Asleep” is a hazy, alluring cut of alt-pop - a dreamlike ballad bathed in pastel light. It sits at an intersection of longing and regret as a delicate fog of emotion, with an ambiance that sinks in gently, enveloping and warm. Sofie’s voice is entrancing as she sings, “Every time I close my eyes / I get to be with you a while”.

The musical core of the track is a melodic, synthesized bassline that cuts through layers of atmospheric synth. It’s indebted in its aesthetics to '80s pop ballads - “Time After Time” in particular comes to mind - while also splicing in the detached moodiness of modern alt-pop. It’s a well-handled combination, one that feels outside of time rather than tied to the eras it pulls from.

Sofie explains that the track was “written about the inevitable feeling that accompanies pursuing something, from a meaningless crush to an existence choice, something you know is a dead end; which as inane as it is, will ultimately always be better in your head or imagination rather than reality. ‘Asleep’ is about trying to stay on that precipice of fantasy between being awake and unconscious."