Visionist Tackles Insomnia On “Tired Tears, Awake Fears”

Since his first release in 2011, South London producer Visionist has steadily built a name for himself with instrumentals that rework elements of grime, techno and R&B into sparse, atmospheric landscapes. Back in 2013, on his single "The Call" with Fatima Al Qadiri, we noted the presence of a "tension-filled, unresolved limbo." Now with his debut album for PAN, titled Safe, Visionist finally confronts his inner conflict by creating a personal portrait of his anxiety.

On the album's "Tired Tears, Awake Fears," which The FADER is premiering below, Visionist illustrates the frantic nature of his thoughts through fluttering vocal chops. The chorus of voices in the background rides the line between dreamy and haunting, comforting and disconcerting. The jarring disruptions among the ethereal voices seems to convey Visionist's constant worries, preventing him from finding the comfort of sleep. In the age of flickering phone screens and nonstop notifications, it seems appropriate that the London producer is addressing the topic of sleeplessness head-on. He provided his insomniac thoughts on the track to The FADER via email:

"It’s night once again, a time of rest, a time of forget.
I miss those times.
Mind running wild, images repeat then change constant spiral.
Why can’t I just shut off?
'It’s not that bad, stop being stupid'
3 hours later still have’t slept, turn on radio try to let their words override my thoughts.
Tired tears, Awake Fears...
Still awake, time to get in shower reset
back into bed close eyes start again, try to picture just black............
Awake thankful for the luxury of sleep."

PAN will release Safe on October 19th. Revisit Visionist's FADER mix here.