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Arms and Sleepers started one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding, a cassette player in his hand with the play button still on. The sounds of a jazz band playing down the street mixed with a gospel choir blaring from the tin speakers. The man died, but Arms and Sleepers was born. With the intention to keep the spirit and the music of this night alive, Max Lewis (programming, keyboards) and Mirza Ramic (bass, keyboards) founded Arms and Sleepers. With electronic sources being the main focus in their compositions, the two are nevertheless creating a warm sound with ambient undercurrents. Varying configurations of rich, brassy textures, choppy beats and ethereal vocals make up an overall yield that is an engaging, subterranean pulse driven by amorphous low-end frequencies. Overall the sound matches the intentional tragic tale. Listening to "Black Paris 86" feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy. Feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there. The latter doesn't seem to be far fetched when Ramic talks about the band's name: "For me, the meaning of Arms and Sleepers is the meaning of so much of the world today and in the past, and probably the future. While so many are fighting and killing ("arms"), others are ignoring it all (the "sleepers")". "Black Paris 86" is a tight, intense record, showing a young band at a stage you wouldn't expect it to be on yet. Connected to different kinds of music, from ambient-influenced indie rock to calm, sometimes hypnotic lounge music with dozens of other styles flowing in, the album shows the development the band has made in the past year, resulting in a unique and original style. "Without hesitation, Arms and Sleepers is THE best ambient and electronic band of 2007." - Past All Concerns