Slow Wave Sleep is the creation of soundsmiths Evan Friedel (Vocals, Bass Guitar, Synthesizers, Piano, Mixing, Production and Programming) and Joshua Baca (Guitar, Synthesizers, Piano, Sound Manipulation and Programming) The two met through Joshua’s sister Briana, and quickly formed a close friendship and creative relationship forged by their experimentation with synthesizers, drum machines, and software. Taking their name from the title of an album by the French duo Morthem Vlade Art, the band’s music combines the harsh electronic sounds of Industrial, with bone crushing riffs, melodic vocals, and richly layered ambient textures. Slow Wave Sleep’s first transmissions erupted from the quake-prone terrain of Ridgecrest, California in 2008, before later registering in Los Angeles, where Evan attended recording school. Their musical influences include a wide range of genres from Classical to Industrial, and creative influences such as Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, Front Line Assembly, Depeche Mode, and Haujobb. While difficult on a personal level, the long distance between Evan in LA and Joshua in Ridgecrest helped Slow Wave Sleep craft its unique sound. Song ideas had to be sent to one another through the internet, but that distance allowed Evan and Joshua to try out new ideas that would not have come to them if they had been in the same room together.