Team Sleep performed a number of live shows on the United States' west coast in late 2001 and early 2002 with Todd Wilkinson, Dan Elkan (Pocket For Corduroy), Sonny Mayugba (Phallucy), Zach Hill (Hella), Rick Verrett (Tinfed) and DJ Crook handling instrumentation.
“We were never going to make a record, or start a band,” adds Wilkinson, “I was just sitting at home, playing guitar, and I started recording some stuff. It was never about trying to play shows, record in a studio, or anything of that sort. It was just bumming around. I had never been in a band, and I never wanted to be—we were just friends.”
It was rumored that Mike Patton (Fantômas, Faith No More) and Melissa Auf Der Maur (ex-Hole, ex-Smashing Pumpkins) would be involved in recording sessions. While Mike Patton did indeed contribute vocals to the track "Kool-Aid Party", this song did not make it to the album. Due to contractual obligations, any material Team Sleep releases will be through Maverick Records. Now that the album is released, it is known that only Rob Crow of San Diego based band Pinback and Mary Timony of the band Wild Flag (ex-Helium, ex-Autoclave) lend their vocals to the project along with Chino.
The only early Team Sleep recording to have been officially released was "The Passportal," an instrumental featured on the The Matrix Reloaded soundtrack. A version of "The Passportal" with lyrics and vocals by Chino Moreno has circulated on the internet under the title "Apollonia."
A full album's worth of material was finished between 2002-2003, but Moreno was reportedly angered after Team Sleep songs were circulated on the internet, mostly by the Deftones own official message board. This, coupled with the release and supporting tour for Deftones' fourth album, kept Team Sleep's recordings from being released. In 2002 there was also a Team Sleep world premiere on POWER 106 FM in Los Angeles: "Mercedes" was played once. The new album has done away with almost all of the previous tracks, only carrying over four of the originals, three of those heavily revamped.
Team Sleep's record was originally scheduled for a November, 2004 release, but Maverick Records were reportedly so impressed by the album they postponed the release until mid-2005 to allow for promotion. Chino supposedly commented that "(I) didn't know whether to be happy that they were impressed, or pissed that they didn't expect much (from Team Sleep) in the first place."
A DJ named 'C-Minus' opening at a Deftones concert at the House of Blues in West Hollywood in October, 2004 premiered the newest version of the Team Sleep song 'Cambodia' to the crowd. This song was later changed to 'Ever.' The official Team Sleep website surfaced and included an audio/video clip of the song 'Death By Plane.'
Rumors began to circulate in January 2005 that Team Sleep had broken up due to a falling out between Chino Moreno and DJ Crook. Many fans were distraught at the fact that the long-awaited project might never surface, but the rumors were later proved false.
May 10 was finally pinned down as the date that Team Sleep's self-titled debut album would be released. "The best part about it is having completion of something you've been working on, and having it done right," Moreno said in a statement. "It's fun, working with different people, everybody works differently. When I have time off from music, I want to make other music. That's what I do, that's what's fun, that's what makes me happy." ...(mtv.com)
Team Sleep has been described as "moody" and "beat-driven." More so than the Deftones, many themes and lyrics on the album are fantastical and imaginative in nature; drawing from such literary sources as Poe and historical events like the Jonestown Massacre. The completed album is less electronic in sound and much more 'alt' or 'indie' rock than when the project began.
'Ever' is considered to be the first single from Team Sleep. Notably absent from the completed album are 'Mercedes,' 'Apollonia,' 'Iceache,' 'Death by Plane,' 'Solid Gold,' 'Acoustic One,' and 'Kool-Aid Party'. However, a newer version of 'Kool-Aid Party' was released on the 'Ever (Foreign Flag)' single.
Mercedes
Team Sleep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bet you like our song too
I miss earth tonight
I bet you like it soft do you?
uh huh get up uh huh dance
uh huh come on
I bet you like our song too
I miss earth tonight
I bet you like it hard do you?
uh huh dance uh huh get up uh huh come on
I miss earth tonight yeah
I bet you like our song too
dance with us come on
I bet you like our song too
dance with us now 'cause
I bet you like our song
The first verse of Team Sleep's song Mercedes seems to be an invitation to the listener to dance along with the band to their music. The singer suggests that the listener likes the band's song, and perhaps even finds it soothing. However, the tone of the lyrics changes in the second verse, as the singer says that they "miss earth tonight" and ask the listener if they like "it hard," which could refer to both the music and their emotions.
Furthermore, the repetition of "dance with us" and "I bet you like our song" throughout the song creates a hypnotic effect and encourages the listener to let go and just enjoy the music. That being said, the phrase "I miss earth tonight" could be interpreted in a few ways, potentially representing homesickness or longing for a lost connection to something.
Overall, the lyrics of Mercedes suggest a yearning for intimacy, a desire to connect with others through music and dance. The song creates an atmosphere of both mystery and comfort, inviting the listener to forget about their worries and immerse themselves in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance with us tonight
Invitation for someone to dance with the band tonight
I bet you like our song too
Assumption that the person would enjoy the band's music
I miss earth tonight
Expression of missing something or someone tonight
I bet you like it soft do you?
Assumption that the person prefers gentle, calm things
uh huh get up uh huh dance
Encouragement to the person to stand up and dance
uh huh come on
Further encouragement to the person to join and participate
I bet you like it hard do you?
Assumption that the person prefers more intense or challenging experiences
dance with us come on
Repeat of the invitation to dance with the band
I miss earth tonight yeah
Expression of missing something or someone tonight (repeated)
dance with us now 'cause
Urging the person to start dancing immediately
I bet you like our song
Reiteration that the person would likely enjoy the band's music
Contributed by Blake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matthias Thurow
Lyrics
Dance with us tonight
I bet you like our song too
I miss earth tonight
I bet you like it soft do you?
Uh huh get up uh huh dance
Uh huh come on
Dance with us tonight
I bet you like our song too
I miss earth tonight
I bet you like it hard do you?
Uh huh dance uh huh get up uh huh come on
I miss earth tonight yeah
I bet you like our song too
Dance with us come on
I bet you like our song too
Dance with us now 'cause
I bet you like our song
Source: Texting: Moreno, C.W. (2005)
DAMELKEYON
I really can't believe this song didn't make the album. What a great sound it has. Classic.
Matthias Thurow
The song is on the self-titled album from Teamsleep... :) Did not make it in the US...
Hm... my plan was to look up in the booklet for Credits of the song.
Album not there...
Note to me: Never, ever rent an archived/storaged something to anybody.
I lost count on how many CDs, DVDs, BluRays never get back to me.
Lura Barden
One if my favorite Team sleep songs, Iceache, Ataraxia, Kool Aid Party, Solid Gold and Scarf Bitch especially the one Chino sings are my other favorites. God I love Chino. He's so talented and dreamy "swoons"
Thom K
major props to whoever got a hold of this, I just have a very rough & unfinished version and the radio recording of this version from when chino debuted it on power106... that one saying "power 106 World Premier!!" every 30 seconds Xp
ezion
that was my recording! hahahaha i couldn't do much about it though
Inwavves - [Industrial / Shoegaze]
I love that!
toasterinthetub
i cant get enough of this fucking song, its so catchy, how did it not get put on the CD
Matthias Thurow
Lyrics
Dance with us tonight
I bet you like our song too
I miss earth tonight
I bet you like it soft do you?
Uh huh get up uh huh dance
Uh huh come on
Dance with us tonight
I bet you like our song too
I miss earth tonight
I bet you like it hard do you?
Uh huh dance uh huh get up uh huh come on
I miss earth tonight yeah
I bet you like our song too
Dance with us come on
I bet you like our song too
Dance with us now 'cause
I bet you like our song
Source: Texting: Moreno, C.W. (2005)
Wesley Jacobson
the version i'm used to isn't as dynamic as this one....damn this is good!!!!
thenoiboi
they only have one release officially, but there were a ton of demos released between like 2003 and the release of the album. they used to play this live too. dunno if they still do.