Hi folks, here's a new song, it's been a long time ... but we'll have a new album out some time next autumn. Thanks for listening, peace, Pierre and Léonie.

written and produced by Pierre Laplace

Léonie Gabriel : vocals
Pierre Laplace : guitar, keyboards, beats
Nicolas Fahy : cello

Buy CD or download

Man In The Shade

Sometimes an old story comes back to haunt you ...  new song from our forthcoming 3rd album.

written and produced by Pierre Laplace

Léonie Gabriel : vocals
Pierre Laplace : backing vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards
JB Hoste : drums

Buy CD or dowload

Black River Moan

instrumental outtake from the "Silver Linings" sessions, trumpet by Mr Pher

Trails of You

new song from our forthcoming "Crying For The Moon" album, out November 14th.

written and produced by Pierre Laplace

Léonie Gabriel : vocals
Pierre Laplace : guitar, wurlitzer, melodica, kalimba, backing vocals
Nicolas Fahy : cello
JB Hoste : drums

The Rememberer

Track n° 2 on our new album, "Crying For The Moon", out now : http://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/crying-for-the-moon

Written and produced by Pierre Laplace

Léonie Gabriel : vocals
Pierre Laplace : vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion

Guests :
JB Hoste : drums
Nicolas Fahy : cello

No Other Way

1st song on our new album, available here : http://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com/

Written and produced by Pierre Laplace

Vocals : Léonie Gabriel
Instruments : Pierre Laplace

If This Is Our Swan Song

Hey folks, I've created my 1st sample library for Kontakt 4.2 and higher : 37 patches of deep, dark, eerie soundscapes and textures. I created these sounds by using various synths and an electric guitar, layering and manipulating the different sources. All samples are 24 bit, 44.1 khz, uncompressed for better audio quality.
Library available here : http://sampleism.com/mistersandman/space-and-time

Sampleism - Space And Time demo (Kontakt 4 sample library)

written and produced by Pierre Laplace, lead vocals by The Always Unprofessional, backing vocals by Léonie Gabriel, trumpet by Mr Pher

Pieces of a Dream (vocals by The Always Unprofessional)

This is my 2nd sample library for Native Instruments' Kontakt, available here : http://sampleism.com/mistersandman/antiquetoypiano

This vintage toy piano spans 3 octaves and has a distinctive sound, different from most modern sampled toy pianos - almost bell-like and a little magical. The Kontakt sample library is a natural sounding re-creation of this little beauty, keeping its quirks and flaws – the odd harmonics and resonance, the occasional slightly out–of-tune note. It’s nevertheless a playable instrument that will sit well in a mix.


Sampleism - Antique Toy Piano demo (Kontakt 4 sample library)

Mister Sandman (aka Pierre Laplace of folk duo The Sandman’s Orchestra) has released “Broken Radio”, a sample library for Kontakt 4 and 5, based on samples of radio reception, interference, tuning, static and noise. Sources used: high-quality recordings of a vintage radio receiver as well as the online radio receiver of the university of Twente in the Netherlands. 

Each sound was meticulously edited and processed to create unique sounding instruments, atmospheres and drones.

All sounds used in this demo are from the sample library without any other instruments or processing, except for a touch of reverb.

Broken radio is available here : http://sampleism.com/mistersandman/brokenradio

Features :

-  41 sounds / instruments (.nki patches for full version of Kontakt 4.2 and higher): 10 drones, 20 atmospheres, one drum kit, 3 basses, one organ, one flute, one theremin, 4 fx
-  24 bit, 48 000 hz


Sampleism - Broken Radio demo (sample library for Kontakt)

The City By The Sea - Edgar Allen Poe, spoken words by MLucas

One of the highlights of 2011 for us, a songwriting collaboration with Rebecca Leach. Enjoy the free download !

The Artist - with Rebecca Leach

2 years ago, we started working on a crazy project : doing our own version of Kate Bush's masterpiece, Hounds of Love, the whole album ...
Then life got in the way. But we actually recorded the whole B-side, "The Ninth Wave". I started working on these tracks again lately, and here's our first offering. Hope you'll enjoy.

And Dream Of Sheep (Kate Bush cover)

Track n°2 of our Kate Bush cover project (our reinterpretation of "The Ninth Wave"). Artwork by Amanda Elledge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/x99elledge/)

Under Ice (Kate Bush cover)

Track n°3 of our Kate Bush cover project, "The Ninth Wave"

Waking The Witch (Kate Bush cover)

We never posted this before, this was the title track of our 3rd album, available here : https://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com

Crying For The Moon

my contribution to The Always Unprofessional cover competition. I'll be away till next Sunday so I won' be able to listen to your new tracks, folks ; keep well !

The Last Song Of A Lonely Night - The Always Unprofessional cover

off our 2nd album "Nocturne". Written and produced by Pierre Laplace. "Nocturne" is available in various places and formats :
http://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com 
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thesandmansorchestra 
http://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/nocturne/id595828879 
http://www.amazon.com/Nocturne/dp/B00B4B8LO6 
http://www.normanrecords.com/records/139540-the-sandmans-orchestra-nocturne-

Nocturne

Our reinterpretation of "The Ninth Wave", the B-side of Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love" LP. 

https://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/the-ninth-wave

The Ninth Wave - Album Teaser

https://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/the-ninth-wave

The Ninth wave

Watching You Without Me (Kate Bush cover)

Written and produced by Pierre Laplace, sung by Léonie Gabriel, drums by Claire Brock and sax by David Laisné. off our 2nd album "Nocturne", available in various places and formats :
http://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com 
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thesandmansorchestra 
http://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/nocturne/id595828879 
http://www.amazon.com/Nocturne/dp/B00B4B8LO6 
http://www.normanrecords.com/records/139540-the-sandmans-orchestra-nocturne-

Wildfires Of The Mind

off our 2nd album "Nocturne". Written and produced by Pierre Laplace, vocals by Léonie Gabriel. "Nocturne" is available in various places and formats :
http://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com 
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thesandmansorchestra 
http://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/nocturne/id595828879 
http://www.amazon.com/Nocturne/dp/B00B4B8LO6 
http://www.normanrecords.com/records/139540-the-sandmans-orchestra-nocturne-

To Haunt You

In Your Wake

off our 2nd album "Nocturne". Written and produced by Pierre Laplace, vocals by Léonie Gabriel, drums by Claire Brock. "Nocturne" is available in various places and formats : http://thesandmansorchestra.bandcamp.com 
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thesandmansorchestra 
http://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/nocturne/id595828879 
http://www.amazon.com/Nocturne/dp/B00B4B8LO6 
http://www.normanrecords.com/records/139540-the-sandmans-orchestra-nocturne-

The Last Night Of The Old World

this is  a brand new song that we're offering as a free download, but please consider making a donation for a good cause :

Dan of Collecting Pool recently uploaded a new track (http://soundcloud.com/collecting-pool/nine-circles-450-kps) and started a fundraiser. We'd like to help by creating more awareness of the fundraiser : one of Dan's neighbors, Chloe Vojtik, was 9 years old when she passed away on March 30, 2013 from complications relating to a Chordoma brain tumor.  She was diagnosed on September 7, 2011. During that time she had 21 surgeries, 30 MRIs, been arrested and resuscitated twice, braved countless procedures and treatments and suffered from chronic pain. Her last hospital stay lasted over 7 weeks when she was admitted to the emergency room on her 9th birthday.

the aim is to help raise money to help offset the huge medical bills the Vojtik's have incurred through this difficult period in their lives. Please, take a free copy of this song and keep Chloe's memory close to your hearts. But all we ask is that you consider supporting the effort to contribute to the Vojtik's via the You Caring link : http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/for-the-love-of-chloe/57583
Thank you for your support.

"1949" written and produced by Pierre Laplace

Léonie Gabriel : lead vocal
Pierre Laplace : backing vocals and instruments

lyrics :

I rode a train  through the winter landscape

sleepy towns, churches and frozen lakes

when I got to your place I saw the changes

how your garden was overgrown with weeds


your face was pale in the light of day

you looked so frail beside the willow tree


pretty pictures spread out on the table 

in your time they made you a beauty queen

then your man was shot in the trenches

and you withered  fast on your trail of tears


you wanted to share a story with me

one I'd remember over the years


it happened in 1949

a lost little girl knocked on your door

you gave her food and she stayed forever

now you had someone to care for


when the time came for me to leave

you shivered and whispered farewell in my ear


and your story stayed with me


fundraiser link

1949

Contact us : sandmansorchestra(at)gmail.com

THE SANDMAN’S ORCHESTRA is a duo made up of Pierre Laplace, a singer/songwriter from Lille, France, and his young niece, Léonie Gabriel.

The story of the duo started in May 2010 when, after a family lunch, 15-year-old Léonie picked up a guitar and started singing a few covers. Everybody was astounded by the beauty of her voice, and her uncle Pierre Laplace immediately proposed that they work on some songs together. 

Pierre was the singer in cult French band Vera Clouzot, who from 1994 to 2004 released 4 albums, played numerous concerts including support slots with Jeff Buckley and Smog, and appeared on the American Music Club tribute album « Come On Beautfiul » alongside Lambchop, Calexico and Matt Ward.

Before finding out that his niece had a voice beyond her years, Pierre had been setting up a home-studio and learning a number of new instruments. The timing was right to start a new musical journey. 

Since they started working together the duo have developed a warm, atmospheric folk sound with touches of minimal dark jazz and electronica. The combination of male and female vocals and the blend of acoustic instruments (guitar, banjo, wurlitzer, piano, cello, drums) define the duo’s sound.

The duo released their 1st album « Silver Linings » in June 2011 ; « Nocturne », their new 10-track LP was released worldwide (CD and download) on March 25th 2013 through Bandcamp, CDbaby, Itunes and Amazon.

"Crying For The Moon", the duo's 3rd album, was released in November 2014

Listen to 2 fantastic remixes of our song "Hello Stranger" by Collecting Pool and Indigolab :
http://soundcloud.com/collecting-pool/hello-stranger-sandmans
http://soundcloud.com/indigolab/the-sandmans-orchestra-hello

The Sandman's Orchestra

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