Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

SisterLove — The Hypnotist
(Fruits de Mer crustacean 104, 1992/2026, 7")

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-06-28

The Hypnotist Cover art

SisterLove, featuring Clif Brigden (Age of Chance, World of Twist) and Jeremy Leahy (The Gentle People), emerges from the early 90s chill-out underground with “The Hypnotist,” a track that feels both era-specific and strangely timeless. Originally released in 1992 on the ON label, it now returns as a 7-inch 45 rpm single on Fruits de Mer, giving the track new physical form and renewed context. The A-side layers a blissed-out, downtempo ambient groove beneath sampled excerpts from hypnotist Barrie Konicov, whose softly delivered self-help mantras drift somewhere between guidance and background texture. The effect is equal parts intriguing and slightly tongue-in-cheek, with Konicov’s consciousness-expanding pablum hovering over the music without ever fully commanding it. Flip to the B-side and “The Hypnotist” reveals its underlying strength. Stripped of the spoken overlay, the track breathes more naturally, anchored by a subtle but persistent urban funk groove and accented by wordless female vocals that add a warm, human counterpoint to the electronic foundation. It’s here that SisterLove’s real appeal emerges, not as a conceptual curiosity, but as a genuinely engaging piece of downtempo craftsmanship that rewards repeated listening.

As a Fruits de Mer reissue, this single stands apart from the label’s usual terrain of psychedelia, krautrock, progressive, and acid folk obscurities. Yet the connection makes sense: like much of the label’s catalog, SisterLove occupies its own niche, unconcerned with trends and rooted in a distinct sonic vision. More than a historical footnote, this 7-inch highlights a moment when ambient, electronic, and club-adjacent sounds intersected in quietly inventive ways—making it both a fun listen and an unexpected addition to the Fruits de Mer universe.

Filed under: Reissues, 2026 releases, 1992 recordings

Related artist(s): SisterLove

More info
http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/sisterlove.html

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.