From the first track to the last, Hotel Sleep is a stunning blend of styles and a confident debut, weaving jazz and classical influences with breakbeat, downtempo, drum & bass and minimal techno beats. The Norwegian duo of Christian Watkins (beats) and Hilde Drange completely avoids beginner’s pitfalls, with complex production, lush strings and icy melodies on par with Bj?rk’s best work. Drange’s vocals evoke Joni Mitchell (Sarah McLaughlin?) in their jazzier moments and Portishead at others, gracefully weaving through Watkins arrangements. Hotel Sleep kicks your ass in many ways, drawing you in immediately with beautiful songs and keeping you there with a hypnotic, subtle complexity.