For Manchester-based artist Ben Heyworth, ‘Sleepwalker’ marks a rebirth for his place on the scene. Emerging from a song first conceived nearly two decades ago, the track feels like the moment an old dream finally comes to life. It’s both nostalgic and forward-looking, echoing the pulse of the city’s electronic legacy while pushing into uncharted emotional terrain.
What immediately stands out about ‘Sleepwalker’ is its texture. Gone are the acoustic comforts of his past work; in their place are layers of synth haze, grinding guitars, and a hypnotic rhythmic heartbeat that refuses to sit still. It’s a deliberate move toward something edgier and more cinematic, a sound that captures that liminal state between night and morning.
The production feels alive with motion. Shards of analogue crackle cut through reverb-drenched strings, while the percussion loops build a trance-like intensity. There’s something distinctly Mancunian about it, following a lineage that can be traced from the brooding synths of Depeche Mode to the club-stained pulse of New Order. Yet, ‘Sleepwalker’ never feels like imitation. It’s personal, introspective, and the sound of an artist finally letting his darker impulses breathe.
Lyrically, the song drifts between consciousness and confession, delivering a meditation on inertia, connection, and surrender. The words land like both an invitation and a warning: a reminder that drifting can be dangerous, but it’s also where self-discovery happens.
There’s courage in the willingness to dust off something that’s slept for years and give it new life. ‘Sleepwalker’ is proof that some ideas don’t fade; they simply wait for the right moment to awaken. And Ben Heyworth, it seems, has finally opened his eyes.
