Sleep – The Sciences

In the 1993 live performance of "Holy Mountain" in Germany, as shown on the StonerRockChannel YouTube video, Matt Pike used a Green Matamp. These amplifiers were custom-made for Matt and Al Cisneros during the recording of "Jerusalem" or "Dopesmoker," funded by an advance from their record label. However, the reasons for their discontinued use remain unknown.

"Also for Sleep’s The Sciences, I fired up my 1968 Laney “Supergroup” LA60BL that was modded by Bryan Sours of Sour Sound in Portland. It’s only 50 watts, but whatever he did to that old head, it now roars like an angry god. I just plugged straight in, dimed it, and that head just screams Master of Reality."

In the article: "I actually used a Les Paul Recording model extensively on Sleep’s The Sciences ... more than on High on Fire’s Electric Messiah"

According to Matt's reverb listing, he used a Snarling Dogs Mold Spore on "The Sciences".

In this November 8, 2018 Premier Guitar interview, Matt states that he used Al Cisneros’ Tycobrahe Parapedal on the song “The Botanist” from the album The Sciences.

Some songs, like “Sonic Titan” and “Antarcticans Thawed,” have been evolving onstage for years, but “The Botanist” seems like a departure. Was that a new song?

Yeah. “The Botanist” arose from those boot camp sessions. I had this weird, leftover acoustic piece and we just built off that because everyone in the room instantly liked the backbone. It was a slow-burn jam, with us methodically adding in elements and tones, but not forcing anything. That’s the key—you can’t be afraid to improvise and follow an idea, yet you gotta know when something isn’t working. It has such a weird, trippy vibe to it, and when Al and Jason come in, it reminds me of an underwater, hypnotic Pink Floyd.

Those solos definitely have some Gilmour traits, like the oily slickness at the end of “Dogs” or the emotive soaring in “Time.”

I really went after a lush, swirling David Gilmour tone. I think the key to that whole sound is Al’s pedal I used—a vintage Tycobrahe Parapedal—with an old Roland RE-201 Space Echo, and parts of it have a vintage [Ibanez Phase Tone] blue phaser. And everything is played with a Les Paul Recording guitar that has this phase-reverse switch that gives me a more filtered, out-of-phase tone.One thing that Sleep really lets me do, and it’s a testament to Jason and Al, is go off on a guitar odyssey. That song in particular, they really set it up for me to be able to show off a little bit.

In this November 8, 2018 Premier Guitar interview, Matt states that he used a vintage Ibanez Phase Tone on the song “The Botanist” from the album The Sciences.

Some songs, like “Sonic Titan” and “Antarcticans Thawed,” have been evolving onstage for years, but “The Botanist” seems like a departure. Was that a new song?

Yeah. “The Botanist” arose from those boot camp sessions. I had this weird, leftover acoustic piece and we just built off that because everyone in the room instantly liked the backbone. It was a slow-burn jam, with us methodically adding in elements and tones, but not forcing anything. That’s the key—you can’t be afraid to improvise and follow an idea, yet you gotta know when something isn’t working. It has such a weird, trippy vibe to it, and when Al and Jason come in, it reminds me of an underwater, hypnotic Pink Floyd.

Those solos definitely have some Gilmour traits, like the oily slickness at the end of “Dogs” or the emotive soaring in “Time.”

I really went after a lush, swirling David Gilmour tone. I think the key to that whole sound is Al’s pedal I used—a vintage Tycobrahe Parapedal—with an old Roland RE-201 Space Echo, and parts of it have a vintage [Ibanez Phase Tone] blue phaser. And everything is played with a Les Paul Recording guitar that has this phase-reverse switch that gives me a more filtered, out-of-phase tone.One thing that Sleep really lets me do, and it’s a testament to Jason and Al, is go off on a guitar odyssey. That song in particular, they really set it up for me to be able to show off a little bit.

In this interview, Matt states that he used a Roland RE-201 on the song The Botanist from the album The Sciences.