Arms and Sleepers started one night in the back of an ambulance destined for Hampton Road in Boston's South Side. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker while down the street, a jazz band could be heard. The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on—and Arms and Sleepers was born. Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive (Fake Chapter Records) is Arms and Sleepers' first full-length release. Varying configurations of rich, brassy textures, choppy beats and ethereal vocals are set atop thick, ambient undercurrents. The overall yield is an engaging, subterranean pulse driven by amorphous low-end frequencies. Comprised of Max Lewis (programming, keyboards) and Mirza Ramic (bass, keyboards), Arms and Sleepers is more than music, as performance is combined with visuals by talented Boston artist Dado Ramadani. This visual extension is conceived through collaboration between Dado and the band members. Ideas and sketches of the subject and meaning of each song are labored until the right images are created. The visuals are put together and synchronized perfectly with the rhythm of each song, providing the audience with a complete audio and visual experience.