New Perfume Review: Slumberhouse Sådanne by Josh Lobb + Swooning Sense of Drunken Rose Draw

 

cafleurebon slumberhouse sadanne perfume

Photo:  Slumberhouse Sådanne bottle CaFleureBon by The Silver Fox

It is pretty damn hard to get your senses around Sådanne the latest fierce and abstract offering from Portland Perfumer Josh Lobb of Slumberhouse Perfumes. I think this would please him though; his is a hermitic existence, living inside an altered state of intoxicating elixirs and dramatic aromatic scenarios. I think his work is art. Norne blew my mind when I first tried it and I am so pleased with this disturbing, sticky forest distillate dwelling in my study. I swear it mutters to itself in the dark.

zahd slumberhouse perfume

Photo: Zahd byThe Silver Fox for CaFleureBon

The seeds of Sådanne were planted last year with the limited release of Zahd, in the new bottle design, a shockingly dense, impasto portrait of cranberries swathed in textured spices and sanguine elements of cherry, sandalwood, wine ether, cocoa, plum, Champaca and benzoin. Zahd is not easy wearing; the notes challenge both skin and mind. The alchemy of crushed Christmas notes and a feral backdrop of über-dry woods made it a full-on outlaw scent. This refusal to be standardised has made Josh one of the most compelling figures in contemporary perfumery.

Josh said of Zahd: 'As I began creating the formula for Zahd, I realized I was subconsciously sculpting the scent to replicate how I felt crushed red velvet would smell if a fabric could be transformed into scent. I wanted something lush, opulent, alluring, completely gender neutral and ultimately mysterious.’

Sadanne continues Josh’s singular vision of using scent to burnish his world. This is also the first time he has deliberately not discussed notes and ingredients. The fragrance appears on the website with a cryptic slice of typically Lobbian text:

Stained glass syrup

Serenades in damascone minor

Allegory obscured / pastel wound

A slurry of subtlety

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Painting: Adrian Borda "love kills slowly" series

Obfuscation and diversion, sensuality and wilful pretension. Josh Lobb is an alchemist of extraordinary skill; his ability to blend darkness and texture, death, decay, vexation, amour and sweet candied landscapes is very unique. His perfumes have no real top notes, he’s not really interested, they take an eternity to settle but the journey to the base, the forest floor, the scattered leaves, the splashed wine and shattered bone, these things are mesmerising. Occasionally his dramas trigger shattering migraines, but then I sometimes feel this is a price I pay for my constant wanderings in the hinterlands of scent.

adrian borda  sadanne

Painting: Adrian Borda "love kills slowly" series

I think Sådanne is a rose, a weird warped Grimm rose reeking of candied strawberries and then unleashing its skank as the sugar draws you in. I smell hibiscus and smears of cranberry, raspberry and cassis.

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Photo: The Silver Fox Haribo Giant Strawbs

The jammy blast of seared Haribo Giant Strawbs (not an industry standard btw…) is pretty shocking, an amalgamation of gummy melt, plastic and ketones. I can’t get past the Haribo thing, it haunts me. I took some pics in preparation for this piece, using a kitchen blowtorch to roast said Haribo.

josh lobb cafleurebon sadanne

Photo: The Silver Fox scorches Haribo Strawbs Candy with a kitchen blowtorch

It was obviously tremendous fun, a tad disturbing but the scent of scorched artificial candy and warm, plasticky strawberry smells was pretty amazing.

bleeding rose

Painting Adrian Borda Bleeding Rose

Now I’m not sure I’m making Sådanne sound all that alluring, but believe me it is an incredible and singular experience.  As the POW of sweetness burns off, the scent radiates a drunken aroma of fermenting, homemade berry wine, sweet, yeasty and heady. Skin smells drunk. Josh’s stained damascones are potent juice, smooth and velveteen. My friend and perfume guru Mr E pointed out that the notes seem suspended rather than fully dissolved, that the ethanol flash upon application is quite low suggesting perhaps a differing form of aromatic hold. The blending is deliciously rounded and close and it’s very true there is little space to inhale difference between the notes. Sådanne initially seems quite linear in its development, but unlike Zahd that I found claustrophobic and overtly sanguine, Sådanne moves with courtly grace and concealed intent. Hours into the hot berried drydown, the notes shift and sweeten again with a sudden ferocity. This before an animalic howl and fade.

 

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Painting Adrian Borda The Pursuit of Happiness

There is a swooning sense of narcosis at work in Slumberhouse. You will not wear anything like Sådanne. Josh Lobb wants you to know that he knows that. His work is just beautiful, if a little terrifying. Immersed as I am in season 2 of Hannibal, I am beginning to regard Josh as the dangerous glittering sociopath of perfumery, taunting and teasing but wanting us to find him, discover his secrets and set him free.

Disclosure – from my own collection.

The Silver Fox, Editor  and The Editor of The Silver Fox

We are offering a 3 ml decant of Sådanne to a reader in the USA OR the EU. To be eligible let us know what you found of particular interest about The Fox's review of Sådanne and where you live.  Draw ends  October 6, 2014

Editor's Note: Romanian Surreal artist Adrian Borda seemed a good fit with The Fox's review of Sådanne.  Borda's art is not  conventional nor does he paint pretty pictures. In his own words "In my real life as well as in my art I don't care about conventions and the taboos, there are no sacred memes that cannot be touched".  I looked up the word sådanne and it seems that it is Danish, has multiple meanings and is the plural of "Such", "So Much" or "Something Like this" . -Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief 

We announce the winners only on site and our Facebook page, so like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will just be spilled perfume.

 

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29 comments

  • julesinrose says:

    Oh would I like to try this! I love rose and am a fan of slumberhouse. Zahd remembered too much of jam cakes and fruit roll ups, but I still found it interesting. I love this line in the review: “beautiful if a little terrifying.” I can see why Burda’s artwork accompanies that sentiment. Another fantastic Silver Fox review!

  • I am a huge fan of Josh’s work and enjoy just how very different his scents are.
    Love how you describe the the Skin feels drunk……now I really want to try it.
    I live in the U.S. Thanks for the draw!

  • I want drunk skin! Never heard anything described like that before. Very intriguing. I live in the US. Thanks!

  • I’d love to dry a sample of this. The delectably dry, sweet, and spicy cocoa that is Ore made me a fan of this line. Live in the US. In this review, the mention of damascones piqued my interest! I love jammy, fruity, winey notes, which I associate with those!

  • I think the burnt Haribo is what piqued my interest the most in this review! I love Josh Lobb’s work and would love to win this sample. I am in the U.S.

  • You had me at drunk…ha ha. Now this sounds like and interesting, out of the box fragrance. I have never tried this line and I hope I can start here. I can appreciate the art in Lobb’s work. I’m going to torch my gummies in a moment to see if I can get a feel of the fragrance. I love rose with a twist and by the description this is a twist and a half. Another compelling article. Thank you for the excellent info. Way to go.

  • The whole review is a well written psychogramm of the creator of this house and his perfumes what draw my attention the most is the smell of rose in a weird combination with strawbarries, cranberries, raspeberries and cassis. I would love to experience it!
    I live in EU and I thank you both for this lovely review and draw.

  • Everything about this seems twisted and taboo…must experience it!
    I really enjoyed this review and art work. I would love to win this!
    I live in the US. Thanks!

  • Very good review. I think Sådanne is a really particular scent, I like the unusual perfumes. And the perfume bottle is seem very creative too.
    I live in Europe.

  • How could I possibly resist a chance to smell this after such a stunning review? I did try Zahd and it like nothing else, ever. Please count me in! I live in the U.S.

  • Nice review, thanks. I am also intrigued by the burnt haribo effect. I think I might go get some and put a match to them right now 😛
    I’m in the EU, ty

  • I enjoyed the voyeuristic view into the mind of Josh Lobb,whose work I admire deeply. A drunken skin perfume that captures the feeling of crushed red velvet sounds irresistible.

  • julesinrose says:

    Forgot to say I’m in the USA. Re-read the review, too. Love the blowtorched Haribo! Maybe I ought to listen closer, too, ’cause I haven’t noticed my bottle of Norne muttering, but it does speak to me when I wear it.

  • Thank you for this draw! I am in the US. I loved reading this article. Of course, I found the Fox’s description of the fragrance resembling a scorched Haribo gummy to be the most interesting. It makes me very curious. Rose, torched Haribo, and berry wine. Aweomse! Haha.

  • I don’t think I ever read a review that had me hanging on every word word the way this review if sadanne did
    My Lord blow torching strawberry candies and comparing Josh Lobb to a glittery eyed sociopathic perfumer
    I am a big fan of Hannibal and the epicurean art was so bizarre and erotic
    I love a perfume that isn’t for everyone
    I think this might be for me
    Skin drunk with Grimm roses
    Holy moly
    USA and besotted
    I do love norn and will await it muttering from my bureau

  • Donna Spiegel says:

    Very interesting info throughout. I like to discover fragrances in their development when the notes are not readily known. That makes it a completely personal journey. You wear it and really get to feel where it takes you. I like that Josh wanted this to be a bit mysterious. That makes the journey all the more fun! Sign me up! I’m excited to try this one. I’m in the US and thank you for the draw and also for a great article.

  • I want to swoon in a sense of narcosis. (of course the Haribo reference doesn’t hurt either) 🙂 USA

  • Gosh, drunk skin, I crave it!
    Just had me at ‘obfuscation’ and the scorched giant Haribo strawberries finished me!
    Never tried anything from Slumberhouse, and I desperately need to win!
    I am in the EU, Bulgaria. Thank you for the chance!

  • The description of “jammy blast of seared Haribo Giant Strawbs” sounds VERY interesting! I’m from the USA.

  • It seems scary and a little bit sickening… but different than anything else out there. If this was a tattoo, I might be scared off, but as it’s a fragrance, I’m intrigued and tempted. Maybe that’s the idea.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    ahhh, why did Josh had to mention Zahd which I missed and missed again when it was offered for one day and sold out in hours…this is why I am interested in Sadanne because it has some of the genes of Zahd..thanks for the lovely draw. I am in the US

  • Maria Silver Mist says:

    A twisted rose from Slumberhouse, that sounds just monumental. I always wanted to try Zahd, but never had a chance since it was so limited and rare. And again, I wish to try this rose too… 🙂 I live in EU, Poland.

  • Wow, I am intrigued! Haven’t heard of Josh Lobb before but this review did really pique my interest. I love rose and Grimm rose reeking of strawberries, seems sweet. But the rose being described and associated with the quite horrid pictures seems very different, it makes me very very curious how it all passes together. Great review! I am in the EU.

  • I like the idea of “Hours into the hot berried drydown, the notes shift and sweeten again with a sudden ferocity. This before an animalic howl and fade.” Amazing review. I’m in the U.S.

  • Great review. Slumberhouse puts out some fine scents. The following quote got me wanting to try this, “Hours into the hot berried drydown, the notes shift and sweeten again with a sudden ferocity. This before an animalic howl and fade.” USA

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    I have to experience this fragrance that haunts The Silver Fox with the scent memory of the jammy blast of seared Haribo Giant Strawbs. I live in the US

  • What an intriguing review! A fragrance that is both beautiful and terrifying sounds like a ‘must try’ to me. I live in the US. Thanks for the draw.

  • ooooh been wanting to try this one. Was hanging on every word… I need my ‘skin to smell drunk.’ Sounds amazing. I’m in the US.