The album's amorphous musical style was reflected in East West's wide-spanning promotional campaign for the record, which included a two-hour Party Zone special on MTV Europe.

The Aloof formed as an electronic duo in 1990, consisting of disc jockey Dean Thatcher and producer Jagz Kooner (also a member of The Sabres of Paradise).

The Aloof's line-up expanded within a year to include programmer Gary Burns (Kooners' Sabres bandmate) and vocalist Ricky Barrow, and the group signed to Cowboy Records.

After transitioning from a nightclub act to a "true live band", they added drummer Richard Thair in 1993 before setting up their own label Flaw Records, on which they released their debut album Cover the Crime (1994).

[5] Although Cover the Crime featured rave material and several "serious" songs, the Aloof moved towards a "band" feel for the development of Sinking, a change which stemmed from the group's newfound disillusionment with dance and club culture.

[1] Dominic Pride of Billboard described the album as a sinister, drug-influenced release that fuses dub, jungle and techno music with "blunted beats" and 'soaring' strings, thus creating a sound that eschews easy labelling.

[4] Stanley felt the song could benefit from the inclusion of strings, so the group recorded another version entitled "The Last Stand" which features a 32-piece orchestra performing the piece's soaring arrangement.

[4] On 31 May 1996, the Aloof were the subject of a two-hour Party Zone special on MTV Europe, which featured all of the group's music videos in addition to interviews and live performances.

They then toured in promotion Sinking in summer 1996, sometimes sharing the stage with a disparate array of acts like James Lavelle, Cocteau Twins, Strangelove and the Chemical Brothers.

"[11] Upon release, Sinking received critical acclaim; Ian Cranna of Q said that "dance music that actively engages the head and emotions is a rare beast but The Aloof are just such a treat...

Haunting melancholy hooks and cyclical rhythms weave in and out of driving, evolving electrogrooves as bits of the past are remodelled and evocative touches added.

The reviewer felt that the 'swimming' beats, luscious arrangements and haunting vocals complement the music's exploration of dub, techno and trip hop, and concluded that "The Aloof help further redefine the concept of what a 'dance' album is.

"[7] AllMusic's John Bush felt that Sinking was not as dark as Cover the Crime, but commented that it added "a contemplative earthiness gained from the blues and film music [...] while the orchestral flair of closing track 'The Last Stand' show The Aloof working through a variety of inspirations with a surplus of good ideas to back them up".

"[8] Covering the album in a guide to the big beat genre, Don McGonigle of Stylus Magazine wrote that the Aloof were an "utterly unique" dance-rock outfit that occasionally sounded "like Horace Andy backed by The Sabres of Paradise."

He felt that "Barrow wrote like Mike Leigh turned loose with a pocket full of Amyl, yet sadly his distinctly grown-up take on relationships was never given the attention it deserved.

[20] Billboard international music editor Dominic Pride listed Sinking as the second best release of 1996 in the magazines' year-end critics poll, commenting "1997 will be theirs if there's any justice!