Sicker Man - DIALOG


 
Tobias Vethake has taken on a beautiful project of dialogs as Sicker Man. In the summer of 2019 meetings were made and music was played. In each get together, Sicker Man worked with a different artist. Together they created a dialog of sound, eight artist, eight separate pieces, all using the stability or chaos Tobias' cello provides in that instant and the creativity from the person Tobias was with. In the liner notes for this album, Thomas Khurana explains how the use of the word "dialog" become the theme and title for this composition. The thought behind this, if it can be summarized, "dialog" is not two people speaking together, but the content that forms from their speaking together. Thomas' explanation is detailed and better and worth reading, but this needed to be touched on moving forward in this description.  
 
Any body of work with different artist on every track posses difficulty in the process of descriptive writing. Each track can be summarized and a few words or sentences can be said. The entire body of work can be talked about as a whole. Talking about each track is an easy way to go and can get a little tedious by the end. As for DIALOG as a whole composition, it flows beautifully. There is no disjointed transitions from Sicker Man with respective artists. In fact, if you did not know the format of DIALOG, there would be very few clues on realizing how these selections were created. So first and foremost, the sounds within DIALOG are stunning and this will easily be a recording to go back to in the listening future of anyone reading. 

It states in the notes these recordings were made with friends and new friends in the Berlin music scene. This is important because this localization helps maintain the coherency touched on a few sentences back. Like minded individuals all from one region will most likely share similar influences. There will be exceptions, but this helps reiterate how gorgeous this composition is as one piece. This thought also caters to the mastering of the album by the highly experienced and talented Lupo Lubich.
 
Tobias and Lupo used the most delicate transitions from one track to the next, sometimes the dialog carries over like from Manuel Klotz to Lip Smh and Kiki Bohemia to Tim Schneider. Other times the sounds become quiet and pick up again quietly. This plays a very important role for the listener, getting lost in the gorgeous depths. 





 
Manuel Klotz is the first dialog for the album. He is a visual artist and sound performer based in Berlin. He curates a label called Loft Editions and has a long running sound project titled Loft Party. Sicker Man and Loft Party worked on a sold out cassette last year titled Cherish The Chants. This is on the Loft Editions label. 



 
Would like to include of Lip Smh and something about this project for this description. All that is included is Ex-Krikl-Krakl and the notes electronic and beats, all the internet button clicking did not help :( The dialog with Sicker Man and Lip Smh has a little middle eastern vibe to it. A beat driven journey in times of exploration and trade offering a worldly feel to the composition.
 
Aidan Baker            

 
 
 Aidan Baker and Sicker Man express a beautiful piece on the third track. One of the three more ambient selections. Aidan is a musician, composer, writer and artist, pretty much everything. His music goes under the projects of Nadja and Hypnodrone Ensemble, for Dialog he is Aidan Baker. 



Ángela Muñoz Martínez 


The fourth track is shared with Ángela Muñoz Martínez. Her background includes everything art, music and dance related. Member of multiple sound projects, nunofyrbeeswax is noted in the liner notes, but the link connecting to her biography has more information.


 
Perlonex
Joerg Maria Zeger is a German born guitarist. He plays in a well established project called Perlonex. Included is a picture of the band. Joerg is not the person in the middle, that is Burkhard Beins. Ignaz Schick and Jörg Maria Zeger are left and right (i think). Joerg selection with Slicker Man is a patient and seductive ambient piece, maybe the most subdued of the album.
 
Lost in a Sea of Sound had the pleasure of writing about Pluton​/​Neptune. This was an album by
João Orecchia and Slicker Man. Kinda what preempted this description of Dialog. Their shared sound is filled with beats and sparkling notes. There is a strong reach back to some Stewart Copeland pieces on this. Really complex but very easy to digest. Perfect sounds...
 
 

For the dialog between Kiki Bohemia and Slicker Man, they work in the world of ambient tranquility. Another absolutely beautiful piece holding an essence of drone sparked by patient radiating electronics. Slutty Clowns is noted in the liner notes, a project with both Kiki Bohemia and Slicker Man, but Kiki has her own world of performance, music and art as well.

 

Schneider TM is a project name of Dirk Dresselhaus. His dialog with Slicker Man is the longest and most rousing. A full divulge into the electronic furnace. Sonic fire resonating with blood pumping rhythms. A farewell crescendo for the album contrasting the aural places we have been.
 
So pretty much did what i said would be a tedious read, go through each track. But pictures were added and this makes it better. Also if there are any objections to any of these pictures, just let me know and i will remove what is not wanted. 
 
Copies of DIALOG are available from Sicker Man's bandcamp page.  The record is on orange translucent vinyl and looks really sharp. Full liner notes on the inner record sleeve, with great artwork and photos on the cover. This is a Blankrecords release in an unspecified number.  

And one more photo ....

Sicker Man














Links

Comments