SIKORA

Sikora: Bernie Sanders, dancing, and sex

Their mini bio-pic describes them as “if Skrillex and The Red Hot Chili Peppers had a love child, SIKORA would be born,“ but I would have to disagree. If the Skrillex and RHCP were to come together sexually, though, perhaps they’d meet in a club grinding to the harmonic electricity behind SIKORA’s beats.

I would say that this group is much more worldly-influenced than RHCP or Skrillex. I might even say they might be adopted; their real parents are Kylie Minogue and Breathe Carolina. That is to say, their harmonies aren’t always the angelic kind you typically hear sampled in today’s beat music, sometimes they’re just down right moody. Female and male vocalists come together (Liz Forde and Matthew Sikora, respectively) on a bed of atmospheric pop.

In true modern-musician fashion, Sikora allows for a peak at the inner workings and inner goofings of the band via their Youtube page. There you can see live performances, as well as their mini video-bio with clips of them on the road. Some clips even include them in the studio, in a space that seems to play home to both work and play, as seen in the “The One” video. This is a perfect example of how I imagine music really is their life. I can just see them all now, in their pj’s, sleeping in the studio every night.

I can only imagine the mood this group set when opening for a Senator Bernie Sanders’ rally this past primary season.

“We were asked to play the Bernie Rally literally a few hours before it began as the event was planned the night before! Crazy! Needless to say our media from the day is limited. Attached are few photos we managed to snap from the stage before and after the performance at the Wiltern. The highlight (BY FAR) was when Bernie thanked us before his speech, which Liz managed to get on video before freaking out. Thanks for thinking of us! It was such a huge honor to play for him!” Said Liz.

“I should also mention that we were chosen to perform because of the positive message behind our song, “Haters” which is about anti-bullying and daring to be different!” Liz said.

To dig into their fullest release: Eye Kandi, click here to go to the iTunes store.

Their newest remix, “Summertime,” a cover of Sublime’s own mixed with Moby’s “Porcelain,” turns an already vibe-filled pair of songs into a new mood. I happen to have a squishy spot for mash-ups, and I’ve had enough of the kind that include predictable pairings. This was unexpected.

Here’s their lovely Spotify playlist.

So they’re feeling the ‘Bern, they bring both bedroom music and platonic pop, and they’re too sweet to beat. The question is, will you be there to catch Shutter 16 staff grinding in the pit if Sikora comes to town?

-Molly Shores, Shutter 16 Magazine (Jul 28, 2016)
#twitfromthepit, bands to listen to, Bernie Sanders, dancing, Editor:, editors picks, good tunes, interview, music, music journalism, quotes, reverb, Reverbnation, Sexy, Shutter 16, sikora, Writer: Molly Shores 0 - Molly Shores, Shutter 16 Magazine

Sikora’s “Eye Kandi EP” is like nothing you’ve heard before. They’ve got a unique sound, melding together RPM and some rock elements. The album is completely done on their own, as they wrote the music and lyrics, and self-produced and released these four tracks. From their Facebook page, it says that lead single- “Haters”- is “a song about being bullied and persevering as yourself”. It’s insanely positive, and could qualify as a banger. On the album it says they sound like Twenty One Pilots, and I can see the comparison by hearing the intro to “The One”. The songs are all mixed very well, and their music really fits their desired style. Each intro makes me want to hear more. Overall, this EP is better than expected.

Sounds Like: Twenty One Pilots
CHVRCHES
Recommended Tracks:
1. Haters: if you want to brighten your day, this song will do that guaranteed
3. Starstruck: pretty catchy, good guitar riff
Name: Amanda Chesin
Date Reviewed: 11/04/2015
Dance electronica Rock RPM - KAMP - Student Radio Arizona

Singer/songwriter Matthew Sikora is the man behind the voice of LittleZotz Podcasting‘s awesome theme song! Get to know him, how he got his start, and what’s next for his career in this e-mail interview.

Matthew, along with the rest of SIKORA, has been creating amazing tunes for your listening enjoyment for the past few years. And when it came time to choose music for my podcast theme song, I knew it was Matthew’s SIKORA that I wanted.

If you haven’t heard the sassy rhythm of my theme song — taken from the group’s song “Haters” — then I suggest you go listen to it!

In the meantime, get to know Matthew Sikora and how he got his start as a freelance singer/songwriter.

My Interview with Matthew Sikora

What do you do?
"I am a singer, songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. I am also a dog and cat lover."

How did you start?
"I started by playing violin when I was a child. I was quoted by my parents around that time as saying, “This was a mistake!”

I didn’t start to excel at music until I picked up the guitar in the late 90’s. The guitar became a map for me of possible composition and music theory. I was able to express things that I couldn’t explain or communicate through playing the guitar and songwriting. The guitar led to singing, and singing and playing guitar led to bands.

I joined my first band when I was in high school. After graduating, we were given the opportunity to record our songs and tour the world professionally.

The years that followed were the best “life experience” I could have asked for. Honing my craft, learning about people, different cultures, and the current of the world were all invaluable.

When the band started to run it’s course, I began a solo career as well as a songwriting career in music licensing. It was around this time that I start to learn about the process of recording music and met my partner in crime, Liz Forde. Liz and I built our own studio and started singing and writing together. I missed playing music with warm bodies so I abandoned my solo career for the creation of a fresh musical experience with new horizons to explore. Our band, SIKORA embellishes on vocal harmonies, electronic music, guitars, synths, with unconventional production techniques and instrumentation.

SIKORA is my adventure down the rabbit hole." - LittleZotz Writing

I hired the amazing SIKORA to turn their song “Haters” off their EP Eye Kandi into my official podcast music.

I recommend listening to the full song on their SoundCloud; however, you can hear a lot of the lyrics that drew me to the song in my theme: Namely the idea of not letting anyone define you.

LittleZotz Podcasting is going to be about living a successful freelance life. And one of the main components of being a freelancer is being your own boss and learning how to define yourself and your business.

I also loved the idea of embracing your haters. Which I firmly believe is one of the key elements to being successful online.

Enjoy the song — show your support for SIKORA! — and come back in January for Episode 1!

–Lauren* - Lauren Tharp

This week, I was invited to check out Sikora, an electronic band based in Los Angeles who released a CD titled, “Eye Kandi – EP”. When I heard the tracklisting, I was taken aback by their combination of elements. This band is all about “chemistry,” so they have a colorful visual and audio style to match. Sikora creates electro-pop harmonies mixed with dub-step, rock and rave. I know that all sounds crazy, but they play on their strengths and work well as a group. To be honest, I didn’t know Lauren was into this sort of sound, but that’s the beauty about music. If you have ears, tune in and enjoy the vibes – if it makes you feel good, play it!

The first thing I thought about “Haters” is how incredibly sassy the song is. This track is playful and maybe even bratty, but it’s all about owning yourself. My favorite section of the song is their cheer-squad chant. “Dare to be different, Dare to be yourself! Don’t try to be like everybody else!” This transitions into the chorus and a bass heavy, progressive beat. It’s clear that this song was made to be a crowd-pleaser. On an added note: Lauren tells me that “Haters” is her favorite of these tracks. After giving it a few plays, it is an appropriate theme song!

Listening to, “The One,” is like taking an amazing journey in search of (your) beloved. This song emits a strong sense of longing, not just in the lyrical content, but in the instrumentation as well. Sikora’s accelerated rhythms and electric-guitar leads shine the brightest, in my opinion. Emulating long, drawn-out sequences they create audio landscapes where synthesized scales add a heavenly accent. When listening to “The One,” I imagine traveling dark roads where the lights come from a starlit sky. Imagine meeting your special someone: it’s magical and liberating.

The song, “Starstruck” is probably the most tame track in “Eye Kandi – EP.” Sikora keeps their rock and rave elements in tact, but what makes it stand out is their tempo. “Starstruck” is considerably slower compared to the others, but there’s nothing wrong with that – I think it allows listeners to break down the music and hear all of their elements individually. The vocal harmonies and rhythmic patterns clearly show chemistry. And let’s be honest: It’s hard not to hum with the angelic background. This is a great example of Sikora as a collaborative effort.

What better way to end the track-listing with their anthem, “Sins of Our Youth.” Based on the title, I didn’t think it was going to be as uplifting as the others songs, but this song picks up the pace and tone after the 1-minute mark. This is another one of those songs that takes the listener on an audio journey, so to speak. Imagine treading through depths of dub step before sailing smoothly through electronic waves. I like that this song shifts tones. The verses sing of melancholy, while the chorus becomes a triumphant hurrah! To which they overcome hardships together.

All in all, “Eye Kandi – EP” starts and ends strong. Albeit a short track listing, they provide a nice variety of songs that stretch across multiple genres. It took me a few play-throughs to understand their style and composition, but I think this band is good at matching sweet, vocal melodies to electronic sub-genres. Do you know any other bands that combine the different elements so harmoniously? Maybe you, dear reader, could find another one to write & submit for review! “Eye Kandi – EP” is available on CD via Amazon and downloadable on iTunes. If you’re interested in hearing more, feel free to check out their website. Enjoi~!

http://www.sikoraband.com/shop.html – Sikora Website
https://soundcloud.com/sikoraband – Sikora Soundcloud
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/eye-kandi-ep/id1045658908 – Sikora, “Eye Kandi – EP” on iTunes - Paris Matic - Reviewhat

Sikora has assembled a new collection of musicians, coming up with a truly exciting musical presentation. Opening up with the enigmatic Unknown Road, Sikora and band really set the Cobalt into a wondrous new musical dimension.

If one doesn’t already notice Sikora’s massively intense vocals, then his wildly imaginative guitar work is sure to leave an electrifying impact. Joining Sikora on co-vocals is Liz Forde, who really shines and dazzles throughout the material, especially on the wonderful duet entitled Last Dance.

The most surreal moment of the night arrived during the encore, where Sikora performed an Irish jig entitled Souldier Boy, which resulted in some impromptu mosh/square dancing from the audience. An absolute terrific way to conclude a Saturday night within the wilds of Canoga Park.

-Ken Morton (Highwire Daze) - Highwire Daze

This morning I bought the recently released EP by the male-female duo SIKORA, and I have had their catchy hooks happily stuck in my head all day. SIKORA launched their debut EP “Ecliptic” last week, hitting the digital world with four original tracks loaded with bluesy guitar riffs and sultry vocal harmonies.

Self-described as a “pop/alt rock outfit”, the Los Angeles based duo of Matthew Sikora (vocals, guitar, bass) and Liz Forde (vocals, percussion, keyboard) have been collaborating since 2011, and have recently released their newest music under the guidance of LA producer Dean Dichoso.

Their single “Halo”, the second track on the EP, was released as a teaser in March, and boasts the duo’s love for the California rock sound. Liz Forde’s vocals shine with breathtaking precision as she takes on the harmonies and verses of this track.

Another song from the EP, “Comic Book Hero”, brings intense energy through Matthew Sikora’s enthusiastic guitar riffs, layered vocals, and sing-a-long lyrics. The song has been chosen to appear in the USC Thesis Film “O-Star”, directed by Dima Otvertchenko.

Both “West Coast” and the final track of the EP, “Souldier Boy (Soldier Boy)”, bring a delightful, playful blues sound to the table, which invites the audience to join in with the talented duo until the end. On the whole, I find “Ecliptic” to be a wonderfully relatable, and also diverse album in the four tracks included on the release. From rock, to blues, to pop, SIKORA brings a little something for everyone.

For more on SIKORA and to listen to/purchase “Ecliptic”, visit www.sikoraband.com.
For more on producer Dean Dichoso, visit www.deandichoso.com.

Drea Dorman is a singer-songwriter and music enthusiast living in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more about Drea and her music at www.dreaofficialmusic.com. - a2d: according to drea

Remember SIKORA? The Los Angeles duo launched their debut EP “Ecliptic” last month, and this morning, they surprised us all by dropping their beautifully visualized video for one of the songs off their EP, “Halo”.

The video stars Matthew Sikora and Liz Forde in a glamorous take of what could easily be mistaken for a set from the hit show “Breaking Bad”. While Sikora belts out emotionally charged phrases from behind his flashing electric guitar, Forde sparkles in front of the camera with her refreshing vocals and equally stunning appearance on screen.

The music video takes us on a journey of the artists looking for their “halos”, from desert to ocean. The entire video is expertly conceptualized and woven together by director Dima Otvertchenko. From the broader story line to the minute details, this video was a great success in bringing the song “Halo” to life.

You can watch the video, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QFzgFrGNNU&feature=youtu.be

For more on SIKORA and to purchase “Ecliptic”, visit www.sikoraband.com.

You can read about the SIKORA EP release, here: https://according2drea.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/ecliptic-ep-release-by-sikora/ - amydreadorman