Dark Pop for the faint of heart

Sidetrack Walker focuses on atmosphere and honest, emotional songwriting. Headed by German artist Dominik Sonders, the project crystallises elements of various musical genres into an engaging yet challenging Dark Pop blend.

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New single “Deprivation” out soon!

Hi everyone!

It’s been suspiciously quiet around Sidetrack Walker of late. But today, I’m bringing you some exciting news: the new single “Deprivation” will be released on May 28! Pre-orders are now live on Bandcamp and will launch elsewhere on May 7. That same date is also the next Bandcamp Friday, so I’d suggest to order your download then and there: as a Bandcamp customer, you’ll receive an exclusive bonus track that won’t be available anywhere else. More details on that, and on the release as a whole, will follow each Friday up to the release, starting tomorrow. So stay tuned for deeper insights: what do the lyrics mean to me personally? Why has “Deprivation” been gathering dust since 2015? And is it indicative of a larger change in musical direction? Eccentric as I am, I’ve been keeping to the sidetracks, so expect the unexpected.

Thanks for your support so far, and I sincerely hope you’re going to enjoy this short, but special new release. Be well! (And rest assured: there’s a lot more new music on the way!)

Best,
Dominik

Interview: Withered Hands Podcast (Part 2)

Part 2 of the Withered Hands interview is out now, and you’re in for a few surprises. Most importantly, this show will feature two exclusive previews of new, as-yet unreleased tracks from The Real Redeemer, my electronic project! And that’s not all: I had the honour of editing the audio for this one and try to give it a slightly different feel and polish. This has turned into a full-blown collaboration and, as such, a really rewarding experience. Enjoy!

Interview: Withered Hands Podcast (Part 1)

Back in August, I had a very long and open talk with Tom at Withered Hands Podcast, touching on a wide variety of subjects. Today, part 1 of the show is finally out. Sidetrack Walker fans are in for a treat, so be sure to check it out and let me know what you think! Also keep an eye out for part two, which will follow shortly. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Tom for taking so much time and being incredibly open-minded and kind.

While you’re here, why not drop by the press section to see the reactions to The Art of Starvation so far?

Out now: The Art of Starvation

The new Sidetrack Walker album, ‘The Art of Starvation’, is now available from all music services. Be sure to get the limited CD, too (100 pieces)!

Special thanks go out to the State Capital of Kiel for being kind enough to sponsor this project financially.

First press reactions:

“abundant with dark, sparkling jewels of Chamber Pop“

Kai-Peter Boysen (Kieler Nachrichten), 20.05.2020. Read the full article (German)

“[W]hat blew me away the most about Will to Leave was the sheer distinction. Sidetrack Walker’s tendency to pull from a myriad of genres […] allowed their sound to spill an alchemic amount of atmospheric intensity.”

Amelia Vandergast (A&R Factory), 15.05.2020. Read the full review

Out now on Bandcamp: The Art of Starvation

‘The Art of Starvation’ is now live on Bandcamp. As previously announced, the album download will be free of charge for a limited period of time. You can also pre-order your copy of the CD edition now. It will be limited to 100 hand-numbered copies, so don’t hesitate too long.

The regular release date for other platforms as well as for the CDs has been set to May 22. Remember, however, that I can give no guarantees regarding the CD shipping date; pressing is still delayed due to conditions beyond my control.

I sincerely hope the new album can offer some distraction, comfort or inspiration to some of you during these uncertain times.

New album: The Art of Starvation

The Instagram users among you already know by now: the title of the new Sidetrack Walker album is “The Art of Starvation”. It’ll be released soon, so stay tuned! Here’s the tracklist:

1. The Odd Moment
2. Only Silence Knows My Name
3. To Invite the Haunting
4. Broken Heartbeats
5. Worlds Collide
6. Wake-Up Call
7. Off Limits
8. Missing Pages
9. Last Line of Defence
10. Will to Leave
11. The Host

New album release imminent

Due to the pandemic, I have decided to forego the usual promotional phase preceding the album release. As soon as the final masters are done, the new album will be made available for digital streaming and download (free of charge) through Bandcamp. With so many of you adapting to a secluded life at home, now is not the time for additional, avoidable delays. CD pre-orders will commence at the same time, and I will ship those as soon as I receive the CDs from the pressing plant. Services such as Spotify will still require a regular release date, however.

The album artwork will be revealed on Instagram in nine parts, one per day. Naturally, you will also know the album title when the mosaic is complete. The individual images will be accompanied by one track title each. Follow Sidetrack Walker on Instagram now to keep track!

Health Emergency: Free Bandcamp Downloads

In light of the current crisis, I have made my entire digital discography available on a “name your price” basis on Bandcamp. This means that if you’re among those affected financially by the pandemic, you can still download and enjoy any Sidetrack Walker release at no cost. CD prices will also remain low until further notice. I believe that the availability of music as a source of strength, comfort and inspiration is more important than ever now. Of course, if you can, please do support the project with whatever payment you deem appropriate, and be sure to do the same for other artists – many of us are struggling right now, especially those who draw much of their income from performing live.

To protect yourself as well as others, please take this situation seriously and stay home whenever you can. Enjoy great music, cook yourself a decent meal or take a moment of quiet contemplation: a crisis like this can also be an opportunity to rediscover aspects or ourselves that are usually drowned out by our hectic lives. Stay safe!

Out now: The Host

Time to embrace the haunting: the new single is out now! You can expect an equally haunting new full-length early next year. Reason enough to look forward to 2020! Until then, I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy listening to “The Host” as much as I enjoyed making it. And do check out the amazing remix by Strukt. Best wishes to everyone from the Sidetrack Walker camp!

New single releases December 27

December 27 will see the release of a new Sidetrack Walker single, “The Host”. It is a sign of things to come for 2020: the song will re-appear on the upcoming full-length early next year with a slightly updated mix. Apart from a full version and a radio edit of “The Host”, the single will also contain a remix by Strukt, an electronic project by none other than Andre Jonas. He was the mixing engineer for “Come What May” and also mastered the single. Prepare for some surprises in what is clearly the darkest Sidetrack Walker material to date!