BEGINNINGS
SIC MUNDUS is a studio project with origins dating back to 2021. Created by Andrzej Sesiuk (keyboards, music) and Artur Placzyński (bass guitar, lyrics), is an expression of their long-standing fascination with music from the broadly defined field of progressive rock and metal. The two met a little earlier, while recording Artur's solo album (under the name Slapover) - and as is often the case these days, it was initially an online acquaintance, with the musicians finding each other thanks to their exploration of independent streaming services. It quickly turned out that they shared very similar musical interests – apart from funk and jazz, which dominated the Slpover album, it was progressive music that they had both been listening to for years. The material for the first album, Illusions, was already practically finished at that point, and the album was available on one of the streaming services in a purely instrumental form, recorded entirely by Andrzej using synthesizers and virtual instruments. You can read more about how this version turned into a full-fledged rock album here:
CONTINUATION
Even before completing the production of Illusions, Andrzej had a full demo of the new album ready, consisting of eight very diversified tracks, ranging from dense hit compositions to elaborate, multi-layered progressive suites. This time, the idea from the very beginning was to turn all the compositions into vocal tracks, except for the last one, entitled “Agartha” (you can check for yourself if this was actually the case). The band quickly began recording, this time opting for a homogeneous lineup based on the vocalist (Mikołaj Krzaczek) who had proven himself on “Illusions” and who is co-responsible for the characteristic sound of Sic Mundus, as well as a guitarist (Michał Kaszczyszyn) and drummer (Torsten Bugiel) who had been recruited for the project. (Torsten Bugiel). The latter two had previously collaborated with Artur on the Slapover project, so it can be said that they too had already had the opportunity to prove themselves in a similar line-up, and their participation guaranteed a perfect fit and synergy with the rest of the band. Work on the album consumed nearly two years, and more about it can be read here:
FUTURE
The band has already begun working on their third album, assuming that in the world of progressive rock, it would be appropriate to at least conclude their discography as a trilogy. This time, however, the work is not based on a finished demo of the album—the first drafts of the songs are just being created and no one knows yet what the third album will look like. It is even less clear whether there will be more albums or what they will bring—but for now, there are absolutely no signs that the band will be ending its activity anytime soon.
ARTWORK
Apart from the music itself, the graphic design of the albums plays a significant role in the Sic Mundus project. The band was extremely fortunate that the outstanding Polish artist Jarosław Jaśnikowski agreed to collaborate and make his masterpieces available, as his style perfectly matches the musical layer of the songs. The artist's works adorn both of the band's albums released to date and take Sic Mundus' music to entirely new dimension. You can read more about the artist and his works here:
