SLADEK is a soulband around singer and guitarist David Sladek, bassist Alvis Reid, and drummer Bernhard Sorger, who have carved out a recognizable place within the scene since their founding in 2019. Their music combines catchy R&B melodies with deep neo-soul influences, but with the EP Loveless (2024) took a clear new direction, inspired by the soul of the late sixties. In collaboration with producer Mathias Garmusch, the Austria-based trio developed an honest, personal, and timeless sound, thanks in part to a renewed production approach and the switch to analog recordings. This development culminated in the album Things Gotta Change (2025), with songs like Stranger and Here to Stay. Live, SLADEK is known for their immersive performances, bringing the emotional depth and rhythmic power of soul music to life and effortlessly engaging the audience. On stage, they are reinforced by Taineh on keyboards and backing vocals and Gloria Handler on percussion. With previous releases such as Daydreamin' (2019) and the Fabricated Reality EP (2021/2022), the band steadily built their reputation, while in 2023 laying the foundation for the renewed sound that defines their recent work.
