Sidewalks and Skeletons
Sidewalks and Skeletons (stylised as SIDEWALKS AND SKELETONS) is a UK-based electronic music project created by musician and producer Jake Lee. Lee, originally from Bradford, England, started producing electronic music in the mid-2000s while also performing as a guitarist in various deathcore bands. In 2011, he shifted his focus primarily to electronic music, designating Sidewalks and Skeletons as his main solo project. The name Sidewalks and Skeletons was created by Lee as a metaphor representing what remains after death: "The earth you walked, and your bones: they are all that are left behind."
Early life
Lee was raised in Bradford. During his early years, he played guitar in underground metal and deathcore bands. Around 2006, he began to focus on dark electronic music production, experimenting with unstructured soundscapes inspired by horror cinema. After several years of developing his production style, he adopted the Sidewalks and Skeletons alias in 2011. Lee has mentioned electronic acts such as Crystal Castles as influential in his transition from heavy metal to electronic music.
MusicAL style and commercial success
The sound of Sidewalks and Skeletons is characterized by down-pitched and warped vocal effects, heavy reverb and dense, distorted synthesizer TEXtures combined with trap-influenced percussion. The production often incorporates experimental elements with a horror-inspired tone, aiming to evoke an immersive, late-night atmosphere.
The track "Goth," originally released on the 2015 album White Light, gained viral recognition through social media platforms such as TikTok. The song has been associated with the underground dark wave and witch house genres.
Collaborations and media
Lee has performed on international tours in the United States and Europe, including countries such as Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Hungary. He has collaborates with artists such as Ghostemane, [...], and Crosses. Additionally, Lee is credited as a co-producer on the track "Their Kindness Is Charade" from Crystal Castles' final studio album, Amnesty (I). Lee composed and produced high-tempo tracks for the 2017 cyberpunk action shooter Ruiner, published by Devolver Digital. In May 2023, Lee formed the band soft siren with frequent vocal collaborator CASHFORGOLD, making a move into shoegaze music. Their debut single, "4am," received positive reviews and accumulated over 10 million digital streams.
Studio albums
Title |
Album details |
|---|---|
Volume 1 |
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Volume 2: Planes of Existence |
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This is Your Escape |
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Future Ghosts |
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White Light |
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The Void |
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Entity |
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Exorcism |
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Compilation albums
Title |
Album details |
|---|---|
Forbidden Files |
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2020 |
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Extended plays
Title |
Album details |
|---|---|
Vices (with Catslash) |
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Digital Ghost (with [...]) |
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Eternal Rest |
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