🎸 Slibnik, the free electron shaking up the codes
In the teeming universe of artists unearthed on social media, Slibnik is one of those who leave no one indifferent. Discovered during a Space on X (formerly Twitter), this unique musician handles the guitar and words with the same disconcerting spontaneity and complete artistic freedom. Between rock bursts, indie nonchalance, introspective blues, and flashes of reggae, he composes a sonic mosaic in his own image: raw, unsettling, yet decidedly sincere.
In this section dedicated to lesser-known talents stumbled upon across social networks, FSHN Magazine meets authentic artists. And this week, we explore the unfiltered world of Slibnik. He is one of those rare creators whose universe, sometimes provocative, is always imbued with double meaning, wordplay, and sharp intelligence. Behind titles that may shake the most sensitive listeners hides a songwriter with an ironic pen, free spirit, and deeply original voice.
Slibnik is a whole character, both mysterious and approachable, who composes as naturally as he breathes, for the pleasure of play, of the moment, and of an audience he boldly challenges. Still little known to the general public, he deserves attention, a real listen, and the time to dive into his universe: a space where each song is a riddle, an elegant provocation, or a subtle reflection disguised as provocation.
Hi Slibnik, for those discovering you for the first time, how would you describe yourself as an artist… and as a person? 🎨
Okay, well, I think I like to come up with like guitar riffs that are like, you know, more difficult to play while singing on it. You know, a lot of guys like, you know, they’ll play a riff or they’ll have a band that play a riff. And they’ll be a good, you know, complicated riff. But then sometimes, you know, they stop the riff when they sing, and then they’ll sing on sort of bar chords. But then you got dudes that are just singers in a band with a band and the band will play a good difficult riff, but then the singer, you know, who isn’t playing guitar will sing on top.
So I like to incorporate, you know, focus on like playing advanced guitar riffs while singing on it at the same time. And that it just seems I like to challenge myself. I guess a self challenger, sort of an artist if that’s a thing.
Who am I? A loner. I’ve basically been a lonely kid. Lonely throughout my whole life, even now. I don’t really have friends. So my friend was like, you know, music, guitar, just keeping myself busy in general activities. Rollerblading, used to do a lot of rollerblading. A lot of activities in solitude, which might sound depressing, but I was happy about it.
It’s like, I would look around the house at things, you know, when I’m bored. You know, I see a guitar, I’ll just play with it, I’ll see like a pair of roller blades, you know, I don’t want to watch TV, I don’t want to play video games alone, so I’ll just put on the roller blades and just get out of here. And so, music, the guitar, some old guitar was there in the house, so I would just pick that stuff up. I’m also, I try to stay positive, humor is important to me, so who am I beyond the songs? Someone who strives for a laugh and humor, social humor.
How did music enter your life?
Do you make a living from it today, or is it still a balance between passion and reality? 🎶
Well, yeah, music entered, yeah, like there was this old…
Classical guitar in the living room. I guess it was my mother’s somehow. I’m not sure where she got it. I’ve got to ask her about it actually. But it was just like, it was just a beat down thing. It had glue on it and fallen apart. But yeah, I would just pick that up, you know. And my older brothers, they showed me a couple of chords, basic chords, like the C chord and the D chord. One of my brothers used to play a couple of like Cat Stevens songs and I would sort of like to compete, you know. As a kid, I want to be like my older brother. I can play it better than him, you know. And so I had to play it better than him. And so I would practice and practice so I can impress my older brothers. Do you make a living from it? No. No, I do not. Or is it still a balance between passion?
Oh, it’s definitely a passion. I think it always will be. It’s ingrained in me. It’s almost like emotional regulation at this point. You know, if I’m feeling anxious, if I’m feeling angry, anything, I could just sit on the edge of a sidewalk and just slam out a tube, you know, and moments later, I’ll just feel different, most of the time, better than how I was feeling before. And I think that in itself is reality, you know. I don’t think my intention was to be financially stable with music. Music has been a more self-stabilizing approach, experience rather, self-stabilizing experience to you know, having something that is useful at the same time. Think that’s more useful than financial means when it comes to music.
What were your first musical influences?
Any artists or albums that really moved you as a teenager? 🎼
Let’s see, yeah, probably Cat Stevens. My brother would play a couple songs like The Wind by Cat Stevens, and so I would look up a couple of songs or I think there was some kind of some way of listening to it. I don’t remember if we had internet at the time, but I remember my brother would play it. We did have internet, but I think the videos were slow. Also Pink Floyd, listen to this. My brother was playing a couple of Pink Floyd songs like Money by Pink Floyd. I remember it was a riff that I saw how he played it and I played a little bit of it. Also Sublime. Sublime was important. Green Day. I like Green Day. Listened to a lot of Sublime. What else was a musical?
David Choi, actually, was probably the greatest influence. He’s sort of an unknown. At the time, he wasn’t as popular on YouTube. I would search for original songs on YouTube and I found this David Choi guy who would write songs and he showed himself playing on video. I was able to see the chords he used and and how he would make changes as he progressed into the structure of a song. For example, a verse, and then a bridge, and then a chorus, and sometimes a bridge, and then back to the verse, and then repeat. I was able to see a sort of pattern. He would use basic chords and he would change with the chords with more basic chords. I came to understand that I could do that anywhere on the fretboard with pretty much any note, any chord.
Um, and that really helped me hear and visualize the structure of songs. So David Choi is an awesome influence. I think my biggest musical influence, um, any artists or albums that really moved you as a teenager. Uh, I remember my first album that I actually bought was a Kid Rock album with his middle finger, um, showing, you know, ball with the ball, the bang, the bang, diggy, diggy. Also Sublime. Sublime was good, um, as a teenager, I would listen to that, uh, let’s see, uh,
Your song Molecular Molecule has an intriguing name. How was this track born?
Were you trying to convey a specific message or did you just go with the flow of the sound? 🧪
Uh, yeah, well, basically.
Most of my songs is I just I let I let the riff the sound of the song You know communicate with me so I’d I’ll make a riff and then I’ll try to you know feel what it tells me and you know that riff was like rockin it’s fast and You know, it’s sort of like You know Not really It’s sort of I feel like it’s um, I gotta think about this for a moment but molecular molecule It’s like not getting along not or knowing that you don’t really get along with people Well most the time so but they don’t have like something in common with you and It’s coming sort of to an understanding that You know who you are and who I am are different I’m different than you everyone’s different in every
And so, it makes me feel good to know that the reason why I might not get along is because someone is a molecule that is not the same as me, as the molecule that I might be. And so, it’s sort of, I guess, unusual to describe someone as mold, you know, molecular mold, molecule mashed up mold, you know, it’s sort of like, I see who you are, and I see you as mold, and I am not, and we don’t get along. I probably wrote that one when I was a little bit angry at personal things in my life, molecular molecule, yeah.
Well, yeah, I was trying to convey a meaning, I guess, when I focused on the sound of it. This is a long reply. But yeah, it’s like, you know, you can’t bother me because I’m a particle, I’m a molecule that lives in the future, and you’re not on the same, you know, plane. I feel like I’m on a different dimension sometimes as the molecule that I am. And I’m okay with that, you know. I can’t be bothered by someone who isn’t present on the same dimension as me.
Your songs blend rock, blues, indie, pop, reggae…
How do you choose the style for each track?
Do you start from a feeling? A riff? A mood? 🔀
Oh, well, I just try to come up with stuff that sounds different than what I’ve already learned or discovered, wrote. So I guess just trying to make the next song sound different than the last is, I guess, sometimes I’ll listen to something, a style of music, you know, a song I’ll hear somewhere will catch my attention. And I like that kind of genre and I’ll try to do all kinds of genres, you know. And so I just, I try to be diverse for what’s the word. I try to have a variety when it comes to songwriting.
Well, I think I start from boredom, you know, it’s just like an activity. It’s that activity again, when I’m lonely, I’m lonely or bored, I reach for something, you know, whether it’s dumbbells or my shoes, I might put them on and go for a walk or the swimming pool, go for a swim. You know, it’s that, yeah, that feeling of being alone mixed with a combination of boredom that fuels a song, I think. Never really thought about it. I like these questions.
How do you choose which songs to cover?
Do you have a specific criterion, or is it all about instinct, like something that just feels right when you hear it? 🎙️
Oh, yeah. So I like uncommon songs. You know, a lot of times, sometimes, you know, I can guess, not a lot of times, a couple of times I’ve guessed what other musicians have, well, I can guess what they were about to perform. I don’t know, but Mike, I’d be like, this guy, he’s got a cowboy hat, he’s got his t-shirt tucked into his tight jeans, he’s probably going to sing a Johnny Cash song. Sure enough, the dude sings a Johnny Cash song and I’m like, man, I don’t want to be predictable. You know, We’ve all heard that cover song, but have you heard that song from like the 40s or 50s? You know, a lot of good classic songs from many, many years ago that have not even been heard by today’s generation. And a lot of these songs are catchy, you know, are like commercial jingles, songs from nursery rhymes are catchy as well as video game songs. So I try to be unpredictable and uncommon when it comes to learning a cover song. And when I do one, I don’t do it the way that, you know, a songwriter did it generally.
I like to come up with my own riff for when I do a cover song, make it sound different. But I keep the melody intact, I guess. Vocal melody, that is. Do you have a specific criterion, or is this all about an instinct, like something that just feels right when you hear it? Yeah, I guess… I guess… I like changes, you know, a lot of… Some songs I don’t really change the riff, I get lazy and I’ll just have the same riff going throughout. But I like to change, the structure of change, you know. I have a beginning chunk of guitar riff, and then a changing chunk of guitar riff, and then… No criteria. I don’t follow any conventional songwriting structure. I sort of just, you know, go my own way. Why not have a double course?
Why not have a double verse or skip that bridge, you know, you know put just play around with it And I have the bridge before the verse have four bridges in one verse, you know There’s no wrong way I feel to write a song as long as a song sounds good and it does something for the person who who creates it
Do you draw inspiration from your own relationships (romantic or friendly) when you write?
And if so, is there a particular song that talks about that? ❤️
Well for the most part didn’t really have relationships going up or romance. I would often sing about Things that didn’t happen the things that I would like to happen, you know, it’s sort of imagine You know a relationship with someone you know, so I would just You know just conjure a story that never happened between me and a female and Sing about it. I did that for a while
But as I experienced romance and romantic relationships, yes, they were definitely fueled. Actually, I think six songs I wrote were fueled by one woman who I had a relationship with over the years. And yeah, you know, if I vibe with a certain woman, yeah, I’ve written songs about women that I’ve experienced joy and pleasure with when it comes to socializing and experiencing just going out and about. If so, is there a particular song that talks about that? Yeah, Gentle Teresa is one song. Slam is another one. Laugh Again. The Gettin’ is good. Which other one?
Let’s Get Together Again. These are songs that I wrote about women who I had relationships with. Let’s see. I’ll have to think about it for a moment. Yeah, You Make Me Feel Alright was another one. Let’s see, Yeah, Poor One For Me, Poor One For Me was another song fueled from a real life relationship. Give Me That Smile as well. Let’s see, I’m sure there’s others that are hard to think at the moment. It is 9.30am and finger licking fuck was definitely another one hmm let’s see nasty ass bitch as well and weirdo dr. Lori as well hmm Janet Janet was also one yeah I guess I guess I have to think about it seems like a couple more but anyway see great
Do you have a ritual or a specific environment for composing?
Like a coffee, a cigarette, a certain time of night, a favorite spot? ☕️
Not intentionally but I noticed that usually out outside with an acoustic guitar or nylon string guitar.
This is my thing, I’ll find some shaded area. I remember when I was younger, maybe 12 or 14, I was in the backyard, there was a swimming pool my parents had, and I would often go for a swim, dry off, play a tune, or sit on the diving board and play a tune. Time doesn’t matter. I remember I wrote on the diving board when I was about 15, in the backyard, and here on my patio today, I write, this is my area, I don’t like playing inside anymore. I did when I was younger, but now, you know, if I’m writing, I’ll just be sitting here where I am, looking west, big blue sky, got trees over there, and this is the environment that I’m used to when it comes to songwriting. Also when I’m out busking, I’ve written some songs randomly, you know, I’ll just be playing around.
In between songs, so then I’ll be like, oh wait, you know, I’m going to work on this one, and then I’ll just do that sometimes. Yeah, I find playing music at a public park is not fun. It’s not, it doesn’t help with my songwriting environment. Usually at home, I usually write songs at home. Let’s see. Do you have a ritual? No, not really. Like coffee, cigarettes, certain time of night. Ooh, yeah, usually a lot of times it’s been after midnight, I’ll just walk around because, you know, people, I got to be quiet at night, so I walk to a quiet area, which is usually a grocery store parking lot, where everything’s closed down, and no one’s around, and I would practice and write songs there.
A cigarette does help, it’s nice to have a cigarette, it helps me think for sure. You know, I’ll just have a smoke and sometimes I conjure up lyrics as I’m thinking about things and I’ll write them down and then I’ll save them and try to incorporate a topic later on to add to a riff. Yeah,
Among your original songs, which one represents you the most today, and why?
The one where you truly see yourself right now, in 2025. 🌟
I mean, “I’m a champion“, I think. “I’m a champion“, definitely represents me, because I am a champion, alright, cheers dude.
Is there a song you wrote where you thought, “Wow, I really gave it my all in that one”?
And if so, can you tell us the story behind it? 💪
Yeah, I would say “Crying Misery“.
Weirdo’ had a good riff. I was kind of weird on that one, I’d say. But I really gave it my all. “Crying, Misery”… it had a catchy riff. Even my brother liked it and he almost never compliments my songs, but he did like that riff And I like the changes and yeah that one I think is definitely One that I really gave my all And if so, can you also store it on yeah, let’s see who can I actually I’m not sure It can’t get started with the riff I came up with the riff and I was like, okay, what’s it telling me? You know, it’s sort of goes up, it goes down, it’s sort of like a cycle of emotions. You’re making me think of my lyrics now. It’s sort of like not being left behind, you know, is what they want from me. Like people want my attention and they get sad when they don’t get the attention they want and they might cry, they might feel depressed. And so it’s sort of just requests for someone they want, someone to be with them, to make them feel better. It’s almost like I can feel their tears of loneliness.
And so, you know, sometimes that’s all we can hear, is the problems that we experience. And all we can hear is the feelings that we have, and usually it’s the bad feelings, but you know, somehow we can find a way to hear the good songs that our heart is trying to produce. And I think another heart can also feel the good beat that someone makes.
A word for your fans, or for those discovering you through this interview?
A punchline, a message, a promise? 📣
Try to be better than yesterday Improvement Things don’t just happen Because because how you’re born I a lot of times people say it’s a gift It’s practice, but it’s my fans message to my fans You guys rock man, I guess Yeah, do you fucking Discovering you through this interview, okay You know, let me ask myself that question again number 11 a word for your fans or for those discovering you through this interview Yeah, ey man, but can I wrote the song Yeah, I’m not the only one who’s written a song, I do it for fun.
And you know, let’s party. A punchline, a message, a promise. I’m living the dick life, trying not to let others affect me and my contentment. I’m just gonna live my happy dick life. I’m gonna, oh, here’s a message. I’m gonna dick into another dick day. Dick on.
Discover Slibnik on various platforms and dive into his unique musical universe.
