The Siket Disc

The Siket Disc
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 3, 1999 (1999-06-03)
RecordedMarch 11–15 and September 29 – October 2, 1997
StudioBearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York
Genre
Length35:12
LabelElektra
ProducerPhish
Phish chronology
Hampton Comes Alive
(1999)
The Siket Disc
(1999)
Farmhouse
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

The Siket Disc is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Phish. The album was released in June 1999 through the band's website and mail-order service, and was released commercially by Elektra Records on November 7, 2000. Unlike Phish's other records, The Siket Disc is completely instrumental, and its songs are excerpts from studio jams recorded during the sessions for The Story of the Ghost.

Production

The Siket Disc emerged from material developed during the Bearsville Studio sessions for Phish's 1998 album The Story of the Ghost. Not exactly outtakes or unfinished songs, The Siket Disc's compositions are actually select excerpts from the long-form improvisation of the "Ghost Sessions". Phish keyboard player Page McConnell edited and mastered the selections into this compilation, named for engineer John Siket.[3]

The material on The Siket Disc is defined by an almost ambient, post-rock sound that is a distinct departure from the band's major studio albums. The album is almost completely instrumental, but contains a few instances of vocalization. "Quadrophonic Toppling", for instance, includes a triggered sample of bass guitarist Mike Gordon repeating the song's title.

Only the compositions "My Left Toe" and "What's the Use?" have been notably incorporated into the band's live shows on a somewhat regular basis. (However, "Quadrophonic Toppling"[4] and "The Happy Whip and Dung Song"[5] have each made at least one live appearance).

Gordon has indicated that The Siket Disc became a fixture in the band's late night tour bus music rotation in the early 2000s, saying that "It fit the vibe perfectly ... It's one of the only instances I can remember when we regularly played our own music."[6]

In February 2009, this album was made available as a download in FLAC and MP3 formats at LivePhish.com.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon, and Page McConnell.

No.TitleLength
1."My Left Toe"4:47
2."The Name Is Slick"3:59
3."What's the Use?"11:19
4."Fish Bass"1:11
5."Quadrophonic Toppling"1:58
6."The Happy Whip and Dung Song"5:29
7."Insects"3:11
8."Title Track"1:00
9."Albert"2:18

Personnel

Phish

Trey Anastasio – guitars
Page McConnell – keyboards
Mike Gordon – bass guitar
Jon Fishman – drums

with

John Siket – engineer

References

  1. ^ a b Hermes, Will (2000-08-04). "Some Will Carp". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  2. ^ Ruhlmann, William (2011). "The Siket Disc – Phish | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  3. ^ Phish.net FAQ File: What is The Siket Disc? Phish.net. Online. Accessed: July 27, 2009.
  4. ^ Phish.net Song History: Quadrophonic Toppling Phish.net. Online. Accessed: August 31, 2011.
  5. ^ Phish.net Song History: The Happy Whip and Dung Song Phish.net. Online. Accessed: August 31, 2011.
  6. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. Phish Swims Again Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Billboard. December 21, 2002. Online. Accessed: August 31, 2011.