Stars of the Lid

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Stars of the Lid

---

Background = group_or_band
Origin = Austin, Texas, US
Instruments = piano, guitar, synth,
Genre = Drone
Ambient
Years_active = 1993–present
Label = Kranky
Sedimental
Sub Rosa
Associated_acts = The Dead Texan, Aix Em Klemm
URL = [http://www.brainwashed.com/sotl/ Official site]
Current_members = Adam Wiltzie
Brian McBride
Past_members = Kirk Laktas

Stars of the Lid is a duo specializing in drone-based ambient music. They list among their influences minimalist and electronic composers such as Arvo Pärt, Zbigniew Preisner, Gavin Bryars, and Henryk Górecki, as well as Talk Talk (both bands have tracks named "Taphead"), post-rock artists Labradford, and ambient innovator Brian Eno [Piero Scaruffi. [http://www.scaruffi.com/interv/stars.html Interview with Stars Of The Lid] ] . Their songs are largely beatless soundscapes, composed of droning, effects-treated guitars along with piano, strings, and horns; volume swells and feedback fill the gap of rhythmic instruments, providing dynamic movement within the songs. Their sound has been described as "divine, classical drone without the tedious intrusion of drums or vocals". [Southern Records. [http://www.southern.net/southern/band/SOTL0/biog.php Stars Of The Lid biography] ]

Biography

Formed in Austin, Texas in 1993, SOTL is composed of two members — Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie. McBride explained in an interview [Maelstrom. [http://www.maelstrom.nu/ezine/interview_iss11_129.php "Interview with Stars Of The Lid"] ] that the band's name refers to "your own personal cinema, located between your eye and eyelid", suggesting the colors and patterns one can see with closed eyes. Both have released solo material, the former under his own name and the latter under "The Dead Texan" alias. Their two most recent releases have been triple LPs released to generally positive reviews. Adam Wiltzie currently lives in Brussels, Belgium and Brian McBride in Los Angeles.

Recent activity

On April 7, 2007, Stars of the Lid released triple LP, double CD album "Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline".

On August 15, 2007, Stars of the Lid announced a European tour through a myspace bulletin. They played dates in England, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland.

Throughout their European tour, they were joined live by a string trio featuring Lucinda Chua on cello, Noura Sanatian on violin and Ela Baruch on viola.

Their tour of North America was from mid-April to May 2008.

Teaser for upcoming Stars of the Lid feature film surfaces on the internet: http://vimeo.com/1847116

Discography

;
* "Music for Nitrous Oxide" (Sedimental 1995)
* "Gravitational Pull vs. the Desire for an Aquatic Life" (Sedimental 1996, Kranky 1997)
* "The Ballasted Orchestra" (Kranky 1997)
* "Maneuvering the Nocturnal Hum" (Earworm 1998)
* "Per Aspera Ad Astra" (Kranky 1998)
* "Avec Laudenum" (Sub Rosa 1999, Kranky 2002)
* "The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid" (Kranky 2001)
* "Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline" (Kranky 2007)
* "Carte-De-Visite" (Live Tour release 2007)

;Split releases
* "The Kahanek Incident, Vol. 3" (12" with Labradford) (Trance Syndicate 1997)
* "Split" (7" with Windsor for the Derby) (33 Degrees 1998)

;Compilation appearances
* "Monsters, Robots and Bug Men" - "Goodnight" (Virgin 1996)
* "Brain in the Wire" - "Requiem for Dying Mothers (Version i, Zamachowski op. 87)" (Brainwashed 2002)
* "1993-2003: 1st Decade in the Machines" - "I Love You, But I Prefer Trondheim" (Jester 2003)
* "Kompilation" - "Even If You're Never Awake (Version)" (Kranky 2004)

Trivia

*Interviews have revealed the duo to be David Lynch fans as reflected in some of their song titles: "Music For Twin Peaks Episode #30 - Part I", "Mullholland" and "Gasfarming" which begins with a sample of Big Ed Hurley.
*Participated in the Ulver remix album with the song "I Love You, But I Prefer Trondheim pts 1-4", the title of which is a sly reference to fellow Austin musicians I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness.
*McBride is a prominent member of the policy debating community. He was an extremely successful high school and college debater and has coached college debate teams to multiple national championships. He is currently the coach for the University of Southern California policy debate team. [Maelstrom. [http://www.maelstrom.nu/ezine/interview_iss11_129.php "Interview with Stars Of The Lid"] ] [Unfished blog. [http://liepaper.com/blog/?p=141 "Interview: Brian McBride (Stars Of The Lid)"] ] [University of Texas Institute of Forensics Faculty Bios. [http://www.utdebatecamp.com/staff.html"Brian McBride"] ]

* The song "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage" from the album "Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline" refers to the American soccer player Brian McBride, who shares his name with Brian McBride of Stars of the Lid. McBride the soccer player plays for London's Fulham FC, whose stadium is called Craven Cottage.

References

External links

* [http://www.brainwashed.com/sotl Official Site]
*
* [http://www.epitonic.com/artists/starsofthelid.html Stars of the Lid tracks and a brief biography at Epitonic]
* [http://www.kranky.net Kranky]
* [http://www.scaruffi.com/interv/stars.html 1998 interview]
* [http://www.myspace.com/starsofthelid Stars of the Lid MySpace page]
* [http://vimeo.com/1847116 Teaser for upcoming Stars of the Lid feature film]