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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = Stars of the Lid|image=Stars of the Lid.jpg|origin = Austin, Texas , United States|Instruments = piano, guitar, synth,|genre = Drone music|Drone Ambient music|Ambient Modern classical music|Modern Classical Minimalist music|Minimalist |years_active = 1993& ndash;present|label = Kranky Records|Kranky Sedimental Sub Rosa (label)|Sub Rosa |associated_acts = The Dead Texan , Aix Em Klemm , A Winged Victory for the Sullen |website = http://www.brainwashed.com/sotl/ official site|current_members = Adam Wiltzie Brian McBride (artist)|Brian McBride |past_members = Kirk Laktas|background=group_or_band Stars of the Lid is a duo specializing in Dronology|drone-based ambient music . They list among their influences Minimalist music|minimalist and Electronic art music|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 & mdash; Brian McBride (artist)|Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie . McBride explained in an interviewMaelstrom. 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 (either phosphenes or closed-eye hallucination s). 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, USA.
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 .
In 2007 Stars of the Lid performed 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 of Felix (band)|Felix on cello, Noura Sanatian on violin and Ela Baruch on viola .
Their tour of North America was from mid-April to May 2008. Their North American line-up included Julia Kent on cello.
A teaser for an upcoming Stars of the Lid feature film has since surfaced on the internet. http://vimeo.com/1847116
Discography
col-begin-smallcol-3;Albums
1995: Music for Nitrous Oxide
1996: Gravitational Pull vs. the Desire for an Aquatic Life
2007: Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline
;Others:
1998: Maneuvering the Nocturnal Hum (EP)
2007: Carte-de-Visite (1997–2007 outtakes)The spelling "Carte-de-Visite" is the one used at Brainwashed.com. http://brainwashed.com/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=7354 A 59-min collection of mostly new material, 9 tracks from 1997–2007: 6 outtakes from previous albums (1997, 2001, 2007), 2 previously unreleased tracks (1997, 1999), and the track from the split release Kahanek Incident (1997). Originally a 2007 limited release sold during a live tour; reissued in May 2009 as an unlimited release. Considered a 2007 album (the 2009 reissue kept the tracklist title "Carte-de-Visite, SOTL, 2007"). "Carte de Visite" (lit. "Card of Visit") is French for "Visiting Card"/"Calling Card"/"Business Card".
col-3;Split releases
1997: The Kahanek Incident, Vol. 3 (12" with Labradford ) ( Trance Syndicate ) – SOTL track reissued on 2007's Carte-de-Visite
1998: Split (7" with Windsor for the Derby ) (33 Degrees)
;Compilation appearances
1996: Monsters, Robots and Bug Men – "Goodnight" ( Virgin Records|Virgin )
2002: Brain in the Wire – "Requiem for Dying Mothers (Version i, Zamachowski op. 87)" ( Brainwashed (website)|Brainwashed )
2003: 1993–2003: 1st Decade in the Machines – "I Love You, But I Prefer Trondheim" ( Jester Records|Jester )
2004: Kompilation – "Even If You're Never Awake (Version)" ( Kranky Records|Kranky )
