Stars of the Lid was an American band 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. Their music largely consists of 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.
Formed in Austin, Texas in 1993, the band had two members — Brian McBride (1970 - 2023) and Adam Wiltzie (1969). Both have released solo material, the former under his own name and the latter under the The Dead Texan alias. Their 2001 album, a double-LP named The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid, was released to generally positive reviews. The follow up, Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline, another double-disc album, was again released on Chicago's revered Kranky Records—the label's milestone 100th release—on April 2nd.
McBride died in August 2023. A subsequent interview with Wiltzie by The Guardian confirmed that McBride's death "effectively ends the project." According to Wiltzie, sessions were done throughout the 2010s with a “list of what was supposed to be the next release” apparently recorded. Wiltzie plans on eventually releasing an album's worth of their recordings, stating, “I can’t yet put my arms around the memory of Brian, but someday I am going to try to do this for everyone, so at least the end is documented.” .
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