This is basically a thread where I, and a limited group, can talk about the greatness of Stars of the Lid.
htt://www.sendspace.com/file/yaj7jk
I think this song works as one of the best introductions to the band, found on their Carte-De-Viste album, this is J.P.R.I.P. The little electronic flurish that pans from the right channel to the left is so subtle and yet makes all of the difference in the world.
Anyway, I have been listening to not much else (great study music) and wanted to upload some sample songs and what not. Fuck, Montana digs these guys too, so that must be saying something.
Full Version: Let us talk about Stars of the Lid, always.
This is probably the only thing that you, I and Montana can all agree on.
Maybe there is hope for the world.
Maybe there is hope for the world.
Yes. "December Hunting For Vegetarian Fuckface" is one of my favorite tunes ever. If I'm having trouble falling asleep, it always works. I had it on repeat during my last day in Glacier National Park. I was pretty much seeing what I could see from the road. It was cold and rainy, with fog everywhere in the mountains on the east side of Going To the Sun Road. Every 100 yards in the road was a big pile of bear shit filled with berries. Pretty magical moment with this song in that weather/glorious scenery,with fall winding down and winter coming. It's like they took the end of "Shine On Parts VI- IX" and just ran with it. Great song.
my major music dissapointment of the year was not being able to see them when they played toronto in april. i was out of town. and i've always wanted to see them live. i just think it should be a magical experience... great band.
QUOTE (Waterloo @ Dec 16 2008, 11:31 AM) 
my major music dissapointment of the year was not being able to see them when they played toronto in april. i was out of town. and i've always wanted to see them live. i just think it should be a magical experience... great band.
Isn't it just 2 guys though? I couldn't feature an ambient music concert to be anything more exciting than the artist sitting hunched over laptops, unless they brought along some string players and some interesting stage visuals/film.
I have And Their Refinement of the Decline, and I love it. What else by them should I get?
QUOTE (Agrimorfee @ Dec 16 2008, 09:54 AM)
QUOTE (Waterloo @ Dec 16 2008, 11:31 AM)
my major music dissapointment of the year was not being able to see them when they played toronto in april. i was out of town. and i've always wanted to see them live. i just think it should be a magical experience... great band.
Isn't it just 2 guys though? I couldn't feature an ambient music concert to be anything more exciting than the artist sitting hunched over laptops, unless they brought along some string players and some interesting stage visuals/film.
I saw them play in Grinell, IA a while back and the latter is exactly what they did. It was the 2 guys on the sides (with various pedals, keyboards, laptops, guitars) then 4 female string players in the middle with two large projections covering the entire stage with celestial bodies and abstractions. A small crowd too (as you can imagine since I was in fucking Grinell, Iowa seeing Stars of the Lid) combined with a beautifully designed music hall created a nice meditative aura in the room. It was a wonderful show, I'd love to see them again.
QUOTE (Liffey @ Dec 16 2008, 10:56 AM)
I have And Their Refinement of the Decline, and I love it. What else by them should I get?
You know what's great as a song on its own by them? Requiem for Dying Mothers pt 2
I approve of this thread.
QUOTE (plastic @ Dec 16 2008, 11:26 AM)
QUOTE (Agrimorfee @ Dec 16 2008, 09:54 AM)
QUOTE (Waterloo @ Dec 16 2008, 11:31 AM)
my major music dissapointment of the year was not being able to see them when they played toronto in april. i was out of town. and i've always wanted to see them live. i just think it should be a magical experience... great band.
Isn't it just 2 guys though? I couldn't feature an ambient music concert to be anything more exciting than the artist sitting hunched over laptops, unless they brought along some string players and some interesting stage visuals/film.
I saw them play in Grinell, IA a while back and the latter is exactly what they did. It was the 2 guys on the sides (with various pedals, keyboards, laptops, guitars) then 4 female string players in the middle with two large projections covering the entire stage with celestial bodies and abstractions. A small crowd too (as you can imagine since I was in fucking Grinell, Iowa seeing Stars of the Lid) combined with a beautifully designed music hall created a nice meditative aura in the room. It was a wonderful show, I'd love to see them again.
that's everything i would expect from it. i didn't really know what they would've been like live, but they played a small (150 capacity) church so it would have been absolutely perfect. i didn't even find a single review of the show... hopefully they will play some time soon, but i'm not holding my breath
QUOTE (Liffey @ Dec 16 2008, 10:56 AM)
I have And Their Refinement of the Decline, and I love it. What else by them should I get?
The best response is probably everything. Refinement is one of my favorites from them, but most of their material is downright fantastic. Check out The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid, and work your way through.
Also, "December Hunting for Vegetarian Fuckface" is absolutely fantastic. I don't know if they could have ended Refinement any better.
htt://www.sendspace.com/file/msw0up
Here is Austin Texas Mental Hospital pt. 2 from Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid. It is one of the longer ones but it is pretty subtle. This tune reminds me of Keith Fullerton Whitman's technique, of letting just one or two notes resonate back and fourth, falling out and coming forward at just the right time. Really good tune.
Here is Austin Texas Mental Hospital pt. 2 from Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid. It is one of the longer ones but it is pretty subtle. This tune reminds me of Keith Fullerton Whitman's technique, of letting just one or two notes resonate back and fourth, falling out and coming forward at just the right time. Really good tune.
QUOTE (Liffey @ Dec 16 2008, 03:56 PM)
I have And Their Refinement of the Decline, and I love it. What else by them should I get?
Working backwards would be a good plan of action. Tired Sounds is a good next stop, then Avec Laudenum. Bloody heck, I forgot how rarely they released stuff.
the tired sounds of... is the greatest ambient album of all time, imo
also, i think refinement is good but their weakest album other than the debut. every album they have released is worth checking out.
also, i think refinement is good but their weakest album other than the debut. every album they have released is worth checking out.
QUOTE (throughsilver @ Dec 16 2008, 02:50 PM)
QUOTE (Liffey @ Dec 16 2008, 03:56 PM)
I have And Their Refinement of the Decline, and I love it. What else by them should I get?
Working backwards would be a good plan of action. Tired Sounds is a good next stop, then Avec Laudenum. Bloody heck, I forgot how rarely they released stuff.
I'd say that Avec Laudenum is slightly better than Tired Sounds, but yeah, just buy both at once. Listen to one for like a year then break out the other. The fact is that they release stuff so infrequently that it would be best to appreciate each release for as long as you can.
Example, I spent three months with "Decline," before I felt like even breaking out the second disc. (in a good way).
Thanks for deciding to make this thread. I've had Refinement since it came out but never gave it the time of day. -It's unbelievable. It makes me want to wander around the remains of a post-apocalyptic city and think about the past.
anyone who thinks they can tell apart starts of the lid albums is full of shit
QUOTE (____________________________ @ Dec 17 2008, 10:13 PM)
anyone who thinks they can tell apart starts of the lid albums is full of shit
This is pretty much how I feel, but I haven't invested a whole lot of time. Last year when The Refinement was all the rage I downloaded it and The Tired Sounds and...well, I don't really know if ambient is for me. I'd be willing to give them another shot, though.
QUOTE (____________________________ @ Dec 17 2008, 10:13 PM)
anyone who thinks they can tell apart starts of the lid albums is full of shit
Wow.
I'd grant that it can be hard to sometimes tell songs apart, but telling the difference between their LP's is really easy.
Sedimental just reissued "Music For Nitrous Oxide."
Just may have to jump on that.
Essential listening.
Just may have to jump on that.
Essential listening.
yeah, so I just bought And Their Refinement of the Decline.
I'm halfway through disk 1. Wow.
I'm halfway through disk 1. Wow.
Don't know how I missed this thread back in December, nor hearing of this band...period.
Saw a couple of people mentioning them in another thread in the same breath as Fennesz so I had to investigate.
Though I think Fennesz has a bit more depth I really am diggin' this stuff. Many thanks fellow spacemen.
Saw a couple of people mentioning them in another thread in the same breath as Fennesz so I had to investigate.
Though I think Fennesz has a bit more depth I really am diggin' this stuff. Many thanks fellow spacemen.
Here's a question: Am I somehow ruining the slow-burning effect of this ambient shit if I play the record at 78 RPM?
Sometimes I'm more into immediacy of the melody and damn if it doesn't still sound pretty nice.
Sometimes I'm more into immediacy of the melody and damn if it doesn't still sound pretty nice.
Music For Twin Peaks (Episode #30 Part 2)...one of my all-time favs by these guys
Also, were you guys aware of a movie coming out (live concert?) This has had me really intrigued
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2008/10/...-the-lid-movie/
Also, were you guys aware of a movie coming out (live concert?) This has had me really intrigued
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2008/10/...-the-lid-movie/
Okay, And Their Refinement of the Decline has oozed its way into my top dozen albums since 2k.
I haven't been keeping up with ambient as much as I should. Can anyone recommend ambient as good as this? I appreciate the lack of ambient music cliches in this album. I like that it's warm, too. There's nothing really artificial about it. Any suggestions would be great. Need more sleeping/relaxation tunes.
I haven't been keeping up with ambient as much as I should. Can anyone recommend ambient as good as this? I appreciate the lack of ambient music cliches in this album. I like that it's warm, too. There's nothing really artificial about it. Any suggestions would be great. Need more sleeping/relaxation tunes.
This is where you start. This is with Adam Wiltizie of Stars of the Lid and his collaboration with Dustin O'Halloran's stunning piano work. This was my #3 of last year, but probably should have been my number 1. Its absolutely gorgeous.
See how you like that and maybe i could recommend an artist like Deaf Center and we can go from there.
Fantastic. Thanks. Makes me feel like I'm in foggy woods dotted with aenomes and fern.
I've been listening to this almost non-stop. Any more recs along these lines?
Sure - I was just listening to an old favorite this morning. Its 8 years old and i've never tired of it.
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
montana have you heard anything by sean mccann?
think you might like his music, esp the capital and s/t
think you might like his music, esp the capital and s/t
QUOTE (rubberman @ Feb 4 2012, 05:43 PM)
montana have you heard anything by sean mccann?
think you might like his music, esp the capital and s/t
think you might like his music, esp the capital and s/t
No to disagree but it seems Montana is more into the purely unfiltered instrumental types and, correct me if wrong but, mr Mccann likes to play with his processor's knobs. I was going to suggest Eluvium but I have a feeling it will be too "processed" for a guy who camps, no big deal.
Anyway, I haven't listened to Blue Notebook in forever but I remember it being pretty great. Nothing comes close to SoTL though, really.
QUOTE (helmet52 @ Feb 4 2012, 03:46 PM)
Sure - I was just listening to an old favorite this morning. Its 8 years old and i've never tired of it.
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Thanks. Will be checking out ASAP.
QUOTE (rubberman @ Feb 4 2012, 06:43 PM)
montana have you heard anything by sean mccann?
think you might like his music, esp the capital and s/t
think you might like his music, esp the capital and s/t
Will look into it as soon as I check out the Richter. I used to be into a lot of ambient pre2k. I had all sorts of custom mix tapes from the Chicago scene, including my own works. I let alot of that go and need to regrow my collection, as it didn't make the digital migration that rock/indie/pop has for me.
The Richter is a bit too precious, but there was something there I'm willing to give more time to. I wasn't impressed by Mccan. Very simple, easy to make stuff. I have a ton of my own drone music.
QUOTE (Boomkat.com)
Gavin Bryars' 'The Sinking of the Titanic' is, and I say this with confidence, one of the finest pieces of music you could ever wish to own. Written in 1969 it has journeyed through the lands of modern classical, experimental and electronic music netting dedicated followers on its way, and each and every time I hear it I become more convinced of its genius. Bryars wrote the piece to mirror the last moments of the doomed voyage, when the Titanic sunk and famously the band played on. According to survivors the music being played was a rendition of 'Autumn', an Episcopal hymn which forms the basis of Bryars' composition. The notes and phrases from the hymn are worked in and out of the piece, sinking through the waters, effected by time, nostalgia and the cavernous reverberations of the ship itself with each scrape and hiss worked into Bryars' incredible vision. For this special performance of the piece we see Bryars (on double bass) alongside Italian ensemble Alter Ego (not to be confused with the German electronic duo of the same name) and experimental turntablist Philip Jeck, and the result is arguably its most stunning rendition to date. The most noticeable addition is Jeck, whose expertise and unique style seems to fit like the final piece of the puzzle as his crackles and motifs melt into the architecture of the recording as if they had always been there. This additional layer of nostalgia brought forth by these found sounds adds a significant sense of history , forcing the mind back into hazy film footage and decomposed photos, a perfect match for the subject matter. Also of note are Alter Ego, who surprised me with their stunning renditions of Philip Glass recently, and work comparable magic here on Bryars' composition, with their ensemble bringing in the sounds of bottles, tape recorders, laptops and percussion on top of more traditional instruments. The sounds are merged together effortlessly to form a fog of harmony and memory, perfectly melting the themes which Bryars intended his piece to convey in the first place. Really words can't do justice to 'The Sinking of the Titanic', like William Basinski's 'The Disintegration Loops' there is a timelessness, a patience and an ineffable beauty to this music that almost impossible to describe. Unique, flawless and totally essential music.
More reviews: http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/catalogue/ton...philip_jec.html
It's a one-track, 72-minute recording but Amazon, perhaps mistakenly, has it priced as an 89-cent single.
You may be able to stream it here but I was having trouble getting it to play more than a minute or so. There are versions of the composition on Youtube but none of this recording.
^ it's on Spotify. Thanks.
Nice reminder. I had that album on my previous computer and really enjoyed it but totally forgot it existed.
God I love this song.
That Bryars composition is excellent. I'm not sure if that is my favorite version of the piece - I used to have a few others on my computer but it is hard to fault any take on it.
Fuck, for 89 cents I just bought the thing.
Eh. Couldn't get into it. I hate that Rice Crispies sound effect that starts the track.
QUOTE (Montana @ Feb 3 2012, 09:15 PM)
I've been listening to this almost non-stop. Any more recs along these lines?
I get nerdy about this stuff so excuse the length, but some other good branching off points are:
Kyle Bobby Dunn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKZO7RpzdEo
Pausal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA3qNskM-L8
Brian McBride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzQqLdIPa0
The North Sea & Ramses III:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnbUKfBrPXo
Aix Em Klemm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFVUv6h4vuc
Loscil:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It3MztrGAjs
Cylon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRNCxZiwYNQ
William Basinksi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Nut4jfWUc
Talkingmakesnosense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MztfXgEFthU
Yusuke Tsutsumi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXBjgFmuut8
Chihei Hatakeyama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaweG10rW_s
Adam Michalak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTvD2chmdfM
d_rradio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtKD1c99E6M
Shivering in Static:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zmwXFTKsc8
Hope this helps!
Thank you. I used to have a ton of stuff from this scene (even performed), then I got lazy and old.
Just stumbled across this album by Christina Vantzou today. Guess she collaborated with Adam Wiltzie in the past and did the album artwork for Winged Victory. Gorgeous stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3KhzQ24Yik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CgndQMlGhY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3KhzQ24Yik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CgndQMlGhY
Mountains beats all this stuff
QUOTE (_______ @ Mar 2 2012, 07:14 PM)
Mountains beats all this stuff
Mountains are great, especially the latest. Awesome live experience too...shit gets loud. But their wall of noise appregiated synthy stuff is aiming in the opposite direction of SOTL. I don't really consider it ambient, although it tends to get lumped in there.
QUOTE (cerebralheadtrip @ Mar 2 2012, 12:01 PM)
Just stumbled across this album by Christina Vantzou today. Guess she collaborated with Adam Wiltzie in the past and did the album artwork for Winged Victory. Gorgeous stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3KhzQ24Yik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CgndQMlGhY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3KhzQ24Yik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CgndQMlGhY
Oh yeah this is great. Just ordered the mp3 album on Amazon.
Edit:
What an absolute joy this album is. Well worth the $6.99. Damn, made my entire night.
I ordered a physical copy of Their Refinement a few days back just to squeeze out the finer details. I do this for only a few select albums now.
is avec laudanum any good?
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