Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie was born on the fifth floor of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on September 17th 1969 and with the help of his parents, Jennifer and Earl Conn, was raised in a descent atmosphere of sports and athletics. Tennis was his early love, and his dream and desire was to break Bjorn Borgs’ record of 5 strait Roland Garros titles. This led to climactic jaunts in various tennis academies through the 70’s. He also lived in Dallas, Texas and Santa Fe, New Mexico where he went to high school. A bizarre skiing accident led to a knee injury which ended his tennis career at the tender age 16. In 1989, for a reason unbeknownst to him, a fresh water bass fishing expedition led him to Austin, Texas where he attempted to study (but failed miserably) at the University of Texas at Austin. He continued to walk in a cloud of haze for ten years until the dawn of the new millennium sparked his current relocation to the strange smelling region know as "Flanders" also known as Brussels, Belgium. He prefers spending his summers on the island of Aegina in the Mediterranean country of Greece, and scouring the earth for good tacos.
Brian Edward Mcbride was brought into this earth on July 6, 1970 in the hot weather environment of Irving, Texas. He spent a rather normal Texas childhood studying science, drinking cola slurpees, and being interviewed by the likes of Joan London on "Good Morning America." In 1989 he moved to Austin on a debate scholarship to begin a vast and sordid university career that to this day his writing is still under fruition. He set the all time win/loss record for individual debate in division 5-A schools. He was subsequently nicknamed "the Michael Jordan of debate. These skills soon translated into obvious coaching abilities, where he coached Northwestern University to multiple national titles, and because of this continued domination of the sport, they became infamously known as "The Borg."
Currently, he is the debate coach at the University of Southern California. On his days off he enjoys walking the earth looking for comfortable chairs and Morricone soundtracks.
Lid News: FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES RE: BOOKING/QUESTIONS,COMMENTS, GRIPES OR COMPLAINTS: CHOCOGUS@GMAIL.COM
live recording of Stars of the Lid playing Arvo Parts "FRATRES"
recorded in Utrecht, the Netherlands(DEC.2007)
projections by Luke Savisky
APRESLUDES IN Csharp MAJ. directed by LUKE SAVISKY
Although it has been since the turn of the millennium that either member of Stars of the Lid has lived in Austin, the story began as such....
In 1990, Adam drunkenly wandered into the former KTSB radio station on 21st. and Speedway where Brian was rockin the airwaves with some nifty records by Rod Mckuen. He was proclaiming that his car was out of gas, and he hit a deer. It turned out that he was definitely drunk. And although there was blood on his car, Brian saw no deer. This incident was the catalyst that ignited their strange musical relationship. Originally formed in Austin, Texas on Christmas day 1992, Stars of the Lid (one of the most apropos names in all of music) have scratched out quite a niche for themselves in the amorphous world of ambient classical music. From their almost-rock beginnings to the almost-classical fugues of recent albums, Stars of the Lid have excelled at designing subtle, minimalist epics which sound like they’re being played on a single multifaceted organic instrument. They offer subtle, endlessly evolving stories about the dynamics of sonic texture, at the same time seeming to offer a picture of pure, unfettered consciousness. Their music 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. A wise man once described SOTL as "divine classical drones without the tedious intrusion of drums, or vocals."
SIDE PROJECTS:
Adam Wiltzie has recorded and played on the first 3 full length records by Windsor for the Derby. He is 1/2 of Aix em Klemm, a project created with Bobby Donne of Labradford. He is also the man behind The Dead Texan audio video project. As a live, and studio sound engineer, Adam has worked with Labradford, The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, Bedhead, The Bad Livers, Sparklehorse, and many others.
Brian McBribe was a member of the now defunct Pilot Ships, and has released the solo record "When the Detail Lost its’ Freedom’ on Kranky in 2005.
THIS PAGE IS NOT MAINTAINED BY STARS OF THE LID. SO DON’T MESSAGE ME HERE. Contact Stars of the Lid at chocogus@gmail.com
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
31 agosto 2008, ore 20.30 Otranto (LE), Sala Triangolare del Castello Aragonese Anti-conferenza net.futurista con Antonio Saccoccio, Gianluigi Giorgetti, Elio Paiano, Claudio Giannetta
although I confidently gather that you are frequently praised, in as much meaning and value as one person can offer you, I would just like you to know your music harvests the most powerfully beautiful elements of purity, sadness and sorrow in the heart. thank you so much for creating such wonderful atmospheres.
Wherever he may go, on land or sea, Under a blazing sky or a pale sun, Servant of Jesus, courtier of Cythera, Somber beggar or glittering Croesus,
City-dweller, rustic, vagabond, stay-at-home, Whether his little brain be sluggish or alert, Everywhere man feels the terror of mystery And looks up at heaven only with frightened eyes
Above, the Sky! that cavern wall that stifles him, That ceiling lighted by a comic opera Where every player treads on blood-stained soil;
Terror of the lecher, hope of the mad recluse: The Sky! black cover of the great cauldron In which boils vast, imperceptible Humanity.
Available on Rhapsody, Amazon, Trackitdown etc. in mp3 format and on Juno in wav/mp3 format. By the september 15th it should be available in all major digital stores including our website.
Hey Stars, and thank you for the friendship. I just love A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process. I think it's the best song from the album. Beautiful and intricate textures and then the warm harmonies from the piano. Just great!
I wish you all well, and that your life is and will be beautiful. I hope you will enjoy my worlds, and that my music will give you harmony and peace.
----- Listen to new ambient soundscapes from Terra Above, a new album still under production.
