<p>One of the most gorgeous records of the year, this two-CD set has a slight split personality between the two discs. On disc one, the influence of <strong>Brian Eno</strong>’s ambient music is especially strong; for instance, “Don’t Bother They’re Here” and “Dopamine Clouds over Craven Cottage” sound like outtakes from <cite>Music for Airports</cite> in their construction. Disc two, though certainly similar in mood, is more original, practically a sonic essay on the acoustic properties of attack and decay as sounds appear, swell, and diminish, with less minimalist repetition in favor of a slow parade of serenely caressed timbres. The duo of <strong>Brian McBride</strong> and <strong>Adam Wiltzie</strong> is augmented by a whopping eight additional instrumentalists (four string players, four horns) plus a children’s choir, along with four “contributors” presumably helping with the electronic manipulations. The result is mellow voluptuousness if you use these instrumentals as background music, but utterly engrossing if you pay attention. (Steve)</p>2007-03-30T17:10:37-04:00stars-of-the-lid-and-their-refinement-of-the-decline106014Music2007-03-30T17:10:37-04:00Stars of the Lid: And Their Refinement of the Decline2007-12-03T01:42:44-05:00Krankyambient, slowcore
One of the most gorgeous records of the year, this two-CD set has a slight split personality between the two discs. On disc one, the influence of *Brian Eno*’s ambient music is especially strong; for instance, "Don’t Bother They’re Here" and "Dopamine Clouds over Craven Cottage" sound like outtakes from ??Music for Airports?? in their construction. Disc two, though certainly similar in mood, is more original, practically a sonic essay on the acoustic properties of attack and decay as sounds appear, swell, and diminish, with less minimalist repetition in favor of a slow parade of serenely caressed timbres. The duo of *Brian McBride* and *Adam Wiltzie* is augmented by a whopping eight additional instrumentalists (four string players, four horns) plus a children’s choir, along with four "contributors" presumably helping with the electronic manipulations. The result is mellow voluptuousness if you use these instrumentals as background music, but utterly engrossing if you pay attention. (Steve)
2007-03-30T17:10:37-04:00manual454170152deny12CD117.99106014truetrue2CD2007-12-03T01:42:44-05:002007-03-30T17:10:37-04:0015387111060142007-12-03T01:42:44-05:00http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0000/4544/products/stars_1.jpg?1268275979