Stars of the Lid
I saw the ambient group Stars of the Lid last Monday at the Echoplex.
Ambient is one of those genres that elude genre itself. Its sounds are often electronic. Its concepts come from minimalism. Its grandeur comes from classical. I mean, besides quoting Mahler’s Symphony #1 and Wagner’s Rhinegold Prelude (used to great effect in Terrence Malick’s film The New World), you also got weird sustain sounds from electric guitars as in noise rock, piano ala Philip Glass, and a string trio pulling off something reminiscent of Gorecki or Arvo Part. Perfect fifth drones populated the landscape in a cleansing effect a la La Monte Young or Indian ragas.
A quick look at the Stars of the Lid Myspace page reveals that yes, their favorite friends are Wagner, Arvo Part, Erik Satie, and…God himself. One of their videos is a performance of Part’s Fratres. It’s pretty refreshing I think for an act that is playing to a pop audience (it was at the Echoplex after all) to wear its classical roots so clearly on its sleeves.
