What began with nothing more than a four-track recorder, a couple of "crappy mics," and a friendship forged over Erik Satie records at university parties led to the quietly seminal influence Stars Of The Lid have had over ambient, modern composition and drone music over the past four decades. I spoke with Adam Wiltzie – one half of the project (the other, Brian McBride sadly passed away in 2023).
Against the backdrop of 1990s Austin – a city dominated by rock and country music – Stars of the Lid emerged with something radically different. Their debut album "Music for Nitrous Oxide" quietly initiated a revolution, pushing against what Adam describes as the prevailing white boy funk and laying groundwork for what would become a seminal force in ambient and modern composition. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary with a remastered release, Wiltzie reflects on those early creative days with the late Brian McBride and the unexpected longevity of their collaborative vision.
Wiltzie is so disarmingly unpretentious I almost gulped at one point. "I am definitely my own worst critic and I still love getting bad reviews," he confesses with surprising candor. This willingness to embrace imperfection has fueled a four-decade career spent continually moving forward rather than getting stuck in pursuit of perfection – a lesson valuable for creators in any medium.
Most poignantly, Wiltzie shares how Brian McBride's passing inspired this anniversary project, bringing memories of their formative creative partnership back to the surface. The reissue serves not as nostalgic celebration but as a "time capsule" documenting how two university students with minimal equipment created atmospheric soundscapes that seaped their way into the water influencing generations of musicians working at the intersection of ambient, drone, and modern classical composition.
Listen to Stars of the Lid’s music:
Listen to Music for Nitrous Oxide (30-Year Anniversary Remastered):
Follow Adam Wiltzie on Instagram:
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If you’re looking for summer read and you’ve not read it yet, check out my book Coming To Berlin, a journey through the city’s creative underground, via Velocity Press.
And if you like tales of punks outwitting the establishment, check out my BBC documentary The Man Who Smuggled Punk Rock Across The Berlin Wall on the BBC World Service.
You can also follow me on Instagram at @paulhanford for behind-the-scenes bits, guest updates, and whatever else is bubbling up.