Pitchfork

It's been a long, long wait for new material from the formerly Austin-based ambient duo Stars of the Lid. Their last full-length, 2001's ambitious double-disc epic The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid, scored an 8.6 from Pitchfork scribe Mark Richardson upon its release, and remains one of the most powerful and richly textured ambient releases this decade.

Six years later, following two separate solo releases-- Adam Wiltzie's The Dead Texan in 2004, and Brian McBride's When the Detail Lost Its Freedom in 2005-- the duo are set to release another two-disc outing, Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline on April 2 via Kranky.

We were beyond psyched to see that Kranky had made one track available through their offical website last Friday. At just under four minutes, that track, "Apreludes (in C sharp major)", is one of the album's shortest. And while it begins with optimistic muted horns-- not unlike the ones that open Godspeed You Black Emperor's Lift Yr Skinny Fists-- the piece eventually turns darker, alternating between major and minor chords.

MP3: > Stars of the Lid: "Apreludes (in C sharp major)"
[from And Their Refinement of the Decline LP; available 4/02/07 on Kranky]
[PRE-ORDER 2xCD] | [PRE-ORDER 3xLP]

Today, Pitchfork has the exclusive on an additional Refinement track, "A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process". Closing out the first disc, the piece drifts on a collection of somber, feather-light drones and intermittent piano chords. Like "Apreludes", it continually shifts between darkness and light, each chord coloring a different disposition. As with much of the duo's work, open space plays a big role here, providing room for the instrumentation to breathe and creating a sense of vastness, almost like a drone in itself. So far, so good-- we can't wait to hear the rest.

MP3: > Stars of the Lid: "A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process"
[from And Their Refinement of the Decline LP; available 4/02/07 on Kranky]
[PRE-ORDER 2xCD] | [PRE-ORDER 3xLP]