A Winged Victory For The Sullen

Achingly beautiful piano and other acoustic instruments. Project from Stars of the Lid’er Adam Wiltzie and composer Dustin O’Halloran, recorded in huge acoustic open spaces with large grand pianos. This album is chalk full of melodic, lush, cinematic neo-classical music and glacial meditations. This is the sweetest warm blanket of gentle dream music. Recording sessions began in the noted Grunewald Church in Berlin, a venue in which I am fortunate enough to have experienced a live musical performance. Further sessions were completed in East Berlin and in a villa near Ferrara, Italy. All instrumental gorgeousness. For fans of Olafur Arnalds, Brian McBride, and Nils Frahm.

*1. Slow, open contemplative relaxing piano dreamy soothingness, melodic tidal ebbing. (6:19)
2. Beginning of two part tribute to Sparklehorse (Mark Linkous); early morning sun beaming violins. (2:46)
3. Tingly pianos, sustained consonant horns and strings, really easy to like, cinematic. (7:37)
4. Subtle slow aching sweet beauty. (3:09)
*5. Droning looped distant Slow Dancing Society-feel, bowed string bending gives an emotional lilt and ascending strings elevate this. Wow. (4:27)
*6. Wiltzie says “after almost 20 years of struggling to create interesting ambient drone music, I feel like I have finally figured out what I am doing.” Truly stunning. Everybody should listen to this track. (12:42)
7. Slow string rushes, avian and aquatic touches, whisking me away in a sea of fluttering, lush piano strings and simplistic chords. (7:36)