ORIGINALLY FORMED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1992, Adam Wiltzie & Brian McBride -STARS OF THE LID (ONE OF THE MOST APROPOS NAMES IN ALL OF MUSIC) HAVE SCRATCHED OUT QUITE A NICHE FOR THEMSELVES IN THE AMORPHOUS WORLD OF ATMOSPHERIC CLASSICAL MUSIC. SOTL HAVE EXCELLED AT DESIGNING SUBTLE, MINIMALIST EPICS WHICH SOUND LIKE THEY'RE BEING PLAYED ON A SINGLE MULTIFACETED ORGANIC INSTRUMENT. THEY OFFER SUBTLE, ENDLESSLY EVOLVING STORIES ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF SONIC TEXTURE, AT THE SAME TIME SEEMING TO OFFER A PICTURE OF PURE, UNFETTERED CONSCIOUSNESS. THEIR MUSIC ARE BEATLESS SOUNDSCAPES COMPOSED OF DRONING, EFFECTS-TREATED GUITARS ALONG WITH PIANO, STRINGS, AND HORNS; VOLUME SWELLS AND FEEDBACK FILL THE GAP OF RHYTHMIC INSTRUMENTS, PROVIDING DYNAMIC MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SONGS. A WISE MAN ONCE DESCRIBED SOTL AS "DIVINE CLASSICAL DRONES WITHOUT THE TEDIOUS INTRUSION OF DRUMS, OR VOCALS."