Music for Nitrous Oxide
Encyclopedia
Music for Nitrous Oxide is the first studio album released by Stars of the Lid
on Sedimental Records in 1995. The album features minimal, droning compositions of varying length. The press release from Sedimental
Records read: “Sedimental announces the first CD from Austin
drone stars Stars of the Lid, an amazing 4-track recording that is created in the spirit of Eno
, Main
and Spacemen 3
. Produced without keyboards, this lo-fi ambient
journey employs predominately [sic] guitar
, avoiding typical rock elements while still possessing the ‘home’ recorded feel of so much independent music.”
In 2009 Sedimental
Records released a remastered version featuring updated artwork by Craig McCaffrey.
Track two features a monologue from When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story
.
Track four features an audio clip of Brent Spiner
from the seventh season Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "Force of Nature". Spiner's character Data is shown attempting to train his cat Spot not to jump onto his keyboard while he is working.
Track seven features an audio clip of C.H. Evans who played Jack in Hap's Diner, in David Lynch
's film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Evans' line is: "Now, her name is Irene and it is night. Don't take it any further than that. There's nothin' good about it."
Stars of the Lid
Stars of the Lid is a duo specializing in drone-based ambient music. They list among their influences minimalist and electronic composers such as Arvo Pärt, Zbigniew Preisner, Gavin Bryars, and Henryk Górecki, as well as Talk Talk , post-rock artists Labradford, and ambient innovator Brian...
on Sedimental Records in 1995. The album features minimal, droning compositions of varying length. The press release from Sedimental
Sedimental
Sedimental is an independent recording label based in Greenfield, Massachusetts releasing mainly experimental, sound art, noise, free jazz, avant garde and drone music. It began 16 years ago in Austin, Texas with the first album from ambient-drone group Stars of the Lid and their debut Music for...
Records read: “Sedimental announces the first CD from Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
drone stars Stars of the Lid, an amazing 4-track recording that is created in the spirit of Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Main
Main (band)
Main were a British ambient band formed in 1991 by guitarists Robert Hampson and Scott Dowson, the former members of Loop. They combined ambient sound with layers of electric guitars and dark, foreboding emotional overtones. In 2006 Hampson announced that Main had been effectively disbanded in...
and Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia"...
. Produced without keyboards, this lo-fi ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
journey employs predominately [sic] guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, avoiding typical rock elements while still possessing the ‘home’ recorded feel of so much independent music.”
In 2009 Sedimental
Sedimental
Sedimental is an independent recording label based in Greenfield, Massachusetts releasing mainly experimental, sound art, noise, free jazz, avant garde and drone music. It began 16 years ago in Austin, Texas with the first album from ambient-drone group Stars of the Lid and their debut Music for...
Records released a remastered version featuring updated artwork by Craig McCaffrey.
Track two features a monologue from When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story
When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story
When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story is a 2010 American film that premiered on CBS on April 25, 2010. The film was produced by Terry Gould, directed by John Kent Harrison and written by William G. Borchert, who based the script from his novel of the same name. The film is similar to...
.
Track four features an audio clip of Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
from the seventh season Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "Force of Nature". Spiner's character Data is shown attempting to train his cat Spot not to jump onto his keyboard while he is working.
Track seven features an audio clip of C.H. Evans who played Jack in Hap's Diner, in David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Evans' line is: "Now, her name is Irene and it is night. Don't take it any further than that. There's nothin' good about it."
Track listing
- “Before Top Dead Center” – 5:25
- “Adamord” – 11:51
- “Madison” – 9:24
- “Down” – 6:34
- “Lagging” – 3:58
- “(Live) Lid” – 9:48
- “Tape Hiss Makes Me Happy” – 13:05
- “The Swellsong” – 9:24
- “Goodnight” – 7:02