Stars Of The Lid member Brian McBride dies aged 53
Brian McBride, a member of the seminal ambient collective Stars Of The Lid, has died aged 53.
The tragic news was revealed by McBride’s former bandmate, Adam Wiltzie, via Instagram. At this stage, no official cause of death has been revealed.
“I am deeply saddened to tell everyone that Brian McBride has passed away,” Wiltzie wrote in the post. “I love the guy & he will be missed.”
McBride and Wiltzie formed Stars Of The Lid in Austin, Texas in 1993. The project’s elusive name refers to “your own personal cinema, located between your eye and eyelid,” an apt name for an act of such characteristically cinematic soundscapes.
The duo released six studio albums between 1995’s debut, Music For Nitrous Oxide, and the 2007 album, And Their Refinement Of The Decline. As a solo artist, McBride released When The Detail Lost Its Freedom in 2005 and The Effective Disconnect five years later.
Following his run recording with Stars Of The Lid, McBride formed Bell Gardens with Furry Things member Kenneth James Gibson. The pair released two studio albums together: 2012’s Full Sundown Assembly and 2014’s Slow Dawns For Lost Conclusions.
Besides his most notable offerings in music, McBride helmed the University of Texas National Institute of Forensics’ high school debate camp.
Following the news of his death, the Texas Forensic Union Debate Team tweeted: “He was a stalwart of Texas Debate and the UTNIF. Our program is forever indebted to his legacy. He revolutionised argument style in our activity and taught a generation of students how to think critically.”
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