ArtistInfo

Lycia
Early Demos (May 1989 - May 1990)

Album 2017 on Lycium Music label
Electronic and Rock (Ethereal, Gothic Rock)

From the soundcloud release page: Ghosts of Lycia. Early demos, lost songs and alternate versions. Documenting the collaborations of Mike VanPortfleet and John Fair between May 1989 to May 1990. Raw, quickly recorded songs but pure to the initial spirit of the band. Rescued from old and very decayed cassettes (so the sound quality is rough at times). "Paralyzed (Short Instrumental Version)" Raw demo from May/June 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar. John Fair: synth, drum machine. Numerous versions of this song were recorded, including one version planned for the Wake release. Vocals were written and recorded but that version has been lost. Of the salvageable tapes this short instrumental synth oriented version was the best. "Derailed" Raw demo from May/June 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitars, vocals. John Fair: bass, synth. "Down And Hard" Raw demo from May/June 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitars, vocals. John Fair: bass, drum machine, synth. "Another Day" Raw demo from Aug/Sept 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: synth, drum machine. "Prevail" Raw demo from Aug/Sept 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: synth, drum machine. The lyrics and some of the melodic elements were later used on Ionia's "The Realization". "Galatea" Raw demo from late 1989/early 1990. Mike VanPortfleet: guitars, synth, vocals. John Fair: synth bass, drum machine. During the Fall of 1989 Lycia's sound began to expand. In the previous year the band's sound could best be described as smashing Big Black into the Cocteau Twins. Synth styles began creeping into the band's sound in the Summer of 1989. Galatea is more along the line of the Cocteau Twins meets Duty Now For The Future era Devo. Probably not what one would expect of Lycia, but without a doubt the reality of Lycia's past. "End Of The Line" Raw demo from Feb/March 1990. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: synth, drum machine. "Unnamed Instrumental 1 (Nov 1989)" Raw demo from Nov 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: synth. John Fair: synth. In the Fall of 1989 John started work on his own side project, called Brilliant Abstract Machine. BAM's style was synth oriented, drifting at times in pop and dance directions. Some of the BAM styles found their way into John's contributions to Lycia. The influence of 4AD can definitely be heard here. "Except" Raw demo from Nov 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: vocals, synth piano. John Fair: synth, drum machine. In the Fall of 1989 John started work on his own side project, called Brilliant Abstract Machine. BAM's style was synth oriented, drifting at times in pop and dance directions. Some of the BAM styles found their way into John's contributions to Lycia. The influence of 4AD can definitely be heard here. "Backslide" Raw demo from Fall 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: bass, drum machine. "Day One" Raw demo from Fall 1989. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: bass, drum machine. "Jesus On My Shoulders" Raw demo from Spring 1990. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: bass, drum machine. "Unnamed Instrumental 2 (late Spring 1990)" Raw demo from late Spring 1990. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, additional synth (?). John Fair: synth, drum machine. "Blinding White Fire" Raw demo from Spring 1990. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, vocals. John Fair: bass, drum machine. Perhaps the high point of the VanPortfleet/Fair collaborations. This was also one of the last songs worked on prior to John leaving the band. Originally planned, along with Jesus On My Shoulders, to be the Lycia contributions for the Projekt CD compilation From Across This Gray Land No. 2. Issues arose during the re-recording of these songs and plans were abruptly changed, with a quick re-recording of From Foam and the newly recorded Down used instead. A major misstep for sure... "Distant Eastern Glare (Original Instrumental)" Raw demo from Spring 1990. Mike VanPortfleet: guitar, synth, bass. During the early part of 1990 John Fair spent more and more time working on his solo project Brilliant Abstract Machine, as well as starting a new Industrial project with Will Welch. As a reaction to this Mike worked on a few new Lycia songs alone, this being the first. Perhaps influenced by this song, or perhaps just as a coincidence, the VanPortfleet/Fair collaboration had one last creative burst soon after with Blinding White Fire, Jesus On My Shoulders and Down. This recording also served as a template for what would later evolve into the Ionia album.

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Lycia , *1988 US album by

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