Stars As Eyes

Changing locations almost as quickly and effortlessly as they mix sounds, the duo known as Stars as Eyes has moved from Rhode Island to Texas to New York, and over the course of three albums, has incorporated electronica, Krautrock, hip-hop, electro, psychedelic, and pop into their own brand of rock-inflected IDM. Initially based in Providence, RI, Steve Ferrari and Craig Four Two (aka Stephen Olson and Craig Dempsey) began making music in 1998, inspired by artists such as Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin as well their love of rock styles including emo and punk. Meanwhile, Olson also worked with the like-minded Kid 606 as a co-producer on Down With the Scene and GQ on the EQ. By 2001, Stars as Eyes' debut album Freedom Rock was released on Tigerbeat6 Records, and reflected not only their mix of rock and electronica, but their blend of old and organic instruments with DSP synthesis and hard disk recording. After touring in support of the album with labelmate Cex, Stars as Eyes moved to Austin and continued to push the boundaries of their music. Their second album, Enemy of Fun, which was both densely electronic and more rock-oriented than their debut, arrived in 2002. 2003 saw Stars as Eyes move to Brooklyn and tour with Gold Chains, Kid 606, and Múm, who also appeared on the group's remix EP, Loud New S**t.