A Lily - Ten Drones on Cassette (2018)

A Lily is the solo project of James Vella, better known as member of instrumental post-rock band Yndi Halda. Based in Brighton, UK, and bringing together influences as diverse as ambient, folktronica, electronica and modern classical, since 2006 he has released two albums, three EPs and one single on labels such as Dynamophone Records, p*dis, Fierce Panda, Love Thy Neighbour and Aagoo Records. As a live act, A lily has shared the stage with Amiina, Peter Broderick, Silver Apples, Yndi Halda, Silje Nes, Memoryhouse and others.

Ten Drones On Cassette, A Lily’s third full-length album and first since 2011, consists of ten new compositions with a total duration of something more than 50 minutes. As the album title suggests, the concept of the album is based on the idea of recording a collection of ten cinematic ambient and minimalist drone tracks, each one on a different cassette. Each track is named after and inspired by a specific person and takes up about a complete side of a cassette. The project was firstly self-released by A Lily in spring 2017 in just ten cassettes, each limited to one copy and including a different track. Ten Drones On Cassette was recorded using various instruments, including guitar, voice, organ, clarinet, brass and many others, and treated with a multitude of effects and acoustic processing, resulting in a sublime collection of dreamy soundscapes and hypnotic textures.