Lycia

Bio

Lycia is an ethereal wave band from Tempe, Arizona, United States. Lycia's music is characterized by rich soundscapes and layers of echoed guitars, ethereal keyboards and doomy drum machine beats. The group was founded in May 1988 by Mike Van Portfleet, in the summer of that year Will Welch joined the project. In November, Welch was replaced by John Fair. In 1989, "Wake" was recorded, defining their droning ethereal guitar sound. John Fair left Lycia in 1990, and Will Welch returned. In the same year Lycia signed to Projekt Records and released "Ionia" in late 1991 after aborting the original first release, titled "Byzantine". They became one of the cornerstones of the Projekt label for over a decade, and one of the most influential bands in the American darkwave scene in the 1990s. They forged a relentlessly dark and driving sound with a wall of shimmery guitars and keyboards, pounding drums, overlaid by Van Portfleet's unmistakable whispered vocals. 1992 saw the release of "A Day in the Stark Corner" and Lycia began its first live appearances. In 1993 David Galas became a permanent member, and their sound evolved with a more mature and polished depth. In 1994 Tara Vanflower, being a huge fan of the band, decided to meet Mike, and joined as backing vocalist contributing vocals on a couple of songs that were supposed to be for compilation appearances, but ended up on "The Burning Circle and Then Dust" (1995). Tara Vanflower and Mike VanPortfleet married two years later. The band's sound became comparatively less dark, especially on their final two albums, "Tripping Back Into the Broken Days" and "Empty Space", mostly due to Vanflower's influence. This shift away from their original sound alienated some long-time fans and eventually Lycia broke up in 2003, with Van Portfleet pursuing a solo career. Lycia reformed in August of 2006 with Mike Vanportfleet, Tara VanFlower and David Galas. "We’ve been slowly working on new material. This time, what we are doing is each of us are bringing in our own songs and then expanding from the initial ideas". On December 2012, Lycia announced a new release, "Quiet Moments", through their Facebook page. It was released in August 2013. Discography: 1989 - Wake 1991 - Ionia 1993 - A Day in the Stark Corner 1995 - Live 1995 - The Burning Circle and Then Dust 1997 - Cold 1998 - Estrella 2000 - The Time Has Come and Gone (originally released as under the name Estraya) 2001 - Compilation Appearances, Vol. 1 2001 - Compilation Appearances, Vol. 2 2002 - Tripping Back into the Broken Days 2004 - Empty Spaces 2010 - Fifth Sun (EP) 2013 - Quiet Moments Side projects Bleak - Vane (1994) really just Lycia recording under a different name and exploring a "harsher" sound. Estraya - The Time Has Come and Gone (2000) accoustic side project with Van Portfleet and Vanflower . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Similar artists

Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Trance to the Sun, Faith and the Muse, Autumn's Grey Solace, This Ascension

Genres

Gothic,ambient,dark ambient,darkwave,ethereal,goth,dark wave,dream pop,ethereal wave,n2,gothic rock,dark wave,ethereal wave,gothic rock,modern goth,neoclassical darkwave,

Likes

8 0

Infos

On Tour: No

country: US

city: Tempe

Begin Date: 1988-05

Last Update:

Artist next concerts

No events available to this key.

Videography

No biography registered

Artist discography

Enter The Shadows Radio

24 hours radio and chat:
darkwave * goth * ethereal * dreampop * synth * minimal * cold * EBM * perky * shoegaze * etc * plus daily special radio shows!

production

Parthner links

CoursesTube Cinema Gótico Blog Pequenos Classicos Pedidos Concert And Vinyl - Reviews

Contact us

Contact
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Donate : PayPal

Chat

Artist next concerts

Videography

Artist discography

Early Demos (Nov 1988 - April 1989)

Early Demos (May 1989 - May 1990)

The Byzantine Sessions

The Ghosts Of Lycia

Compilation Appearances Vol. 2

Droneuary IV - The Emptiness of Airports

The Emptiness Of Airports

In Flickers

Bleak~Vane

A Line that Connects

Silver Leaf

Split - Single

North Town

Quiet Moments

Sonic Cathedrals Vol. CVI

Fifth Sun

Empty Space

Tripping Back Into the Broken Days

Compilation Appearances, Volume 2: The Ohio Years

Transition - Single

Compilation Appearances, Volume 1

Are 'Friends' Electric?

The Emptiness of Airports - Single

North Town - Single

Casa Luna

Casa Luna - EP

Enter The Shadows Radio

Parthner links

Newsletter

Contact us

Chat (online )