Lycia

Lycia was an American ethereal/shoegaze project formed in 1988 by Mike Van Portfleet, along with members Will Wlech and John Fair. In 1989, Wake was recorded, defining their droning ethereal guitar sound. In 1990, Lycia signed on with Chicago based 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 the American ethereal music scene in the 90s. They forged a relentlessy dark and driving sound with a wall of shimmery guitars and keyboards, pounding drums, overlaid by Van Portfleet's unmistakable whispery ghostly vocals.

1992 saw A Day in the Stark Corner released and Lycia began its first live appearances in 1993. In 1994, David Galas became a permanent member and their sound evolved with a more mature and polished depth. Tara Vanflower joined as backup vocalist for 1995's The Burning Circle and Then Dust. The band's sound became comparitively less dark, especially on their final two albums, mostly due to Vanflower's influence. This shift away from their original sound alienated some long-time fans and eventually Lycia broke up, with Van Portfleet pursuing a solo career.

Lycia reformed in August of 2006. * Mike Vanportfleet * Tara VanFlower * David Galas state "We’ve been slowly working on new material. This time, what we are doing is each of us are brining in our own songs and then expanding from the initial idea’s. Right now, we’re not sure if this will be released as an EP or a full length cd. We have about 5 songs that are close to finishing".


Discography:

* Wake (1989)
* Ionia (1991)
* A Day in the Stark Corner (1993)
* The Burning Circle and then Dust (1995)
* Cold (1997)
* Estrella (1998)
* Tripping Back into the Broken Days (2002)
* Empty Spaces (2003)
* Estrella (Remastered) (2005)
* The Burning Circle and then Dust (Remastered) (2006)


Side-Projects/Post-Lycia:

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]

Mike Van Portfleet - Beyond the horizon Line[2004] Solo album with mainly dark ambient music. Recorded after the breakup of Lycia.

David Galas - The Cataclysm [2006] Solo album of mainly dark gloomy rock in the vein of Swans.