2014 PRESSKIT
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT www.christopherwillits.com/press CHRISTOPHER WILLITS
Christopher Willits is an artist – an electronic music and guitar pioneer, composer, producer, photographer, filmmaker and system designer. Christopher uses his self-designed software tools to “paint with his guitar” (Pitchfork), creating “mesmerizing, intricate electronic soundscapes” (Nowness) and lush audiovisual performances of weaving patterns, texture, and harmony. Willits creates immersive experiences of overlapping sound and light. Working solo and in collaboration with the likes of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Matmos, Zach Hill (Death Grips/Hella), Tycho, and Taylor Deupree, Christopher has released over 20 albums within the last decade. Willits is based in San Francisco and has a master’s degree in electronic music from Mills College, working with Pauline Oliveros and Fred Frith. Prior to Mills, Willits focused on painting, photography, video/installation art, and sound art at the Kansas City Art Institute. Willits is also the Founder / Director of the community catalyst Overlap.org.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I design experiences of sound and light, with the intention of creating a space for opening and reflection. Art is a process of sublime communication and expression through which the validation or transformation of one’s own connection to everything, can occur. My work expresses and explores my experience- the gratitude, wonder and reverence of it all.
[email protected] www.christopherwillits.com www.overlap.org
www.facebook.com/christopher.willits.page twitter.com/willits drip.fm/willits soundcloud.com/willits vimeo.com/willits
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Treblezine Review
September 17, 2014
LINK: http://www.treblezine.com/reviews/482-christopher-willits-opening/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Hunger Culture
September 16, 2014
LINK: http://www.hungerculture.com/musica/discos/christopher-willits-opening-ghostly-int/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Cool Hunting Feature
September 9, 2014
LINK: http://www.coolhunting.com/travel/song-of-the-car-airstream.php
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT PopMatters
September 5, 2014
“It’s rare to get a complete audio/visual package in an album, but San Francisco artist Christopher Willits has done just that with OPENING.” - PopMatters
LINK: http://www.popmatters.com/post/185499-christopher-willits-opening-album-stream- video/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Big Shot Mag Feature
September 2, 2014
LINK: http://newsflash.bigshotmag.com/features/31157/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT The Bandcamp Blog Feature
September 2, 2014
LINK: http://blog.bandcamp.com/2014/09/02/ebb-and-flow/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT exclaim.ca Review
September 2, 2014
LINK: http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/ImprovAndAvantGarde/christopher_willits-opening
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT FACT Magazine Feature
September 2, 2014
LINK: http://www.factmag.com/2014/09/02/watch-christopher-willits-planet-earth-meets- koyaanisqatsi-visual-album/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT XLR8R
August 26, 2014
“OPENING finds Willits amassing richly textured compositions, which evolve in gradual - at times almost imperceptible - movements, creating a dense sonic landscape that envelops the listener” - XLR8R
LINK: http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2014/08/hear-christopher-willits-upcomin
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT XLR8R
August 20, 2014
LINK: http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2014/08/watch-second-visual-single-chris
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT flvshlight
August 20, 2014
LINK: http://flvshlight.com/post/95292702065/christopher-willits-wide-new-excerpt-from
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT exclaim.ca Review
August 20, 2014
LINK: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/christopher_willits-wide_video
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Cyclic Defrost Review / Feature
August 7, 2014
LINK: http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/2014/08/christopher-willits-opening-ghostly- international/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT FACT Magazine Feature
August 26, 2014
“The San Francisco multimedia artist [Christopher Willits] brings it all together on his latest album [OPENING]” - FACT Magazine
LINK: http://www.factmag.com/2014/08/26/premiere-listen-to-christopher-willits-latest- album-opening-forthcoming-on-ghostly/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Cool Hunting Interview
August 19, 2014
“[A] meditative landscape to get lost in and experience anew with each visit” - Cool Hunting
LINK: http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/christopher-willits-opening.php
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Tiny Mix Tapes Feature
July 16, 2014
LINK: http://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/christopher-willits-announces-new-lp-on-ghost- ly-for-september
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Modern Vinyl
July 13, 2014
LINK: http://modern-vinyl.com/2014/07/13/christopher-willits-newest-is-album-film- photography/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT IMPOSE
July 10, 2014
LINK: http://www.imposemagazine.com/tv/christopher-willits-clear-video
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT XLR8R Feature
July 9, 2014
LINK: http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2014/07/christopher-willits-shares-first
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT The Limited Press
July 7, 2014
LINK: http://thelimitedpress.com/christopher-willits-opening-ghostly-international-ltd-300/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Exclaim.ca
June 19, 2014
LINK: http://exclaim.ca/News/christopher_willits_announces_opening_visual_album
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT SF Weekly Feature
VOLUME 33 March 26 - April 1, 2014
LINK: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?EID=9ee93471-6e0d-4fd8- 9ed2-d8cc36bc9732
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT DE:BUG Review
July 7, 2012
LINK: n/a
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Sound and Recording Magazine Interview
December 1, 2010
LINK: n/a
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT XLR8R Feature
October 14, 2010
“Christopher Willits is a bit of a virtuoso - in the past 10 years he has produced 20 albums, both solo and in collaboration with experimental heavyweights Matos and Ryuichi Sakamotos.” - XLR8R
LINK: http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2010/09/guest-reviews-christopher-review
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT IMPOSE Magazine Review
September 7, 2010
Christopher Willits has made incredible strides as a musician and a producer since his 2006 Ghostly debut, Surf Boundaries. Examining the universal themes of love and light, this album contains excitable sounds, from the percolating pulses that provide the foundation for most of the songs to the processed bits of digital information skittering to and fro with joyous anticipation. - IMPOSE
LINK: http://www.imposemagazine.com/reviews/tiger-flower-circle-sun--christopher-willits
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Create Digital Music Interview
August 24, 2010
“The composer and artist spins unique, organic ambient worlds with layers of sound and pattern, transforming the timbres of his guitar.” - Create Digital Music
LINK: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2010/08/guitars-mysteries-and-magic-inside-tiger- flower-circle-sun-with-christopher-willits/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Boomkat Review
August 9, 2010
LINK: http://boomkat.com/cds/321960-christopher-willits-tiger-flower-circle-sun
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Pitchfork Review
August 6, 2010
LINK: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14503-tiger-flower-circle-sun/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT CHAIN D.L.K Review
August 2, 2010
LINK: http://www.chaindlk.com/reviews/?id=5888
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Exclaim Review
August 1, 2010
“With Tiger Flower Circle Sun, his 20th or so album, and second for Ghostly International, hardworking genius Christopher Willits has struck a perfect balance between contemporary experimental and glitch music” - Exclaim
LINK: http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/DanceAndElectronic/Christopher_Willits-Tiger_Flower_ Circle_Sun
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Bleep Feature
July 29, 2010
“Tiger Flower Circle Sun is the latest solo record from audio-visual composer and guitarist Christopher Willits. Having worked with Taylor Deupree, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Matmos in the past he draws together a vast array of styles for this record that owes as much to Aphex Twin, as to the psychedelic collage music of Broadcast, Reich’s minimalism and even the Beach Boys.” “Tiger Flower Circle Sun takes us on an abstract voyage from the sun to the stars and despite its eclectic elements never loses coherence as a whole. Willits has created a truly genre-defying album that is complex and experimental, yet warm, uplifting and full of fun.” - Bleep
LINK: http://blog.bleep.com/2010/07/29/bleep-explores-modern-classical-in-july/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Adequacy Feature
July 29, 2010
LINK: http://www.adequacy.net/2010/07/christopher-willits-tiger-flower-circle-sun/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Themilkfactory Interview
March 12, 2009
“Guitarist and electronic manipulator Chris Willits is a pioneer and a teacher, exploring new methodologies for signal processing, while publicly sharing his techniques through the video series What You Talkin’ ‘Bout Willits? for XLR8R. The latest EP from Willits’ side project, Flossin, with Zach Hill from Hella, features a who’s who of experimental musicians, from Matmos to Strategy to Wobbly.” - Themilkfactory
LINK: http://ghostly.com/press/Christopher-Willits-Interview-Tokafi
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Tokafi Interview
February 15, 2008
“Right now, Christopher Willits is a happy man: The sun is shining, he is working on new music and 12k have just published “Ocean Fire”, his musical meeting with Japanse legendRyuichi Sakamoto, an album which he calls “another dream that has become very tangible”. For the past years, his circle of friends has steadily grown and Willits has gone on to study with Pauline Oliveros and Fred Frith, record with Taylor Deupree and video artist Scott Pagano, turning into a priority on the eclectic roster of Ghostly International. In a way, “Ocean Fire” now brings together various aspects of Christopher Willits’ oeuvre in a single, coherent and utterly unique work: His use of experimental and extended guitar playing techniques, his “sculptural” and “visual” approach, the fluent combination of improvisation and composition and his love for collaborations.” - Tokafi
LINK: http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/03/interview-christopher-willits/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Tokafi Feature
February 12, 2008
LINK: http://www.tokafi.com/news/net-feature-christopher-willits-surf-boundaries- addendum/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT XLR8R Feature
January 1, 2008
“Groundbreaking guitar tweaker Christopher Willits and Japanese guru Ryuichi Sakamoto are (most) concerned with exploring sonic textures…” - XLR8R
LINK: http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/willits-sakamoto/ocean-fire
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Music For Robot Feature
November 27, 2006
LINK: http://music.for-robots.com/beautiful-post-post/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT XLR8R Feature
November 8, 2006
LINK: http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2006/11/sound-advice-make-most-your-audi
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Scissorkick Review
October 6, 2006
LINK: http://www.scissorkick.com/2006/10/christopher-willits/
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Cool Hunting Feature
October 3, 2006
LINK: http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/christopher_wil_1.php
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT SF Weekly Feature
January 1, 2006
LINK: n/a
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT E/I Feature
January 1, 2006
“One of electronic music’s most charismatic performers.” - E/I
LINK: n/a
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT Debug Magazine
November 9, 2006
LINK: n/a
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT WIRE On Location Feature
Issue 215 January, 2002
“Just shy of transforming into a Rube Goldberg mechanism, Willits addressed [his]implements with the adroitness of a medieval harpist. The processed fragments ofstaccato picking came to resemble Steve Reich’s work with the Pulse Gate andevoked the cyclical aura of his Four Organs.” - WIRE
LINK: http://www.thewire.co.uk/shop/back-issues/issue_215
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT