2014 PRESSKIT

CHRISTOPHER WILLITS | 2014 PRESSKIT www.christopherwillits.com/press CHRISTOPHER WILLITS

Christopher Willits is an artist – an 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 , , (/Hella), Tycho, and Taylor Deupree, Christopher has released over 20 albums within the last decade. Willits is based in and has a master’s degree in electronic music from , working with and . 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