![\"Friendship](\"https:\/\/www.ambientblog.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wiltzie-Johannsson.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nADAM WILTZIE & J\u00d3HANN J\u00d3HANNSSON \u2013 FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL GUIDE<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\nJ\u00f3hann J\u00f3hannsson<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and Adam Wiltzie<\/a><\/em><\/strong> met in 2007 in Prague, where J\u00f3hannsson <\/em>was recording for his Fordlandia album. Soon after the two became friends and started working together. Wiltzie<\/em> was a regular part of J\u00f3hann\u2019s<\/em> live band, and his sound engineer, even when the popularity of the Stars Of The Lid<\/em> skyrocketed and after he founded A Winged Victory For The Sullen<\/em> with Dustin O\u2019Halloran.<\/em><\/p>\nThe two were not only very good friends, but also shared their musical vision. Between 2013 and 2017 they recorded sessions for J\u00f3hannsson\u2019s <\/em>score for the 2014 Stephen Hawking biopic \u2018The Theory Of Everything\u2019, and for Dennis Villeneuve\u2019s 2017 sci-fi movie \u2018Arrival\u2019. J\u00f3hannsson<\/em> scored a Golden Globe for the first, and a Academy Award for the second. <\/p>\nStems and parts of these sessions are used for Friendship Survival Guide<\/em><\/strong> (subtitled For Tape Loops, Drones, And Orchestra<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em>, which is Wiltzie\u2019s<\/em> tribute to his friendship with J\u00f3hannsson<\/em>, who tragically passed in 2018. It took Wiltzie<\/em> quite a few years before returning to these tapes and start working on it \u2013 with the blessing of J\u00f3hannsson\u2019s <\/em>family. <\/p>\nSome of the original analog tape loops remain as the were recorded, but other pieces required additional recording. Here is where Tim Hecker<\/em><\/strong> and composer Bryan Senti<\/em><\/strong> join in \u2013 as well as engineer Steve Albini<\/em><\/strong> who, in Wiltzie\u2019s <\/em>words \u201crecorded, blasted and amped\u201d <\/em>many of the guitar parts. <\/p>\nThe result is a mixture where all of these ingredients can be heard. You can recognize Wiltzie\u2019s<\/em> influence in the typical \u2018Stars Of The Lid\u2019-sound, the controlled distortion that characterizes Tim Hecker\u2019s <\/em>sound, and \u2013 of course \u2013 compositional fragments from J\u00f3hannsson <\/em> himself. <\/p>\nTogether they add up and merge into a new, coherent style \u2013 a style that is different than that of its contributors solo. This is not an attempt to strictly recreate the music of J\u00f3hann Johannson<\/em>. it feels more like the combined result of these great artists working together. <\/p>\nBut above all, it is an album about lasting friendship \u2013 and the loss of it when a friend is lost.
Wiltzie:<\/em> \u201cI\u2019m still dealing with his loss. At the same time, it feels great to be finishing this music. Because you can feel J\u00f3hann\u2019s presence. It\u2019s this living, breathing thing, a beautiful reminder. [\u2026]<\/em> J\u00f3hann\u2019s not there anymore, but this artifact we created together, is alive and it\u2019s incredible. I could never have done it without him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nAs much as I love the music on this album, I must say I do have some doubts about the cover image it comes in. Why choose an image like this for an album like this? What is the message here? I would have loved to read something about this in the liner notes, but couldn\u2019t find any explanation for this.<\/p>\n
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The two were not only very good friends, but also shared their musical vision. Between 2013 and 2017 they recorded sessions for J\u00f3hannsson\u2019s <\/em>score for the 2014 Stephen Hawking biopic \u2018The Theory Of Everything\u2019, and for Dennis Villeneuve\u2019s 2017 sci-fi movie \u2018Arrival\u2019. J\u00f3hannsson<\/em> scored a Golden Globe for the first, and a Academy Award for the second. <\/p>\n Stems and parts of these sessions are used for Friendship Survival Guide<\/em><\/strong> (subtitled For Tape Loops, Drones, And Orchestra<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em>, which is Wiltzie\u2019s<\/em> tribute to his friendship with J\u00f3hannsson<\/em>, who tragically passed in 2018. It took Wiltzie<\/em> quite a few years before returning to these tapes and start working on it \u2013 with the blessing of J\u00f3hannsson\u2019s <\/em>family. <\/p>\n Some of the original analog tape loops remain as the were recorded, but other pieces required additional recording. Here is where Tim Hecker<\/em><\/strong> and composer Bryan Senti<\/em><\/strong> join in \u2013 as well as engineer Steve Albini<\/em><\/strong> who, in Wiltzie\u2019s <\/em>words \u201crecorded, blasted and amped\u201d <\/em>many of the guitar parts. <\/p>\n The result is a mixture where all of these ingredients can be heard. You can recognize Wiltzie\u2019s<\/em> influence in the typical \u2018Stars Of The Lid\u2019-sound, the controlled distortion that characterizes Tim Hecker\u2019s <\/em>sound, and \u2013 of course \u2013 compositional fragments from J\u00f3hannsson <\/em> himself. <\/p>\n Together they add up and merge into a new, coherent style \u2013 a style that is different than that of its contributors solo. This is not an attempt to strictly recreate the music of J\u00f3hann Johannson<\/em>. it feels more like the combined result of these great artists working together. <\/p>\n But above all, it is an album about lasting friendship \u2013 and the loss of it when a friend is lost. As much as I love the music on this album, I must say I do have some doubts about the cover image it comes in. Why choose an image like this for an album like this? What is the message here? I would have loved to read something about this in the liner notes, but couldn\u2019t find any explanation for this.<\/p>\n
Wiltzie:<\/em> \u201cI\u2019m still dealing with his loss. At the same time, it feels great to be finishing this music. Because you can feel J\u00f3hann\u2019s presence. It\u2019s this living, breathing thing, a beautiful reminder. [\u2026]<\/em> J\u00f3hann\u2019s not there anymore, but this artifact we created together, is alive and it\u2019s incredible. I could never have done it without him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
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