Pay it Forward: Morris Kolontyrsky on William Basinski

Morris Kolontyrsky of cosmic metal band Blood Incantation praises ambient icon William Basinski, who recently opened a show for them in a Chicago cemetery.

I first came across William Basinski’s music when I moved to Denver in 2013 to work a bar job so I could sustain touring with the bands I was in. I had a room above my bandmate, Ben. He had these speakers that took up half of his living space pointed directly below my bed. Night after night, I’d hear these eerie sounds coming up the walls when I was trying to sleep. Each night, like clockwork, it began to be mesmerising. Eventually, I needed to know what the hell he was listening to, and lo and behold, it was The Disintegration Loops. I let the reverberating-through-my-bedroom-wall version play for a while before diving into the immersive headphone experience. Ever since then, my understanding of ambient, electronic and experimental music has been fundamentally changed. 

I like to think of Basinski as an ambient rock star. His persona, the way he carries himself and his attitude towards his art form have more to do with rock ’n’ roll than most bands. His penchant for melancholy, depressive and decaying tones is easy to resonate with as a musician. Be it metal or any other genre, I find these timbres of music speak to me more than others. The influence is greater than pointing out a riff and thinking, “Oh, that must be the Basinski-inspired ambient part.” It’s the DNA within his music that you can feel. I think similarly about Blood Incantation. It’s the only place you can get this version of an untethered sonic experience that is so boldly his that I can’t help but be subconsciously influenced by his music.

His performance [at the Bohemian National Cemetery, Chicago] was nothing short of mystical, as he captivated the audience into a hypnotic state with both his musical textures and interpretive dance. A perfect daze set over the crowd, which, to be honest, made the impact of Blood Incantation that much heavier.

I was wondering if I’d be able to meet him. You never know where people are at with their travel, show details, mood. Nearly the entire day had passed when my wife and I were sitting behind the stage. He appeared out of nowhere and pulled up a chair. It was about 15 minutes before his set. He was friendly, excited, bombastic – but most importantly, he saw us as equals. When I tried to thank him for being there, he shrugged it off as if it’s something we’ve done in the past together many times. 

I’m writing this on 11 September 2025 – 14 years after the attack on the Twin Towers and the day Basinski finished recording the final decay process of those loops. Having grown up in NYC and been present the day of the attack, it’s becoming all the more full-circle how much his music has affected the course of my life without me even realising. Serendipity or kismet, call it what you will.