Christopher Willits

Profile
Bio:
  Christopher Willits is a pioneering composer, guitarist, producer, visual artist, and co-founder & director of Envelop, a nonprofit with a mission to inspire and connect through immersive listening. As one of the core artists on the Ghostly International label since the early 2000s, Willits has navigated the field of contemporary ambient music with curiosity and ambition, realizing an acclaimed body of work that includes collaborative projects with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Taylor Deupree, and Tycho. This driven-yet-gentle devotion to deep listening led him to the forefront of cutting-edge spatial audio production, a nascent technology at the time of his 2017 album Horizon, now adopted widely across the music industry. Willits operates with the conviction that music can create physical and emotional space for us to slow down and feel the present moment, which is the central intention of his 2022 album Gravity, his most personal and refined to date.

Website:
  https://www.christopherwillits.com/

Social:
  https://www.instagram.com/willits/
  https://twitter.com/willits
  https://www.facebook.com/christopher.willits.page/

Artist Statement:
  Music can allow us to feel and become more present with ourselves and others. It can catalyze inner change, and those changes within ourselves can influence changes in the world. At a young age, I realized that my life’s path was to make immersive music that helps us listen to ourselves, listen with others, and listen to the world around us. I am continuously learning and evolving through the music; letting go of all that I create as it creates me.

Music
  Study for Sakamoto (March 2023)

Writer:
Christopher Willits (ASCAP)
Publisher:
Overlap Music (ASCAP)

Comments
  Working with Sakamoto san was a great honor. Through the music we created together, I learned a lot about patience, harmony, and space. Before Ryuichi died, I was writing a few pieces to share with him, planting seeds for new ideas together. “Study for Sakamoto (March 2023)” is one of these ideas. Inspired by our collaborations together, this music is one path we may have explored more. While writing this music, I imagined Sakamoto smiling. I’m grateful to share this sound with you.