Biography
There are four recording artists named Ian Williams:
(1) Ian Williams (b. 1970, Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is a rock guitarist. He is most well known for his unique approach to finger tapping on guitar and utilizing two Akai Headrush guitar pedals. His distinctive style allows him to achieve unusual textures on the guitar. His propensity towards guitar tapping allows him to accompany himself on keyboard at live performances, using one hand for each instrument. Ian is best known for his guitar work in math rock pioneers Don Caballero, but has also played guitar in the avant garde band Storm & Stress, and is currently a member of Battles.
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He made a short cameo appearance in the 2000 movie High Fidelity as a customer in the music store (shortly after John Cusack's character announces, "I will now sell five copies of the 3 E.P.s by The Beta Band.")
(2) Ian Williams is a British singer songwriter who writes darkly melodic country-tinged ballads and the like. He is sometimes accompanied by the backing band The Beale-Street Whalers.
(3) A third Ian Williams is a multi-instrumentalist/producer/singer/songwriter based in Des Moines, Iowa, who previously operated The Soundhole recording studio in Cedar Rapids. Between two self-released solo CDs, "Midwest Blvd" (released under the name "I F Williams") and 2007's "11 Songs For Summer," he also was drummer of the band The Wheelers, playing on and producing 2006's "Observance of the High Ideals."
He currently plays with Des Moines based punk band The Blendours and Cedar Rapids/Des Moines surf rock band Surf Zombies. He still plays with The Wheelers as a guitarist.
(4) London-based Ian Williams started out in the 1980s as a founder of Beautiful Pea Green Boat, whose ethereal, atmospheric sound pre-dated the current vogue for dream pop. More recently, he has worked with singer Claudia Barton as Gamine, releasing two albums of dark, piano-led torch songs and lullabies.
He has also collaborated with Lebanese choreographer Joumana Mourad's dance company, Ijad, during which time he produced music for several productions, developing a hybrid Arabic / classical / techno / ambient style. His latest album, The Dream Extortionists, was released in March 2019.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.