Kid Icarus

Eric Schlittler's Kid Icarus project expanded over time by pulling together a shifting circle of fellow players and companions across northeastern Pennsylvania to shape its lo-fi singer/songwriter rock sound. After exiting Suetta, the busy Schlittler moved swiftly to build an expansive catalog that stretches from his personal cassette experiments to multiple outings on the Summersteps label. Beginning as an entirely unpolished home taper who relied on basic boom boxes and reel-to-reel decks, his earliest tapes emerge as scattered and incomplete pieces that nod to 1960s rock and overlooked singer/songwriters yet land unevenly. Once he gained use of higher-grade equipment and seasoned engineers, releases such as 1999's Maps of the Saints and 2002's Be My Echo fully embody the classic indie rock approach, layering thick coats of lo-fi hiss over unpredictable song structures that echo Robert Pollard's example. Across the opening decade of the 2000s Schlittler kept issuing recordings while steering clear of tours and live appearances, an approach that lent his presence an added layer of intrigue.