Shy, Low was founded by four members of post-metal outfit VESSEL from Richmond, Virginia in January of 2011. In an experimental switch of genre comes what the listener hears today: a creative blend of instrumental compositions coming from the diverse and varying influences of Shy, Low’s four discrete members.

Immediately after the band came together, Shy, Low began writing songs for what would eventually become their debut self-titled record. The first track they completed was "Farewell: A New Beginning," a song that signifies the end of their post-metal career and the start of their experiment with entirely instrumental music. Quickly, they began pumping out five more tracks that would become the body of their first record. In May of 2011, Shy, Low entered the studio with Allen Bergendahl of Viking Recording in Richmond, Virginia to begin production on their record. After releasing the self-titled debut album independently in the fall of 2011, the band officially rereleased the record with European based indie label Fluttery Records on January 20, 2012.

After their first tour and mild success with their debut, the band began to contemplate what direction they wanted to take in their future musical endeavors. They strived to produce more atmospheric, emotive, and visual compositions that would demonstrate the band’s developing musical identity. Over a span of six months, Shy, Low wrote just two songs, carefully crafting and revising each section until they felt entirely confident in its structure. Out this surgical writing process came the two tracks that would be included on the band’s second release, Binary Opposition: "Presence" and "Absence."

After their summer tour in 2012, the band went into a hibernation of sorts. Not playing any shows, Shy, Low focused specifically on recording, mixing, and mastering Binary Opposition. In October of 2012, the band ventured to the legendary Inner Ear Recording Studios just outside of Washington, DC to begin recording their second release. In the company of Allen Bergendahl, Shy, Low took a completely different approach to the recording of this record, choosing to play live instead of independently tracking each musician’s parts. From this process came the raw sound heard on Binary Opposition, imperfections and all, beautifully accompanied by the tape-hiss of the analog recordings.

Binary Opposition is a far more mature record than the band’s self-titled, a showcasing of the group’s musical evolution. The record is also a thematic one, juxtaposing the happier, brighter tone of "Presence" with the darker, more melancholy atmosphere of "Absence." The tracks are also far longer than previous works, with "Presence" clocking in at 12:06 and "Absence" at 12:47. Both tracks are highly atmospheric, evoking an emotional catharsis not found in most similar music. The songs are described by musical critic Connor McGaha, “Without the mood or feeling established by a song, it doesn't matter how instrumentally proficient or well-produced an album is (for example: Explosions In The Sky vs. This Will Destroy You). Shy, Low has all of the factors, though: from the low-end bass thumps that shake the listeners bones like tuning forks, to the delay-heavy leads that trill and tap away--inducing a sense of awe or, at least, sheer reverence.”

Binary Opposition is the seasoned follow-up to the band’s self-titled record, available now at digital retailers and on 12” vinyl through Seattle's Spartan Records.