Robert released his first album Sunyata in 1982. Most of his subsequent
recordings came out in Europe until 1989, when Robert began a string of
critically acclaimed releases for Fathom/Hearts of Space, including
Rainforest (1989), Gaudi (1991), Propagation (1994) and Seven Veils
(1998). His two collaborations with Steve Roach, Strata (1990) and
Soma (1992), both charted for several months in Billboard. Other
respected collaborations include Stalker (1995 with B. Lustmord),
Fissures (1997 with Alio Die) and Outpost (2002 with Ian Boddy).
Robert's contributions to multi-artist compilations have been collected
on his solo albums A Troubled Resting Place (1996) and Below Zero
(1998). His group, Amoeba, explored atmospheric songcraft on their
CDs Watchful (1997) and Pivot (2000). Live albums such as Calling Down
the Sky (2004) and 3-CD Humidity (2000) document the unique improvised
flow of his performances.
Robert has performed in caves, cathedrals, planetaria, art galleries and
concert halls throughout Europe and North America. His all-night Sleep
Concerts, first performed in 1982, became legendary in the San Francisco
area. In 1996 he revived his all-night concert format, playing Sleep
Concerts for live and radio audiences across the U.S. during a three
month tour. One of those concerts was WDIY's first over night broadcast.
In 2001 Robert released the 7 hour DVD Somnium, a studio
distillation of the Sleep Concert experience, possibly the longest
continuous piece of music ever released at the time. It's worldwide
radio premier was on Galactic Travels.
Robert has designed sounds for television and film scores, including
the films Pitch Black, Crazy Beautiful, Behind Enemy Lines and others.
His musical scores grace films by Yahia Mehamdi (Thank you for your
Patience, 2003) and Daniel Colvin (Atlas Dei, 2007, with 90 minutes
of Robert's music in surround); and a video installation by Michael
Somoroff (Illumination, 2007). Rich works closely with electronic instrument
manufacturers, and his sound design has filled preset libraries of Emu's Proteus
3 and Morpheus, Seer Systems' Reality, sampling disks Things that Go Bump in the
Night, ACID Loop Library Liquid Planet, WayOutWare's TimewARP2600, and synths by
Camel Audio. Rich has written software for composers who work in just intonation,
and he helped develop the MIDI microtuning specification. As mastering engineer
and mixer, he has applied his ear to albums in all styles, and his studio was
featured twice in Keyboard Magazine, and elsewhere worldwide.
Robert has been featured on this program since the very
first episode.
Since then, his music has graced the
1000th broadcast as well as the
worldwide radio premier of his seven hour epic,
Somnium, played in its entirety.
Click on the name or photo above to go to the artist's web site.
Click this banner for the Special Focus listing on WDIY's website.
|