Early electronic music had a reputation for being cold, austere, and technical. That was good if that's the feeling you were trying to express, but even in those early days some electronic musicians wanted to create something altogether warmer and more "organic"—a "humanized" electronic music if you will—inspired by the beauty and complexity of the natural world, including acoustic instruments and nature sounds, but with the new and almost limitless creative possibilities of electronic sound design.
I met one of those artists in the early 1980s when he was a 19 year old student at CCRMA—(they called it KARMA) Stanford University's famous Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. In those days ROBERT RICH was building his own electronic instruments and studying lucid dreaming. His early work helped define and expand the scope and quality of ambient, dark-ambient, tribal and trance music. For forty years and over 40 albums, he's pursued his vision of an organic electro-acoustic music, and become a core artist for Hearts of Space.
On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we focus on Robert Rich's 2019 double album TACTILE GROUND. He calls it "an exploration of the synesthesia of sound on skin"—on a program called SENTIENT TOUCH.
Music is by ROBERT RICH, LORENZO MONTANA, FORREST FANG, and JEFF GREINKE.
[ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]
"Vision of an organic electro-acoustic music"...well said! I can't think of a better way to describe my OWN musical direction; pushing back, as it were, against the completely electronic style and - dare I say - the 'Berlin School' which I have never derived much inspiration from...a bit too 'icy' for my taste.
Posted by: George Wallace | 30 March 2019 at 09:23 AM
When in the world are you folks going to release the hi-res audio from Ambicon all those years ago?
Posted by: Ed | 31 March 2019 at 02:40 PM
Thank you for honoring me with a program featuring this work, and thank you for almost 40 years of friendship and support. HoS has been a huge part of my life. - Robert Rich
Posted by: Robert Rich | 12 April 2019 at 12:26 PM
It's been our privilege, Bob. Your work and your dedication is an inspiration to serious musicians and listeners everywhere.
:: SH
Posted by: Stephen Hill | 12 April 2019 at 01:40 PM