LUQUID SKY OF ROBERT RICH

"BELOW ZERO"(SIDE EFFECTS)

Symmetry and organics of sound,including deeply ambient and neoclassical elements.Harmony and energy,intonations and minimalism,expressed in ekstasis' textures and landscapes,focused on manifestation of consciousness.Interactivity of melodies,rhythm,timble's inflexional endings and of sound itself are similar to math form,based on sound structure.He is close to spacious spheres,where the streams of Gregorian chorals and German were born."Its one of the most strangest music I've ever heard"-said about his early works David Torn.
Now american composer Robert Rich honorably is considered to be one of the most creative composers in the classical world of synthesized music of ambient and sound landscapes,shaman of 20th century.Who is he-Robert Rich?
In 1976 in the age of 13 he had built own analogous synthesistor .Later in Stanford he studied psychology and computer programming.In the beginning of 80es he recorded and represented the project URDU.Studing and analyzing various aspects of nature of sleep and its psycho-physical influence,he got a bottomless source of inspiration for the work,embodied in legendary SLEEP CONCERTS during night in 1982 before SLEEPY AUDIENCE in native Stanford and then successfully repeated in San-Francisco.In the rage of next works Rich focused on the atmosphere of middle east sound -islamic cultures,rites of Tibetian Buddhism ,on classicism of Indian cultures of Northern America,rhythms of Northern and Western Africa,Persian and Arabian melodies,main moments of baroque.The great collection of different instruments from the hole world helped him to express the intonation of sacral cultures,its sound- and texture-oriented senses.The headlines of Rich's works,continued in his main now project AMOEBA,were sharply individual and figurative.
"I want to keep my mind fluid and creative,and I want to expend the worlds in my imagination so that I can experience the awe that comes directly from the imaginative process tself.The more we prop up our lagging imaginations with multimedia crutches,the more we deprive ourselves of the joy of creating internal worlds"(Robert Rich,"Ambi Entrance",1998)
...My private acquaintance with the works of Rich took place in 1999 thanks to the famous compilation of trilogy "DRONES" of American electro-label "Asphodel/Sombient "-"Swarm of Drones"(95) and "A Storm of Drones"where composer presented deeply emotional up to the depths of psychedelic sphere-epic "Buoyant on Motionless Deluge" and "Ephemera".During long years he had been recording a big amount of electro-acoustic creations-both solo,and jointly with Steven Roach,Alio Die,Vidna Obmana and etc.In 1995 on FATHOM/HEART OF SPACE he realized famous ambient-classic "Stalker" with Brian Lustmord,created due to influence of works by Andrey Tarkovsky.In 1996 on the label of Lustmord "SIDE EFFECT" was created second Rich's compilation "Below Zero" (first -"A troubled resting place",1996)
The musician himself calls "Below Zero" the most extreme and uncompromissive creation,one of the most cosmic,monumentally sounding and gloomy."I'd like to create a total absorbent in the sound,-he said,-to investigate a new ways PER ASPERA AD ASTRA to the sounds especially those that have complicated acoustic textures,but electronic on the other hand."As smth mysterious,enigmatic,strangein the conception of dark and light,human experiences,evolution and ecstasy (Rich doesn't acknowledge such terms as "trance","dark","soundscapes" in the connection of his works),moreover album is built on pieces,recorded for different projects during 1993-1998.With the different polar energy and dynamics they by such means gave for Rich a possibility for next experiment with new technics."I used many technical devices what allowed to transform the sound,to create and change hybrids up to reorganization,-continues Rich about idea of individual perception of recorded compositions with more abstract and clear sound.-I used the processes of granulated synthsis,close and open "feedback" loops and digital-processors,recreated some years later own method."
From fixed deeply intimate dramatic fragments in "Requiem"(where voice,bells,steel guitar and full absence of electronics sound like return of clear sound essence), up to based on philosophically-poetic novel "Star Maker"by Olaf Stapleton, where in the center -alone human creation,wandering in time and space.Thus,"Below Zero" releases as mortal skirmish of universe:sound waves,mechanical vibrations,atoms of ar,resonances,thermodynamics,bo-evolution,chemical reactions and physiological structures,solar expansion,accounted as proloque visually on booklet,and metaphysically on the album."Exactly in this aspect I'm free to investigate this work...Simultaneously it is similar previously with my other works.And,about some inner bands,may be it is ritual music of Tibet,isn't it?"

"The circle never closes,but ever spirals outwards,downwards,as the Cosmos expands into perfect vacuum".

Igor Vaganov

References:"Ambi entrance","Ujamaa".

Contact :SIDE EFFECTS through STAALPLAAT/ SOLEILMOON

More info: (Robert Rich) http://drugie.here.ru/achtung/www.amoeba.com
(Side Effects) http://drugie.here.ru/achtung/www.soleilmoon.com/sideeffects