Smallworld Best-of, Sept
Robert Rich
Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California,
USA. With a discography spanning over 20 years, he is widely regarded
as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today’s ambient, new
age, and even IDM music.
We discuss the music he created for the film Atlas Dei; his previous
works that were incorporated into Atlas Dei; what Atlas Dei is about;
how he and artist Dan Colvin through Global Mindshift; his
relationship with science, philsophy, art and religion; accompanying
Atlas Dei with a live performance; the Morrison Planetarium; designing
music and sounds for movies such as Behind Enemy Lines, Pitch Black
and Crazy Beautiful; his musical vocabulary; building and programming
his own music; working with just intonation; composers LaMonte Young,
Terry Riley and Harry Partch; Young’s The Well-Tuned Piano 81 X 25;
Robert’s Sleep Concert series; 9 Beet Stretch; working with artist
Michael Somoroff which resulted in his album Illumination; how he
would like people to listen to his music; how his collaborative works
are different from each other; his favorite collaborative effort; why
he sometimes re-explores his previous themes and music; how he has
grown as a musician; how he injured his hand; how his injury has
changed the way he approaches his music; the overall theme to his
work; his forthcoming release.
Featured songs are:
1. “Mythos”
2. “Temple”
3. “Reductive”
