Electric Ladder by Robert Rich

The final track in the download is a repeat of the entire album, flowing together continuously as I intend it. This version is uploaded in full 2496 resolution (FLAC format) so be sure to take advantage of that resolution in your download selection if you can. You will find a CUE list in the Bonus Items, which you can use to import the track names into a player like VLC. You might need to edit the filename in the CUE file with a text editor, to match the name of the file after downloading.

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On his 2006 release Electric Ladder, Robert Rich finds a new voice for the vibrant interlocking melodies that characterize his works such as Filaments, Numena, Geometry and Gaudí. With its seamless blend of analog modular synthesizers and acoustic tonalities, Electric Ladder weaves a hypnotic spell - lush, ecstatic and seductive; while its shimmering geometric lines grow more sharply etched with the clarity of justly tuned instruments and the intelligence that pervades Rich's compositional vocabulary.



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I marvel at how some of the pioneers of the ambient genre continue to excite and astound with unique new musical directions. Robert Rich‚s latest release Electric Ladder is no exception. Rich defies easy categorization, shifting from dark formless ambience to highly structured pieces with ease, deftly combining organic and synthetic elements into a unified whole. The title track is a restless brooding piece that features rapidly cycling electronic loops, soaring guitars or a synth equivalent, and a cool bass line that vibrates like a guitar string strung too loosely. "Shadowline" has a brisk yet gentle percolating sequence that reminds me of Peter Gabriel's classic „San Jacinto‰ from his Security CD. The timbre is different but the flow is very similar. Though "Poppy Fields" also has a rhythmic looping to it, it ambles along at a more relaxed pace. "Sky Tunnel" starts with a warbly synthetic repeating pattern. Repetition is used successfully throughout Electric Ladder, creating trance-inducing energy. The surprising presence of soprano sax on "Sky Tunnel" makes me think more along the lines of Phillip Glass or Steve Reich. Rich has compared the compositional structure of the music on Electric Ladder to that of Geometry, and "Concentric" certainly evokes a similar feel, with music that is carefully put together but always on the move. And of course, there's Rich's trademark quirkiness, shimmer and glurp. Flutes dominate the dark soundscapes of "Aquifer" the quietest and most freeform track, although "Never Alone" is a close cousin to close out the disc, choosing soft guitar wails as opposed to flutes to carry us to the end.

© 2006 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space

Robert Rich has helped define ambient and electronic music, with over 50 albums across five decades. Rich began building his own analog modular synthesizers in 1976, when he was 13, and later studied computer music at Stanford's CCRMA while researching lucid dreaming. Rich performs and lectures worldwide. His all-night Sleep Concerts have become legendary.

robertrich.com