Richard Gürtler
The journey culminates with almost 11 minutes long epilogue "Helios", painted with magnetizing exotic polyrhythms in the first half, while the second part excels with celestial voices floating above shadowy sonic panoramas. I think this composition displays the best Robert's distinctive sound painting with carefully selected and merged virtuoso performances of Cheri Chuang, Hans Christian and Edo Castro. "Medicine Box" is an ultimate and triumphant shamanistic healing journey!!!
If you are interested in a 5.1 channel high resolution surround version, you can purchase surround downloads from Surround Music One:
surroundmusic.one/album/medicine-box/
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A sonic tincture of shamanic energy, at once ecstatic and shadowy, fragile and surreal, fluid and psychedelic.
Chari Chuang’s wordless crystalline voice graces three songs, with traces of Persian inflection. Deep basslines hint at dub, while analog modular synth skitters and chuffs the outlines of a rhythmic grid, propelled forward by pulsing north African drums. Sustaining guitars bring a searing edge. Cello and reeds echo plaintively in the distance. Rich’s sparse piano adds droplets of modal jazz to this dark tea.
credits
released November 1, 2011
Haroun Serang: guitar on 1
Chari Chuang: voice on 2,6,9
Edo Castro: bass on 3,6,9
Hans Christian: cello on 3,5,7,9
Slim Heilpern: chromatic harmonica on 4
Robert Rich: synths & MOTM, flutes, steel guitars, piano, bass, percussion
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Robert Rich at Soundscape, 2011.
Microphones by ADK, Blue, Josephson, Royer.
Custom Sustainiac lap steel guitar by Todd Plummer.
Software by Camel Audio, Izotope, Flux, Audio Damage, Galbanum.
Thanks to Jeff Taylor-Cross/Apple, Paul Schreiber/MOTM, Dan Brown/AudioSage, Chuck Oken/Noise Bug, +Dixie.
Edo Castro appears courtesy of Passion Star Records.
Cover art and design by John Bergin
REVIEWS:
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A beautiful poetic album... soaked by a fascinating shamanic aura. (Sylvain Lupari, GoD)
Pure listening pleasure... (Archie Patterson, Eurock)
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Thirty years, still going strong. Medicine Box might be Robert Rich's finest release -- no small accomplishment considering it's his 26th solo work along with 14 collaborations.
The ambient maestro started out performing nine-hour "sleep concerts" for audiences dozing in sleeping bags. Over the years he has shifted from atmospheric drones to more organically lush compositions fusing electric and acoustic instruments while dabbling in world-beat rhythmic patterns. Using alternate tunings, microtones and an array of homemade instruments, Rich's music is a far cry from new age.
Medicine Box opens with warmly textured percussion, heavenly keys and acoustic guitar supporting a gorgeously crying electric guitar. The beauty of following cut "Kaaruwana" is indescribable, with Chari Chuang's haunting wordless vocals gliding over a somber Middle Eastern-flavored soundscape. Her angelic voice graces two other selections. Rich's imaginative use of lap steel guitar on "Callyx" is another of many high points as well as his keyboard mastery throughout. Some cuts are anchored by exotic percussion, others gently float with minimal rhythmic support. This album pleases body and soul as well as the ears. (Warren Barker, Progression Magazine)
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....more
Stunning, Hypnotic, Immersive - I haven't even played the 2nd track yet as I can't stop looping the first - I don't want it to end! Been a lifelong fan & this really is jaw dropping... 10/10 Mat Mckenzie
We have the 'Rest Of Life' to think whole truths morally wrong... no amount of gronce will shonky honesty up.. when dissin to depleted lobotomies is not barked back at too smugly.. cones, jugs & pharmacies
"And all the drama got me stressin' like I'm hopeless, I can't cope..
Me and the homies smokin' roaches, 'cause we broke" - 2PAC skitzo-productions
This is an outstanding collaboration, so far one of my favorite releases this year! BTW, be sure to check out Frank Beissel's own Bandcamp page, and his album Random Abstractions - so far, it's one of the best kept secrets of the year. mysticwolf75
A soothing, yet stimulating, set of ambient-adjacent electronic tracks influenced by ’80s Japanese new age music and euclidian music theory. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 6, 2022
If I wanted to point someone to Steve Roach's music, I'd start them here. This record spans some of Roach's signature styles, like the percolating synths in "Currents of Compassion", the dreamy abstraction of "Prometheus Passage", the tribal rhythms of "The Gone Place", and the elegiac majesty of "What Remains". It's stunning all around and guaranteed to make any day better. fyeahmetal