Rahu

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Releases “Unseen” Tracks On RAHU

ROB ASTOR’s RAHU, Filled With Outtakes And Alternate Versions Of Music From Previous Albums, Is A Soundtrack For Fiction, Film, & Nature

With the release of four studio albums and a holiday collection to his credit, Rob Astor has cleared his musical vaults, packaging numerous unreleased recordings as a double CD offering entitled RAHU.  The title is fitting for two reasons.  The first reason, in Ancient Burmese, the word “rahu” means “unseen”.  The second reason, a bit more complex, is as a science fiction author, Rob has been writing a novel bearing the title RAHU.

Packed with music intended as a soundtrack to three stories, alternate versions of previously released material, and filled out with brand new recordings, Rob Astor equates his RAHU collection to a box set.  “Musicians always have leftovers that just don’t fit on their albums.  I know that very well now,” Rob says with a laugh.  “In every sense of box sets being filled with outtakes and rarities, RAHU is my little box set.”

“Many of the tracks on the first CD are music I wrote as a soundtrack for the RAHU story,” Rob Astor says.  “I had an idea in mind to create a full blown soundtrack, thinking the story was good enough to be a film.”  The music goes with key scenes in the story.  Fusing the sounds of Tangerine Dream, John Williams, James Horner, Spencer Nilsen, Norm Orenstein, Biosphere, and Ken Davis, Rob Astor’s soundtrack works in a way that can only be described as Rob Astor in content.

Using a blend of New Age and Neo-Classical, the track “Life On Europa” is heartbreakingly beautiful, gorgeously magical in its execution.  Much like the story, the RAHU collection has many moods woven throughout its tapestry.  “Dinosaur Spheres Descending From Orbit” and “Earth Twin & Earth Parallel” build to a real sense of danger while “Aurora On Planet Rahu” is bright, filled with a sense of hope.  “Six Moons Of Pluto”, inspired by a recurring dream, “Sways in time with the thoughts of trees.”  The calming tranquility of “Walking In the Garden At 3 AM” will transport you to another dimension filled with the peacefulness of a midnight walk through nature.

The RAHU novel tracks are just a sampling of Rob Astor’s soundtrack visions.  “Summer Rain On Ganymede”, combining Jazz elements to sound rainy, belongs to a short story entitled “Ganymede Summer”.  “Dream Sequence”, “Approaching Storm”, and “X’hal Minor” were all written for another novel, BATTLEGROUND ALBANY.  Reflective of his John Williams influenced Neo-Classical work on XENOPHOBIA, “X’hal Minor” is built around converging String Sections leading up to complete chaos in the form of a pounding back beat.  “If I had a character named ‘X’hal Minor’ in the story of XENOPHOBIA, I would have placed the track on that album.”

Stepping back in time to early 2003, many of the tracks Rob Astor was working on remained largely unfinished because of a snowmobiling accident.  “As I began working on XENOPHOBIA and BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS (in 2006), I also wanted to finish the work I’d begun back then.  I didn’t want this body of material to lay around forever incomplete.  The music wanted life as much as I wanted to give it life.”  The extra effort was worth the wait!

RAHU has a total of 30 tracks.  That’s two and a half hours of music!  Some of Rob Astor’s best recorded works are showcased within the confines of these two compact discs.  “I fell right back into the mindset I had (then) for the unfinished music.  Surprisingly, polishing them was much easier than I expected.”

A grand total of 14 tracks might have once been a part of Rob’s first CD, QUADRANGULAR OSCILLATIONS, including the 9 tracks written and recorded for the story of RAHU, as well as the other soundtrack pieces.  One of those was intended to be the first album’s title track, “Quadrangular Oscillation”.  Rob was looking for a very specific sound to the music, one which he didn’t find until much later.  “I was going for a very metallic feel,” Rob explains.  “I didn’t get it right until well after the fact.”

“Quadrangular Oscillation” was Rob’s first experiment at setting music to a scene in a movie.  “I wrote the track to go with the part in ‘Cube 2: Hypercube’ where everyone faces off with the Razor Sphere.”

Also included on RAHU are a few more versions of Rob Astor’s favorite piece of music, “Echoes Of Raindrops (Xack’s Theme)”, which belongs to a novel called LIBERATION DAY.  (There’s also a version on MARSTROPOLIS.)  “Two of those versions were finished in 2003 and I completely forgot I had them for a few years.”  Look for a rain of computer chips instead of raindrops while listening to these.  The third is an extended remix, finished in 2000.

The longest piece of music on RAHU from those past sessions, and in Rob Astor’s entire catalogue to date, is “Northern Lights”, a New Age ode to the Aurora Borealis.  It was conceived and envisioned to be Symphonic in length and released as a one track EP.  In this finished version, Rob Astor finds the length to be perfect.  “The music is still a soundtrack for a natural phenomena.”

Some of album’s other alternates include an extended version of the highly popular BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS track “Get Vertical!” as well as various versions of “Endor-9 Aviary”.  RAHU outtake material  can be sampled in the form of two tracks intended for the previously mentioned album in the form of “Double Helix” and “Dark Side Of The Sun”, left out because they felt different than all the rest of the music, according to Rob.

As for brand new recordings, Rob Astor serves up several on RAHU.  “Eventide Sunrise” combines Electric Guitar with New Age.  “Hades Playing Piano” is a Piano lament Rob says was inspired by a dream detailed in the album’s liner notes.  Looking to the past for inspiration, and bringing his soundtrack endeavors full circle, Rob Astor also created music fit for the days of silent films in his track “Silent Movie Romance”, proving he can explore any style and perfect it.

Pick up a copy of Rob Astor’s latest release RAHU.  It just might turn out to be the soundtrack for your creative projects!

Beyond Marstropolis

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Releases BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS, A Follow Up Look At A Bright Future Of Space Exploration & Colonization Through Music

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS By ROB ASTOR Is More Than MARSTROPOLIS Pat II

Fusion is the word of the day when talking about Rob Astor’s newest double CD, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS.  Successfully, he blends New Age, Dance, Power Pop, Jazz, World, and Rock & Roll, creating an album that is not just a continuation of MARSTROPOLIS, but also surpasses it in every possible way.  Rob says, “It’s more than just Marstropolis Part II.”

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS picks up where its predecessor left off, then moves with warp speed into unexplored territory.  As with the former, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS was inspired by video games and the musical soundtracks accompanying them.  As you would expect from Rob Astor, he steers clear of the norm, driving full force into the future of instrumental music.  His best works have a mainstream sound and feel.

Listing the combined influences packed into BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS is no easy task.  There’s a wide variety of styles, much more so than on any of Rob Astor’s previous albums.  From New Age, Meditation, Acoustic Guitar, and even Rock & Roll, look for shades of Tangerine Dream, Heart, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.  Alternative Rock at it’s very best also lends a hand in shaping some of the faster tracks.  The musical shades of Biosphere blend seamlessly with the European Club Scene.  Smoking Jazz and World Fusion take center stage in spots where the Saxophone is present.  Dance makes the perfect partner to 1980s Power Pop.  Even John Williams echoes through a combination of Spencer Nilsen, James Horner, and Norm Orenstein, masterfully crafted and mixed to become the sound of Rob Astor.

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS is packed with 28 tracks, two co-written by Rob’s musical friend and partner Harry Grillo of The Lovesick (“1.21 Jiggowatts”, “Dream Of The Amber Guitar”) who also created the very Journey-like cover graphic of the album.  “I really wanted to collaborate with Harry on this album and see what we could put together with music.  He’s got a lot of vibes going on inside and it’s time the world knew what he can do!”

Two and half hours of escape awaits the listener.  Thoughtful and reflective, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS has what Rob calls “bookend tracks”, a connecting New Age thread to MARSTROPOLIS.  “The first and last title (‘Red Awakening’ and ‘A Dream For The Sake Of Dreaming’ respectively) were constructed and played in the same way as ‘Trappings Of Time’.”  Everything else in between follows its own set of rules.

Playing on the sound of Acoustic Guitars from the 1970s, “Project Delphinus” goes on to weave New Age flavor through its structure.  “Flight In Ursa Minor” is simply an Acoustic dream to behold.  “Scorpio Inversion” begins with a chiming Acoustic intro reminiscent of early Heart before turning into a mid-tempo rocker.  “Dream Of The Amber Guitar” flows in that same kind of direction, turning back on itself following a rock solo.  “Endor-9 Aviary” combines Acoustic Guitar to a tribal beat and grinding Bass.

For listeners expecting Power Pop, look for connections to fictional superstar Janet Jetson (a track from MARSTROPOLIS) through the anathematic groove of “Rikku” and the pounding overlays of “Monkey Down”, paying tribute to Janet Jackson’s late 1980s and early 1990s body of work.  “Janet is one of my favorite characters.  She’s almost the whole backbone of this musical place I’ve created on both albums.”

“BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS has a lot more Rock & Roll on it than MARSTROPOLIS,” Rob says.  “There were a lot of things I wanted to explore, including how to create even more hip shaking, head bobbing, fist pumping tracks.”

Most of the second CD is filled with just such compositions.  Driving Electric Guitar placed against a Dance Beat forms the backbone of “Monkey Down”, moving with the speed of a jungle hunt chase.  The big Drums of Led Zeppelin combine with the dreamy Guitar of Pink Floyd to come up with the pounding “Raion Kapella”.  “Get Vertical!” takes the best of Dance, Club Music, and Rock & Roll to bring it into soaring action.  And if you’re ready to really rock, take on the wild buzz of “Skyboarding”, the convulsive “Reka Persei”, and total spastic jam of “Chocotopia”.

Never fear, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS also includes a good sampling of video game music.  Sit back, relax, and watch the world go by in fast forward while listening to “East Kinsei Kaigan”.  Sample some World Fusion in “Aphrodite’s Belly Dance”, “Neon City”, and “Quadrahedron Matrix”.  And, if you want drug induced, Rob has that, too!  “I started working on ‘Candy Hearts Moon Kid’ right after having my appendix out while I was still on Vicodin.”

Whatever your pleasure may be, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS has them all.  Be sure to pick up your copy of Rob Astor’s latest masterpiece!

Shine A Little Light Christmas Collection

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Creates Stunning Beauty On Christmas Album

ROB ASTOR’s SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT CHRISTMAS COLLECTION Packed With Holiday Rarities

Approached to contribute music for a benefit Christmas CD, New Age/Electronica artist Rob Astor ended up recording a remarkable collection of seasonal material.  The benefit CD that sparked Rob’s creativity, CHRISTMAS AMONG FRIENDS, is being released by T. S. Klugh Studios (http://www.timothysklugh.com/studio) in November 2006, and features two tracks recorded by Rob.  However, this was only the beginning for Rob Astor.

Settling into the idea of recording Christmas music, Rob Astor chose tunes both familiar to him as holiday standards, and some of those lesser known as time obscures them from the listening audience’s collective memory.  He didn’t want to release a complete rehash of the same music that appears seemingly every year on any given artist’s holiday collection.  Rob wanted to stretch beyond the expected norm.  True to form, he avoided the comfort of familiar territory.  The end result is a disc packed full of stellar arrangements with warm, lush orchestration.

Rob Astor’s SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT CHRISTMAS COLLECTION is conceived with the same quality and sophistication of Rob’s electronic and semi-symphonic recordings.  Rare and surprising treats abound!  Feel the true holiday spirit while listening to the gorgeous orchestration of “Es Ist Eine Ros' (Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming)”.  Waltz around your Christmas Tree to “Star Of The East”.  Light a candle and watch the snow fall hearing the beauty of the traditional French carol “Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella”.  Imagine yourself sitting in a cathedral on Christmas Day feeling the full power of the Renaissance through “O Magnum Mysterium” where choir parts have been assigned string and woodwind instruments, magically transforming the full Missa into something as powerful as it is uplifting.  Those are just for starters.

Whet your Christmas music appetite with contemporary arrangements as well.  How does an electric guitar figure into the beauty of “O, Holy Night!”?  Or, how does the “Hallelujah Chorus” sound in a Southern Gospel arrangement?  You’ll have to pick up the CD to find out!  When you do, you will understand why it is Rob Astor continues to grow as a musician.  He explores ideas and continues to expand his musical.

SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT CHRISTMAS COLLECTION totals 20 tracks.  Approximately half of the titles in this package should be easily recognized.  Included are some of Rob Astor’s favorite Christmas carols such as “We Three Kings” crafted into a percussion heavy string ensemble hybrid, “Ave Maria” with harp and violin trading off one another, and “Silent Night” which seems to remain silent and peaceful as the music swells.

The other half of the set includes time honored music from centuries past.  Tunes such as the bouncing “In Dulci Jubilo”, the quaint “The Holly And The Ivy”, and the stirring “Coventry Carol” made more so by the addition of string layers, breathes new life in Rob Astor’s settings.

Every year, there are many fantastic Christmas collections released.  This year, Rob Astor’s SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT CHRISTMAS COLLECTION should top the essentials list of most wanted stocking stuffers.

Xenophobia

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Weaves A Neo-Classical Fantasy On His New Double CD XENOPHOBIA

ROB ASTOR’s Newest Collection Is Light-Years Beyond His Previous Music

Drawing on his love of mythology and natural history, Rob Astor turned his musical direction backward into the past to create his newest musical masterpiece XENOPHOBIA.  He wasn’t content to simply rest after the success of 2005’s MARSTROPOLIS.  Shortly after recording the futuristic double disc collection, another musical story began germinating.

Expanding his horizons to the limits of creativity, Rob Astor took on the daunting task of composing Classical Orchestration.  “I wanted to construct a Semi-Symphonic album very much in the spirit of David Arkenstone’s ATLANTIS.  After visiting dreams on QUADRANGULAR OSCILLATIONS and taking a trip to the future with MARSTROPOLIS, this time I wanted to focus on mythology.  I had a story idea I wanted to put to music.  I set out to compose a movie soundtrack.”

XENOPHOBIA is a soundtrack, in every sense of the word.  Ten months went into the album’s creation.  “I heard a lot of music in my head I needed to bring into this world.  Classical arrangements are much trickier to compose.  This project became more than just a labor of love.  XENOPHOBIA was an experience of intimacy with music I have never felt before.”

Growth as an artist is very important to Rob Astor.  The differences between the music heard on XENOPHOBIA and MARSTROPOLIS underscores his willingness to continue exploring and developing musical ideas.  “The majority of big label musicians don’t get a chance to develop as artists.  There’s no opportunity for improvement.”

Although Rob Astor’s development is vastly improved, there’s a feel of familiarity to his newest music.  XENOPHOBIA opens with the beautifully dreamy “Tropic Of Antarctica”.  Gorgeous 12-String Guitar lends the feel of floating over a pristine glacier as a deep backbeat reminds listeners of Rob’s video game-like style captured on MARSTROPOLIS.  In the next instant, Rob Astor places himself up against the likes of John Williams with dazzling Neo-Classical arrangements.  His orchestrations often weave complimentary atmospheric keyboard layers through their tapestries, breathing fresh life into a genre most musicians fail to appreciate.

However, branching out into orchestra music isn’t the only new territory Rob Astor indulges in and perfects with a signature sound of his own.  Fusing Electronica, Neo-Classical, and Progressive Rock has yielded one of the finest tracks Rob has ever recorded in “Forest Of The Black Moon”.  Rob says the incredibly poetic Stevie Nicks inspired the title.  Fans are treated to two alternate versions of this track included as bonus material.

XENOPHOBIA also harkens back to Rob Astor’s previous albums where Techno Electronica and New Age dominated his work.  The evidence for up-beat dance music is best showcased in “Biohazard” and “Kutulu”.  They retain Rob’s semblance as an electronic identity.  “If there was a nightclub scene in the story of XENOPHOBIA, ‘Kutulu’ would be playing in the background.”

Much like Rob Astor’s electronic efforts, up-beat music can also be found in his Classical compositions.  The track “Zero Hour” really moves, lending a sense of hurry and urgency.  New Age takes center stage on several tracks, adding a degree of darkness to XENOPHOBIA’s story.  From the chilling “The Poison In The Apple” to the spacey “Neptune Rising”, Rob Astor remains true to his roots.

A modern day Renaissance man, Rob Astor crafted a medieval sounding track in “Atana Potnia”, using instruments such as wind dulcimers, concert harps, flutes, and tribal percussion to synthesize the feeling of a young maiden strolling through a green forest.  XENOPHOBIA’s haunting title track opens on a very low note, blending Far Eastern vocal lines and cellos, giving the word xenophobia what Rob calls “a musical definition”.

XENOPHOBIA is packed with historical and mythological titles, cementing Rob Astor’s musical fairy tale to things sometimes easily recognized and those far less familiar.  A slew names and phrases breathes new life.  Musical meanings transpose from obscure to familiar.  The Latin phrase “Quod Erat Demonstrandum”, meaning “as was shown”, closes the album’s story with a feeling of watching the credits scroll across a movie screen.  “Omphalos” to the ancient Greeks was the “center of the world”.  On XENOPHOBIA, it is the center of an ancient and mythical civilization.  “In La’kesh” in Mayan means, “I am your other self”.  How this track fits into the framework of XENOPHOBIA is where Rob takes liberties as a master story teller.

Mythical figures play prominent roles in XENOPHOBIA.  “Kronos” and “Ouranos” were ancient Greek Gods, often violent, while “Enyo” was the Goddess of Destruction.  “Yucatan Cataclysm” is historically connected to this title.  Enyo was the name of the asteroid that struck the Yucatan Peninsula sixty-five million years ago, bringing an end to the age of the dinosaurs.

Using alternate spellings or older names for some of the characters in his play, Rob Astor defines them as his own.  Mentioned in a set of ancient linear tablets found at Knossos, “Atana Potnia” later evolved into the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena.  “Kutulu” is a nod to the many fictional influences Rob Astor attributes his creativity to.  This title is an alternate spelling of an H. P. Lovecraft character based in part on the Biblical Leviathan, the Babylonian Pazuzu, and the Sumerian Tiamat.

Packed with a myriad of styles and influences, Rob Astor’s XENOPHOBIA melds the sounds of artists like Tangerine Dream, Spencer Nilsen, Cusco, James Horner, David Arkenstone, Ken Davis, John Williams, Biosphere, Liquid Mind, Wendy Carlos, Zach Davids, Vangelis, Norm Orenstein, and Spyro Gyra.  The end result is a sound that defines Rob Astor as a musician.  Quality and sophistication is what you come to expect.  Rob Astor’s music is something you can listen to over and over again, and continue to find something new to explore.  Just like in any good movie.