Since 2001 Boston-based guitar player Rob Byrd has been performing improvised ambient music in a wide variety of settings from the legendary CBGBs in New York City to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. Fascinated by how sounds exist in time and space, he treats electric guitar with various signal processing equipment to spawn sonic pieces that are shaped by the location at which they are being performed and by the energies of those present. The aim is to create a shared experience of reflection and meditation which resonates between performer, venue, and audience, but can also be enjoyed purely on a musical level as well.
Bells of Tomorrow, his first release on Rootsucker Records, is representative of the live guitar performances but also contains an additional element of treated found sounds to enhance and expand the textural range and flavor of the music. Tones both pure and dirty, atmospheres of expansive plateaus and tiny ponds, moods of elation and sadness all meld in attempt to echo the rich grit of life, and the full spectrum of feelings that accompany the journey back to joy from a place of despondence.
Byrd is honored and pleased that a number of Reiki Masters, yoga teachers, and massage therapists have picked up on the healing patterns in the music and use it to accompany their treatments. Film scoring is also of great interest, and in 2006 he worked closely with director Joshua Kastorf to create the soundtrack for his science fantasy film Crypto-Candida.
www.robbyrd.com
This album is a recording of a live performance for the Somerville Open Studios third annual Music Fest on May 3, 2008. It was produced by Randy Winchester for ARTSomerville. CD quality FLAC files of this recording are available from http://www.archive.org/details/RobByrd-Live05.03.08.
ARTSomerville (ARTS) is a volunteer arts organization based in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA, which draws upon the talents of local creativity, strengthening communication among artists and the public by presenting exhibits, performances, and educational activities. Albums appearing under the ARTSomerville logo are from artists that have given performances at ARTSomerville sponsored events. Visit http://www.artsomerville.org to learn more.
