Bestiary

Bestiary by Robert Rich is unlike anything we've ever heard by this prolific explorer in electronic sound. It is a piece in constant transition and quite possibly the ultimate example of "glurp", that sonic representation of squish. Throughout Rich's music is the underlying metaphysical principle of the inseparable relationship of the part from the whole. So what better instrument to realize Bestiary with than the MOTM synthesizer; a modern modular system whose totality is greater than the sum of its modules. This versatile method of music making gives the artist extensive and immediate control over critical aspects of sound design. By tweaking dials, flipping switches and plugging patchcords, Rich's hands are constantly altering the energy within the music…

Listeners familiar with Scottish composer James MacMillan through such acclaimed works as The Confession of Isobel Gowdie (1990) or the Seven Last Words from the Cross (1993) may suspect that his music is usually somber and more than a little dour; indeed, his religious and politically themed pieces are quite earnest, and have given some the feeling that it might do MacMillan good to lighten up.