Trances/Drones

Robert Rich | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 13, 1995)
• Label: Extreme -- D.E.I. --
• ASIN: B000005R1R
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,584,692 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #89 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > World Dance

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Cave Paintings

2. Hayagriva

3. Sunyata (Emptiness)

Disc: 2

1. Seascape

2. Wheel of Earth

3. Resonance

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early sombient masterworks by Robert Rich, August 18, 2001

By 

D. B. Spalding (Korova Multimedia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trances & Drones (Audio CD)

Robert Rich has been composing stunning ambient music for two decades now. Fans will recognize his recent HUMIDITY concert recordings, and wonder if early recordings of "sleep concerts" exist. Well, sort of. Recorded in 1983, after a successful series of 9-hour "sleep concerts" in the Northern California region, TRANCES and DRONES perfectly showcase his deeply purposeful use of textures and gently developing environments. The albums preceed his early classic, NUMENA, by 3 years, and also predate the more melodic and rhythmically complex works. This is pure ambient music, mesmerizing and gently effecting. His penchant for dark atmospheres and "psychoactive music" (Robert's own label for this brand of ambient music) was later displayed with B.Lustmord in STALKER. I review other Rich albums on my own site...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Deep Space, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Trances/Drones (Audio CD)

Having been a fan of Steve Roach for many years I first heard of Robert Rich on the Roach/Rich collaboration "Soma" which is one of my favorite non-space CDs ("Silk Ridge" off the "Soma" album is the all-time eerie haunting expression of loneliness). Anyway, I would have to say that Trances/Drones is as close to pure "Space Music" as I have ever heard...and both CDs too. No strings, drums, ethnic diversions, etc. Just pure suspension with long (avg. 20 minutes per cut) duration textures. I would rate this album and "Structures From Silence" by Steve Roach as the purest space albums I have ever heard. It is hard to find "pure" Space Music any more. Even the latest CDs by Rich and Roach are more "rhythmic". I am using Trances/Drones to fall asleep at night. I get a deeper sleep when they are playing. I also play them while I work and find the music heightens my creativity. Rich was a psychology major. I think he was onto something. Trances/Drones is exactly what the title implies. Fantastic!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very relaxing, July 31, 2003

By 

invictus (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trances & Drones (Audio CD)

Though Rich is known for dark ambient works this is more sonambulent. Not much darkness at all...just very soothing drones with just a hint of melody or structure change to keep you interested. Great for yoga, meditation or just some relaxation before sleep. This is one of my favorite ambient cd's.