Press Release: RST Scores with Ambient Music Releases
Aucourant Records P.O. Box 2231, Roswell GA 30075 USA
E-Mail: aucourant@mindspring.com
WEB: www.aucourantrecords.com
Robert Scott Thompson
A prolific composer, Robert Scott Thompson has been very productive indeed during the past year. In late 1996, his debut on Canadian independent label Oasis was the inaugural release of the highly acclaimed ambient sub-label, Mirage. The Silent Shore (MIR 301) has received very positive critical response from reviewers both in North America and abroad. Gianuligi Gasparetti, editor of Deep Listenings, Italy’s premiere ambient music publication, likens The Silent Shore to Brian Eno’s very finest ambient work and suggests that it presents a further evolution and refinement of the musical genre, citing it as one of the finest ambient releases from any label to date. This recording is the first of Robert’s to be featured on the important syndicated radio program Music from the Hearts of Space.
Backroads, one source for all RST discs, named The Silent Shore #11 of the best 25 of 1996! Other CDs of Robert’s have been receiving quite a bit of airplay as well. In particular, Air Friction, which has charted all during 1997 in NAV, along with The Silent Shore and more occasionally Deeper in the Dreamtime. Air Friction has received a #1 for 1997 in NAV and continues to be selected for programming. Several tracks from Air Friction were used in the motion picture A Conversation at Midnight by director Gene Bernard. Tracks from Air Friction, Deeper in the Dreamtime, Ginnungagap and The Silent Shore have been synchronized for use in television and video. Deeper in the Dreamtime, originally released way back in 1991 has been pegged at #20 of the top twenty on the DX Radio Network.
1997 has been a year of recording, composing and preparing for upcoming releases. It was also a year that saw three compilations which feature Robert’s work. Two from Oasis — The Oasis Explorer and the critically acclaimed ambient disc, The Ambient Eclipse. Robert’s work is also featured on a double CD release from Hypnos entitled The Other World. This project has garnered significant praise from broadcasters and reviewers. Switch records has earmarked several tracks for inclusion in their compilation projects to be released in 1998.
In 1998 we saw several new releases by RST. The new CD on Oasis — Frontier, which is a much anticipated follow-up to The Silent Shore was released in April. This recording is conceived as a seamless musical odyssey comprising a number of tracks which join together into one long continuum. A darker, more introspective recording than The Silent Shore, Frontier has quickly become a favorite of ambient and space music fans. Aucourant Records has released two new full length solo projects — Aether, a new collection of instrumental works with world music and pop overtones and Rendezvous a much anticipated collection of experimental pop music with vocals.
Response to Frontier has been quite strong. In September of 1998, New Age Voice listed Frontier as #12 in the national top 50. The CD Air Friction enjoyed a listing as #1 on another chart in the same issue!
The best way to obtain RST's CDs is through Aucourant Records on the web. Selected discs are also available through Backroads (1-800-767-4748, web:http://backroadsmusic.com) and CDemusic (1-888-749-9998, web: http://www.emf.org/cde_frontdoor.html). Recently, Aucourant Records has been added to the Hypnos, Zero Music, Lens Records, Groove Unlimited and Vortex (Australia) catalogs.