Robert Rental
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Robert Rental (real name Robert Donnachie) (1952-2000) was a pioneer of the post punk DIY industrial electronic music scene in the United Kingdom.
Originally from Port Glasgow, Scotland, he moved to the south of England with Thomas Leer (with whom he shared an interest in German electronic music as well as the discreet and ambient music of Brian Eno) in the late 1970s, and became involved with the local music scene. In February 2000 he died of lung cancer.
[edit] Recordings
Robert Rental however released very little of his solo music, preferring to collaborate with Thomas Leer, as well as with Daniel Miller (as The Normal). The only solo recording from The 1970s is the 7" single "ACC"/"Paralysis", released in 1978. This may have been the first DIY single to feature the defining elements of drum machine rhythms and distorted electronic sounds which marked the industrial sound being explored by bands like Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, and The Normal, with whom he recorded a one sided live album that was released on Rough Trade Records in 1980.
"ACC"/"Paralysis" was recorded at home on a 4 track Tascam tape recorder which he hired in collaboration with Leer. The single features the distorted sound of a Stylophone. Another distinctive sound that Rental used was that of the EDP Wasp Synthesizer, which he introduced to Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle and William Bennett of Whitehouse.
He also made an acclaimed album with Thomas Leer called The Bridge which was released on Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records. The album reached number 9 on the Independent Chart in 1980.
He only made one other single for Daniel Miller's Mute Records later in the 1980's - "Double Heart/On Location".
A previously unreleased demo tape from 1979 has recently surfaced on the net called Mental Detentions.
[edit] External links
- Article about Robert Rental at the archives of gutterbreakz.blogspot.com, scroll down.
- Review of the live album in collaboration with The Normal
- Discography
