The chief sound architect of
Cocteau Twins and
Violet Indiana,
Robin Guthrie and his reverb-drenched guitar textures have had a significant impact on alternative music since the early '80s. Numerous acts have emulated his style, and several others -- including
Felt,
the Gun Club,
the Veldt,
Ian McCulloch,
Lush, and
Lift to Experience -- have enlisted his production skills. Along with
Cocteau Twins partner
Simon Raymonde,
Guthrie launched the Bella Union label during the '90s for splinter projects and artists they wanted to help nurture.
Guthrie continued running the label during
Violet Indiana's late-'90s/early-2000s run. In 2003, he released his first solo album for the label, the completely instrumental
Imperial. Another instrumental album,
Continental (Darla), as well as the
Everlasting EP (Rocketgirl) followed in 2006. He has frequently collaborated with pianist
Harold Budd, dating back to 1986's
The Moon and the Melodies and
Budd's 1988 album
The White Arcades. The two scored Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin and released a pair of albums simultaneously --
After the Night Falls and
Before the Day Breaks -- on Darla in 2007. A year later, he scored the Dany Saadia-directed film
3:19; the score was also issued on Darla. Yet another ambient album for Darla,
Carousel, came in 2009, as well as the
Angel Falls and
Songs to Help My Children Sleep EPs and the full-length
Mirrorball, a collaboration with
John Foxx.
Guthrie's 2010 activities were led by the
Sunflower Stories EP. He stayed busy over the next few years, releasing solo albums (
Emeralds in 2011,
Fortune in 2012), doing production and remixes, and collaborating -- most notably with old friend
Harold Budd (on 2011's
Bordeaux and 2014's soundtrack for
White Bird in a Blizzard). In 2012,
Guthrie began working with former
Ride singer
Mark Gardener, first on a single (2012's "The Places We Go"), then on an album (2015's
Universal Road) that was released on his own label, Soleil Après Minuit. ~ Andy Kellman