Humidity is three discs of three California concerts recorded live in April and May of 1998. The first disc was recorded on April 2 in Stanford, the second on May 9 in Venice, and the third on May 10 in Pasadena. Each of these three discs has its own distinctive sound, but all three have the
Robert Rich stereo depth and audiophile quality that he's known for. Humidity is less drone-y than some of
Rich's earlier stuff, particularly Sunyata, on the Hypnos Recordings label, and Trances/Drones, which was re-released in 2000 on the Release/Relapse label. In fact, this recording is more along the lines of
Rich's exotic stuff --
Seven Veils, A Troubled Resting Place, and Fissures -- complete with the synthesized sounds of acoustic ethnic instruments and chanting disembodied voices floating above
Rich's densely layered electronic textures. Humidity is a great introduction to
Robert Rich's work, but his studio recordings are really the best place to start. ~ Matt Borghi