This blog, intended to cover months worth of work, obviously will not include every detail.  Suffice it to say, I’m glad 2008 is over and I sure hope 2009 is millions of times better.

To put it bluntly, much of 2008 was rotten!  Most of the year between March and the end of December was devoted to ironing out computer issues and dealing with my grandma’s health.  She had a shunt inserted in her head back in March, to ease the water pressure on the brain.  Unfortunately, something else is going on that is affecting her memory, communications, motor skills, and the ability to stay awake.  I have to constantly prompt her to do things.  The decline really began about three months ago.  Before that, she was making great progress at getting back to normal.  On December 11th., she broke her right hip.  What a few days that was!  She came through the surgery really well and she’s presently in rehab at a nursing home for a few more weeks.  However, they had to quarantine the place because of the Flu since last week.  If any of you know some special prayer I haven’t already tried, please say it for her.  I would be so grateful to get her back home and more active.

My computer nightmares began in the middle of April.  It would freeze up with no warning and sometimes not even come back on.  I was told it could a power distribution to or in the hard drive.  I was told it could be the power supply or the processor.  I made many calls over the period of about a month.  It was suggested the RAM went bad.  So, I tried that.  I got replacement RAM and the computer worked fine,  So well, for four months, I had no issue.

In that time, you already know, I was able to record another Christmas album, ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR.  (Sorry I didn’t get all the details posted.)  Then, the issue came back.  I switched the RAM again.  The trick worked for four days.  Well, I took it to the nearest Apple store, over forty minutes away.  The guy there was absolutely sure that my power supply went bad.  (I thought the power supply was the cord and the plug in the back.  Foolish me!  There’s a great big battery of sorts that sits on the bottom of a desktop tower that can go screwy.)  He said it had happened to him and it was all the same symptoms.  So, I trusted him.  Guess what?  The power supply it was not.  It was now a toss up between the processor and the logic board.  To fix the logic board, it was going to take around $850.  The processor was roughly $400.  Reluctantly, I told them to try the processor first.

In the meantime, having lost all my faith in Apple’s so called geniuses, I made more calls and found a rebuilt computer, almost identical to the one I had.  This one came with a larger hard drive and a dual processor, but, it was basically the same set up.  I called Apple and stopped the work order and picked up my heavy piece of stainless steel junk.  Then, I went over and got the rebuilt tower for the $800 (it came with a year guarantee, the same thing Apple offers on new computers).

After another weekend of frustration getting the system tweaked just right, I then had to go through and reinstall a lot of software, sometimes up to four times.  (Complete and utter nonsense!)  In fact, I still have residual issues from time to time on that front.

2008 was just really bad.  I know that I normally don’t write depressing blogs, but, this last year really took it out of me.  It’s time for a lot of good to come my way!

And, some of it has begun to happen.  I was able to get three CDs released; ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR, AD ASTRA, and YESTERYEAR CLASSICS.  I’m doing a collaboration with another really talented artist.  I’ve been getting some tracks played on Internet radio and I’ve seen a gradual boost in sales through iTunes.  As I write this, I’m setting up a page at Soundtrack.MTV.com.  More videos were created during those times when I could get work done.  There’s eighteen on YouTube at the minute.  Look for some more in the coming weeks.  In March, I’m aiming to release BELLATRIX’S MUSIC BOX.  So, there’s a lot of good to look forward to in 2009.

I’ll try to write blogs more often.  You have my word.  My wish for all of you is to have a safe and prosperous 2009!

See you back here soon!

Rob

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Releases Stunning Second Christmas Offering ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR Filled With A Mix Of Contemporary Instrumental Arrangements And Traditional Textures

When an artist releases a Christmas CD, they’re generally trying to cash in on the season.  Not so with Electronic and New Age musician Rob Astor.  As proven on his first holiday album (2006’s SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT CHRISTMAS COLLECTION), Rob creates beauty that not only enhances time honored classics, the effort he puts into his creations simply breathes new life into them.  The same can be said of his new Christmas CD ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR.

Continuing with a tradition to top himself on subsequent releases, Rob Astor’s ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR takes apart any conventional thinking when it comes to recording well known holiday chestnuts and placing them side-by-side with titles a bit more obscure.

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR opens with an unusually brilliant reworking of the “Snow Waltz”.  As if orchestrated with Mannheim Steamroller in mind, the music takes off with a pulsing electric guitar panning between sound channels while keyboard textures create a snowy musical backdrop.  From one flurry of sound into another, “The Winds Of Yule (Carol Of The Bells)” has a very similar feel to the album’s opening track.  Starting out strong, the music relaxes in the middle, then Rob brings the intensity up again at the end.

Taking liberties of all kinds, Rob Astor transforms “O Christmas Tree” into a toe-tapping pleaser, adding elements of Contemporary, Jazz, and Southern Gospel into his arrangement.  “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” has a magical intro while the overall feel is of Children opening presents on Christmas Eve.

Four additional traditionals on ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR go through a similar reworking while encountering the creativity of Rob Astor.  “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” relies on building around percussion and brass.  “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” might very well be New York City’s Central Park in its new setting.  The message of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” sparkles in a Jazz Fusion cross pollination combined with bells and strings.  And, you’ve never heard the angels get down like you will in “Angels We Have Heard On High”.  The Southern Gospel Swing style arrangement is a splendorous, joyous jam.

For listeners seeking something a bit more conventional in arrangement on ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR, Rob Astor delivers the goods with an assortment of tracks.  “Sleigh Ride” is up-beat and bouncy as ever.  “I Saw Three Ships” takes cues from the Julie Andrews version where parts of the music go up instead of staying in the same key throughout. Tchaikovsky’s “Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Dance Of The Reed Flutes” from “The Nutcracker Suite” also remain true to their written forms.

Enlisting help for this project, Rob Astor asked song writer friend Harry Grillo to do vocals for “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.  The only vocal track on ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR, Harry’s voice fits right in with the album’s selection of instruments that includes pan flute, lute and hammered dulcimer, bringing a more organic feel to the album.

In keeping with the theme of his first Christmas offering, Rob Astor also includes a selection of rare holiday tracks to balance the set.  On ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR, look for those moments in “Echo Carol (While By My Sheep)”, “Past Three O’Clock”, Gustav Holst’s “In The Bleak Midwinter”, and “Still, Still, Still”.

Whether you’re searching for something new and different, or comfortable and familiar, Rob Astor’s ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR delivers.  The selection of music and the arrangements used make this the only holiday CD you will need to buy this year.  Rob goes above and beyond the accepted norm of the season yet again.  ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS STAR has something for everyone.

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Releases Solar System Spanning Double CD Concept Album AD ASTRA Centered Around The Entire Gustav Holst “Planets Suite”

ROB ASTOR’s AD ASTRA Is The Soundtrack Of Space Exploration For The Twenty-First Century

Electronic and New Age musician Rob Astor is no stranger to composing music inspired by the future of space exploration.  Three of his first six albums; MARSTROPOLIS, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS, and RAHU; were either all, or in part, influenced by the future of humanity’s trek out into the solar system.  On his latest release AD ASTRA, Rob takes the idea of a grand tour of the planets and sets it to music with a heaping dose of inspiration from early twentieth century composer Gustav Holst.

From 1914 to 1916, as World War I ravaged Europe, Gustav Holst wrote his most memorable work, his famed “Planets Suite”.  Although the music was based upon astrological connotations connected to the planets rather than astronomical, every composition fits in either context.  On AD ASTRA, Rob Astor not only re-imagined Holst’s work, he reinvented it.  In Rob’s own words, he created “twenty-first century settings” for music that has inspired him for two decades.  And then Rob did it one better.  The inspiration drove him to compose several original tracks to stand side-by-side with the “Planets Suite”.

AD ASTRA opens with an original composition by Rob Astor, the three part Symphonic Rock track “Tiamat”.  “The first movement is a musical take of the supernova that exploded and set into motion the creation of our sun,” Rob explains.  “The second movement is the gases drifting out into space and condensing into a star.  The third represents the creation of our solar system.”  “Tiamat” is one of Rob’s finest compositions to date.

Serving as a musical guide to many of the strange and varied stops in our planetary system, AD ASTRA is structured to begin at the sun and progress with each planet in the order of their orbits around our central star.  Instead of following the formula of the Gustav Holst “Planets Suite”, Rob Astor stops at Mercury first, the first of seven movements from Gustav Holst’s work.  “Mercury - The Winged Messenger” plays at a frantic, spasmodic pace, seemingly jumping through sound channels in the same way the planet speeds through its orbit.  Traditional orchestration layered with rock instruments and synthesizers is the theme throughout the entire two disc set.

The next sign post on AD ASTRA is “Venus - The Bringer Of Peace”.  The complete counterpoint of “Mars - The Bringer Of War”, “Venus” is as beautiful as “Mars” is aggressive.  The stunning version Rob recorded blends Classical and New Age to make the music sublime, dreamy.  A second track dedicated to the planet Venus makes an appearance in the form of John Philip Sousa’s late nineteenth century “Transit Of Venus”.  In it’s original form, “Transit Of Venus” is a march.  Determined to include this piece of music in his collection, Rob Astor slowed the tempo down to reveal it’s waltz structure and transformed the piece into a Neo-Classical/New Age ballet.

“Instead of simply including a handful of originals inspired by the ‘Planets Suite’, I also wanted to record music I feel fits well with Holst’s work,” says Rob.  “‘Transit Of Venus’ was one of those.”  AD ASTRA includes the fruits of his efforts in several unexpected ways.  Two pieces of music from ancient times; “Hymn To The Sun” and “The First Delphic Hymn” are woven into the rich tapestry of the album.  Another centuries old composition, “Goddesses” written by John Playford in the 1600s, leads listeners along an inbound journey to “Earth - The Home Planet”.

The second of nine originals, Rob’s stop at “Earth” is much more contemporary.  The music is an electric guitar ballad filled with the sounds of crashing surf, reminding us of how beautiful and unique our planet is in the overall scheme of the solar system.

Reworked Classical makes a first appearance on AD ASTRA in the form of Johann Strauss’ “On The Beautiful Blue Danube”.  “This was a track I was compelled to do.  It’s so closely connected to the scene in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ where the ship is docking with the space station in orbit.  This piece of music makes me think of the current space program, taking the first tentative steps out of the nest.  It just felt right to record it for the album.”

Taking a cue from Gustav Holst, Rob Astor attached an astrological meaning to his next original “Luna - Mirror Of The Soul”.  Beginning dark and ominous, “Luna” becomes atmospheric, forward feeling and reflective.  Keyboard layers create a sense of traveling through magical stardust.

Easily the center point of AD ASTRA, Rob Astor transformed Holst’s “Mars - The Bringer Of War” into a pounding juggernaut.  Often called the most aggressive piece of music ever written, the level of aggression is taken up to a whole new level, one that never lets up.  Much like the advance of war machines, “Mars” chugs along, crunching and grinding through remarkable electric soundscapes, reaching a hammering climax.  “When it’s done, you feel like you’ve been run over, flattened by a steamroller,” Rob says.  “I have this theory that Holst was commenting on the destructive nature of war in this piece of music.  ‘Mars’ represented the horror while ‘Venus’ represented the longing to escape back into a normal reality.”

Incorporating soundtrack titles into AD ASTRA, Rob Astor’s next music stop comes from John Williams.  “Between Mars and Jupiter are the asteroid belts.  I can’t think of a finer musical expression of the asteroids than ‘The Asteroid Field’ from ‘The Empire Strikes Back’.”  Rob’s version combines the film score with a concert version pumped up by electric guitar.  “‘The Asteroid Field’ is one of my most favorite pieces of music of all time.  I think it fits right in.”  Another John Williams composition, “The Planet Krypton”, makes an appearance early on.

Next up, the king of the planets, mighty “Jupiter - The Bringer Of Jollity”.  Opening with the sound of the planet’s magnetosphere, a trick Rob Astor sprinkles throughout AD ASTRA, “Jupiter” settles into a Neo-Classical/New Age/Contemporary mix, gaining power by the clever placement of electric guitars with brass instruments.  Serving as his own counterpoint to “Jupiter”, the next Rob Astor original, “Galilean Satellites”, reflects Galileo’s discovery of Jupiter’s four largest moons and the subsequent persecution he suffered at the hands of the church.  A sense of darkness pervades the track with a deep bass section, chiming, and low keyboard parts.  It makes the perfect lead-in for “Saturn - The Bringer Of Old Age” which is sleepy in its execution, making for a night filled with mysterious and troubling dreams.

Considered profane in its time, “Uranus - The Magician” takes on a persona of rough and tumble play in Rob Astor’s hands.  There are moments of science fiction sounding wit and parts that sound as if two players are sizing each other up.  Written for Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Mendelssohn, “Oberon Undoes The Spells” follows.  “I chose this track because the moons of Uranus are all named after characters in Shakespearian plays.  I was trying to find music to fill in for some of the more unusual spots in the solar system.”

One of the most inspired moments on all of Rob Astor’s AD ASTRA takes place during “Neptune - The Mystic”.  The final movement of Gustav Holst’s “Planets Suite” traditionally uses a female choir fading off in the distance, something very progressive in the early 1900s.  In keeping with the theme of reinventing Holst’s music, Rob chose instead to use electronic dolphin sounds with the female choir, creating a sense that life just might exist on other worlds.  The effect is surreal and almost eerie.

Although music was commissioned for Pluto several years ago, the discovery of Pluto happened late in Gustav Holst’s life.  He never wrote music for the new planet.  Instead of using the commissioned music, Rob Astor wrote his own composition for AD ASTRA entitled “Pluto - Bringer Of Change”, again relying on the astrological context, but also reflecting Pluto’s current status of demoted planet.  Because change is often difficult, the tone of “Pluto” is deep and dark, much like the far reaches of the solar system.

“Hydra”, named for one of Pluto’s two newer satellites, and the next Rob Astor original on AD ASTRA, follows.  Charming the listener from the start as opposed to a snake being charmed, the music flows like a reptilian dance misunderstood before revealing itself as mystical.  Then, the dance is once again engaged.

Diving deeper still into the dark, cold reaches of the solar system, Rob Astor takes the listener next to “Eris - Bringer Of Discord”.  Appropriately named (Eris was the goddess of discord), this recently discovered body is larger than Pluto and the cause for Pluto’s demotion to a dwarf planet.  On AD ASTRA, the title reflects not only this, but also the root cause of the Trojan War.  Building up power, it’s easy to imagine Eris marching uninvited into the wedding party and dispatching the golden apple that results in a contest between three very powerful goddesses.  Near the end, the track breathlessly pauses as if allowing the full consequence to sink in with nightmarish clarity, reality forever altered.

Picking up where “Neptune” leaves off, Rob Astor’s “Sedna - Inuit Mother”, is a musical tribute not only to this far flung body in the solar system, but also to the goddess herself.  Opening with the choir and electronic dolphin sounds used in “Neptune”, “Sedna” feels much more like a sister track to “Neptune”, taking Gustav Holst’s vision one step further.

The final Rob Astor original on AD ASTRA, “Nibiru - Planet Of The Crossing”, comes from Sumerian mythology.  “There’s a group of people who believe this is a very real object that sweeps into our solar system and creates havoc,” Rob says.  “I find the concept more fascinating than anything.”  Fascination is the underlying tone of the track.  Completely New Age, scattered textures play on the idea of discovery rather than impending danger.  It’s as if the listener has stepped beyond the boundary of our solar system and into interstellar space.

Closing on an uplifting note, AD ASTRA concludes with the wild Can-Can romp of Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus In The Underworld”.  Placing electric guitar at the lead, Rob Astor creates another masterful fusion of Classical music with twenty-first century technology.

Gustav Holst’s “Planets Suite” had been endlessly reinterpreted.  Isao Tomita created one of the more unusual settings in the 1970s.  Unlike Tomita, however, Rob Astor includes every musical element of the “Planets Suite” on AD ASTRA.  Rob’s originals and choice of covers only serve to enhance Holst’s music, and Rob’s vision of Holst’s music, and place the full “Planets Suite” into a brand new context.  Breathtaking and refreshing, Rob Astor successfully brings Holst’s work into the modern era.

Take a musical grand tour of the solar system and pick up your copy of Rob Astor’s latest release, AD ASTRA, today!

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Serves Up A Carnival Of Delights On Whimsical New Release YESTERYEAR CLASSICS

ROB ASTOR’s YESTERYEAR CLASSICS Is A Delightful Collection Of Popular Music From The Late 1800s To The Early 1900s

Best known for his New Age, Electronic, and Video Game influenced music, Rob Astor turned his artistic vision to the past to create his newest album YESTERYEAR CLASSICS.  Delightfully charming, the selections on this set sound like the music played while riding a merry-go-round at a county fair.  The titles are so well known and infectious in their delivery, the listener will find themselves humming along.  After all, some of the tracks are so timeless, their very fiber is woven right into the fabric of human DNA.

“There’s a lot of music from that era I think popular culture tends to overlook,” Rob says of his latest effort.  “Some of it certainly deserves to be remembered.”  YESTERYEAR CLASSICS is like taking a stroll down memory lane.

Every track Rob Astor recorded was well known in their respective time periods (primarily using period instrument sounds), creating glimpses of history.  Nostalgia not only surrounds the music, the music entices the listener to study the time frame more carefully, to fully appreciate where it originated and the conditions that inspired it.

More than half of the titles on YESTERYEAR CLASSICS are instantly recognized.  Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” has to be one of the most beloved songs of all time.  Who could possibly forget “Give My Regards To Broadway”?  Or the highly unusual melody of “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built For Two)”?  It’s all in our genome!

Still other tracks have fared well in later decades.  “Hello Ma Baby (Telephone Rag)” may best be remembered as the song sung by Michigan J. Frog in a 1950s Warner Bros. cartoon.  “I remember seeing it at least a hundred times on Saturday mornings watching the Bug Bunny Show as a kid,” Rob recalls fondly.  “Everyone wanted to see the frog sing in front of anyone and make that poor man a fortune.”

Important historical events are also connected to several of the titles on YESTERYEAR CLASSICS.  The lament of “When The Lusitania Went Down” marks the point in history where The War To End All Wars (World War I) was in full swing.  Civilians were no longer safe from brutal attack.  The patriotic anthem “Over There” became a rallying call for the United States to join the European struggle against the oppression of Germany.

Rob Astor also recorded three tracks closely tied to the most famous shipwreck in history, the Titanic.  The first, “Eternal Father, Strong To Save” (also known as “The Naval Hymn” and “For Those In Peril On The Sea”), reminds us how much of, and how important, spiritual influences were in music of the past.  The other two pieces, “Nearer My God To Thee” and “Songe d’Automne (Dream Of Autumn)” vie for the honor of being the last piece of music performed as the ship sank.  The latter, penned by Archibald Joyce, while not represented in filmed versions of the disaster, probably holds a stronger claim as many survivors said this was the last piece of music they heard.  The version included on Rob Astor’s YESTERYEAR CLASSICS is downright ghostly, sounding as if it’s bubbling up through water about midway through.

Rounding out the set are varied pleasures in the form of southern charm in “Old Folks At Home (Swanee River)”, rollicking fun in “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?”, burlesque Vaudevillian in “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It)”, warm orchestration in Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, and flights of fancy “In My Merry Oldsmobile” and “Come Josephine, In My Flying Machine”.

The cover art, created by Harry Dart circa 1900, reflects the mood of society before the first world war.  In retrospect, everyone seemed carefree.  People thought they could master anything.  They dreamed of a future free of all worries and ailments.  So, it’s fitting the picture goes with Rob Astor’s recordings of YESTERYEAR CLASSICS.  The carefree spirit returns.