Steel guitar in Dark Ambient music

[Glenn Suchan]

On another thread from this (Steel Players) page there was post about an article in the Guardian regarding ambient steel guitar music. I didn't want to detract from that subject with a post about something a bit more 'out there'. So this is regarding ambient steel guitar, but not necessarily how it relates to it's traditional associations. Dark ambient artist Robert Rich takes lap steel in a direction very few have gone. Aside from playing steel in his music he also plays woodwind instruments, keyboards and percussion instruments. Mr. Rich also pushes boundries with the length of his music. Two of his albums play for 7 or more hours. Here is a live performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVr5XuLcGSw
and from his 2 1/2 hour, 3-CD album, Humidity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp_xAQD0XD0
From the same album, listen to his incredibly dark composition, "In a Miasma of Malarial Delusions". The steel work begins at about 8:50:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5nwSSle4E
Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

[Andrew Frost]

Interesting stuff. I came across him about a year ago while exploring minimal electronic composers and the like.