In Robert Emmett's preteen years he receives a 2-track reel-to-reel recorder and immediately begins recording album after album. He also, being the artist that he is, designs the album cover's and packaging, and markets them. Robert regularly recruited siblings and friends to be in his bands. Performances are memorable if not actually rehearsed. This does not concern Robert - after all, he’s in a band. And, they play his songs.
Robert's story is one of passionate persistence; of a dream that would not die, no matter how many distractions and demons arose to deter him. At an early age, Robert had the temperance, stubbornness and endless imagination of an artist - to the joy and dismay of his family. He has written stories and comics, plays guitar and sings, draws and paints. Bands range from rock to punk to psychedelic-experimental jazz to and back to rock again.
Mosquitohead is considered by many to be the most successful of these endeavors; their songs run the gamut from Beatlesque orchestral pop to ethnic folk-stomp to country-rock garage anthems. Of course this band breaks up violently after only two years and the members don’t speak to each other for a year.
Reacting the the problems that plagued the last band, Robert forms Thunk, recruiting new members and writing the majority of the songs. Thunk stays together almost ten years, records two albums and plays countless shows around Chicagoland, ultimately disbanding in 2003.
All this time, Robert has been recording, recording, recording. Awake, asleep, alpha state, comatose- it's all on tape somewhere. He writes songs in between writing stories, drawing, reading, and pondering. He listens, he observes, he becomes inspired, he records. Robert has now disposed of any superficiality amongst his heroes, settling on the few and the exceptional: John Lennon, Bob Dylan, David Lowery, Syd Barrett, Frank Black, Robyn Hitchcock, Stephen Malkmus. He sounds like them in that he sounds nothing like them. Like his heroes, he retains pop sensibility but without subscribing to temporary trends. Among Robert’s non-songwriting heroes are novelist Philip K. Dick, surrealist Salvador Dali, and filmmaker David Lynch, who also find their way into his music and imagination.
In the late 90’s Robert moves to digital recording. In time, the songs begin to evolve from noisy avant-garde soundscapes to short, concise pop snapshots. Since 2005 Robert has released three CD's.
The Surreal EP (2007, Hermetic Medical Records) is by far his most polished and accessible effort, and has seen some engouraging sales and reviews. A band is being formed, Labrador Dali, and shows are being booked. Plans are being made to release a full-length album by years’ end. This is where we are now; the next chapter in the story of Robert Emmett is being written.
The Surreal EP is available on CDBaby.com, i-tunes, and most of the more reputable digital outlets. Robert's first full-length novel, Aftermarket Soul, will be available this year.
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Comments (1)
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sgtschelie
(05/10/07 03:48:42)
Rob, Nice to see you on monkfunk! you dont have to feel a thing....
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