Richard Barbieri
Encyclopedia
Richard Barbieri, (born 30 November 1957, in London, England) is an English synthesiser player, keyboardist and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London. Originally coming to prominence in the late-1970s and early-1980s as a member of new wave
pioneers Japan
(and their brief 1989–1990 reincarnation as Rain Tree Crow), he is now best known as the keyboard player in the rock band Porcupine Tree
, of which he has been a member since 1993.
as a central influence, and his approach could also be compared to similar "non-virtuoso" art rock musicians such as Brian Eno
.
During his time with Japan, Barbieri worked (with the assistance of lead singer/occasional keyboard player David Sylvian
) on programming the band's analogue (and early digital) synthesisers to create original sounds and textures. On record, these were played by whichever member of Japan could interpret the performance best (generally drummer Steve Jansen, as "he had the best timing.") Barbieri would, however, perform the bulk of the keyboard playing live. His keyboard-playing role in Porcupine Tree is similarly split with frontman/producer Steven Wilson, with Barbieri processing the sound of other musicians in the band as well as playing more orthodox keyboard parts.
Despite his emphasis on sonic experimentation, Barbieri is also an accomplished keyboard player who has become more overtly traditional in his playing during his sixteen years with Porcupine Tree (and who currently plays electric and acoustic pianos and Mellotrons in addition to his analogue-styled synthesiser work).
in 1976. Within a year the band was signed to the Hansa/Ariola
label
and began work on a debut album, which received severe criticism from the UK music press
on its release.
Although initially perceived as a "hyped" band, Japan went on to record five studio albums culminating in the groundbreaking Tin Drum
which stayed in the UK Albums Chart
for a year. The painstaking approach to synthesiser programming by Richard Barbieri and David Sylvian
on top of the original rhythmic patterns of Steve Jansen
and Mick Karn
produced a sound that remains original to this day. They were one of the most successful chart bands in Europe and Asia in 1982 despite the increasingly experimental nature of their music. The band split up in November 1982 at the height of their popularity after a world tour that year.
After the break-up of Japan, Barbieri continued his association with David Sylvian, playing on the latter's early solo albums (and on the 1986 In Praise Of Shamans tour). During this time he worked alongside such other innovators as Holger Czukay
, Ryuichi Sakamoto
and Robert Fripp
.
In 1987 he started a long musical association with another Japan colleague, Steve Jansen. This has produced six collaborative albums to date, initially under the name The Dolphin Brothers
(Catch the Fall, 1987) and later as Jansen & Barbieri (including Stories Without Borders, 1993,Other Worlds in a Small Room, 1996, and Stone to Flesh, 1997).
) reunited under the name Rain Tree Crow
to make new recordings for Virgin
. This resulted in a single eponymous album which extended the work of late Japan and the solo/collective work of all four members, featuring a variety of influences from pop to art-rock, jazz, ambient and world music. Other contributors to the album included Bill Nelson
. Rain Tree Crow charted in 1991 and brought critical acclaim.
The Rain Tree Crow collaboration was short-lived due to David Sylvian's assumption of control over the project (which he claims was necessary for financing but which the other members saw as controlling arrogance). The group parted company shortly after recording the album, for which there was no supporting tour. However, the project was key to the reuniting of Jansen, Barbieri and Karn as a creative unit (sometimes referred to as "JBK").
, who recruited them for a 1992 UK tour and for recordings which later appeared on the Loveblows & Lovecries album and on the "Painting Paradise" and "Sweetheart Raw" EPs (one of these EP pieces, the 20-plus-minute "Heaven Taste", later appeared on the album of the same name). This marked Barbieri's first work with Steven Wilson
, whom he would then go on to work with in Porcupine Tree
.
label in 1993 with Jansen and Karn. Their objective was to enable themselves to create music and collaborate with fellow musicians on projects without record company interference and restriction. They kicked off the label with the Jansen/Barbieri/Karn album Beginning to Melt (a collection of varied pieces including some trio work and other recordings featuring various permutations of the basic trio with other collaborators including David Torn
and Robbie Aceto). Thirteen diverse albums were released during a ten-year period; Jansen and Barbieri's collaboration with DJ Takemura on the album Changing Hands being one of the highlights.
During this period Barbieri also made two other collaborative albums, one with his wife Suzanne J. Barbieri under the name Indigo Falls
(1996), and one with Tim Bowness
from the band No-Man
titled Flame
(1994).
(having previously played as a guest performer on the album Up the Downstair). Six studio albums and many tours later, the band is enjoying chart success around Europe with sales of over 120,000 for their album In Absentia
. The following studio album Deadwing
entered the American Billboard chart on its first week of release. With the release of Fear of a Blank Planet
, the band is enjoying even greater levels of success, with a top 40 entry in the UK album chart. Increased radio airtime and favourable mainstream magazine reviews and interviews are further increasing public knowledge of the band. The band is now enjoying a successful tour promoting their highest-charting album to date, The Incident
.
, an electronic improvisational group. He also undertakes occasional keyboards duties for the live outings of Marillion
's vocalist Steve Hogarth
's fronted H-Band, appearing on the 2002 Album 'Live Body, Live Spirit'. Recent highlights include two Radio One sessions for the late John Peel
and concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
and Brighton Dome.
In 2005 he released his debut solo album Things Buried. Although he has made many albums as part of a group, trio or duo, surprisingly this is his first solo work. The instrumental album also features the distinctive performances of Andy Gangadeen on acoustic and electronic drums, and Percy Jones on fretless bass.
(Also included on Virgin Japan CD release of
Catch The Fall)
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
pioneers Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
(and their brief 1989–1990 reincarnation as Rain Tree Crow), he is now best known as the keyboard player in the rock band Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
, of which he has been a member since 1993.
Musical style and approach
Despite being known for work in bands with prominent musicianship, Barbieri's key skill lies not in virtuoso instrumental performance, but in developing and processing synthetic electronic sound. This is either generated entirely by keyboard input or by processing a sound source from a musical collaborator. He has cited Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
as a central influence, and his approach could also be compared to similar "non-virtuoso" art rock musicians such as Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
.
During his time with Japan, Barbieri worked (with the assistance of lead singer/occasional keyboard player David Sylvian
David Sylvian
David Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
) on programming the band's analogue (and early digital) synthesisers to create original sounds and textures. On record, these were played by whichever member of Japan could interpret the performance best (generally drummer Steve Jansen, as "he had the best timing.") Barbieri would, however, perform the bulk of the keyboard playing live. His keyboard-playing role in Porcupine Tree is similarly split with frontman/producer Steven Wilson, with Barbieri processing the sound of other musicians in the band as well as playing more orthodox keyboard parts.
Despite his emphasis on sonic experimentation, Barbieri is also an accomplished keyboard player who has become more overtly traditional in his playing during his sixteen years with Porcupine Tree (and who currently plays electric and acoustic pianos and Mellotrons in addition to his analogue-styled synthesiser work).
Japan (1976–1982)
Barbieri started his musical career with the group JapanJapan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
in 1976. Within a year the band was signed to the Hansa/Ariola
Ariola Records
Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and began work on a debut album, which received severe criticism from the UK music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
on its release.
Although initially perceived as a "hyped" band, Japan went on to record five studio albums culminating in the groundbreaking Tin Drum
Tin Drum
Tin Drum is the fifth and final studio album produced by the British band Japan. Released in the U.K. in November 1981, the album continued their now developed use of electronic elements coupled with traditional instrumentation, but leans far more towards far-eastern influences than any of their...
which stayed in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
for a year. The painstaking approach to synthesiser programming by Richard Barbieri and David Sylvian
David Sylvian
David Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
on top of the original rhythmic patterns of Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen is an English drummer, percussionist, singer and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London, where he failed academically, leaving at 16....
and Mick Karn
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides , better known as Mick Karn, was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982....
produced a sound that remains original to this day. They were one of the most successful chart bands in Europe and Asia in 1982 despite the increasingly experimental nature of their music. The band split up in November 1982 at the height of their popularity after a world tour that year.
Guest appearances and Dolphin Brothers (1983–present)
From 1983 onwards Barbieri has been a regular contributor of his unique soundscapes and synth textures to the albums of various other musicians.After the break-up of Japan, Barbieri continued his association with David Sylvian, playing on the latter's early solo albums (and on the 1986 In Praise Of Shamans tour). During this time he worked alongside such other innovators as Holger Czukay
Holger Czukay
Holger Czukay is a German musician, probably best known as a co-founder of the krautrock group Can. Described by critic Jason Ankeny as "successfully bridg[ing] the gap between pop and the avant-garde," Czukay is also notable for creating early important examples of ambient music, for exploring...
, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
and Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
.
In 1987 he started a long musical association with another Japan colleague, Steve Jansen. This has produced six collaborative albums to date, initially under the name The Dolphin Brothers
The Dolphin Brothers
The Dolphin Brothers was a new wave/alternative band featuring Steve Jansen, and Richard Barbieri, both previously of the band Japan. The band released one album Catch the Fall in 1987, featuring Steve Jansen on drums, percussion, keyboards and lead vocals, and Richard Barbieri on keyboards and...
(Catch the Fall, 1987) and later as Jansen & Barbieri (including Stories Without Borders, 1993,Other Worlds in a Small Room, 1996, and Stone to Flesh, 1997).
Rain Tree Crow (1989–1991)
In late 1989, the members of Japan (minus guitarist Rob DeanRob Dean
Rob Dean is a British musician, who rose to prominence playing guitar as a member of the British band Japan.-Biography:He is from Clapton, Hackney, London, England.-Japan:...
) reunited under the name Rain Tree Crow
Rain Tree Crow
Rain Tree Crow was the name used by the English New Wave band Japan when they briefly reformed for this one-off project, which would be their final album...
to make new recordings for Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. This resulted in a single eponymous album which extended the work of late Japan and the solo/collective work of all four members, featuring a variety of influences from pop to art-rock, jazz, ambient and world music. Other contributors to the album included Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
. Rain Tree Crow charted in 1991 and brought critical acclaim.
The Rain Tree Crow collaboration was short-lived due to David Sylvian's assumption of control over the project (which he claims was necessary for financing but which the other members saw as controlling arrogance). The group parted company shortly after recording the album, for which there was no supporting tour. However, the project was key to the reuniting of Jansen, Barbieri and Karn as a creative unit (sometimes referred to as "JBK").
No-Man (1992)
The next work by Jansen, Barbieri and Karn was as the rhythm section for British art-pop band No-ManNo-Man
No-Man are a British art-pop duo formed in 1987 as No Man Is An Island by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson . The band has so far produced six studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections...
, who recruited them for a 1992 UK tour and for recordings which later appeared on the Loveblows & Lovecries album and on the "Painting Paradise" and "Sweetheart Raw" EPs (one of these EP pieces, the 20-plus-minute "Heaven Taste", later appeared on the album of the same name). This marked Barbieri's first work with Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
, whom he would then go on to work with in Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
.
Medium Productions (1993–2003)
In 1993 Barbieri formed the Medium ProductionsMedium Productions
Medium Productions was a record label created in 1993 primarily to publish the music of Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, and Mick Karn, ex-members of the band Japan and Rain Tree Crow. Medium was a means to release their own music with other collaborating artists, without 'big record label' compromise...
label in 1993 with Jansen and Karn. Their objective was to enable themselves to create music and collaborate with fellow musicians on projects without record company interference and restriction. They kicked off the label with the Jansen/Barbieri/Karn album Beginning to Melt (a collection of varied pieces including some trio work and other recordings featuring various permutations of the basic trio with other collaborators including David Torn
David Torn
David Torn is an American composer and guitarist.He is known for the organic blending/manipulation of electronic and acoustic instruments and performance techniques that have an atmospheric or textural quality and effect, along with a particular harmonic richness...
and Robbie Aceto). Thirteen diverse albums were released during a ten-year period; Jansen and Barbieri's collaboration with DJ Takemura on the album Changing Hands being one of the highlights.
During this period Barbieri also made two other collaborative albums, one with his wife Suzanne J. Barbieri under the name Indigo Falls
Indigo Falls
Indigo Falls is a British music group centered on ex-Japan member Richard Barbieri and his wife, singer Suzanne J. Barbieri....
(1996), and one with Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness is a singer/songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.-Music career:...
from the band No-Man
No-Man
No-Man are a British art-pop duo formed in 1987 as No Man Is An Island by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson . The band has so far produced six studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections...
titled Flame
Flame (Richard Barbieri and Tim Bowness album)
- Song credits :A Night In Heaven Steve Jansen - drum programmingMick Karn - saxophoneRichard Barbieri - keyboards, synthetisers, additional drum programmingTim Bowness - vocal...
(1994).
Porcupine Tree (1993–present)
In late 1993 Barbieri joined the progressive rock band Porcupine TreePorcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
(having previously played as a guest performer on the album Up the Downstair). Six studio albums and many tours later, the band is enjoying chart success around Europe with sales of over 120,000 for their album In Absentia
In Absentia
In Absentia is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. It was their first release on a major record label, Lava Records. It is Metal Storm's number 3 of the Top 20 albums of 2002 and number 49 on the Top 100 albums of all time...
. The following studio album Deadwing
Deadwing
American edition10. "Shesmovedon " – 4:59DVD-A edition10. "Revenant" – 3:04 11. "Mother and Child Divided" – 4:59 12. "Half-Light" – 6:20 13. "Shesmovedon " - 4:59 LP edition...
entered the American Billboard chart on its first week of release. With the release of Fear of a Blank Planet
Fear of a Blank Planet
Fear of a Blank Planet is the ninth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree and their best selling . Released by Roadrunner on 16 April 2007 in the UK and Europe, 24 April 2007 in the United States through Atlantic, 25 April 2007 in Japan on WHD and 1 May 2007 in Canada by WEA...
, the band is enjoying even greater levels of success, with a top 40 entry in the UK album chart. Increased radio airtime and favourable mainstream magazine reviews and interviews are further increasing public knowledge of the band. The band is now enjoying a successful tour promoting their highest-charting album to date, The Incident
The Incident (album)
The Incident is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Roadrunner Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album and reached the Top 25 on both the US and UK album charts.-History:The band...
.
Other activities
Aside from recording and touring, Barbieri has written articles on analogue synthesis for various publications; composed music for film; programs for music software and synthesiser manufacturers. He regularly guests with The BaysThe Bays
The Bays are a group of English musicians that only play live improvised jazz and dance music. They have never rehearsed nor recorded in a studio as they do not release music commercially. This means they are also completely independent of record labels...
, an electronic improvisational group. He also undertakes occasional keyboards duties for the live outings of Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
's vocalist Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
's fronted H-Band, appearing on the 2002 Album 'Live Body, Live Spirit'. Recent highlights include two Radio One sessions for the late John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
and concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
and Brighton Dome.
In 2005 he released his debut solo album Things Buried. Although he has made many albums as part of a group, trio or duo, surprisingly this is his first solo work. The instrumental album also features the distinctive performances of Andy Gangadeen on acoustic and electronic drums, and Percy Jones on fretless bass.
Studio equipment
- RolandRoland Corporationis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
V-Synth - Roland V-Synth GT
- Roland V-Synth XT
- Roland System 700
- Roland JV-2080Roland JV-2080The Roland JV-2080, released in 1997, is an expanded and updated version of the popular JV-1080. Based on a sample + synthesis architecture, the JV-2080 provided a rich library of on-board sample material and a strong semi-modular synthesis engine in a commercially viable mass-market product.Used...
- Roland D-50Roland D-50The Roland D-50 is a polyphonic 61-key synthesizer produced by Roland. It was released in 1987. Its features include Linear Arithmetic synthesis, on-board effects, a joystick for data manipulation, and an analog synthesis-styled layout design. The external Roland PG-1000 Programmer could also be...
- Roland D-550
- Roland SH-201Roland SH-201The Roland SH-201 is an analog modeling synthesizer introduced in 2006 by the Roland Corporation. The SH-201 is equipped with two analogue modeling oscillators , a multi-mode filter, ring modulator, and it allows routing an external audio signal into its own dedicated filter. The input signal can...
- Roland PG-1000
- Access Virus IndigoAccess VirusThe Access Virus is a virtual analog synthesizer made by the German company Access Music GmbH. It was first produced in 1997 and has since been upgraded frequently, with the company releasing new models about every two years. Early models include the Virus A, Virus B, and Virus C series, each...
- E-mu Systems Emax IIE-mu EmaxThe Emax was a line of samplers, developed, manufactured, and sold by E-mu Systems from 1986 to 1995. Sold alongside their more expensive Emulator II and III samplers, the Emax line was conceived after the release of the Akai S-612 and Sequential Prophet 2000, and was designed to compete for the...
- EnsoniqEnsoniqEnsoniq Corp. was an American electronics manufacturer, best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its musical instruments, principally samplers and synthesizers.- Company history :...
VFX - M-AudioM-AudioM-Audio is a business unit of Avid Technology that designs and markets digital audio and MIDI interfaces, keyboards and MIDI controllers, synthesizers, loudspeakers, studio monitors, digital DJ systems, microphones, and music software...
Radium - Moog Micromoog
- Oberheim OB-XOberheim OB-XThe Oberheim OB-X is an analog polyphonic synthesizer. It was the first Oberheim synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules. Because of this, it was more functional for live performance, and therefore more portable. It was introduced in 1979 and...
- Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
- YamahaYamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
CS01 - Yamaha CS5
Live equipment (2009)
- RolandRoland Corporationis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
V-Synth - Roland V-Synth XT
- Roland JV-2080Roland JV-2080The Roland JV-2080, released in 1997, is an expanded and updated version of the popular JV-1080. Based on a sample + synthesis architecture, the JV-2080 provided a rich library of on-board sample material and a strong semi-modular synthesis engine in a commercially viable mass-market product.Used...
- Roland SH-201Roland SH-201The Roland SH-201 is an analog modeling synthesizer introduced in 2006 by the Roland Corporation. The SH-201 is equipped with two analogue modeling oscillators , a multi-mode filter, ring modulator, and it allows routing an external audio signal into its own dedicated filter. The input signal can...
- Access Virus Indigo 2Access VirusThe Access Virus is a virtual analog synthesizer made by the German company Access Music GmbH. It was first produced in 1997 and has since been upgraded frequently, with the company releasing new models about every two years. Early models include the Virus A, Virus B, and Virus C series, each...
- AlesisAlesisAlesis is a company based in Cumberland, Rhode Island, that designs and markets electronic musical instruments, digital audio processors, audio mixers, digital audio interfaces, recording equipment, drum machines, professional audio and electronic percussion products...
Nano Piano - Dave Smith Instruments Prophet 5
- EnsoniqEnsoniqEnsoniq Corp. was an American electronics manufacturer, best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its musical instruments, principally samplers and synthesizers.- Company history :...
VFX - M-AudioM-AudioM-Audio is a business unit of Avid Technology that designs and markets digital audio and MIDI interfaces, keyboards and MIDI controllers, synthesizers, loudspeakers, studio monitors, digital DJ systems, microphones, and music software...
Radium
- Apple MacBook ProMacBook ProThe MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...
running Propellerheads Reason - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
VF-1 multi-effect processor - Line6 distortion and delay modellers
- YamahaYamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
SPX90 chorus processor
- MackieMackieMackie is a brand of the United States-based company LOUD Technologies. The Mackie brand is used on professional music and recording equipment, such as mixing consoles, loudspeakers, and DAW control surfaces....
12 channel mixer - BehringerBehringerBehringer is an audio equipment company founded by Uli Behringer in 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was listed as the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a multi-national group of companies, with direct marketing presence in 10 countries or territories and a...
6 channel sub-mixer - Bang & OlufsenBang & OlufsenBang & Olufsen is a Danish company that designs and manufactures audio products, television sets and telephones. It was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, whose first significant product was a radio that worked with alternating current, when most radios were run from batteries...
headphone monitoring system
with Japan
- 1977 – Adolescent SexAdolescent SexAdolescent Sex was the first album from the British glam rock/new romantic group Japan, released in March 1978. To avoid controversy over the title, the album was renamed Japan in some countries...
(Hansa Records) - 1978 – Obscure AlternativesObscure AlternativesObscure Alternatives is the second album by English band Japan, released in October 1978, the follow-up to their debut album Adolescent Sex from seven months earlier. Lead singer David Sylvian has gone on record saying that this should have been their debut album...
(Hansa Records) - 1979 – Quiet LifeQuiet LifeQuiet Life is the third album by the British band Japan, released firstly in Japan, Germany, Canada and other countries in December 1979, then in the UK in January 1980...
(Hansa Records) - 1980 – Gentlemen Take PolaroidsGentlemen Take PolaroidsGentlemen Take Polaroids is the fourth studio album by the British band Japan. Released in November 1980, it was the band's first album for the Virgin Records label...
(Virgin records) - 1981 – Tin DrumTin DrumTin Drum is the fifth and final studio album produced by the British band Japan. Released in the U.K. in November 1981, the album continued their now developed use of electronic elements coupled with traditional instrumentation, but leans far more towards far-eastern influences than any of their...
(Virgin Records) - 1981 – AssemblageAssemblage (album)Assemblage is a compilation album by the British band Japan, released in 1981 by Hansa Records.Assemblage collects recordings from the band's early career and Hansa Records re-released no fewer than six singles from Assemblage and Japan's back catalogue between 1981 - 1983...
(compilation) (Hansa Records) - 1983 – Oil on CanvasOil on CanvasOil on Canvas is a live album by the British band Japan, released in 1983 by Virgin Records. Although it is a live recording of their established material, the album also contains three new studio tracks , recorded separately by Sylvian, Sylvian/Jansen and Barbieri respectively...
(live album) (Virgin Records) - 1984 – Exorcising GhostsExorcising GhostsExorcising Ghosts is a compilation album by the British band Japan, released in 1984 by Virgin Records.Exorcising Ghosts was compiled and produced in consultation with lead singer David Sylvian two years after Japan dissolved...
(compilation) (Virgin Records) - 1989 – Souvenir From Japan (compilation)(Hansa Records)
- 1991 – The Other Side Of Japan (compilation) (Receiver Records)
with Jansen/Barbieri
- 1985 – Worlds In A Small Room (Pan East (UK) / JVC Victor (Japan))
- 1991 – Stories Across Borders (Venture / Virgin)
- 1995 – Stone To Flesh (Medium Productions)
- 1996 – Other Worlds In A Small Room (Medium Productions)
with Jansen/Barbieri/Karn
- 1994 – Beginning to Melt (Medium Productions)
- 1994 – Seed (Medium Productions)
- 1999 – ISM (Polydor / Medium)
- 2001 – Playing in a Room with People (Medium Productions)
with The Dolphin Brothers
- 1987 – Catch the Fall (Virgin Records)
- 1987 – Face To Face (Japanese T.V.C.M. 7” Single) (Virgin Records)
(Also included on Virgin Japan CD release of
Catch The Fall)
as Richard Barbieri/Tim Bowness
- 1994 – FlameFlame (Richard Barbieri and Tim Bowness album)- Song credits :A Night In Heaven Steve Jansen - drum programmingMick Karn - saxophoneRichard Barbieri - keyboards, synthetisers, additional drum programmingTim Bowness - vocal...
(One Little Indian)
Richard Barbieri
- 2005 – Things Buried (Intact Records)
- 2008 – Stranger Inside (K-Scope/Snapper)
with Porcupine Tree
- 1993 – Up the DownstairUp the DownstairUp the Downstair is the second studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in May 1993. It was originally intended to be a double album set including the song "Voyage 34", which was instead released as a single in 1992, and other material that ended up on the...
(Delerium Records) - 1995 – The Sky Moves SidewaysThe Sky Moves SidewaysThe Sky Moves Sideways is the third studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in February, 1995. It has been compared to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here because of their similar structure; both albums have extended pieces at the beginning and end, which are the...
(Delerium Records) - 1996 – SignifySignifySignify is the fourth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in September 1996. It was the first album that frontman Steven Wilson recorded with a full group of musicians on board from the beginning. Previously he had been recording albums primarily as a...
* (Delerium Records) - 1997 – Coma Divine (Delerium Records)
- 1998 – Metanoia* (Delerium Records)
- 1999 – Stupid DreamStupid DreamStupid Dream is the fifth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in March 1999. It became the band's best selling album up to the time of its release....
* (Snapper Records) - 2000 – Voyage 34: The Complete TripVoyage 34: The Complete TripVoyage 34: The Complete Trip is a compilation album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. It was originally released as a limited set of two 12" singles, Voyage 34 in 1992, and Voyage 34: Remixes , in 1993. The remastered edition entitled Voyage 34: The Complete Trip featuring all the...
* (Snapper Records) - 2000 – Lightbulb SunLightbulb Sun-2008 Reissues:A reissue of Lightbulb Sun was released on April 21, 2008 through Kscope as 2 disc set; or a 3 disc set for the first 5,000 pre-ordered copies. Disc one is a CD containing a remastered version of the original album album, while disc two is a DVD-A containing the album remixed into...
* (Snapper Records) - 2001 – RecordingsRecordings (album)Recordings is a compilation album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in May 2001. It is a collection of b-sides from the albums Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun along with one new song, "Access Denied". Recordings was originally a limited pressing release, limited to only...
* (Snapper Records) - 2002 – Stars Die: The Delerium Years 1991-1997Stars Die: The Delerium Years 1991-1997Stars Die: The Delerium Years 1991-1997 is a double album compilation by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in March, 2002...
(Snapper Records) - 2002 – In AbsentiaIn AbsentiaIn Absentia is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. It was their first release on a major record label, Lava Records. It is Metal Storm's number 3 of the Top 20 albums of 2002 and number 49 on the Top 100 albums of all time...
* (Lava / Warner) - 2005 – DeadwingDeadwingAmerican edition10. "Shesmovedon " – 4:59DVD-A edition10. "Revenant" – 3:04 11. "Mother and Child Divided" – 4:59 12. "Half-Light" – 6:20 13. "Shesmovedon " - 4:59 LP edition...
* (Lava / Warner) - 2007 – Fear of a Blank PlanetFear of a Blank PlanetFear of a Blank Planet is the ninth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree and their best selling . Released by Roadrunner on 16 April 2007 in the UK and Europe, 24 April 2007 in the United States through Atlantic, 25 April 2007 in Japan on WHD and 1 May 2007 in Canada by WEA...
* (Roadrunner / Warner) - 2007 – Nil RecurringNil RecurringNil Recurring is an EP by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, released on 17 September 2007 through the band's online store...
* EP (Peaceville Records) - 2009 – The IncidentThe Incident (album)The Incident is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Roadrunner Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album and reached the Top 25 on both the US and UK album charts.-History:The band...
* (Roadrunner / Warner)
- Albums marked with an (*) include Barbieri compositions