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Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Weaves A Neo-Classical Fantasy On His New Double CD XENOPHOBIA

ROB ASTOR’s Newest Collection Is Light-Years Beyond His Previous Music

Drawing on his love of mythology and natural history, Rob Astor turned his musical direction backward into the past to create his newest musical masterpiece XENOPHOBIA. He wasn’t content to simply rest after the success of 2005’s MARSTROPOLIS. Shortly after recording the futuristic double disc collection, another musical story began germinating.

Expanding his horizons to the limits of creativity, Rob Astor took on the daunting task of composing Classical Orchestration. “I wanted to construct a Semi-Symphonic album very much in the spirit of David Arkenstone’s ATLANTIS. After visiting dreams on QUADRANGULAR OSCILLATIONS and taking a trip to the future with MARSTROPOLIS, this time I wanted to focus on mythology. I had a story idea I wanted to put to music. I set out to compose a movie soundtrack.”

XENOPHOBIA is a soundtrack, in every sense of the word. Ten months went into the album’s creation. “I heard a lot of music in my head I needed to bring into this world. Classical arrangements are much trickier to compose. This project became more than just a labor of love. XENOPHOBIA was an experience of intimacy with music I have never felt before.”

Growth as an artist is very important to Rob Astor. The differences between the music heard on XENOPHOBIA and MARSTROPOLIS underscores his willingness to continue exploring and developing musical ideas. “The majority of big label musicians don’t get a chance to develop as artists. There’s no opportunity for improvement.”

Although Rob Astor’s development is vastly improved, there’s a feel of familiarity to his newest music. XENOPHOBIA opens with the beautifully dreamy “Tropic Of Antarctica”. Gorgeous 12-String Guitar lends the feel of floating over a pristine glacier as a deep backbeat reminds listeners of Rob’s video game-like style captured on MARSTROPOLIS. In the next instant, Rob Astor places himself up against the likes of John Williams with dazzling Neo-Classical arrangements. His orchestrations often weave complimentary atmospheric keyboard layers through their tapestries, breathing fresh life into a genre most musicians fail to appreciate.

However, branching out into orchestra music isn’t the only new territory Rob Astor indulges in and perfects with a signature sound of his own. Fusing Electronica, Neo-Classical, and Progressive Rock has yielded one of the finest tracks Rob has ever recorded in “Forest Of The Black Moon”. Rob says the incredibly poetic Stevie Nicks inspired the title. Fans are treated to two alternate versions of this track included as bonus material.

XENOPHOBIA also harkens back to Rob Astor’s previous albums where Techno Electronica and New Age dominated his work. The evidence for up-beat dance music is best showcased in “Biohazard” and “Kutulu”. They retain Rob’s semblance as an electronic identity. “If there was a nightclub scene in the story of XENOPHOBIA, ‘Kutulu’ would be playing in the background.”

Much like Rob Astor’s electronic efforts, up-beat music can also be found in his Classical compositions. The track “Zero Hour” really moves, lending a sense of hurry and urgency. New Age takes center stage on several tracks, adding a degree of darkness to XENOPHOBIA’s story. From the chilling “The Poison In The Apple” to the spacey “Neptune Rising”, Rob Astor remains true to his roots.

A modern day Renaissance man, Rob Astor crafted a medieval sounding track in “Atana Potnia”, using instruments such as wind dulcimers, concert harps, flutes, and tribal percussion to synthesize the feeling of a young maiden strolling through a green forest. XENOPHOBIA’s haunting title track opens on a very low note, blending Far Eastern vocal lines and cellos, giving the word xenophobia what Rob calls “a musical definition”.

XENOPHOBIA is packed with historical and mythological titles, cementing Rob Astor’s musical fairy tale to things sometimes easily recognized and those far less familiar. A slew names and phrases breathes new life. Musical meanings transpose from obscure to familiar. The Latin phrase “Quod Erat Demonstrandum”, meaning “as was shown”, closes the album’s story with a feeling of watching the credits scroll across a movie screen. “Omphalos” to the ancient Greeks was the “center of the world”. On XENOPHOBIA, it is the center of an ancient and mythical civilization. “In La’kesh” in Mayan means, “I am your other self”. How this track fits into the framework of XENOPHOBIA is where Rob takes liberties as a master story teller.

Mythical figures play prominent roles in XENOPHOBIA. “Kronos” and “Ouranos” were ancient Greek Gods, often violent, while “Enyo” was the Goddess of Destruction. “Yucatan Cataclysm” is historically connected to this title. Enyo was the name of the asteroid that struck the Yucatan Peninsula sixty-five million years ago, bringing an end to the age of the dinosaurs.

Using alternate spellings or older names for some of the characters in his play, Rob Astor defines them as his own. Mentioned in a set of ancient linear tablets found at Knossos, “Atana Potnia” later evolved into the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena. “Kutulu” is a nod to the many fictional influences Rob Astor attributes his creativity to. This title is an alternate spelling of an H. P. Lovecraft character based in part on the Biblical Leviathan, the Babylonian Pazuzu, and the Sumerian Tiamat.

Packed with a myriad of styles and influences, Rob Astor’s XENOPHOBIA melds the sounds of artists like Tangerine Dream, Spencer Nilsen, Cusco, James Horner, David Arkenstone, Ken Davis, John Williams, Biosphere, Liquid Mind, Wendy Carlos, Zach Davids, Vangelis, Norm Orenstein, and Spyro Gyra. The end result is a sound that defines Rob Astor as a musician. Quality and sophistication is what you come to expect. Rob Astor’s music is something you can listen to over and over again, and continue to find something new to explore. Just like in any good movie.

Visit Rob Astor on the Internet at:

http://www.myspace.com/soloartistrobastor

XENOPHOBIA

Take a fantasy journey through an alternate history and mythology on my latest concept album, XENOPHOBIA. Much of the music is the best I’ve ever written and recorded. Individual soundscapes sweep you through a fictional story inspired by the music itself. Discover the beauty of 12-string acoustic guitar and atmospheric synthesizer layers with accompanying piano. Feel the power of a symphonic orchestra from bright and victorious, to dark and foreboding. Have a sample of wind dulcimers and concert harps mixed with tribal percussion. Take in techno and trance. Allow your imagination to roam wild and free, untamed like the Earth of our distant past.

Rob Astor

All tracks composed, arranged, performed, recorded, and produced by Rob Astor. Š 2006 by Rob Astor. Cover art by Harry Grillo. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable law.

CD 2

1. Tyrant Lizard

With little progress made for the cause of democracy or for the continuing rule of the tyrant Titan, Lord Riven suggests peace talks. Kronos accuses him of becoming soft. Lord Riven explains his ruse. Lure the little upstart princess into the open and he will ensure that Atana Potnia is slaughtered. Making the journey through the forest to reach Nexus Maximus, Atana Potnia is confronted by a very large Tyrannosaurus Rex. Sent by Lord Riven, the dinosaur stalked the Goddess and attacks with sudden, savage furry. Capable in every form of combat, as a Goddess of War should be, Atana Potnia deflects the attack, using her spear to ward off the mammoth creature. Enraged by the deception of her enemies, the long years of struggle for change reach a bitter realization and a chilling climax. Atana Potnia knows there cannot be lasting peace until a decisive victory is won. An ultimate display of power that will ensure no future attacks by any Titan, God, or even Gaia herself.

2. Enyo

Retreating from the Earth itself, Atana Potnia disappears into outer space. Kronos and Lord Riven are certain of their victory. They decide to launch a final attack against the Goddess’ remaining armies positioned near Chixilub. At the distant fringes of the solar system, Atana Potnia finds her weapon in an asteroid she hurls on a collision trajectory with Earth. The huge mass of stone, metal, and ice is truly demonic in appearance. Geysers of frozen gas spew from canyons. Chunks of loose material swarm around the main body, bound by gravity. Tumbling wildly through space, Enyo, the embodiment of destruction, careens toward the vibrant blue planet. Atana Potnia is certain of her victory.

3. Yucatan Cataclysm

Riding on dinosaur mounts, Kronos and Lord Riven lead the way to Chixilub on the Yucatan Peninsula. They sense final victory. Their troops march toward destiny. It is a grand spectacle to behold. Hundreds of thousands bear arms and carry the blood red banners of the Titan ruler. Reaching their destination, Kronos is surprised to find a solitary figure. He and his armies are met only with the figure of an unarmed Atana Potnia. She ascends to the top of a mountain and stretches her arms high into the clear blue sky. A fiery mass falls from the heavens, guided by the Goddess. Splitting into two sections, the largest slams into ground zero where a shocked Titan and a surprised General meet their fates. At the very end, they have respect for Atana Potnia’s brilliance. The asteroid crashes into Chixilub. The explosion is tremendous, rattling the very Earth so violently that its orbit around the sun is altered slightly, the rotational period of the planet is changed, and Pangaea separates. Continental masses break apart, slipping into new positions on the face of the planet. A great mushroom cloud of fiery debris rises high into the atmosphere, quickly blotting out day and transforming it into a long cold night. The shockwave races out, flattening everything in a ring of fire.

4. Zero Hour

The final attack, the one mistakenly foreseen for Kronos and Ouranos, has come to pass. There is barely time for the remaining Saurians to flee with little more than their very lives. Scrambling, they board spacecraft, leaving the Earth as a wall of destruction obliterates the world of old. Gone is the great city of Omphalos. The majesty of Nexus Maximus is now nothing more than a memory. Atana Potnia appears to the Saurians floating in orbit. The Goddess shows them a way to leave this solar system behind. The can find a brand new home in the cosmos, a home where their natural evolution can once again take hold. Atana Potnia will remain here and create a brand new race, one free from the rule of immortal tyrants. One free to love.

5. Neptune Rising

The Saurians, exiting the solar system, gain gravity boosts by passing around the Sun, Jupiter, and finally Neptune. These energetic increases provide a slingshot effect. The added acceleration throws their starships deeper into space. Eventually, the Saurians will escape the Sun’s gravitational influence completely. The Earth will be left behind forever. Approaching their last destination within the solar system, a bluish Neptune looms in the distance, rising as if a surreal morning painting. There is a feeling of hope for the future, a notion there will never be competition for the dominance of a new home world, wherever it may be.

6. Velvet Void/Ocean Of Stars

Generations pass aboard the ships making up the vast Saurian fleet. Stories are repeated in complex oral and written histories, to serve as reminders to future generations of what happened on Earth. The stars of the galaxy burn brilliantly in the eternal night. Scouts explore passing star systems, searching for a place where life can begin anew. All the while, some cannot help but wonder what became of the Earth upon their ancestors’ departure. Was there new life, as Atana Potnia said, thriving or simply struggling to survive an endless nuclear winter? The Saurians would never know. Their blessing was to never be caught in the middle of a power struggle ever again, unless it was one of their own making.

7. Alberio Binary

Many light-years and thousands of years of travel later, the Saurians find a planet they can call home. An M-Class planet ripe with life and vegetation, and abundant with water, orbiting the yellow star in the binary system called Alberio brings their journey to an end. Evolution takes hold again on this new world. Civilization is rebuilt. This new beginning under a blue star and a gold star frees the Saurians from any threat of the past forever.

8. Quod Erat Demonstrandum

Meaning, “as was shown”, you have reached the end of my musical movie. It is here the screen fades to black and the credits begin to roll. Did the story have any impact on you? Was the theme clear enough? Do you recognize any of the actors’ names? Are any of the numerous crew personnel familiar? Will the film be nominated for any awards? These questions probably aren’t important to you as you stand, stretch, drop your popcorn cup to the floor, sip the last of your carbonated beverage, and file towards the exit. You’ll know me when you see me. I’m seated somewhere in the center, watching the screen. Come on over. Shake my hand. Congratulate me. Tell me how much you enjoyed it. I’ll be waiting until the credits are done and the last note of the music fades. After all, this was my music and my movie.

-- Bonus Tracks --

9. Kutulu

This track was originally intended to be a part of the overall XENOPHOBIA story. I wanted something dark and heavy. The music took on a life-force of its own, refusing to cooperate with me in any way. So, I let this track take shape by itself, casting off synth layers and electric guitars to become a keyboard lead with a funky, chunky, deep, and heavy rhythm. It’s completely different than any of the other music on the album. The final product is heavy, but too much fun to be part of a tragic story. “Kutulu” is an alternate spelling of an H. P. Lovecraft character based in part on the Biblical Leviathan, he Babylonian Pazuzu, and the Sumerian Tiamat. I was going to go for an oceanic force in the final battle of XENOPHOBIA led by this truly gigantic character. Now it’s a fun follow-up to the up-beat and optimistic closing track “Quod Erat Demonstrandum”.

10. Through The Eyes Of The Dragon/Breath Of Fire

Four days worth of mixing sound effects went into the production of this track, and it still wasn’t included in the final story. But, that’s okay. I was going to have Kronos appearing in different places to create trouble from time to time, however, the story is told well enough to exclude the use of additional dinosaurs or dragons or more interference by Kronos. Sometimes, stories evolve in such a way so as the use of drafted scenes don’t have the same impact with the rest of the story and it’s best to just leave them out.

11. Forest Of The Black Moon (Extended Version)

Here is the first version of this track, well over eleven minutes in length. I liked it a lot, but, I knew this was going to have to be the extended version. I knew I needed trim out a lot of the extras to come up with the album cut. The title is very much inspired by Stevie Nicks and is based on one of her unreleased tracks called “Forest Of The Black Roses”. “Forest Of The Black Moon” is my first outing into Progressive Rock territory and is one of my best, and certainly one of my favorites.

12. Forest Of The Black Moon (Alternate Version)

The second version of this track, minus many of the extras and some repeating parts. Instinctively, I knew it was still just a little bit too long for an album version, but, liked it enough to keep it as this alternate take. One final editing session produced the final album version of “Forest Of The Black Moon” included on disc number one.