Rob St. John
| Rob St. John | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Lancashire |
| Genres | Indie folk, Experimental, Sound Art |
| Instruments | Guitar, organ, vocals |
| Years active | Mid-2000s–present |
| Labels | Song, by Toad Records |
| Associated acts | Eagleowl, Meursault, Woodpigeon |
| Website |
www |
Rob St. John is an English writer and musician.
Early life
Rob St. John was born in Lancashire, and spent his childhood living on Pendle Hill.
Career
Music
St. John's debut album, Weald, was released in November 2011, and received a positive reception from critics.[1][2][3][4] This Is Fake DIY described it as "special, surprising and utterly magnificent".[3] Andrew Collins of BBC 6 Music named it his album of the year.[5]
St. John wrote the original music for the Jeremy Deller and Nick Abrahams film The Bruce Lacey Experience,[6] and in 2012 produced the Folklore Tapes "Pendle, 1612" compilation album with David Chatton-Barker, commemorating the anniversary of the Pendle Witch Trials.[7] St. John has contributed to Eagleowl, Meursault, Woodpigeon and Withered Hand.
Environmental Art
St. John has produced a number of varied artworks, with landscape, sound and the environment as common themes. Water of Life (2013), with Tommy Perman, explored water in the city of Edinburgh through visual art, writing and sound;[8] the solo project Surface Tension (2015) used sound art and photography to document pollution in the River Lea in London;[9] and a sound installation Concrete Antenna (2015), with Tommy Perman and Simon Kirby, exhibited at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.[10]
Writing
St. John writes regularly for The Quietus and Caught by the River on music, art and the environment and is a cultural geography researcher at the University of Glasgow.[11]
Personal life
He spent much of his adult life in Edinburgh and now lives in West Yorkshire.
Discography
Albums
- Weald (2011), Song, by Toad
- Farewell, Bastard Mountain (2014), Song, by Toad - as part of Bastard Mountain
- Surface Tension (2015) Pattern + Process
EPs
- Tipping In (2007), Fife Kills: records
- Like Alchemy (2008), Fife Kills: records
- Young Sun | Trouble Comes (2015), Song, by Toad - split 10-inch EP with Woodpigeon
Singles
- Your Phantom Limb (2011), Song, by Toad – split 7-inch single with Ian Humberstone
- The Charcoal Black and the Bonny Grey (2013), Song, by Toad – 7-inch single
- Water of Life (2013), 7-inch single[12]
References
- ↑ Carle, Darren (2011) "Rob St. John – Weald", The Skinny, 1 November 2011, retrieved 2012-04-09
- ↑ "Rob St John: Weald Track by track guide", Clash, 21 November 2011, retrieved 2012-04-09
- 1 2 Skrebels, Joe (2011) "Rob St. John – Weald", This Is Fake DIY, 21 November 2011, retrieved 2012-04-09
- ↑ Hamilton, Billy (2011) "Rob St. John Weald", Drowned in Sound, 22 November 2011, retrieved 2012-04-09
- ↑ Collins, Andrew (2011) "St John's Ambience", Where Did It All Go Right, 24 November 2011, retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ IMDB "The Bruce Lacey Experience", retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ Devine, Rachel (2013) "Folklore Tapes - Setting to song a dark period of English history, The List, 22 April 2013, retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ Meighan, Nicola (2013) "Water Of Life: A Liquid Cartography Of Edinburgh In Sound, Words & Images ", The Quietus, 15 December 2013, retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ Mulvey, John (2015) "London Music and the River Lea" UNCUT, 31 March 2015, retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ Concrete Antenna, retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ Rob St. John Website, retrieved 2015-05-19
- ↑ Rob St. John Recordings, retrieved 2015-05-19