Home » Jazz Articles » Michael Robinson
Jazz Articles about Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson's Piano Improvisation Series
by Hrayr Attarian
Keyboardist and composer Michael Robinson is well known for performing his genre-defying electronic works on his invention, the Meruvina. He is also an accomplished pianist who has released several solo improvisations, including three in 2021. A mix of originals and radically reimagined standards, each consists of three or four long tracks that fully reflect Robinson's individuality and talent. Micheal Robinson Star Girl Azure Miles 2021 The captivating Star Girl opens with a unique ...
Continue ReadingMichael Robinson: Taffeta Patterns
by Hrayr Attarian
Composer and keyboardist Michael Robinson is as prolific as he is creative. Using his own invention, the meruvina, he creates unique electro-acoustic pieces that brim with spontaneity. His first release of 2021, the exuberant Taffeta Patterns, differs from his most recent discs in its infectious dance beats. A single track, lasting a little under an hour, “Taffeta Patterns" consists of ethereal, eastern-influenced harmonies layered over a disco-like cadence. Within this contrasting yet complimentary construct, vibrant melodic fragments shimmer ...
Continue ReadingMichael Robinson: Lotus-Pollen
by Hrayr Attarian
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Michael Robinson utilizes a unique amalgam of acoustic and digital technology to create captivating sonic tapestries. His genre-defying pieces are crafted with the rigour of a classicist yet they brim with a dynamic jazzy spontaneity and eastern mysticism. On his fourth 2020 release, Lotus-Pollen, Robinson performs four kaleidoscopic and mesmerizing originals, each with its own distinct captivating pattern. As with his previous work of past years, Robinson draws inspiration from the Indian musical tradition. “Second ...
Continue ReadingMichael Robinson: One Man Orchestra
by Hrayr Attarian
Composer Michael Robinson is a unique musician who is heavily influenced by the tradition of the Indian subcontinent. He is as prolific as he is creative having released 144 albums over the past 29 years. He uses an instrument he has invented that seamlessly incorporates acoustic and electronic elements into a digital platform. He calls it Meruvina. Robinson utilizes notated scores as a launching pad yet he spontaneously embellishes the melodies resulting in dynamic and uplifting sublime soundscapes.
Continue ReadingMichael Robinson: Where Composition, Programming & Raga Meet
by Mark Sullivan
Los Angeles-based composer Michael Robinson's work is full of contradictions. It is produced via computer programming, a system which he refers to as “Meruvina." The name comes from the sanskrit word for musical instrument, “vina" and the name of the mountain where the Hindu gods reside, “Mount Meru," and consists of software, a computer, and a sound module that accesses both sampled and synthesized sounds. The system is digital, but uses the sound of acoustic instruments; fully notated, but the ...
Continue ReadingMichael Robinson: Charukeshi
by AAJ Staff
Charukeshi, a modern update to the ancient tradition of North Indian classical music, stands at the crossroads between new tools and traditional forms. Michael Robinson, who's been doing this kind of thing for some time now, takes a holistic approach to his projects. Using the piano and a variety of instruments from all over Asia (and the world), Robinson assembles instrumental units and performs with the aid of electronic sequencing and processing. His approach most prominently relies on African percussion ...
Continue Reading
Buy Now
