Besides their work as The Land of Yrx and Aerie Rob especially has produced a large body of 'solo' work. In fact he was the first to make it onto CD as well as cassette (see CD page). Dave also produced a solo album during the period between Aerie and The Land of Yrx, although he has since concentrated on band projects.
David Gate - Periods of Magnetic Induction BASL10 - C46 - March 1984 Basically a collection of odds and ends that Dave had been recording while Rob was working on his debut release. Some of the tracks sound like late Aerie, while others preview the sound of the early Land of Yrx. Ironically it wasn't released until The Land of Yrx were well underway.
Dave Gate: Keyboards/Electronics
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Robert Andrews
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A Collection Of Musical Curios BASL8 - C46 - May 1982 (reissued with BASL15 as Messenger Music MRA9 - November 1987) Rob's first solo album, and the first released work after Aerie's split. The largely guitar based first side was recorded at the Bear Steps Hall Gallery, where the Land of Yrx were subsequently to play some of their best gigs, while the second was a more sequenced affair recorded at the Land of Yrx studio.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Electronics
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Schittinee BASL15 - C46 - January 1983 (reissued with BASL8 as Messenger Music MRA9 - November 1987) Rob's second, and more diverse album. Between Collection and Schittinee the Land of Yrx had found their stride, and were developing nicely although not recording. The work on this album reflects both the LOY live state, and possibly what the band would have sounded like if they had recorded around this time, although filtered through Rob's melodic sensibility rather than the band's "let's press this and see what happens" attitude.
Rob Andrews:
Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Electronics/Saxophone/Voice
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Man Of Sinistra BASL22 - C46 - July 1984 (Reissued with BASL25 as MRB9 - November 1987) By his third album Rob was developing a musical dual personality - part experimenter, part acoustic balladeer. This album was recorded during the Land of Yrx's most fertile period and involved several people who either were or would become part of the band.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Keyboards/Electronics/Recorder
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Cumulo BASL25 - C46 - September 1984 (Reissued with BASL22 as MRB9 - November 1987) A far more downbeat and low key collection than his previous (even down to the basic cover design), but still showing signs of the need to work on both the experimental and melodic fronts.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Electronics/Voice
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The Tourniquet BASL29 - C46 - May 1986 (Reissued with additional recordings as Messenger Music MRC9 - November 1987) Undoubtedly the album where Rob's individual style really comes into its own, and he steps out from the shadows of the Land of Yrx band, although Dave and Mark Jenkins are still involved. This also represents, on sie two, the first forays of either member of the band into serious multi-tracking as the entire side was recorded on 8-track for the first time.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Electronics
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Mute Messenger Music MRD5 - C60 - June 1987 Following on (variously) from tension during the recording of The Tourniquet, the abortive recording of the Land of Yrx's proposed vinyl debut and Martyn Smith's departure to university having broken up the band Rob recorded his first album away from its confines, although Dave did record two of the tracks and co-write one. The album ended up a lot more rocky than any of his previous works, although the acoustic element was still very much in evidence, but there was little of the experimentation that had characterised his earlier albums. This was also his first release on his own label, Messenger Music.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Voice/Ukelele
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Obligate Anearobes Messenger Music MRE6 - C60 - February 1988 Amazingly, after successfully breaking away from The Land of Yrx for Mute Rob was back in the fold for this album, much less of a group effort than his previous and returning to the more electronic style of The Tourniquet. Still one of his best ever.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Electronics |
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Harvesting The Winter Beat Messenger Music MRG6 - C60 - March 1989 By the time this album was recorded Rob had very sensibly left The Land of Yrx camp once again, as it wasn't a very pleasant place to be in late 1988 - early 1989. Between his last appearence as saxophone player on Rob's Mute album and the recording of this one Andy Pinches had been developing his own, very distinctive, keyboard style and had just finshed his first album in his own right. He and Rob sat down and produced this very introspective work.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards
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Live Direction Music DMC06 - C60 - October 1989 Long time Land of Yrx champion Peter Harrison asked Rob to release a tape though his newly formed Direction Music label. Rob was still feeling played out from the recording of Harvesting The Winter Beat, but was pleased to find that Live (rhymes with 'Give' not 'Hive') was easily recorded in six weeks, again with Andy Pinches; and remains one of his favourite of his own albums.
Rob Andrews: Guitar/Bass/Ukelele/Keyboards/Tuning Fork
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A Change For The Different (with Andy Pinches,
Barry Christian & Steve Hillman) Messenger Music MRJ6 - C60 - May 1991 Not strictly one of Rob's solo albums as, apart from a joint track with Rob and Steve each artist does his own thing, but still an important milestone in Rob's development of his own style.
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Music For Compilations Messenger Music MRI4 - C46 - May 1991 (Private Issue) A privately released cassette featuring tracks that had mainly been recorded for various compliation albums that Rob had contributed to.
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In Concert Messenger Music MRK4 - C46 - December 1992 One of Rob's darker releases, as can be seen from the cover artwork. Very personal.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards
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On Stage Messenger Music MRL9 - C90 - September 1993 The last of Rob's trilogy of tapes that make you think they're gig recordings. This was supposed to represent a moving on in his musical career, by revisting and revitalising some older pieces. Once again Rob had fallen back into The Land of Yrx following the death of Martyn Smith; and this album was once again recorded with Dave Gate.
Rob Andrews: Guitars/Bass/Keyboards
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Aphelion (with Steve Hillman, Andy Pinches,
Kevin O'Neill & Barry Christian) Messenger Music MRM9 - C90 - April 1996 Again not strictly a solo project, but one where Rob was firmly in control of the material.
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Messenger - The Best Of Robert Andrews Transfer Tapes TR09 - C90 - May 1998 A compliation of Rob's favourites from all his solo releases.
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Rob Andrews has also appeared on numerous compliations. As soon as we have full details they will be added here.