Lichens

Lichens was a main recording alias of multi-instrumentalist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, created in 2004 for his solo and collaborative studio recordings and live performances. Lichens uses modular synthesizer to loop, manipulate and process his wordless vocals in real time to create hypnotizing, deep listening drone soundscapes. Largely inspired by works of Harry Partch, who invented his own 43-note scale system within the frequency range of a conventional Western 12-tone octave, Robert Lowe is primarily interested in synthesizer as a unique instrument with an ability to make sounds "right in between the notes". Apart from his voice, Lichens uses other unconventional sounds sources, including a human body or plants, which are connected to a synthesizer through a MIDI Sprout (a custom-built box which reads bio-signals through EEG pads and converts them into MIDI signal).

Lichens self-released his debut limited edition CD-R R. Brown in 2004 and played at the Million Tongues Festival in Chicago. His first official album was released in the autumn of 2005 by Kranky. The Psychic Nature of Being presented three long tracks, recorded over a single improvisation session without overdubbing. In 2008, Lichens toured extensively as an opening act for Explosions In The Sky and played at the Kranky festival curated by the band. After that Lowe started recording and performing mostly under his real name, so Lichens releases became less frequent. In 2012, the project presented Lítið Fólk LP on Belgian Kranky.