Dark Day

Robin’s creative path began in the mid-1970s when he started out as a performance artist and became immersed in the No Wave scene of New York. Together with Arto Lindsay and Ikue Mori, he formed DNA, an experimental No Wave punk project merging sparse, angular experimentalism with raw punk energy and noisy improvisations. After parting ways with DNA, Robin began to construct sounds that were more synthesizer-based, and thus Dark Day was formed alongside Phil Kline and Barry Friar.

The project’s debut 7”, Hands in the Dark / Invisible Man, was still indebted to punkish, noisy textures, but introduced a much stronger element of synth-laden melancholy. This was further developed in Exterminating Angel, an album balancing between noirish pulsations and rougher post-punk moods. Before delving into meditative and hypnotic psych-folk/ambient territories, Dark Day released Window—a surreal and strangely haunting affair played with sparse, toy-like instruments, mixing the worlds of eerie poeticism and mellow ambience. Window serves as both a summary of a specific period in Robin’s work and a perfect entry point into his catalog.

Records and connections

Later, Robin became preoccupied with experiments in psychedelic folk and exotic musical excursions, creating ethereal acoustic soundscapes that at times echoed The Incredible String Band or Robbie Basho. Beyond the 1989 album Darkest Before Dawn, he continued constructing his daydream fairyland sonic landscapes under his own name, employing various classical and exotic instruments. He has also authored books containing stories that further expand upon these sonic worlds. Much of his later output appeared on Important Records, while his early material has been lovingly reissued by the Dark Entries label.

STM 160 showcases Robin’s ongoing journey in its entirety but focuses heavily on folkish and pastoral sounds, presenting a diverse mixture of classical and contemporary folk music. Starting on an intense note with Yoko Ono’s bouncing rhythms and Dark Day’s own hit “Hands in the Dark,” it creeps into mellow dramaticism with the haunting balladry of Nico and the early psych wanderings of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The narrative turns towards more exotic and meditative realms with Moondog’s hypnotic experimentalism and Atrium Musicae de Madrid’s interpretations of Ancient Greek traditional music, featuring crystal flute sounds and vocals. It builds up again with the Scottish freak-folk classics of The Incredible String Band. The selection continues its rural path with the forgotten beauty of Deux Filles, the calmness of Vashti Bunyan, and the laid-back melancholia of Colleen. The sonic narrative shifts between moods with the autumnal ambient softness of Roger Eno and the tropical madness of Bimbo Jet.

This selection is an exercise in simplicity, depth, and beauty—qualities the modern world often lacks. The finishing miniatures from Robin’s solo material provide a whimsical touch, transferring the listener to a place of idyllic peace. The mix resembles the dreamy haziness of Marc Chagall’s vividly beautiful and surreal painting The Carnival (Scene II of the Ballet “Aleko”), where light colors and shades interconnect into a wide-open space populated by strange figures and country landscapes.