InstRURmental, by Binaural Space

InstRURmental

by Binaural Space

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FoxPuppy The only reason I would recommend buying this album is if you already have the original non-instrumental version. Binaural Space's album Karel Čapek's RUR was a huge album for me, broadening greatly my understanding of music. Go get that one first, then come back and get this one if you need that brilliant composition without the samples.

nehmi Better with the narrative, but still an incredible journey. Annihilation will forever live rent-free in my mind. Favorite track: Annihilation.

Chris Magdalenski Over the past few months I've been listening to a lot more ambient/experimental music. After hearing many very positive reactions to the work of Binaural Space I gave this album a listen and was completely blown away!

It's difficult to put my feelings about this album into words, but simply put listening to "InstRURmental" is a thought-proving journey across a sonic landscape that is nothing short of inspiring. Very highly recommended!! Favorite track: History.

bytemapperfan A masterful work. I'll admit I didn't have the full context beyond the description of the album, but going in fresh, blind even, yielded wonderful results. InstRURmental is a mish mash of elements, things like serene textures, familiar sounds, and a current of calm intermingle with abrasive textures, harsh elements, and almost organic monstrosities that tease at the senses. Absolutely sublime Favorite track: Robot Soul.

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

120 CZK or more
Cassette + Digital Album
January 25, 1921: premiere of R.U.R. in Prague's National Theatre
January 25, 2021: 100th anniversary, Karel Čapek's RUR is released
January 25, 2022: 101th anniversary, InstRURmental is released, and Karel Čapek's RUR is released on tape
January 25, 2023: 102nd aniversary, InstRURmental is released on tape

Yellow cassette with red handwriting in a red case, dedicated & signed by Binaural Space.

Each copy was real-time recorded directly from analog master played on a fabled Marantz deck to a warm and beloved old Nakamichi deck. Every single copy is unique and has desired little artefacts like warble, flutter or wow, making your cassette a hearty lo-fi original.

Combine with other Binaural Space releases to save on shipping:
binaural-space.bandcamp.com/merch

Includes unlimited streaming of InstRURmental via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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edition of 15 3 remaining

270 CZK or more

1.	Prologue 02:06	buy track
2.	Helena 03:26	buy track
3.	History 03:25	buy track
4.	Married 01:33	buy track
5.	Robot Soul 02:14	buy track
6.	Radius 01:23	buy track
7.	Humankind 02:04	buy track
8.	Manuscript 01:52	buy track
9.	Annihilation 01:34	buy track
10.	Epilog 02:46	buy track
11.	Moment of Silence 02:06	buy track

about

101 years ago today, on January 25, 1921, Karel Čapek's play R.U.R. had its world premiere in Prague's National Theatre. My album Karel Čapek's RUR, released exactly a year ago, commemorated this anniversary. This album, InstRURmental, is the instrumental version of that album, as desired by my fans.

Čapek's play was a fundamental work about artificial, factory-assembled servants called "robots", a word derived from Czech term for forced serfs' labour. This word was suggested to Čapek by his brother Josef but it was the very play, R.U.R., that introduced it to the world. Without R.U.R. – Rossum's Universal Robots – there wouldn't have been Asimov's three laws of robotics, no androids, no replicants, no other humanoids for a much longer time.

It's surprising how the themes introduced in RUR have been more and more valid and elaborated in philosophy, literature and film – one of the most recent examples has been the movie Don't Look Up where, too, the humanity risks its whole existence for profit. As Alquist in RUR says: "It is we who are to blame. For our own selfish ends, for profit, for progress, we have destroyed mankind. Now we'll burst with all our greatness."

For me personally R.U.R. is the most significant and important play written in the 20th Century for us today: Čapek's robots weren't equipped just with physical power but also with brains capable of independent thinking. As thus they preceded what we now call Artificial Intelligence.

But the play itself is not just fundamental – it is beautiful, brilliantly written and unforgettable. I was very lucky that my friend, a roommate from the dorms where I lived during my studies, opened the world of the arguably best Czech theatre of that period for me two decades ago. I didn't care about theatres we went to with schools but I would give my heart to that one immediately.

The most crucial performance for me happened five years after we began going to the Klicpera Theater in Hradec Králové regularly. A new director, David Drábek, would start a new, wonderful epoch there with the very R.U.R.

I was totally enchanted and fascinated by the play so I went to see it several times, although I lived in another city and had to travel back by very early morning trains. On one of the performances I even did something I wouldn't repeat, ever: I took a few pictures – that's how obsessed I was with the experience. And because the premiere of the play took place the very year I started dating a fantastic girl, I took her there with me, too. I was happy to see she also felt the huge power of Čapek's masterpiece. So I married her. ;-) And that friend/room-mate who had opened the world of theatre to me would join us as my best man.

Today, 16 years later, and 101 years after the premiere night, I am thrilled, humbled and nervous to share with you my own treatment of R.U.R., first time without Čapek's brilliant words.

I love R.U.R. and I adore Karel Čapek. In this way I daringly merged my musical journey with Čapek's creative genius and, perhaps, participated on the evolution of the beloved play for new audiences. Now I'm linked with "RUR" forever, like generations of creators before me and it feels both scary and awesome. I'm very happy I followed the little idea I had in July 2020 when visiting Čapek's Museum with my wife and our two kids, and I worked hard to achieve something I'm still very proud of and grateful for 12 months after the first release.

If only one person loves this like I loved that performance 16 years ago, I'll be satisfied and happy. And if it inspires anyone to think about AI in a different way, my mission with all things RUR will have been accomplished.

Enjoy your listening adventure and thank you for your support as well as for reading – not just this; in general.

Binaural Space, 25th January 2022, from in front of the National Theatre in Prague where RUR was premiered 101 years ago today

credits

released January 25, 2022

Artwork by pH

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Binaural Space

Ambient traditionalists say to Binaural Space what the Emperor said to Mozart: “Too many notes.” In both cases, the rest of the world tends to disagree.

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