Robert Miles
(born Roberto Concina
, November 3, 1969, in Neuchâtel) is a Swiss Italian (not from Italian Switzerland proper but the son of Italian immigrants) record producer, composer and musician in trance and ambient music.
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Biography
Robert Miles was born to Antonietta and Albino Concina in
Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Although not a musical prodigy, Miles became proficient at playing the
piano during his youth in
Friuli, in the small town of
Fagagna, where his family moved when he was still a young boy, and has been in the music "scene" since 1988. He worked as DJ in some Italian clubs and in 1990, he used his savings to establish his own studio and bought some second-hand equipment. However, his initial compositions went unnoticed.
In 1994, Miles wrote his most famous
dream house work, titled "
Children". The single picked up steam slowly, and within two weeks of its official release in 1995, had sold more than 30,000 copies all over Europe and topped the charts in many countries. It earned Miles
platinum records in the UK and Germany and
gold records in other countries. "
Children" fell shy of reaching Top 20 status on the US charts, but remained popular with the DJs. In December 2004, "
Children" reached new audiences in the UK when it was sampled on a collaboration between
Angel City and
Ministry of Sound, entitled "Do You Know?", which reached the Top 10 in the UK.
Miles' next single was "
Fable", with vocals performed by
Fiorella Quinn. Part of this song was used in the theatrical trailer for the US movie,
Ever After
starring
Drew Barrymore and
Dougray Scott. His debut album
Dreamland
was released on June 7, 1996 in Europe, and released a few days later in the United States, with a new track, "
One and One", sung by
Maria Nayler and written by songwriters
Billy Steinberg,
Rick Nowels and
Marie Claire D'ubaldo. This new track became very popular and was later released as a single in the U.S. and Germany. At the end of 1996, Miles released a new version of
Dreamland
, called
Dreamland - The Winter Edition
, containing the track "One and One", which wasn't released in the European version of
Dreamland
. "One and One" was originally written for a Polish leading female artist
Edyta Górniak. She recorded it a year later on her international debut album
Edyta Gorniak
.
On November 27, 1997, Miles released another track, "Freedom", which was one of the key tracks on the album
23am
featuring vocals provided by
Kathy Sledge of
Sister Sledge. Containing a different feel from the previously light
Dreamland
,
23am
incorporated more lyrics-driven songs than its predecessor while maintaining Miles' trademark piano sound from the first album.
Miles remained under the radar until June 11, 2001, when his new album,
Organik
, was released on both vinyl and CD. Featuring the new single "Paths", it was considered by many fans to be a break from the style that Miles had pioneered in his first two albums.
In 2003, an album mainly remixes of many of the songs found on
Organik
was released. The album, appropriately titled
Organik Remixes
, contained remixes by the winners of the remixing contest held on Robert Miles' website, as well as remixes from well known artists such as
The Future Sound of London, whom he has stated are a major influence on his music.
[1] The album also had one new track, "Bhairav", which featured the vocals of
Amelia Cuni.
In late 2003, Miles moved from his home in London to Los Angeles. He started his own production label, Salt Records, and in 2004 released an album created under a partnership with
Trilok Gurtu, entitled
Miles Gurtu.
His new solo album is going to be released in the second half of 2009.
Selected discography
Albums
- 1996 Dreamland
- 1996 Dreamland - The Winter Edition
- 1997 23am
- 2001 Organik
- 2002 Organik Remixes
- 2004 Miles Gurtu
Singles
;Robert Miles
- 1995 "Soundtracks EP"
- 1995 "Red Zone"
- 1995 "Children" (UK #2, U.S. #21)
- 1996 "Fable" (with Fiorella Quinn) (UK #7)
- 1996 "One and One" (with Maria Nayler) (UK #3, U.S. #54) - (Edyta Gorniak Cover of One & One)
- 1997 "Freedom" (with Kathy Sledge) (UK #15)
- 1998 "Full Moon"
- 1998 "Everyday Life"
- 2001 "Paths" (with Nina Miranda) (UK #74)
- 2002 "Improvisations: Part 2"
- 2002 "Connections/Separations"
- 2002 "Organik Remixes"
- 2002 "Pour Te Parler (Remixes)"
[2]
;Roberto Milani
- 1994 "Can The Rhythm"
- 1994 "Ghost"
- 1995 "Oxygen EP Vol. 1"
- 1996 "The Robot" (with DJ Fain)
- 1996 "Outbreak"
Mixed compilations
- 1997 Robert Miles in the Mix
- 1997 Renaissance Worldwide - London
(with Dave Seaman)
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References
- Interview - Future Sound Of London
- British Hit Singles & Albums