Robert Dillam

Overview

musical style: 

photograph of Robert

There are, at least, 2 artists named Robert:

1) Contrary to what one might think, Robert is a female unique french music singer/songwriter. She was born the 14th of October in 1964.

Independent artist, author and songwriter, she evolves in a fairy-like universe, halfway between the tragedy and the Gothic, sometimes with a point of nonsense. Often compared to Mylène Farmer, Barbara or Marie Laforêt, death, childhood, and love appear regularly in her titles. Her crystalline often fragile opera voice and the baroque (and sometime electronic) music, give her a real success in France, Belgium but also in Japan, in spite of a certain media absence.

Classical ballet dancer, her dreams break , when a teenager, a bony decalcification makes her abandon her passion and real talent. Young actress, she decides to dedicate herself to music and song in 1989. Since, she collaborates in most cases with her spouse Mathieu Saladin, musician and often co - compositor. Her first single " Elle se promene " is released in November 1990. Three years after in 1993, she releases her first album " Sine " with an underground electronic sound , composed of 16 titles. The same year, we find her voice accompanying that of Jeans-François'es Coen in " La Tour de Pise ", whose video is signed by Michel Gondry, and who had accomplished " Les jupes " of Robert some months earlier. She will make the choruses of certain songs of his eponymous album.

In 1997, Robert releases inconspicuously " Princesse De Rien " , her second album (12 titles) with a complete change in her musical style using ancient baroque instruments mixed with electronic loops . The same year, she meets a fervent admirer: the world-wide successful Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb. Amélie writes " L'appel de la Succube " , interpreted by the singer on the second edition of Princesse De Rien in 2000.

In September, 2002, Robert releases her third album, " Celle qui tue " (13 titles+ 1). More electronic than ever she transforms from a Princess-like style into a Witch/Sirene image-style. Six texts are written by her friend Amélie Nothomb. At the same time, the graphomane Nothomb takes out the novel "Robert de noms propres" , inspired by the life of the singer.

Unutma ( N'oublie pas ) (2004) a collection of Robert's titles, extracted from her three albums (reissued in 2007), of alternative versions, and some new songs. The young woman notably expresses herself there in Turkish in the title-song Unutma. In this opportunity, it rerecords the song "Le Prince Bleu", this time in duo with the singer and American actress Majandra Delfino (known for her roles in feature-length film Traffic and American series Roswell). Robert's videos are very appreciated, and for this duo, a film of animation is accomplished by Sebastian Rossignol. They accept together the price of the best special effects in the International Festival of the Videoclip in France.


If every album of Robert is conceived as a small masterpiece in full measure, it is on stage that her texts, finely written, take all their dimension. The complete artist shows herself, hypnotic and intoxicating, in turn odd and dramatic there. It occurs most often in the small concert halls, often loaded with history with Paris. In spring 2005 she releases in videodisc the recording of her unique concert given in the Cicale on September 25th, 2004. A public loyal and supportive follows Robert since her beginning, and grows in every concert.


The fourth album, "Six pieds sous terre" is released in November 2005 featuring a more acoustic instrumentation (harpsichord, clarinet, harp, violins, flute) and a more dramatic , fairy-like atmosphere. It includes eleven titles written by Robert, as well as " Prière pour aller au paradis ", title from Marie Laforêt. The actor Sacha Bourdo ventures into Robert's world, and shares "Histoire du loup" with her. The first single is called "Personne". In this opportunity, Gabriel Aghion (Le libertin, Belle-Maman, Pedale Douce ) accomplishes for the first time a pop video, the eighth of Robert. In the 2007 re-edition she adds two new songs including an adaptation of Cold Song of Purcell popularised in 1982 from Klaus Nomi .
On February 5th, 2006, for the first time in sixteen years, the artist performs in the legendary Olympia.

In the beginning of 2007 she releases "Princess Of Nowhere" , a collection of some of her old songs plus two new re-orchestrated ( Mike and Fatal ), all adapted and sung in english.


Her artist name, usually written RoBERT on the disc, was the nickname given to her by a boyfriend.

2) Robert has been crafting and performing since 2017. Born and raised in multi-cultural West Bromwich, UK, music became a saviour that tore him out of the street life that was giving way beneath him and planted his feet firmly on stable ground. Giving him a sense of purpose other than the ego-driven path he had learnt from those around him and allowing him expression through art, instead of violence, which at the time felt like the only option available. His sound resounds with influences from The Fall, Sonic Youth, Aldous Harding, Blur, Raekwon, Sleaford Mods, FKA Twigs and Nirvana. He is no slave to a genre, and his style proves this, with a sound that cannot be pigeon- holed.

Robert’s full-length debut comes in the form of ‘Orange Is the New Black’, blending Folk,Psychedelic & Prog Rock samples with raw hip-hop to create a unique and uncompromising sound. Lyrically dense, open-hearted, and encompassing true stories. The album was conceived and the lyrics were crafted during a stint at Her Majesty’s Pleasure , whilst The title and art were inspired by the biography of cult leader Osho (The Bagwan) a book Robert cherished during his incarceration . ‘OITNB’ doesn’t just leave it to the lyrics to portray the pain-filled and ruthless journey he has enlisted cult favourites Sleaford Mods, Kool Keith, Rag ‘n’ Bone man & Slug of Atmostphere to help paint the picture of a imprisoned Prophet. Read more about Robert Dillam on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Gear used by Robert Dillam

Robert Dillam electric guitars

Robert Dillam links

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