Robert Rutman (Berlin, 1931) went to the USA to study art in 1955. In 1975, he started building steel-metal sculptures to be played with a bow, like a violin, and founded the U.S. Steel Cello Ensemble.

Robert Rutman is an instrument inventor who created the steel cello in the early '70s. The instrument is a large sheet of steel suspended vertically, with a wire stretching between the two right corners. This string is bowed, and the curved steel acts as a resonator. The player can fret the string to produce a wide range of pitches, and can also use the instrument for percussive sounds. The pieces consist of buzzing drones with regular undulations, the release explores great resonating waves of sound, full of overtones and long, sustained tones. At times sounds like an air raid, with an ominous opening section reminiscent of resonating airplane sounds in World War II movies, then a screeching of sirens and crashes. This record is a good exploration of new areas of instrument building, as well as a fine ambient and drone release in its own right. Rutman has recently collaborated with artists like Carsten Tiedemann from the tribal-ambient group Mo Boma and Rudi Moser, a recent addition to the industrial group Einstürzende Neubauten.

Condition:  Unused and unopened NEW

Tracklist A   Bitter Suites

    Cello [Single String Steel Cello] - Robert Rutman
  Performer [Bow Chimes] - David Zaig, Suzanne Bresler B   Bitter Suites

    Performer [Bow Chimes] - Jim Van Denakker, Rex Morril, Robert Rutman , Steve Baer