Robert Toher is something of a musical voyager. For nearly two decades he’s navigated the perimeters of the musical landscape, from playing in punk bands as a teen in the late ’90s to his central role in the genre-bending bands Apse and ERAAS in the 2000s and 2010s. Similarly, Toher’s musical stylings have run the gamut, spanning from shoegaze and industrial rock to trip-hop and reverb-heavy dark wave. The constant through it all is Toher, whose latest project, Public Memory, is pushing the envelope of aural possibility with its uniquely arranged soundscapes and synth-heavy electronic vibes.
“I really just like lyrics and music that move me,” Toher explains over the phone. It’s late October and he’s calling from his home base in New Haven, Connecticut. He’s gearing up for a short West Coast tour in support of his latest LP, Demolition, out on Nov. 9, and he explains that his current project was inspired by an amalgamation of emotions, sounds and experiences—not necessarily one set genre or idea.
“I like working on projects that are electronic for the most part, but have an emotional center to them rather than just being techno or ambient or synthesizer projects,” he says. “For me, it’s got to have more of an emotional tendency to it.”
As the sole creative force behind Public Memory, emotion plays a central role in the music-making process. He says his latest work revolves around the concept of things not turning out the way one expects and learning how to approach and manage that.
“It’s about a reformation based within the self, based on experiences you’ve had, conclusions you’ve come to and the realizations that you’ve been faced with,” he says.
As vocalist, composer, producer and songwriter, Public Memory is a space for Toher to push his creative boundaries. Demolition, Public Memory’s second full-length, is a richer, more layered follow up to 2017’s Veil of Counsel EP and 2016’s Wuthering Drum. Although featuring plenty of heavy ambient and electronic noise, Demolition feels more avant-garde and uptempo than Public Memory’s previous releases. Toher likens it to the all-embracing experience of watching a movie on the big screen.
“This album is definitely more colorful than the first and the EP—there’s more of a limited palette on those records,” he explains. “This one is a little bit more high-definition and widescreen, a little more cinematic and orchestral. Not so much in terms of orchestral instruments, but the way it’s arranged, structured and mixed has an orchestral feel.”
Ethereal, multi-layered samples—many of which Toher pulls from natural soundscapes—loop throughout songs and compliment the contrastingly heavy bass and drums, drone-like reverb and catchy electronic riffs. Toher’s delicate, textured falsetto carefully sits somewhere between that complex instrumentation, reminiscent at times of Thom Yorke’s harmonic range and style. And while Public Memory’s overall feel can be characterized as dark or brooding, Toher finds his sound to to be quite the opposite.
“It can be dark, but I don’t set out to make dark music, although that’s very fashionable these days,” Toher says with a laugh. “I think a lot of bands are playing to a style that’s very nostalgic. When I set out to make music at least, it’s more romantic and emotional than it is dark.”
Public Memory’s live setup, like Demolition, is fuller and more cinematic: Toher has recruited two other musicians to accompany him on vocals and guitar, including a synth player and percussionist. Their short West Coast tour will follow with what Toher hopes is a full-length US and European tour in the near future.
“Public Memory’s live tour has always been a duo, but now it’s grown to three people and we have a dedicated drummer,” Toher explains. “In addition to two synthesizers, guitar, vocals and samples, it’s definitely more lush—this album and the live show.”
Public Memory
Nov 14, 7pm, $10
The Ritz, San Jose
