Your cart

Total
NZD
Shipping and discount codes are added at checkout.

Contributor


Rob Thorne

Composer, Performer, Māori Composer

Biography

Ngāti Tumutumu

Composer, Performer, Improvisor, Collaborator, Anthropologist, Specialist New Zealand Māori composer, performer, improvisor, collaborator, anthropologist and specialist Rob Thorne M.A. (Ngāti Tumutumu) is a diverse and original explorer in the evolving journey of Taonga Puoro (traditional Māori instruments), fusing these ancient voices with modern sounds and technology. His debut solo album Whaia te Maramatanga (Rattle Records) is a deeply felt and highly concentrated conversation between the past and the present - a musical passage of identity and connection.

Using modern looping technology and traditional Māori flutes and horns made from stone, bone, shell and wood, Rob creates a transcendent aural experience that touches the soul with timeless beauty. Every performance of "Whāia te Māramatanga" is a stunning and very personal exploration of the spiritual and healing qualities of an ancient practise.

Rob’s combined musical and academic experience and skills are multitudinal. A musician with over 25 years performance experience in bands and solo, predominantly within alternative rock, free noise, experimental, and improvisational sound art, his work since 2001 with traditional Māori musical instruments (taonga puoro) has seen him complete an MA in Social Anthropology, and since 2008, incorporate this diverse experience to create long, beautifully transcendent, ambient compositions using loops, intelligently blending the modern with the ancient: a format that is now being picked up and utilised by many taonga puoro players.

His journey of identity has seen him travel the country to research museum collections, teach and lecture, present as keynote, demonstrate, collaborate and perform, working academically and musically with both traditional and sonic masters including Richard Nunns and Phil Dadson. His Post Graduate Diploma research became a museum exhibition "Kōauau: The Music Within", which successfully toured New Zealand regionally for 5 years and awoke many to the natural ease with which the instruments can be made and played.


Composed (50)

Whāia Te Māramatanga Suite

for taonga puoro and electronics


A Forgotten Land - First Light

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden., 5m 41s


A forgotten Land - The Uprooted Tree

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 3m 55s


Aro

for taonga puoro and electronics, 6m 22s


Attention

for taonga puoro and electronics, 5m 15s


Atua Kiato

for pūtōrino, 7m 40s


Beating Spaces

an acousmatic composition, 7m


Beginning

for taonga pūoro, 2m 15s


Corridor

for taonga puoro and electronics, 9m 9s


Dark Star - EnTrance

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 41s


Dark Star - Fading Light

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 8m 12s


Dark Water

for taonga pūoro and double bass, 7m 10s


First Improvisation

for taonga pūoro and electric guitar with pedal


Front Ear

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 32s


Gateway

for taonga puoro and electronics, 5m 17s


Glurn Herrin

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 8m 17s


Intention

for taonga puoro and electronics, 6m 30s


Kauhanga

for taonga puoro and electronics, 4m 48s


Ko Tō Manawa, Ko Tōku Puritia - Your Heart is My Heart

for taonga pūoro, guitar and orchestra, 12m


Kore

for taonga puoro and electronics, 4m 42s


Kotahi Rārangi Ūngutu

for saxophone and taonga pūoro


Kōrero

for taonga pūoro and live electronics, 11m


Maiea

for pūtōrino, 7m 20s


Nothing

for taonga puoro and electronics, 2m


Overture

for chamber ensemble


Parawhenua

for taonga pūoro, saxophone, bass and drums


Phase Transition

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 4m 4s


Prisma

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 54s


Pursue Enlightenment Suite

for taonga puoro and electronics


Spell

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 32s


Spiral

for taonga puoro and electronics, 9m 27s


Te Ao Hou: Whakariterite

for taonga pūoro and string quartet


Te Manawa o Raukatauri

for solo pūtōrino, 7m 45s


Te Ngākau o Tāne Pēpepe

for Taonga pūoro, 6m


Te Tangi A Mutu

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 15m 14s


Te toroa me te tohorā

for taonga puoro and piano trio, 4m 30s


Timatanga

for taonga puroro and electronics, 5m 9s


Timeless

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 59s


Tomokanga

for string quartet and taonga pūoro, 10m 30s


Tor 201

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 4m 4s


Triptytchon

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 31s


Tōrino

for taonga puoro and electronics, 7m 18s


Undivided

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 1m 24s


Whakaaro

for taonga puoro, 1m 35s


Whakapaparanga

for improvising musicians, 8m 30s


Whakauruuru

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 7m 29s


Whakawhiti

for taonga puoro and electronics, 4m 40s


With the Wind

for taonga pūoro


Wooden Lung

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 11m 3s


Yfasma

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden., 7m 54s



Performances (7)

Aotearoa Audio Arts Festival

Aotearoa Audio Arts, the first festival of its kind in New Zealand, encompasses live performances...


STROMA | Voices of the World

A rich collection of works inspired by non-Western musical traditions from around the world, incl...


Orchestra Wellington | Houstoun/Triumph!

Taonga pūoro specialist __Rob Thorne__'s commissioned work is joined by Shostakovich's 8th Sympho...


Matariki ki Pōneke | Wellington Sky Show

Nau mai, haere mai – your whole whānau are warmly invited to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Ye...


Film screening and performance: Te Kooti Trail (1927)

This a rare opportunity to see _Te Kooti Trail_ (1927) on the big screen. Organised by Adam Art G...


Whenua Pūoro | Land Music

Whenua Pūoro | Land Music A Concert of Taiao Conscious New Music Improvisations, an...


Unfencing the Commons

Featuring recent compositions by __Karl Steven__, performed by string trio __Kulios__ with __Davi...