About
Robert Strachan is a senior lecturer based in the School of Music. He has published numerous articles on a variety of aspects of popular music culture including DIY music cultures, electronic music and creativity, the history of British black music and music and audiovisual media (such as music video and documentary). He is author of Sonic Technologies: Popular Music, Digital Culture and the Creative Process. (Bloomsbury, New York 2017) and co-editor of The Beat Goes On: Liverpool, Popular Music and the Changing City (Liverpool University Press, 2010). He was commissioning editor of the journal Popular Music History (Equinox press) for over ten years.
Rob is also an active musician and sound artist. His audiovisual installations have been exhibited at the Wordsworth Trust, Kakimori Bunko, Itami, Japan. Abject Gallery, Newcastle, Liverpool Biennial , the Bluecoat and FACT. He also has a track record in exploring the use of digital audio technologies in one-off hybrid performances including his work with the Hive Collective at METAL (2012), FutureEverything (2010) and Tate Liverpool (2009). His two collaborative performances of 'Blue Remix' with the Swiss performance artist Yann Marussich (including the National Review of Live Art, Glasgow) formed part of a project which would receive the award of Distinction: Hybrid Art at the 2008 Prix Ars Electronica. His music and commentary have been heard on a variety of radio stations including a solo broadcast live set and interview for BBC Radio 3 and a central role in BBC Radio 2’s Beyond the Telescope documentary. His experimental/psychedelic rock band Bonnacons of Doom have played numerous festivals in the UK and Europe.
Rob has supervised a number of PhD projects and welcomes enquiries from prospective doctoral students with interests in digital technologies, creativity and DIY popular music cultures.