Michael Stearns & Robert Rich
Reunion of Breath and Waves

Scheduled for release on June 21, 2026

Robert & Michael met in 1986, introduced by Stephen Hill of Hearts of Space. Labelmates, their friendship came naturally… explorers of the sonic mystery.  In 2024 fellow composer Steve Roach organized a series of performances for the three in Tucson.  Although both Robert and Michael had released albums with Steve, the two realized the time had arrived for their own collaboration. 

During two 10-day sessions in Robert’s studio in June and December 2025 they created a range of compositions.  During intervening months, they sent iterations back and forth, and formed them into vignets, short melodic stories. Several themes connect these stories, deep in their origins, touching on love of nature, shared experience and the passion of feeling truly alive.

Recorded 2025 – 2026 at Soundscape, Carmel & The Guest House, Santa Fe.
Mixed and Mastered by Robert Rich, March 2026.
© 2026 by Michael Stearns, BMI and Robert Rich, BMI
Earth Turtle Music, BMI and Amoeba Music, BMI
Michael Stearns:  Guitar with processing, Torso S-4, Wavestate, 3rdWave, Iridium, Equator 2 and scoring libraries
Robert Rich: Flutes, lap steel, percussion, Prophet 6,12,X, Korg WS, ASM Hydrasynth, MOTM, 3rdWave.
Design and art by John Bergin