Robert Miles

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Robert Miles was the pseudonym of Roberto Concina, born in 1969 in Fleurier in Switzerland to Italian parents. He grew up in Fagagna in Friuli, Italy, played the piano and worked as a DJ in clubs and on radio stations. In 1990 he started a studio of his own and a pirate station with his savings. He chose the name Robert Miles to suit the international musical journey he had in mind.

Music and breakthrough

In 1994 he wrote Children, a calm piece that began as trance and chill-out on acoustic guitar chords and soft synthesizer sounds, and later acquired a piano theme. The song came out in 1995 and within two weeks became a success all over Europe. It topped the charts in many countries. According to the story, he wanted to calm dancers at raves before they drove home. The debut album Dreamland appeared in 1996, with, among others, Fable and a cover of One and One with the singer Maria Nayler. In 1997 came 23am, with Freedom and vocals by Kathy Sledge. After that he set up his own label Salt Records and made Organik, Miles_Gurtu with the percussionist Trilok Gurtu, and Th1rt3en.

Influence

Miles developed dream trance: melodic, soft and cinematic, with the piano sound as its signature. Later he sought influences from trip-hop, Indian music, jazz and rock. He died in 2017 in Ibiza at the age of 47. His work shows that dance music could also be calm and reflective.

Listening

• 
  Children · Robert Miles, 1995
  Apple Music ↗

Discography

Studio albums

• 1996Dreamland
• 199723am
• 2001Organik
• 2004Miles_Gurtu
• 2011Th1rt3en