Robert Rental
Mental Detentions
Robert Rental was a British pioneer of the post-punk DIY industrial electronic music scene in the United Kingdom. Originally from Port Glasgow, Scotland, he moved to the south of England with Thomas Leer in the late 1970s, and became involved with the local music scene. Robert Rental however released very little of his solo music, preferring to collaborate with Thomas Leer, as well as with Daniel Miller. The only solo recording from The 1970s is the 7" single "Paralysis" first released on the ho…
Paralysis
Robert Rental is an artist as influential as he is overlooked. An anchor of the early British DIY and post-punk scene, his name is most frequently uttered alongside illustrious collaborators such as Thomas Leer and Daniel Miller. Dark Entries and Optimo ally to illuminate some of Rental’s early solo works with an expanded reissue of his debut 7” Paralysis /A.C.C.. Both labels have previously excavated Rental’s catalog; we reissued the collaborative LP with Glenn Wallis in 2017, and Optimo releas…
Different Voices For You. Different Colours For Me.
Robert Rental was a British pioneer of the post-punk DIY industrial electronic music scene in the United Kingdom. Originally from Port Glasgow, Scotland, he moved to the south of England with Thomas Leer in the late 1970s, and became involved with the local music scene. Robert Rental however released very little of his solo music, preferring to collaborate with Thomas Leer, as well as with Daniel Miller.
The only solo recording from The 1970s is the 7" single "Paralysis" first released on the ho…
Different voices for you. Different Colours for me. Demos 1980
"On an unassuming cassette, just labelled Robert Rental in green Dymo tape, these demos have lain unheard for years amongst his family’s treasured possessions, cared-for artefacts of a life cut short far too soon. These songs, which Robert Rental recorded in his council flat in Battersea in 1980, provide an enticing glimpse into his all-too-infrequent solo work. On most occasions, Robert worked with Thomas Leer, Daniel Miller or other collaborators. These are rough recordings, tape hiss still in…
Untitled
Robert Rental was the stage name of Robert Donnachie (1952–2000), a British pioneer of post-punk, DIY, and industrial music. Originally from Port Glasgow, Scotland, he moved to the south of England with Thomas Leer in the late 1970s where he met Glenn Michael Wallis. Glenn was recording music with the group Heute and leaving to start his solo projects NKVD and Konstruktivists. Both were heavily involved with Throbbing Gristle and the Industrial Records crew.
In the Summer of 1979, Robert invited…