Multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Rob Reed releases a unique new album, Sanctuary, next week through Tigermoth Records. Sanctuary is produced, mixed and engineered by Rob Reed, who is joined by legendary Tubular Bells producers Tom Newman (as co-producer) and Simon Heyworth, who mastered the album.

Rob was inspired to become a musician and composer at the age of seven after discovering Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells.

“I probably fell in love with Tubular Bells after hearing a version by Geoff Love and His Orchestra on the Big Terror Themes album (Tubular Bells had been used in The Omen Film). I thought "I’ve got to have that for Christmas", of course when it turned up it was a very straight version but I was so inspired by it, it switched me on to the concept of multi-track recording and joining bands.”

So inspired was Rob by Tubular Bells, that he learned to play not just one, but all the instruments featured on the album. Rob has worked in the music business since leaving school at the age of 18. Alongside session and production work, and contributing to Film and TV soundtracks, he has carved out a career as a song writer and producer, with his award winning bands Magenta, Cyan and Kompendium.

Sanctuary brings Rob full circle using Mike Oldfield’s template for multi-track recording on Tubular Bells to create something new and exciting in the form of Sanctuary which sees him utilising his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist. Rob was conscious however that he was treading a fine line in preventing Sanctuary becoming a pastiche of Tubular Bells.

“It’s definitely not a remake and Tubular Bells was like a starting point really,” continues Rob, “It’s a template of the emotion you capture in it. All the melodies and music are completely original. There are classical overtones and folk mixed in there so it really does stand up on its own.”

On completion of the album Rob sent the album to legendary Tubular Bells producers Tom Newman and Simon Heyworth. “It was a daunting moment,” admits Rob, “if they’d have said “this is a cheap copy” I’d have binned what was by then a year and a half worth of work.”

Tom and Simon’s response however was quite the opposite, “They were impressed with the use of sonics, melody and production and Tom Newman wanted to get involved with it.”

The result is an astounding piece of emotional instrumental music in two parts, featuring an astonishingly orchestral sound whilst using a comparatively small amount of instruments.

The album has been enthusiastically received and he hopes to bring it to a live audience soon. “Unfortunately I can’t play 20 instruments live on stage,” he says, “So I’ll have to get an ensemble together.”

Sanctuary by Rob Reed is available on Tigermoth Records from July 21.