Robert "Robot" Koch is a longtime fixture on the Berlin scene — a member of groups Jahcoozi and the Tape vs. RQM, he has released on labels like Monkeytown, Project:Mooncircle and Kitty-Yo, and has production credits with everyone from anarchic rap group K.I.Z. to singer-songwriter Norah Jones. Though typically a keen collaborator, Robot's new solo album, _Sphere_, is a mostly instrumental work; crafted at his Echo Park studio in L.A., its haunted melodies and sci-fi synths are accompanied by a custom-developed A/V show for planetariums. The Red Bull Music Festival will premiere this show on October 8 at Berlin's Zeiss Planetarium, and we've invited Robot on the show with visual artist Mickael Le Goff to talk about crafting this otherwordly endeavor. We also hear from afrofuturist pop star Janelle Monae, dropping knowledge during her recent RBMA lecture.
