1990s–2000s
In the years that followed, he developed a complex range of sounds founded upon the seamless integration of electronic, electric, and acoustic instrumentation, and the exploration of just intonation tuning.
His interest in using unique sounds inspired him to create a large collection of original field recordings and homemade instruments. One of these instruments is a range of flutes made from PVC pipe.
His interest in unique sounds has also given him work as a sound designer for synthesizer presets and for E-mu Systems’ Proteus 3 and Morpheus sound modules. He has also designed sounds for films including Pitch Black and Behind Enemy Lines, a series of sampling discs called Things that Go Bump in the Night, and a library of Acid Loops called Liquid Planet. He helped create the MIDI micro-tuning standard along with Carter Scholz, which divides the octave into 196,608 equal parts.
His collaborators over the years have included Steve Roach, Brian "Lustmord" Williams, Lisa Moskow, Alio Die, and Ian Boddy, among others.
In 1992, he formed a new group called Amoeba. The group released three albums featuring ex-Urdu members Rick Davies and Andrew McGowan at different times, including Eye Catching (1993), Watchful (1997), and Pivot (2000). Since Rich was the only member in common between the first and second album, though, he doesn't consider Eye Catching to represent the band. Amoeba features Rich on vocals, and is inspired by a tradition of introspective songwriting.
In 1995, Rich revived the sleep concerts for radio after a DJ from KUCI in Irvine CA suggested the idea to him. In 1996, he did a three month tour across the U.S. playing sleep concerts for studio and live audiences.
In 2001, he released an album titled Somnium, a 7-hour album divided into three tracks on one DVD video. This album was a recreation of the sleep-concert environment he had created during the 1980s at Stanford. Somnium represents a landmark in ambient music, being one of the longest continuous musical compositions ever released.
In 2004, he released an album of piano solos titled Open Window. This album documents his improvised piano style that has been part of his live concerts for decades. It was recorded on a 1925 vintage A.B. Chase baby grand piano.
On March 11, 2005, Rich suffered a hand injury while cleaning a glass jug, accidentally slipping and falling on top of it. During the recovery process, he continued to record new material and tour. He also constructed end-blown flutes from PVC pipe that are more easily played with his limited right-hand dexterity.
During his 2006 tour, Rich performed in front of a film created by visual artist Daniel Colvin as a backdrop. After the tour, he created a score for the film, which was released on CD and DVD in 2007 under the title Atlas Dei. In 2007, he also released the album Illumination, a companion soundtrack of a multimedia installation by Michael Somoroff, originally created for the Rothko chapel. He collaborated with touch guitarist Markus Reuter in the album Eleven Questions (2007).
