Since 1991 Scanner, British artist Robin Rimbaud, has been traversing the experimental terrain between sound and space, connecting a bewilderingly diverse array of genres. He has been intensely active in sonic art, producing concerts, installations and recordings, the albums Mass Observation (1994), Delivery (1997), and An Ascent (2020) hailed by critics as innovative and inspirational works of contemporary electronic music.

Rimbaud is particularly recognized for his “found sound” approach, crafting evocative soundscapes from everyday audio fragments alongside his original electronic compositions. He’s released over 100 albums of exploratory electronic music over the years.

To date he has scored 75 contemporary dance productions, including the hit musical comedy Kirikou & Karaba, Narnia, Qualia for the London Royal Ballet, and the world’s first Virtual Reality ballet, Nightfall, for Dutch National Ballet.

In 2017, Robin worked with Chance de Silva architects on Vex, a London residential property in which he installed a permanent sound work, and was shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year. In 2024, Esprits de Paris (2002), his audiovisual work created with celebrated American artist Mike Kelley, was installed as part of the permanent collection at Centre Pompidou in Paris.

His work can be heard on permanent display in the Science Museum London (Sound Curtain 2002), the Raymond Poincaré hospital in Garches France as part of the bereavement suite (Channel of Flight 2002), London Museum Docklands (London, Sugar & Slavery 2007), the Scottish Fisheries Museum (Lost at Sea 2018) at, and the Northern Neuro Disability Services Centre in Newcastle UK (Turning Light 2007).

In 2025 he received the Savvy Award in Amsterdam for 30+ years of innovative work, and in late 2026 will premiere a permanent sound installation using 40 speakers at the new London Museum.

Committed to working with cutting edge practitioners he collaborated with Bryan Ferry, Wayne MacGregor, Mike Kelley, Miroslaw Balka, Ben Kelly, Carsten Nicolai, Merce Cunningham, Michael Nyman, Steve McQueen, Laurie Anderson and Hussein Chalayan, amongst many others.

As Scanner

Mass Observation
52 Spaces
Double Fold
The Phenol Tapes
The Homeland of Electricity
Fibolae
Tinnito
The Great Crater

As Robin Rimbaud

The Garden is Full of Metal
Staging Silence

Collaborations

Scanner & Nurse with Wound: Contrary Motion
Scanner & Mike Kelley: Esprits de Paris
Scanner & Alva Noto: Uniform