Richard Middleton's solo debut, WEB, is one of the most intriguing independent releases in recent years. Begun as a no-budget cassette demo project, WEB is an unusually daring record, entirely self-produced and recorded at home using a four-track cassette deck, an ancient Atari computer, analog tape loops, and a host of "lo-fi" gear and methods. (See The Making of Web for details of the recording process.)

Pushing his motley equipment to the limit, Richard performed all the parts himself – including vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, fiddle, harmonica, and electronics – and used sound collage and interludes to weave the songs together into an integrated whole (hence the name, WEB).

The result is a stunning technical achievement and an utterly absorbing listening experience that many in the Northwest scene consider an underground masterpiece – a beautifully realized, soulful album that pulls you in from the very first note.

"Brilliant... a solo tour de force. Middleton is an
unflinching lyricist, probing into dark areas to find
the raw edge where laughter and tears meet, opening
his subjects to the light in a way that readers of poetry
might expect from Denise Levertov. This CD is a healing
work of art." – Victory Review

The range of styles and moods on WEB is wide: from the sly hammer-on guitar groove and jazz keyboard flourishes of “Never Even” to the high-energy folk-rock of “Life of the Party," from the infectious alt-country Travis picking and fiddle breaks of “Piggy” to the bleak mindscape of “So Young"– each song on WEB tells its own story in its own way, yet none is out of place.

The result is a richly satisfying album that both embraces and transcends its lo-fi origins, and confirms Richard's reputation as one of the Northwest's most gifted artists.

"Terrific... Fine guitar work, a wide-ranging voice,
and skillfully crafted, poignant songs." – KUOW-FM