Rick Smith (musician)
{{Short description|Welsh musician (born 1959)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Rick Smith
| image = Rick Smith.jpg
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| alt =
| caption = Smith at the Roundhouse with Underworld in 2016
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = Richard Smith
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|5|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Wales
| origin =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| genre = Electronic, progressive house, progressive trance, ambient, experimental
| occupation = Musician, composer
| instrument = Keyboards, synthesisers
| years_active = 1978–present
| label =
| associated_acts = Underworld, Freur
| website = {{URL|www.underworldlive.com}}
}}
Richard Smith (born 25 May 1959) is a Welsh musician and composer. He is a founding member of British electronic music group Underworld and an acclaimed composer, having collaborated extensively with director Danny Boyle,{{cite news|last=Vincent |first=Alice |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/9895826/Underworlds-Rick-Smith-Danny-Boyles-music-man.html |title=Underworld's Rick Smith: Danny Boyle's music man |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=24 January 2017}}{{subscription required}} most notably as the musical director for the London 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16068946 |title=London 2012: Olympic ceremony role for Underworld duo |work=BBC News |accessdate=24 January 2017}} alongside Underworld's Karl Hyde.{{cite magazine|last=Baltin |first=Steve |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/underworld-named-music-directors-of-2012-olympics-20111208 |title=Underworld Named Music Directors of 2012 Olympics |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=8 December 2011 |accessdate=24 January 2017}}{{subscription required}} He is also a founding member of the multi-discipline design and film collective Tomato.{{cite web|url= https://creators.vice.com/en_us/article/z4q493/revisit-the-art-of-underworlds-dubnobasswithmyheadman-5899ce37f857014f069d18f9 |title=Revisit the Art of 90s London Rave Culture with the Underworld | Creators |website=creators.vice.com | publisher = Vice | date=21 November 2014 |accessdate=25 October 2017}}
Career
Smith left a bank clerk job in Llanelli to do an electronic and electrical engineering degree; however, he dropped out during his finals after being asked to join Hyde’s band The Screen Gemz.{{cite news|first = Jude | last = Rogers | author-link = Jude Rogers |url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/13/underworld-barbara-shining-future-karl-hyde-rick-smith-interview |title=Underworld: 'It doesn't matter where music comes from – it's how it connects' | Music |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=24 January 2017}} In 1983, they formed the new wave band Freur and recorded two albums for CBS Records International. The group disbanded in 1986.
In 1987, Smith and Hyde formed Underworld, and the pair are the longest and only original serving members of the musical project, still performing together today.
Smith worked with director Danny Boyle for two decades after the director used the band's music in his 1996 film Trainspotting. As part of Underworld, Smith scored the soundtrack for Boyle's stage production of Frankenstein in 2011, and in 2012 undertook a solo venture creating the soundtrack to Boyle's film Trance. Smith was appointed the musical director for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony which was directed by Boyle. Smith worked with Boyle on his 2017 follow-up film T2 Trainspotting.{{cite web|url=http://www.underworldlive.com/news/2016/11/t2-trainspotting-with-music-by-rick-smith/|title=T2 Trainspotting, with Music by Rick Smith {{!}} Underworld Live|publisher=Underworldlive.com|access-date=14 January 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Underworld}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Rick}}
Category:People from Ammanford
Category:Welsh new wave musicians
Category:Welsh people of English descent