Welcome aboard, thanks for coming, have a look around and see if there's anything you like. If you want to know what I'm up to head over to the blog, otherwise the majority of the music I've made is haphazrdly strewen about this website. There's always the possibility that there may be more coming, so don't be a stranger.
The Full Story
About
Born in 1971 Middlesbrough, UK, Richard Self has been making music for over 25 years. From bands such as Don’t Die Foolish, Runciter and BFCB, where Richard was employed as singer, guitarist, songwriter, to his own solo work where he had full creative control. Operating in the medium of guitar and electronic music Richard has forged a sound that, whilst reminiscent of others, from Depeche Mode to New Order, from Editors to Soulwax with everything in between, is entirely his own. Richard has released 8 solo albums and 3 solo EPs since 2004. His 9th studio album The Beginner's Guide To Murder: A musical about a murderer, his best friend and the man sent to catch him, is due for release in September 2026.
In 2004, Richard was at a crossroads. Don't Die Foolish, the band he set up with his friends Frank Horsley, Joff Maiden, and Jonathan Howe, had disbanded. The arrangement had always been that Richard would write and arrange the music, while Frank would write the lyrics and operate as the frontman. This was no more.
He could have tried to find a new singer, but he didn't. Despite having little confidence in his singing voice, he set out to try it himself. The resulting album, Triple Point State, was an exercise in building confidence and learning how to arrange songs. It was the sound of someone learning how to craft songs—sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't, but it was a start. From there, Richard got in touch with his friend Joff from the DDF days, and they started performing live as an acoustic duo, slowly learning how to be on stage. Within 18 months, Richard and Joff formed a new band called Runciter. The settled lineup consisted of Richard on guitar and lead vocals, Laura Kettle Starla on lead vocals, Joff on guitar, Colin Purchase on bass, and Paul Micallef on drums. They lasted a little over a year and made the album Billy No Mates. They played a lot of gigs and were a good live band with a decent reputation for solid pop/rock. Then, they split.
This time, Richard did not want to start another band. With the confidence he had gained from five years of gigging, he produced his next solo album, The Man Who Was Riding Three Horses—a collection of songs utilizing guitars and synths. The difference between this and his first album was staggering. Confidence oozes from every song, and the production is clean.
Another studio project with Joff came next, this time pushing them even further. With the recruitment of Cath Reigate, they formed the band Biscuits For Cheese, Bitch! and recorded the album Rock, Pop and Misery. The concept was simple: each section would comprise a theme tune and four songs. The first suite was rock, followed by pop in the second, and finally, a miserable theme in the final section. They never gigged it, as there was simply too much going on. Then, silence.
Following an EP in 2012 and an instrumental album in 2015, Richard released his first new album in over ten years in 2020: Lives of the Ignorant – Part 1. It was a concept he had been developing since 2015, built around the idea of telling the story of a man whose adventures span time and space. But you have to start somewhere, and that somewhere was Stockholm, Sweden.
Fast-forward two years: Richard left the UK and moved to Hangzhou, China. There, he met a number of very talented singers and performers who contributed to Lives of the Ignorant – Part 2. This was viewed by critics as one of the best releases of that year and unlike anything they had heard before, combining diverse musical elements into a storyline that was both expansive and intimate. Dealing with themes such as love, ambition, revenge, loss, and acceptance, it is widely regarded as Richard's finest work.
Work immediately began on Part 3.
In 2023, Lives of the Ignorant – Part 2.5 was released. It featured a set of remixes from the previous album, with contributions from such luminaries as Blue Amazon and Strange Malcombe.
In 2024, Richard moved to Cairo, Egypt, and released the album Lost Friends and B-Sides: Volume 1, a compilation of tracks that were never quite finished or released. The album was a critical success.
In 2025, Richard released Lost Friends and B-Sides: Volume 2, which also received a positive critical reception. This time, the curated theme focused on songs with a fierce electronic feel. Consequently, Lives of the Ignorant – Part 3 was put on a temporary hiatus. While the music is written and most of the tracks are recorded, something isn't quite right; the perfect vocalists for the songs have not yet been found. With that in mind, Richard turned his attention to an idea he has harbored for a number of years.
Richard’s latest project, The Beginner's Guide to Murder, is a long-gestating idea exploring the genesis of a serial killer. The concept first came to Richard toward the end of the last century, and the story has been sitting and growing ever since. It follows a would-be murderer, his best friend, and the detective sent to catch him. It is a tale of friendship, betrayal, madness, and accepting who you are—even if that person is a murderer.
From a musical standpoint, Richard noted that he hadn't played the guitar much over the last few years, so the focus turned to creating a set of songs where the instrument is front and center. With influences ranging from '90s Britpop bands such as Supergrass, The Bluetones, Ash, and Super Furry Animals, through the electro stylings of Nine Inch Nails and New Order, the metal of Faith No More, Black Sabbath, and Rage Against the Machine, to the new wave of Simple Minds and Tears for Fears—with hints of Frank Zappa and Yes sprinkled throughout—Richard decided to make the closest thing to his ultimate guitar album as he possibly could.
The combination of these factors has created an album that is both instantly accessible, yet rewards repeat listens with layers and levels ready to reveal themselves to those who want to find them.
