Prior to joining Rare in 1994, Robin Beanland worked as a freelance composer for TV and film and was part of the rock band Little Angels. His first assignment for the game developer was to co-write the soundtrack to Killer Instinct with Graeme Norgate and provide one track ("Funky's Fugue") for Donkey Kong Country. The first game he scored by himself was Killer Instinct Gold. Subsequent notable works include Jet Force Gemini and the Conker series. Although David Wise was Rare's first (and only for many years) musician, Beanland actually became the company's music director, a role which he still occupies today.

The Leeds native began his musical training at age seven by learning to play the trumpet. He achieved the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music grades 3 through 8 and has an O level in music. This thorough training led him to play in various orchestras, concert bands, and big bands. Beanland also played the flumpet (a cross between a flugel horn and a trumpet) in the Conker: Live & Reloaded soundtrack.

An upcoming project is Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, due for release November 25, 2008 on Xbox 360. The music will be co-composed by Grant Kirkhope and David Clynick.

• Co-wrote the Conker's Bad Fur Day cutscene screenplay with Chris Seavor.
• Beanland's music idols while growing up include: Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, It Bites, Mr. Mister, and film composers like Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, James Horner, Howard Shore (even before he did LOTR) and Christopher Young.

"The main thing that got me into doing music for games was the subject matter. When I worked on the TV stuff it was fairly run of the mill stuff, the highlight probably being a sausage advert. With games you immediately have levels and stories far more interesting to write for." -Music4Games interview (2005)