Rob Dougan

Bio:

Rob is currently working on his second album and robdougan.org is getting updates on its progress from time to time.

This myspace page is run by Michael McGarrity(of www.robdougan.org) and Larsson Kabukoba.
Rob may add some material closer to the release of the 2nd album.

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" I'm associated with dance music, with electronica, which makes me feel ill. I only learnt all the boring computer crap as a means to an end. Virtually all musicians these days use computers, but if you write a book on a computer, nobody calls it electronic writing; the format you use doesn't necessarily affect the outcome." -Rob Dougan

Furious Angels Documentary

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Before William Orbit made his reputation fusing orchestral strings with 21st century beats, Rob Dougan exploded onto the UK dance music scene in 1995, breaking the mould and transcending musical genres.

Through experimenting with gloriously moody and innovative tunes, namely the 'Clubbed To Death' single (released through Mo' Wax in 1995), Rob has received critical acclaim and a global (albeit underground) following. According to the NME, Rob has mastered 'the sort of pretension-free soundclash that gives stirring widescreen ambition a good - no - great name'.

Rob has worked with the likes of Andrea Parker and Nick Cave, and his music has appeared on the soundtracks of French arthouse movie 'Clubbed To Death', and the Hollywood blockbuster, 'The Matrix' & its sequel 'The Matrix:Reloaded'.

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, it was in his mid-twenties when working as a barman, that he first met with Rollo. Rob returned to London with him. Dougan had also just been kicked out of the Acting Academy for " a destructive break-up".

The label 'Cheeky' was set up by Rollo at this time, and has since then produced many great artists, namely Dido, Skinny, Pauline Taylor and of course Faithless and Rob Dougan. Rob's first job in the UK was in a jeans store but he was soon on to bigger and better things as a dance artist.

They made the very popular dance single, 'Feel What You Want'. The album, 'Land Of The Living' was produced mostly by Rollo and Rob, and released in 1997.

In 1995 Rob decided to go on his own and style his own brand of music releasing Clubbed To Death as an anti-club track. It was used best to advertise, 'Caffrey's - A Storm Brewing' campaign and in the Matrix film in 1999.
The Mo'Wax label manager, James Lavelle(one half of UNKLE) liked the record so much, he commissioned a follow-up, named 'Clubbed To Death II'. Sadly, however both the ideas of Dougan and Lavelle clashed and 'Furious Angels'(originally made in 1996) failed to be released on Mo'Wax.

The track even inspired Yaulande Zaubermann to create a film about the club scene in Paris, France. The movie was called 'Clubbed To Death(Lola)' and starred Eloude Bouchez.

Then in 1998, Rob released the haunting 'Furious Angels' single. It continues a theme from Clubbed To Death but with vocals from Rob. Music Week called it a "true club masterpiece". The lyrics in this and all other tracks on the album are intense and deep. He claims that he "really had to fight to get it released", and that it was " a very personal thing" for it to be released.

The Matrix movie used 'Clubbed To Death' in 1999, and this was the moment that people took more notice of 'Rob D.'.

Much of Rob's material has been unreleased such as his track with Nick Cave and Kylie, "Soon", and the remix of a Sting song that Sting was upset about. Apparently the record company loved it as Rob described it as "very dramatic, like 1930s Wuthering Heights".

In June 2002, Rob Dougan reached No.24 in the UK charts with the re-release of 'Clubbed To Death', this track also spent five weeks at the top of Pete Tongs Friday chart. Although the stunning debut album 'Furious Angels' didn't make too much of an impact on the UK charts, it was released to great critical acclaim.
It took Rob the best part of six years to make the ground-breaking record which included an 84-piece orchestra and a 40-piece choir. Its spine-tingling tracks range from the bitter despair of 'Nothing At All' to the uplifting 'One and the Same(coda)'. .. .. .. ..

Member Since:

December 01, 2005

Influences:

Jean Cocteau, Kawabata, Mishima, Ozu, Sakamoto, Lawrence

Record Label:

Sony/BMG & Reprise/Warner Bros