Gagarin has been making music on the edges of the musical galaxy for many years in many guises. Currently he works alone crafting atmospheric digital soundscapes, sculpting future grooves and polishing aching melodies. He plays out live - an exciting mix of software precision and human frailty/spontaneity thats never the same twice.
Early adventures in cult Manchester band Ludus were followed by a sustained period playing and co-writing with the legendary Nico of the Velvet Underground. He's since recorded and collaborated with John Cale, Suns of Arqa, Eric Random, David Thomas & Pere Ubu, Bill Pritchard,Cabaret Voltaire as well as many others and played at the Tabyck shamanist festival in Siberia,in castles in Scotland and France, festivals and clubs across the globe.
A regular on the London electronica scene in recent times he's played at Moonpalace,
Rehab, Slack Sabbath, Fade In, Multivitamins, London Headphone Festival, Netlabel festival, Ginglik, Foundry, Klinker, Recluse, Disco-rdance, Guerrila Zoo etc as well as other UK nights like Spirit of Gravity, Xposed Club, Working Classes, I betya etc.
He's member of glitch/pop combo Raf & O who are making waves on the live scene, part of an exciting band with Welsh-Iranian songstress Roshi ( ft Pars Radio ) whose debut EP has been widely acclaimed.He's also an active and experienced Community Musician running workshops for many community groups, specialising in facilitating creativity with technology and teaches at Goldsmiths College.
Gagarin's last full album ARD NEV was released on limited edition by U-Cover and then V2 was released on Geo in Nov 06. It gained loads of excellent reviews in the UK and across Europe ( The Wire, Future Music, deBug, Rockarilla etc) .
" Skittering electronic rhythms and melodies, refracted through an abstract, chilly sensibility that both entices and unsettles " The Wire
"Simply beautiful music " - de Bug
In late 2006 he completed an extensive and hugely succesful European tour supporting the legendary Pere Ubu for whom he also contributes two remixes to their latest album. Then Spring 07 took him round Europe with Ubu again - this time as temporary synthesist as well as lots of interesting live events as Gagarin and with other projects.
2008 has been an incredible year of action - providing atmospheres and more for Ubu Roi at Queen Eliz. Hall feat Pere Ubu/ Brothers Quay/Sarah-Jane Morris, plus beats and more for Suns of Arqa at Glastonbury and other summer festivals alongside Youth, Pritam Singh and others. He's expanded his label GEO and completed the next Gagarin album titled ADAPTOGEN, contributed tracks to the forthcoming Pere Ubu album, released, co-produced and played on Raf and O EP, and Roshi ft Pars Radio EP as well as played numerous succesful gigs alone and with his labelmates including live sessions on Resonance FM, Radio 3.
Gagarin last release was a 3" EP - AGRICHEM out in Oct 07 through the legendary Smallfish . Reactions to AGRICHEM - " Beautiful & sinister " - " Soothes the raging beast " !
Proud to announce release of the beautiful limited edition 7" single - Golden Cap 7" on Nov 10th and in late Jan 09 full length CD album ADAPTOGEN through Kudos distribution - www.kudosrecords.co.uk, www.smallfish.co.uk or buy direct www.myspace.com/georecordsuk or buy here direct from Itunes
First reviews for Golden Cap / Gavvers - MIXMAG - " Dids is a mainstay of underground London and as gagarin makes strange and fascinating ambience. Golden Cap is like a strangely 80s vision of the future. Gavvers is a dubbier, moodier piece - huge talent ".
Beware ominous synthetic clouds rising wraithlike over London. This fine slab of electronica sees Gagarin forging impressive alien vistas on GC , unveiling hints of Clint Mansells claustrophobic soundtrack work or maybe sections of Skinny Puppy's classic Last Rights. On the flip Gavvers really brings home the bacon with its jittery Autechre/ Lexaunculpt rhythms and textures which morph into plaintive melodic waves. Impressive stuff. RECORD COLLECTOR
subba cultcha - uk
“Very tranquil, atmospheric, great for having a bath to when on repeat…”
"Warm, minimal and despite quite intense beats, quite ambient – there are two remixes here – One track is rather dark, the other friendly and open – somehow he manages to make the music sound live and played rather than programmed. Beautiful music. "– De BUG ( Ger) circ.42000
"A great pleasure for listeners looking to understand dreams ".RAVELINE GERMANY
" Two new tracks of languid and sinouos melodic electronica - Golden Cap finds a way of chasing romantic and velvety idm dreams. Gavvers bends and twists the surface of silicon without ever losing its melodic way" - Rockerilla - Italy
ADAPTOGEN
An antidote to showy faux-bohemianism, Dids lifetime on the peripheries of the music industry has been entirely undeliberate and unseflconscious. But he is no awkward avant-gardist : his solo electronic albums as Gagarin have a rare and solemn beauty. Adaptogen occupies a territory somewhere between Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack, Aphex Twin at his most breathlessly lovely and Arthur Russells meditative mood pieces - but with a shadowy threat all of its own. You cant get more compelling proof of the benefits of maturity and hard won experience " THE WORD
Gagarin unites noisepaintings and sublime melody. Fragments of disturbance and order are encountered on waves of heartwarming beauty. RAVELINE GERMANY
The album shines in its variety of full melodic Electronica, jazzy improvisation, ambient Drones and dubby Bleeps and Clonks. HELGA-ROCKT GERMANY
Ten track of mellow and sinuous electronica.
The opener Golden Cap remains the best example of the english synthesist’s art
a velvety tapestry of romantic idm inlaid with spartan yet effective rhythms.
Chill out music in the best sense of the word . ROCKERILLA ITALY
Adaptogen sees Dowdall pushing further into vast atmospheric landscapes, creating peaceful and elegant sequences where gossamer melodies are wrapped in warm and vaporous electronic waves rippled by arid rhythmic patterns and obscure infra-bass. But Dowdall’s music is not all pretty appearance and no substance. Behind the elegant facades and gentle melodic flourishes hide deeper undertones which resonate through the whole album, in various forms, from the highly polished gloss of opening track Phormium or, later, Gavvers to the almost urban angle of ‘Den Bosch or Fila and the gritty glitch textures of Aconite. It is however with the much smoother and ethereal Ab Plas that the album reaches its peak. The piece originally appears lost in the meanders of shapeless ambient, but when the disparate analogue sound waves gather, the track is suddenly bathed in bright warm lights and becomes for a moment a vivid kaleidoscope of contrasting hues.
A fine piece of modern atmospheric electronica THE MILK FACTORY UK
Plus more great reviews - FUTURE MUSIC, OX, TITEL, TERZ... and lots of radioplay across Europe & beyond.
You can buy ADAPTOGEN here direct from us for £7 plus £1 p&p.
All current and past releases are available from www.myspace.com/georecordsuk
Cafe Concrete is an intimate night of experimental electronica, sound art, film and music from the outer limits. It usually happens every last Monday of every month upstairs at the Voodoo Lounge, Plymouth, UK, from 830pm.
On Monday 29th June 2009, Cafe Concrete will feature performances by nU-tacK and ELM-K, plus a DJ set by Nick Grew. Follow the links to find out more about the artists at www.cafe-concrete.co.uk
CAFE CONCRETE NEWS Cafe Concrete is releasing a CD of improvisational trio ELM-K's Fragmented Orchestra performance, which was recorded live at the Roland Levinsky Building, Plymouth, UK in December 2008. A version of what was played was received at various international sites, including SARC in Belfast and Stamford University. ELM-K performed concurrently with Pauline Oliveros. Material from Oliveros was relayed back to the Roland Levinsky Building. The 11 track CD contains almost 80 minutes of cinematic soundscapes ranging from the elegant and expansive to the explosive and abrasive. It will be available at a special price at Cafe Concrete on 29th June, and excerpts from it can be heard at www.myspace.com/elmkuk
NEXT MONTH AT CAFE CONCRETE On Monday 27th July 2009, Cafe Concrete will include performances by The Diamond Family Archive, Winnie Soon & Eva Pang and Robodub.
Café Concrete is an intimate night of experimental ambient electronica, sound art, film and music from the outer limits. It usually happens every last Monday of every month upstairs at the Voodoo Lounge, Plymouth, UK, from 830pm.
On Monday 25th May 2009, Café Concrete will feature performances by Jonny3snareS, The Eular Beta Function, Winnie Soon & Eva Pang, and William Amery (Not the Avant-Garde).
cafe concrete news The Café Concrete Plymouth City Project (CCPCP) film/sound works are still being shown on the BBC Big Screen in Armada Way, Plymouth. Civic Centre by Tim Dickinson & ZX81 is pictured above.
Great stuff on Friday at Scaledown and today in Oto with the poets. Friday was a bit over quiet but your beaut music still came through. Particularly lovely sets today. Gavvers was amazing. R xxx
i liked yr gig although it will work better when its louder, which it shall be when you play at A Music Club - yeah, the sounds were lovely actually but i know what you mean, its probably easy to be self critical about a performance but we (audience) see/hear it different from you and to these ears yr sonics were gooood.
Thanks for your time and hipnotic electronica i really got lost in there man ........ good,well thought out soundscapes with an infinity of ambience ...... stay in touch .
