GAGARIN: Biophilia (Geo Records)

themilkman on Jul 4th 2011 12:22 am

Gagarin: Geofilia

GAGARIN
Biophilia
GEO019
Geo Recoords 2011
11 Tracks. 50mins11secs

Amazon UK: CD | DLD US: CD | DLD Boomkat: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD

Not to be mistaken with Björk current monumental project of the same name, Biophilia is Gagarin’s fifth album, and follows recent K3KA-3/KEDR digital EP, which was released five days after the fiftieth anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human being to orbit around the Earth. The two tracks, named after the code number of his spacecraft and his personal call sign respectively, the latter also featuring actual recordings of Gagarin’s flight communication, are also featured on this latest record, with which Gagarin (the musician) returns to his characteristically bare atmospheric electronica and continues in his attempt to establish a connection between nature and urban sprawls.

Gagarin is the solo project of Graham Dowdall, a drummer and percussionist who has played with a number of formations over the years, was a long term collaborator with Nico, and has in recent years been a member of electro-pop outfit Raf & O, who released their debut album last year, and began a collaborative project with Rothko’s Mark Beazley. Continue Reading »

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GAGARIN: Adaptogen Remixes 1/Adaptogen Remixes 2 (Geo Records)

themilkman on May 27th 2010 01:21 am

Gagarin: Adaptogen Remixes 1 Gagarin: Adaptogen Remixes 2

GAGARIN
Adaptogen Remixes 1
GEO015
Geo Records 2010
03 Tracks. 13mins46secs
Format: Digital

GAGARIN
Agaptogen Remixes 2
GEO016
Geo Records 2010
03 Tracks. 21mins22secs
Format: Digital

Remixes 1: Amazon UK: DLD US: DLD Boomkat: DLD iTunes: DLD
Remixes 2: iTunes: DLD

Gagarin’s Graham Dowdall is a man who has turned ‘having fingers in many pies’ into an art form. From early stints as member of Manchester’s Ludus in the early eighties and collaborator with legendary sixties muse Nico to more recent involvements with Pere Ubu and his most recent incarnation, as one third of electro-pop combo Raf & O, he has been part of many movements and instrumental to many artists and acts. With Gagarin, it is electronica in rugged atmospheric forms that Dowball has been investigating over the course of four albums and numerous EPs released on his own Geo imprint since 1996.

Following the release of Adaptogen last year come these two EPs of remixes, with contributions from Youth, Robert Logan, Mark ‘Rothko’ Beazley, Moyza, Hybernation and Gagarin himself. Continue Reading »

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GAGARIN: Adaptogen (Geo Records)

themilkman on Jan 7th 2009 12:14 am

Gagarin: Adaptogen

GAGARIN
Adaptogen
GEO012
Geo Records 2008
10 Tracks. 51mins07secs

Adaptogen: noun (in herbal medicine) a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress (Oxford English Dictionary).

Nature doesn’t stamp much of a mark on Gagarin’s latest effort, but, like in previous outputs, the music combines wonderful spacious ambient tones and occasional crisp urban beats to form dense dreamy soundscapes which are undoubtedly designed to soothe both body and mind.

Gagarin’s Graham Dowball began his career as a drummer, playing in a number of formations as well as with the likes of Nico, John Cale and Bill Pritchard, amongst others. Continue Reading »

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RAF & O: Has The Air Gone Walking? (Geo)

Robert Rowlands on Feb 27th 2008 10:43 pm

Raf & O: Has The Air Gone Walking?

RAF & O
Has The Air Gone Walking?
GEO010
Geo Records 2008
04 Tracks. 17mins38secs
Format: 10″

From the collision of sounds that comes together on the opening seconds of this debut EP, there is little doubt that Raf and O are something new. The shrill, off-kilter vocals of Italian singer Raf Mantelli married to the cool electronics of glitch producer Gagarin fuse together a sound that is often enthralling and occasionally perplexing, but always full of interest.

The collaboration – which also features a low-key Richard Smith on bass – is the first step in the relaunch of Geo Records, whose output has so far largely been of Gagarin’s – a.k.a. Graham Dowdall’s – solo efforts. It continues a long tradition of working with other musicians that has kept Dowdall busy since the early 1980s. His polished CV reveals long stints with the likes of John Cale and Nico as well as more recent work with Pere Ubu. Continue Reading »

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GAGARIN: Ard Nev [Version 2.0] (Geo Records)

themilkman on Sep 18th 2006 09:18 pm

Gagarin: Ard Nev [Version 2.0]

GAGARIN
Ard Nev
GEO009
Geo Records 2006
09 Tracks. 42mins39secs

Gagarin is the solo project of Graham Dowdall, whose career as a musician extends far beyond this project. Originally a percussionist and sound designer, he has played with some of the biggest names on the music scene, including Nico, John Cale, Cabaret Voltaire and many more, has worked on a variety of dance and theatre projects and has performed all around the world. Continue Reading »

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