Gagarin - Ard Nev (Version 2.0)

Gagarin is the solo incarnation of Graham Dowdall – a percussionist , composer, and sound designer who has spent years at the cutting edge of the musical galaxy, involved in a myriad of projects and collaborating with many leftfield musical legends, including John Cale and Nico. Making moody and groovy melodotronica and engaging clicks’n’cuts style minimal techno, his work has recently led to a close invovement in London’s Grime scene, programming and co-producing for several crews and MCs. At the other end of his spectrum, he is currently collaborating with and remixing the legendary Pere Ubu in Gagarin style. ‘Ard Nev’ is firmly in the electronica camp, created using a mixture of soft and hardware, with a developing style mixing influences from environmental sound to urban grooves together with a unique rhythmic and melodic approach - a sophisticated and subtle touch allied to tough beats and complex yet fluid programming. The album consists of 10 tracks ranging from calm to rage, reflecting Gagarin’s engagement with wild places, both rural and urban, and was first released earlier this year in a rough draft version as part of a limited edition series on U-Cover. The record has already been extensively reviewed in the UK and across Europe and is receiving regular airplay. The Wire - “A Biosphere-like iciness that suggests deep-space psychic isolation rather than flashy sci-fi… what sets Gagarin apart is the ease with which he improvises… often surprisingly street and tuff, yet refracted through an abstract, chilly sensibility… the pulse looms constantly like a shark under the ice, and when those Grimey beats kick in it’s not so much Sublow as sub zero.”

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