Gagarin’s latest EP, Phenomenology, is a collection of four individual pieces, each based or featuring an event, a sound, a “thing “ – a phenomenon.
Originally a drummer, Gagarin creates music that crosses boundaries from sound art to dance music to free improvisation to ambient. His recent work, including his album “Corvid”, is driven by aching melody, treated and raw found sounds, subtle beat programming, distressed atmospheres, and space. His influences lie as much in psychogeography, acoustic ecology and beat science as they do in the wide range of music that inform him.
“Learning to Fly:” a development of some sound work for an installation of the same name commemorating 100 years since WW1. The piece is based around Morse code making the title phrase and as the atmosphere shifts also features the sound of a Zeppelin.
“Hogmanay:” I’m a South London Scot and Hogmanay was always a significant evening of intoxication as a way to connect with Scottishness! Last year I stayed in, made some recordings in the back garden and started this piece instead.
“A Herd of Wrens:” yes our tiny bird lives in herds and one herd reside behind a drainpipe right outside my studio. In spring the garden is filled with the complex and piercing song that forms the wings of this piece. Even though the soundproofing from their nest a foot from my monitors they are a part of every mix so this is their feature song.
“Holmbury Hillfort:” In 2016 I was commissioned to create some sound works to accompany walks on five hills in Surrey. This is a development from recordings made on Holmbury – a Bronze Age hill fort, including mountain bikers as well as rain, alongside melodic lines drawn from the shape of the view of the South Downs in the distance.
Track Listing:
1. Learning to Fly
2. Hogmany
3. A Herd of Wrens
4. Holmbury Hill Fort
Gagarin’s Phenomenology EP is out on Courier Sound and available here
