on disc
The artist known as Gagarin has been active in music since the late 1970s. His recording career first began with the seminal post-punk Manchester based band Ludus in 1981. Here Gagarin featured on the A/A sided single Mothers hour/Patient, the cassette only release: Pickpocket, and the bands first LP: The Seduction.

Originally released on Manchester's New Hormones label, all of these recordings are now available in CD format and can be found at the LTM records site.
After Ludus, collaborations began with another Manchester based artist - Eric Random - where Gagarin became an integral part of Eric's group, known as the Bedlamites. With the Bedlamites, Gagarin recorded several LPs and toured widely. Gagarins work with Eric Random & the Bedlamites included contributions to; Earthbound Ghost Need (New Hormones), Timesplice (Double Vision), Ishmael (Double Vision), Subliminal Seduction / Bedlam-a-Go-Go - 12" (Plurex).

A brief history of Eric Random and the Bedlamites can be found here.
Membership of Eric Random's Bedlamites, brought Gagarin into contact with people such as Cabaret Voltaire's RH Kirk, (who later remixed one 12" by Sonexuno), and former Banshee John McKay (the UK guitarist who single-handedly slowed down UK Punk and developed the sound that later became known as Goth). Gagarin worked with McKay in the group Zor Gabor, releasing the 12” Tightrope - 12" (Intape) - which at the time of release was NME record of the week.

After her relocation to Manchester, Gagarin also worked extensively with the legendary ex Velvet Underground singer Nico, as a part of her backing band (known as the Faction).
Up until Nico's untimely death in 1988, Gagarin was a core member of Faction, providing both backing at live appearances and co-writing with her the 1985 LP/CD Camera Obscura (Beggars Banquet). Gagarin backed Nico for almost all of her live appearances from 1984-1988 and may be viewed on a multitude of official and unofficial CDs and DVD releases that have appeared as tributes to the great lady.
Through Nico Gagarin also became involved in a collaboration with another ex Velvet Underground member, John Cale where Gagarin contributed to his 1985 LP Artificial Intelligence (Beggars Banquet).

Another Gagarin long term collaboration born out of his connections with the Manchester scene, was with world-beat pioneers Suns of Arqa, where he contributed to their 1987 album 7. This is a relationship that even today continues to bear fruit and his last work was contributing remixes to a remix album and in 2009 playing on and mixing new material for future release.
Post Nico's death, Gagarin remained a member of the Faction, who released two CD/LPs - Bag (Third Mind) and Faction (Third Mind), plus two 12" and the perhaps most notably the sound montage/collage titled Listen Buddy (Crook), which used vocal samples of the then PM Maggie Thatcher, and brought the group legal threats from Tory party central office. Aside this, he also played at this time on a 12" for the group Moontwist - Talking about the Weather (London).

Post the break up of Faction, Gagarin then began another project named Sonexuno. Sonexuno released three 12" singles (and herein lieth the beginnings of Gagarin's own Geo records), one containing RH Kirk (ex Cabaret Voltaire) remixed versions of the song Alchemy on 12 " (Slaughterback), reissued with further remixes (on Yello's Solid Pleasure label), plus Claddach, the debut release on Geo.

Sonexuno also performed as support to Cabaret Voltaire during the groups 1992 UK tour. Aside from his work with Sonexuno, Gagarin also concurrently become one third of the Anglo-Japanese ambient-electronica collaboration Mekong Zoo, who released one CD Minimal Dance (Wolf).
Ever in demand, around this time, Gagarin also worked as percussionist in Infidel - an ensemble created and lead by publicist/vocalist Nick Hobbs. Nicks involvement as UK Manager/Agent of with the seminal American band Pere Ubu then brought Gagarin to the attention of the Bands leader David Thomas, and this in turn lead to Gagarin being asked to mix the live sound for Pere Ubu (where he is known as 'creative sound mixer'). He was also soon invited to provide live mixes for David's solo project, two pale boys. This work has brought him further collaborations, and he now works with David in a multiplicity of roles, including those of sound engineer, associate band member and co-collaborator.

Gararin's most recent work has been providing two remixes for the recent Pere Ubu release entitled why I remix women. He has also contributed several Gagarin soundscapes to the latest CD - Long Live Pere Ubu (Cooking Vinyl Sep 09), as well as the live stage show of the same name.
In the last couple of years he has also widened the scope of his own GEO record label, increasing it from simply a home base for his own (Gagarin) product, into a centre for likeminded creativity. Thus Geo and Gagarin have now co-produced the group Raf & O's debut EP - Has the Air Gone Walking (Geo) and their forthcoming album Giant in the Snow (Geo), as well as playing and producing the talented Iranian artist Roshi ft Pars Radio's EP - And Stars and her recently released full length CD The Sky & the Caspian Sea (Geo).

Given the length and breath of Gagarins career, it should come as no great surprise to learn that he has contributed to a large number of compilation CDs for a variety of labels including; Echo, Trace, Whirl-y-Gig, Return to the Source, Click Click Drone, Discordance; etc. This of course also excludes the many remixes Gagarin has been asked to provide, and in mentioning just a few of those who have requested his services, we may list; Robert Logan, Gamine, Suns of Arqa, Pere Ubu, Samuel and the Dragon.



Gagarin - the story remains to be told ...
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