reviews

Former Ludus, Nico and John Cale drummer Graham Dowdall has been producing minimal electronic soundscapes under the name Gagarin for a decade. His work has a Biosphere-like iciness that suggests deep-space psychic isolation rather than flashy sci-fi, along with a faint whiff of nostalgia for an age when we all thought we’d get to go up in a rocket one day. What sets Gagarin apart is the ease with which he improvises with a small range of materials; small clusters of notes are configured into melodic themes and variations, samples are constantly worried at with filters, reverbs and delays, and the complex, skittering electronic rhythms are the result of hand percussion techniques applied to midi drum pads. Often these beats are surprisingly street and tuff, flirting with trance, drum ‘n’ bass and particularly Grime, yet refracted through an abstract, chilly sensibility that both entices and unsettles. Occasionally the beats give way to bleakly attractive drones, but the music is never in stasis – 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.
THE WIRE (u-cover version)

Gagarin calls what he does Melodectronica but really its glitchy beats, nice ambient touches and moody melodies. Not that new but there are some quite lovely drifting moments and glimpses that might make it stand out from the crowd making new genres like this. 8/ 10
FUTURE MUSIC

Originally prototyped as a CDR on the innovative U-cover former Ludus drummer Graham Dowdall's latest solo release has an asymmetric feel to it. Neovo 5-10 is all busyness and suspended effect nagging at the attention, grabbing the listeners ear and then refusing to disclose anything. Its hard at such monents not to feel like an intruder - the working of electronic rhythms can become that introspective and intense. For every slow and easy exhalation like 120cms theres a thrusting and jagged Merkage to keep you at arms length. Things grow a little more relaxed on Sullum Voe and Biodaig.
THE WIRE (Geo version)

Listening to an album so full of micro-sounds and disciplined melodic layers, requires a high fidelity system or a tranquil listening on headphones. It is in fact the little digital inserts and the elaborate velvet textures of the beat to catalise the attention of “Ard Nev”, the new creature of the extremely active Gagarin. Behind the monicum of the russian astronaut is in fact Dids aka Graham Dowdall, already collaborator of John Cale and Nico, Pere Ubu’s support in the next tour and also refined electronic manipulator. The s-f e atmosphere and the encroaching of glitches show a strong awarness of the obtained result.
ROCKARILLA (Italy)

When I was at school our music teacher used to play us Stockhausen. For the uninitiated - Stockhausen is a German composer, considered amongst the modern exponents of the classical genre, but famous for turning it on its head, with use of electronics and writing music that could start and finish at any point on the score, and by virtue of this, being virtually unlistenable to. Annoyingly, if Mr Jackson heard Gagarin, he’d say it was low culture and (more than likely) “Complete B*ll*cks”. And yet it’s the same ballpark - Arhythmical and often Atonal soundscapes that perplex and fascinate - conforming to all genres and none. At times, it sounds like dirty garage (and in fact Gagarin, despite being, mature in the music industry, is working with young Garage artists) and at others like the soundtrack to a coma - ethereal yet unsettling covering the whole spectrum of audible tone. It would be unfair to say that, despite being nigh on impossible to listen to for pleasure, that it is unrewarding listening, challenging, as it does, our perceptions of music and even reality.
SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM

There are various ways to approach this for a review: I could tell who Gagarin is, and go from there, or the other way round: first tell something about the music and then, as a jac-in-the-box tell about Gagarin. I choose the first, for spoilers. Gagarin is the latest incarnation of Graham Dowdall, also known as Dids, and in my book that means: the drummer of Ludus, of whom I was buying 7"s in the early 80s. I have no idea what happened in between those 7"s and Gagarin, but apparently he stayed inside music, making music for theatre, dance and TV as well as teaching about making music. And since several years playing as Gagarin, doing remixes for Pere Ubu and supporting them on their forthcoming European tour. Ludus fans (like me) will be shocked to hear Gagarin, as in nothing it sounds like Ludus (a free punk/jazz/pop combo). Gagarin plays synthesizers and drum machines and creates as such highly moody electronic music, which is never far away from the likes on Expanding Records or Highpoint Lowlife. Highly melodic, highly moody and melancholic. It stands clear in a tradition but not clear in the background of Dowdall. He created however a great album, that may not be entirely original for what it is, but it's very well crafted and produced, and is, again for the artist, something really new. (FdW)4
VITAL WEEKLY

This third album, now released on Geo, sees Dowdall stepping up the pace and sharpening up his atmospheric electronica to include elements of urban dub, even occasionally hinting at dubstep, giving Ard Nev more defined and progressive structures than its predecessor displayed. For this latest project, Dowdall deploys once again a wide array of sonic tricks and generates warm pastoral soundscapes on which he builds sparse melodic themes. Relying on Spartan rhythmic arrangements to underline these, Dowdall draw the listening into a false feeling of security before inflicting random electric blows, characteristically delivered without prior warning. While Ard Nev kicks off in gentle style with the vast open space of Sandavore, Dirty Sweetunveils a much darker and claustrophobic setting, which is carried on to the following piece, Neovo 5-10, which despite a peaceful respite in the middle, proves to be as oppressive. Echoes of grime and dubstep scratch the sparkling surface as abrasive noises are pushed to the forefront. Merkage and Slewage build further on this urban affiliation and push the album into some rather inhospitable territories. Elsewhere, Dowdall delivers subtler, gentler pieces, allowing for vast breathing spaces in between more abrupt moments. Tracks such as120 Cms, An Tarbet or Skylon, one of the standout moments here, all combine wonderful sonic scopes with intricate details and sporadic melodies, while on Sullum Voe and Buidaig, Dowdall carves more defined melodies cast in superb ethereal soundscapes, bringing this album to a rather elegant close.
LONDON MILK

Drowned under the mass of the promotions, I passed beside this small masterpiece until the publication of the last Pere Ubu . Indeed, Gagarin is not other than Graham Dowdall who takes part in the album of remixes of the Cleveland combo and plays festivals with David Thomas. Curious, I decided to listen to his album attentively. In fact,nothing like Ubu. All is calm, luxurious and pleasure. Pure electronica. With his Gagarin project, he preaches for the unity ofesoteric electronic musics and popular musics . On Ard Nev, that results in extremely conceptual pieces like “Sandavore” and others, just as required but flirting with the jerky beat/rhythm of Grime or booty like “Dirty Sweet” and “Merkage” with their bouncy fat basses. An interesting fusion of electronica purified and contemporary beats/rhythms that the author calls “avant-grime”, certainly a covering joint with the avant-garage of Pere Ubu. Must I add something? Go, lose yourself in the electronica of Gagarin.
Fluctuate (France)

Gagarin’s ambient grime offering is often too clever for its own good. Tunes do have a convincingly grimy feel, like Dirty Sweet and Merkage, there is nothing that feels new or particularly inspired. No dirty, squelching subs or tweaked-out, filtered acid noises – instead Loops sweep in and out of each other there is an almost beat-less wash of electronica; snares and kicks that barely register; and basslines that sound almost Casio-keyboard simple. The mere mention of ‘avant-grime’ evokes a nasty prospect.
SKINNYMAG

Minimal soundscapes are interlaced with inventive grooves inside a spacey atmosphere. It can be like a trip where you are at one with your surroundings and sometimes the liquid beats and ambience bear comparison to Biosphere. At other times it is much tougher with heavier beats overlayed with subtle samples and numerous atmospheres.
KINDAMUSIK (HOLLAND)

this is a perfect example of experimental electronica. A nostalgic and separated journey in a universe where tiny melodic fragments and variations vie with micro beats and hynotic periods. there is a powerful rhythmic skeleton to some tracks with glitch sounds and samples. this is a really alive record which is never static.
ROSALLEVAGGIA (ITALY)

The melodic atmospheres and minimalist sonic landscapes show a cinematic touch. Low deep programming of electronic percussion. He is in the superleague of British IDM.
GEOMETRIK (SPAIN)

This amazing album is based around some exquisite melodious atmospheric textures and equally mesmerizing beats. A true statement of the programming ability that Gagarin holds.
DIGITAL NIMBUS

Gagarin cultivates in his new opus an esthetic of the sculpted sound and half colour. Electronica enriched by an elegant bruitism, its full and lyrical music evokes vast spaces, night and naked urban landscapes, in lengthening shadow, dark zones and the glares of lights. The compositions combine extremes with a direction of rare balance: the supertreble andsub bass, the echo and of the effects of matt sonorities. Agreements shelled with the wire of the compositions give them a tonal base whereas Gagarin develops to with it a climate which moves away from there resolutely. This balance is stable. It makes us oscillate between two worlds to reach a unique poetry.Camille Guyneme
OCTOPUS (FRANCE)

GD is drummer, composer and sounddesigner with a past in Punkjazz and also releases under the name Dids. As Gagarin he presents melodic, intrumental and, in the most positive sense, comfortable electronics full of warm, analgue synth sounds. Minimal, quiet und laid back, partly Ambient, sometimes on a breakbeat/grime basis. Beautiful music. 4/5
DE BUG (GERMANY)

He produces shuffling elektronica, filled in with broken beats, muttering bass tones and warm sonic undulations. The sounds with which he works magic from his lap top, are not that unusual, but with regard to composition, variation and rhythm the tracks have a rare depth to them.
GONZO CIRCUS (HOLLAND)

The trend continues with sound artist Gagarin (Graham Dowdall) - composer of melodic electronica and who is a well known artist in the British electronic music scene. His “Ard Nev” is an exceptional example of how warm electronic melodies and beat-driven electronica can work together to produce a beautiful collection of haunting and poignant cinematic ambiance.
EARLABS.ORG

Also reviewed in Raveline (Ger ), Blow Up (Italy), Free Music (Czech), BLACK (GER)

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