Garry Cobain
Encyclopedia
Garry Cobain (born 1967, Bedford
, England) is a British electronic musician, and one half of The Future Sound of London
. He currently lives in France.
in his late teens to study at a time when alternative music in this part of Britain was taking off
, the dance music scene in particular was becoming more and more popular, not just in Manchester but all over the country and in the States too; Cobain, drawn to the city by bands like The Chameleons and The Smiths
, embraced this atmosphere and joined a band he had seen rehearsing in a studio and stayed with them for a year; after his spell with that band he met Brian Dougans
.
His first big collaboration with Dougans was on "Stakker Humanoid
", which went on to be a chart hit at a time when acid house in particular was becoming popular. The pair then released their first single as FSOL "Papua New Guinea
" which also became a hit in clubs across Britain and the States, they signed with Virgin Records
but remained independent artistically, something they have always fought for and achieved, Cobain puts this down to them already having a few hits under their belts (Papua New Guinea in particular) before they signed with the major label.
Cobain has always been the more vocal member of the band and always speaks for them in interviews with Dougans sometimes interjecting on a certain point; Cobain has said that FSOL is a combination of opposites, the roles of masculine and feminine are central to the FSOL ethos and Cobain has said that in the band he represents the melody and softness as opposed to Dougans representing technology, machines and programming; its the marriage of these forces, Cobain says, that makes FSOL work the way it does, especially with the Amorphous Androgynous of the new millennium where progressive rock and psychedelica were embraced. The new incarnation of Amorphous Androgynous is very much Cobains new vehicle for the expression of his energy whilst still releasing their more electronic based music as FSOL.
He has stated that he is influenced philosophically by Lao-Tzu, Buddha
and Jiddu Krishnamurti
and that he likes the bands Secret Chiefs 3
, Mercury Rev
and Simian
among many others.
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England) is a British electronic musician, and one half of The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London is a prolific British electronic music band composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music...
. He currently lives in France.
Background
He left Bedford for ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in his late teens to study at a time when alternative music in this part of Britain was taking off
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
, the dance music scene in particular was becoming more and more popular, not just in Manchester but all over the country and in the States too; Cobain, drawn to the city by bands like The Chameleons and The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, embraced this atmosphere and joined a band he had seen rehearsing in a studio and stayed with them for a year; after his spell with that band he met Brian Dougans
Brian Dougans
Brian Dougans is one half of the British electronica group, The Future Sound of London.He is a "man of many thoughts and few words" almost always letting Cobain take the lead in interviews with them both...
.
Music
After meeting Dougans they both started discussing their shared interest in electronic music and began to work together on small projects; Cobain then left the college to build his own studio on an Enterprise Allowance Course and he and Dougans began to release tracks under aliases such as Mental Cube and Art Science Technology, some of these early singles would be compiled onto Earthbeat (1992).His first big collaboration with Dougans was on "Stakker Humanoid
Stakker Humanoid
Stakker Humanoid is an acid house track by Humanoid released in 1988 by the London based label Westside Records.-History of the track:The project behind the track started out with Stakker, a collaborative project by the video artists Mark McClean and Colin Scott...
", which went on to be a chart hit at a time when acid house in particular was becoming popular. The pair then released their first single as FSOL "Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (song)
"Papua New Guinea" is a 1991 song by the electronic music group Future Sound of London. It was the group's debut single and later appeared on their full-length album Accelerator. The single reached #22 on the UK singles chart...
" which also became a hit in clubs across Britain and the States, they signed with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
but remained independent artistically, something they have always fought for and achieved, Cobain puts this down to them already having a few hits under their belts (Papua New Guinea in particular) before they signed with the major label.
Cobain has always been the more vocal member of the band and always speaks for them in interviews with Dougans sometimes interjecting on a certain point; Cobain has said that FSOL is a combination of opposites, the roles of masculine and feminine are central to the FSOL ethos and Cobain has said that in the band he represents the melody and softness as opposed to Dougans representing technology, machines and programming; its the marriage of these forces, Cobain says, that makes FSOL work the way it does, especially with the Amorphous Androgynous of the new millennium where progressive rock and psychedelica were embraced. The new incarnation of Amorphous Androgynous is very much Cobains new vehicle for the expression of his energy whilst still releasing their more electronic based music as FSOL.
He has stated that he is influenced philosophically by Lao-Tzu, Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
and Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti or J. Krishnamurti or , was a renowned writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual subjects. His subject matter included: psychological revolution, the nature of the mind, meditation, human relationships, and bringing about positive change in society...
and that he likes the bands Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3 is an instrumental rock group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance . Their studio recordings and tours have featured different line-ups, as the group performs a wide range of musical styles including surf rock, Persian, Arab, Indian, death metal, film music, electronic music,...
, Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American alternative rock group, that formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York. Original personnel were David Baker , Jonathan Donahue , Sean Mackowiak, a.k.a...
and Simian
Simian (band)
Simian was an English electronic rock band, formed in Manchester in 2000.-Personnel:*Simon William Lord *James Ellis Ford *Alex MacNaghten *James Anthony Shaw -History:...
among many others.