Gawain Erland Cooper is a Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Cited as "one of the most unique, consistently engaging composers of his generation",[2] he was born and raised in Stromness, Orkney. As an interdisciplinary artist, he has released five acclaimed studio albums, with five additional companion albums and multiple EPs, including a trilogy of work inspired by his childhood home, as well as themes of nature,[3] people, place and time. His work combines field recordings with classical orchestration and contemporary electronic elements.[4] Cooper also works across mixed media projects including installation art,[5] theatre[6] and film. He is a recipient of a Royal Television Society award and his music is played frequently on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music as well as featured on various TV network productions.
| Erland Cooper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gawain Erland Cooper |
| Born | Orkney, Scotland[1] |
| Genres | Alternative, classical, electronica, ambient |
| Occupations | composer, producer |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar, vocals, electronics |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Decca Records, Universal Music |
| Website | ErlandCooper.com |
He is widely known for burying the only existing copy of the master magnetic tape of his first classical album, a violin concerto in Orkney, deleting all digital files and leaving only a treasure hunt of clues for fans and his record label alike to search for it.[7] He buried the tape in early spring 2021 and intended to retrieve and release it in 2024.[8] After a year and half in the soil, the tape was found in September 2022 by two amateur sleuths.[9] It dried out on public display in record shops in Scotland for another year and a half and was released and premiered exactly as it sounds from the earth. The record became the first planted number 1 classical album, in collaboration with nature, topping the UK official charts in 2024.
He is credited by Mojo Magazine with exploring the concept of psychogeography, connecting identity, memory, and place through music, words and cinematography. He explores these themes further by partnering with well-known artists and writers in his work and live shows.
Music career
Erland and the Carnival
In 2009, Cooper co-founded the band Erland and the Carnival in London with multi-instrumentalist Simon Tong.[1]
The Magnetic North
In 2011 Cooper co-founded the British shoegaze band The Magnetic North with Simon Tong and singer, composer and orchestral arranger Hannah Peel.[10] Formed in London, they released their debut album, Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North on 6 May 2012.[10][11] Cooper said that the inspiration for the album came from an appearance of long dead Betty Corrigall in one of his dreams, insisting that he wrote an album about his home.[12] This theme is currently being developed into a stage production.
Solo career
Cooper released his debut solo album Solan Goose, heavily influenced by native Orcadian birds, on 23 March 2018. The album is the first of a triptych that reflects on the natural world surrounding Orkney, with its tracks each taking their titles from Orcadian dialect words for birds.[4]
Cooper's second album in the triptych, Sule Skerry, was released on 24 May 2019 on Phases. [13] The album was included on the Scottish Album of The Year shortlist for 2020. [14]
In 2022, Cooper provided a soundtrack, Music For Growing Flowers, to the Superbloom wildflower meadow installation within the moat of the Tower of London.[15] The music has also been released as an album and a score.
Writing credits
Cooper is known for his contemporary arrangements of traditional Scottish and English folk songs, including most notably "Love Is a Killing Thing" and "The Derby Ram" collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams. He has also written for established artists, such as Paul Weller.[16]
Discography
With Erland & the Carnival
- Studio albums
- 2009: Was You Ever See EP
- 2010: Erland & the Carnival
- 2010: Trouble in Mind EP
- 2011: Nightingale – #21 on UK Indie Chart
- 2014: Closing Time
With Magnetic North
- Studio albums
- 2012: Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North
- 2016: Prospect of Skelmersdale
As a solo artist
- Studio albums
- 2018: Solan Goose
- 2019: Sule Skerry
- 2020: Hether Blether
- 2023: Folded Landscapes
- 2024: Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence
- Companion albums
- 2018: Murmuration (with William Doyle)
- 2019: Seachange (with Leo Abrahams)
- 2020: Landform (with Marta Salogni)
- 2021: Holm (Variations & B-sides)
- 2022: Music For Growing Flowers
- EPs
- 2018: Nightflight
- 2020: Eynhallow
- 2021: Never Pass Into Nothingness
- 2021: Egilsay
- 2021: The Island 1961
Other recordings
- 2009: What the Folk Compilation Vol. 2 by Youth (Butterfly Recordings) – track "Coming Home"
Further reading
- "Erland & The Carnival Interview". Under the Radar. 21 February 2011.
- "Erland & The Carnival: Question in the Form of an Answer". Passion of the Weiss. 31 March 2011.
- "Erland & the Carnival: TAS Interview". The Alternate Side. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014.
- Monger, James Christopher. "Nightingale – Erland & the Carnival". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
References
External links
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