Erland Cooper is a Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was born and raised in Stromness, Orkney. As an interdisciplinary artist, he has released seven solo albums, including a trilogy of work inspired by his childhood home, as well as themes of nature,[2] people, place and time. His work combines field recordings with classical orchestration and contemporary electronic elements.[3] Cooper also works across mixed media projects including installation art,[4] theatre[5] 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 | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Gawain Erland Cooper |
Also known as | Erland Cooper |
Origin | 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 credited[by whom?] 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.
In 2021 he buried the only existing copy of the master magnetic tape of his first classical album 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.[6] He buried the tape in 2021 and intended to retrieve it in 2024.[7] The tape was found in September 2022[8]
Originally founding member of bands The Magnetic North and Erland and the Carnival with whom he has released five acclaimed albums, he has a diverse musical background. He owns a private recording studio in London which has become home to some of the UK's most acclaimed left field producers, artists, and mix engineers.
In 2009, Cooper co-founded the band Erland and the Carnival in London with multi-instrumentalist Simon Tong (formerly of The Verve, Blur and The Good, the Bad & the Queen) and drummer/engineer David Nock (The Orb, The Cult, The Fireman, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney).[1]
In 2011 Cooper co-founded the British shoegaze band The Magnetic North with Simon Tong and singer, composer and orchestral arranger Hannah Peel.[9] Formed in London, they released their debut album, Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North on 6 May 2012.[9][10] 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.[11] This theme is currently being developed into a stage production.
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.[3]
Cooper announced the release of the second album in the triptych, Sule Skerry, via Mary Anne Hobbs's BBC Radio 6 Music show on 21 February 2019, where she played the lead single, 'Haar'.[12] The record 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.
Cooper is best 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 but he has also written for established artists like Paul Weller.
Erland and the Carnival | |
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