Drew McDowall

Drew McDowall
Background information
Born	(1961-01-28) 28 January 1961 (age 64)
Origin	Paisley, Scotland
Genres	Drone, Experimental Electronic, Ambient
Occupation(s)	Composer, Musician, Sound Artist
Instrument(s)	Synthesizer, Field Recording
Labels	Dais Records, Ascetic House, Bank, Exist
Website	drewmcdowall.bandcamp.com

Drew McDowall is a Scottish NYC based composer and musician. He was a member of Coil in the 1990s contributing heavily to some of their most respected and influential works. ^[1] As well as his solo work he has collaborated with Kali Malone, ^{[2] [3]} Caterina Barbieri, ^[4] Robert Aki Aubrey Lowe, Hiro Kone, Varg, Puce Mary, ^[5] Shapednoise ^[6] Rabit. ^[7] James K ^[8] and LEYA ^[9]

History

McDowall formed art-punk trio Poems in 1978 with his then-wife, Rose McDowall. During the 1980s, McDowall was a member of Psychic TV. ^[10] McDowall performed with Coil regularly for several years, becoming an official member ^{[11] [12]} in 1994.

After moving to New York in the early 2000s he created Compound Eye, a collaborative project with the Tres Warren of Psychic Ills. Starting in 2012 McDowall started to concentrate on solo works, ^{[13] [14]} releasing four albums under his own name and touring North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. ^{[15] [16] [17]} Beginning in 2018 he has toured a live AV reinterpretation of Coil's seminal drone work, Time Machines, at festivals across the world. ^{[18] [19] [20]}

In May 2023 Dais Records released Lamina, a 6 CD retrospective box set of his work and in May 2024 released A Thread, Silvered and Trembling, ^[21] his 5th solo album on the label.

Discography

Solo

• "Tongs" as Screwtape on the compilation album Interiors (1998)
• Haecciety Deluge (Ascetic House 2015)
• Collapse (Dais Records 2015) ^{[22] [23]}
• Unnatural Channel (Dais Records 2017) ^[24]
• Third Helix (Dais Records 2018) ^{[25] [26]}
• Agalma (Dais Records 2020) ^{[27] [28]}
• Lamina (Dais Records 2023) ^{[29] [30]}
• A Thread, Silvered and Trembling (Dais Records 2024) ^[31]

Coil

• Coil vs The Eskaton: Nasa Arab (12") (1994)
• Coil vs ELpH: Born Again Pagans (CD) (1994)
• ELpH: pHILM #1 (10") (1994)
• ELpH vs. Coil: Worship the Glitch (1995)
• Black Light District: A Thousand Lights in a Darkened Room (1996)
• Time Machines (1998, 2017) ^[32]
• The Solstice and Equinox Singles:
  • Spring Equinox: Moon's Milk or Under an Unquiet Skull (7"/CD) (1998 March)
  • Summer Solstice: Bee Stings (7"/CD) (1998 June)
  • Autumn Equinox: Amethyst Deceivers (7"/CD) (1998 September)
  • Winter Solstice: North (7"/CD) (1999 January)
• "Blue Rats (Blue Cheese Remix)" and "Heartworms" with Coil on the compilation album Foxtrot (1998)
• Astral Disaster with Coil (1999 January)
• Coil: Musick to Play in the Dark Vol. 1
• A Guide for Beginners: The Voice of Silver with Coil (2001)
• A Guide for Finishers: Golden Hair with Coil (2001)
• Coil: 'Moon's Milk (In Four Phases)' (2XCD) (2002 January)

Other collaborations

• Les Fleurs De Mal with Rabit (Halcyon Veil, 2017)
• Nordic Flora Series pt3- Gore Tex City with Varg (Northern Electronics, 2017)
• Love Is The Capital with Hiro Kone (Geographic North, 2017)
• Perfect World with Uniform (12XU/Alter, 2015)
• Journey from Anywhere LP with Compound Eye (Editions Mego, 2013)
• Compound Eye 10" with Compound Eye (The Spring Press, 2013)
• The Origin of Silence 12" with Compound Eye (The Spring Press, 2012)
• "Seeds of Love" maxi-single with Backworld (Harbinger House, 2003)
• Brighter than the Universe/Red Eye 7" with Captain Sons and Daughters (2003)
• Godstar: Thee Director's Cut with Psychic TV (Temple Records, 2004)
• "Sweet Fang/Greenery" 7" with Captain Sons and Daughters (2006)

Remixes

• Drab Majesty Forget Tomorrow (Dais Records 2017)
• Croatian Amor Love Means Taking Action (Posh Isolation 2016)
• "The Snow (As Pure As?)" remix alongside John Balance on The Snow (1991)
• Nine Inch Nails "The Art of Self Destruction, Part One", "The Downward Spiral (The Bottom)", "Eraser (Denial; Realization)", "Eraser (Polite)" and "Erased, Over, Out" remixes alongside Coil on the album Further Down the Spiral (1995)
• "Cowboys In Bangkok 1995 (Coil vs Elph Mix)" remix alongside Peter Christopherson on the Chris and Cosey album Twist
• Hiro Kone "Severance" (2012)
• "Signal I" remix on the Long Distance Poison album Gliese Translations (2013)
• Azar Swan "In My Mouth" (2013)

References

1. Fontenoy, Richard (26 October 2017). "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Time Machines: Drew McDowall On Coil's Drone Legacy". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
2. Bruce-Jones, Henry. "Drew McDowall and Kali Malone pursue "joy, terror, and the elegiac" on 'Agalma V'". FACT.
3. Helfand, Raphael. "Drone music isn't just one note". Fader.
4. Matt, Dell. "Total Spiritual Processing: Post-industrial pioneer Drew McDowall & Caterina Barbieri on elegy, transference, & the psychedelia of Agalma". AQNB.
5. "DISTANT PAIRS: PUCE MARY & DREW MCDOWALL". Issue Project Room. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
6. Henry, Bruce-Jones. "Shapednoise enlists Drew McDowall, Rabit and Justin Broadrick for new album, Aesthesis". Fact.
7. Philip, Sherburne. "Les Fleurs Du Mal". Pitchfork.
8. https://ra.co/reviews/35074
9. https://www.brooklynvegan.com/drew-mcdowall-coil-psychic-tv-remixed-leyas-first-way-listen/
10. Heller, Jason (30 September 2015). "Drew McDowall: Collapse". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
11. Lula, Chloé (October 2020). "Drew McDowall talks Musick, magick and sacred materiality - The Wire". The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
12. "In Conversation with Drew McDowall (part 1)". NOISEXTRA.
13. "In Conversation with Drew McDowall (part 2)". NOISEXTRA.
14. "CTM 2018: Artist Talk with Drew McDowall". CTM.
15. Twells, John. "CTM Festival 2019: Dance music is not in crisis, it's more hopeful than ever". Fader.
16. "Drew McDowall at MONOM on the 4DSOUND sound system". FACT.
17. "An Interview with Drew McDowall at Berlin Atonal". Post Punk.
18. "BANDSPEAK: DREW MCDOWALL AND FLORENCE TO @ MUTEK MONTREAL". Boston Hassle.
19. Diduck, Ryan Alexander. "Drew McDowall is an experimental-music legend". Cult-MTL.
20. John, Doran. "Presence Tense: Unsound Krakow Reviewed". The Quietus.
21. Lamb, Johny. "A Thread Silvered and Trembling Review". The Quietus.
22. Jason, Heller. "Collapse". Pitchfork.
23. Michael, Berdan. "We Talked to Drew McDowall about 'Collapse,' Coil, And Everything in Between". Vice.
24. Zaldua, Chris. "Industrial legend Drew McDowall on Coil and confronting global crisis". FACT. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
25. WILLCOMA. "Insomniac Focus A survey of third-act Drew McDowall (Coil)". Tiny Mix Tapes.
26. Lula, Chloé. "Magick & Music: Coil's Drew McDowall Explains Ritual And The Creative Process". Electronic Beats.
27. Berlatsky, Noah. "Drew McDowall's new-age noise music quests for a sense of 'sacred atheism'". Document. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
28. Brooks, Bernie. "Agalma Review". The Quietus.
29. Christian, Eede. "Drew McDowall Details New CD Box Set, 'Lamina'". The Quietus. The Quietus. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
30. LeJarde, Arielle Lana. "Drew McDowall announces CD box set of expanded works, rarities and live performances". Resident Advisor. Resident Advisor. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
31. "About A Thread, Silvered and Trembling". Dais Records. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
32. Richard, Fontenoy. "Time Machines: Drew McDowall On Coil's Drone Legacy". The Quietus.

External links

• Coil