Erland Cooper

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Erland Cooper
Erlandandthecarnival copyrightGalvin2009.jpg
Background information
Birth nameGawain Erland Cooper
Born Orkney, Scotland [1]
Genres Alternative, classical, electronica, ambient
Occupationscomposer, producer
InstrumentsPiano, guitar, vocals, electronics
Years active2010–present
Labels Decca Records, Universal Music
Website ErlandCooper.com

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.

Contents

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

With Magnetic North

Studio albums

As a solo artist

Studio albums
Companion albums
EPs

Other recordings

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orkney</span> Archipelago, county and council area in northern Scotland

Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but is now considered incorrect. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, the Mainland, has an area of 523 square kilometres (202 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Orkney's largest settlement, and also its administrative centre, is Kirkwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkwall</span> Town on Orkney, Scotland

Kirkwall is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. First mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga, it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub with ferries to many locations. It is the centre of the St Magnus International Festival and is also a popular stopping off point for cruise ships. St Magnus Cathedral stands at the heart of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stromness</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Stromness is the second-most populous town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the southwestern part of Mainland, Orkney. It is a burgh with a parish around the outside with the town of Stromness as its capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mainland, Orkney</span> Main island of the Orkney Islands, Scotland

The Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Isles</span> Pair of archipelagos near Scotland

The Northern Isles are a chain of islands of Scotland, located off the north coast of the Scottish mainland. The climate is cool and temperate and highly influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main island groups: Shetland and Orkney. There are a total of 36 inhabited islands, with the fertile agricultural islands of Orkney contrasting with the more rugged Shetland islands to the north, where the economy is more dependent on fishing and the oil wealth of the surrounding seas. Both archipelagos have a developing renewable energy industry. They share a common Pictish and Norse history, and were part of the Kingdom of Norway before being absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland in the 15th century. The islands played a significant naval role during the world wars of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selkie</span> Mythological creature

Selkies are mythological creatures that can shapeshift between seal and human forms by removing or putting on their seal skin. They feature prominently in the oral traditions and mythology of various cultures, especially those of Celtic and Norse origin. The term “selkie” derives from the Scots word for “seal”, and is also spelled as silkies, sylkies, or selchies. Selkies are sometimes referred to as selkie folk, meaning 'seal folk'. Selkies are mainly associated with the Northern Isles of Scotland, where they are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathal Coughlan (musician)</span> Irish singer (1960–2022)

Cathal Coughlan was an Irish singer and songwriter from Cork, best known as the frontman of the band Microdisney, formed with Sean O'Hagan in 1980. Their second album The Clock Comes Down the Stairs reached number one in the UK Indie Chart. They developed cult followings in the Irish and UK indie music scenes before breaking up in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Tong</span> English guitarist and keyboardist

Simon Tong is an English guitarist and keyboardist who was a member of the Verve between 1996 and 1999. He has played with Damon Albarn on tour with his bands Blur and Gorillaz, and as a member of the Good, the Bad & the Queen. He ranks in BBC's "The Axe Factor" as the 40th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry</span> Traditional song

"The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry" or "The Grey Selkie of Sule Skerry" is a traditional folk song from Orkney and Shetland. A woman has her child taken away by its father, the great selkie of Sule Skerry which can transform from a seal into a human. The woman is fated to marry a gunner who will harpoon the selkie and their son.

Paul Thorfinnsson and Erlend Thorfinnsson were brothers who ruled together as Earls of Orkney. Paul and Erlend were the sons of Thorfinn Sigurdsson and Ingibiorg Finnsdottir. Through Ingibiorg's father Finn Arnesson and his wife, the family was related to the Norwegian Kings Olav II and Harald II. They are both described as "tall, handsome men, shrewd and gentle, taking rather more after their mother's side of the family. Their lives and times are recounted in the Orkneyinga Saga, which was first written down in the early 13th century by an unknown Icelandic author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orcadians</span> Ethnic group

Orcadians, also known as Orkneymen, are an ethnic group native to the Orkney Islands, who speak an Orcadian dialect of the Scots language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history, culture and ancestry. Speaking Norn, a native North Germanic language into the 19th or 20th century, Orcadians descend significantly from North Germanic peoples, with around a third of their ancestry derived from Scandinavia, including a majority of their patrilineal line. According to anthropological study, the Orcadian ethnic composition is similar to that of Icelandic people; a comparable islander ethnicity of North Germanic origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucks Music Group</span> British independent music publisher

Bucks Music Group was founded in 1967, and is one of the UK's leading and longest running international, independent music publishers. The company has a rich musical heritage, having been responsible for launching and developing the careers of music legends including Black Sabbath, David Bowie, The Move, Procol Harum, and T. Rex. Their catalogue includes works written by David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Procol Harum, DJ Fresh, Run The Jewels, James Blunt, Professor Green, Rudimental, Beyonce, CAN, David Arnold, Michael Price, Troy Miller, Sacha Skarbek, Ash Howes, Seton Daunt, Erland Cooper, Ivory Layne, Gold Spectacles, Lenny Fontana, Rob Wheeler, Kathy Brown, Maya Delilah, Max Jaeger, LIFE, Brooke Bentham, ZAND, and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erland and the Carnival</span> British progressive folk rock band

Erland & The Carnival were a British progressive folk rock band, formed in London, by Orcadian folk guitarist and singer Gawain Erland Cooper, multi-instrumentalist Simon Tong, and drummer/engineer David Nock. In 2010 they released their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album, and a year later released Nightingale to further widespread acclaim. Their third album Closing Time was released in autumn 2014 and featured collaborations with Paul Weller. The album was recorded in 7 days at Damon Albarn's Studio 13 and was mixed by Tim Bran.

Erland is a Nordic male given name with several possible origins. It is typically believed to come from the Old Norse erlendr or ørlendr, meaning foreigner. Other possible origins are jarl and the Proto-Norse words *harja (here) and *arja. The name is earliest attested in a Norwegian runestone as arlantr. Notable people with the name include:

The Magnetic North are a British band, formed between multi-instrumentalist Simon Tong, Orcadian artist and producer Gawain Erland Cooper and singer, composer and orchestral arranger Hannah Peel. Their songs are part autobiography and part psychogeography.

<i>Nightingale</i> (Erland and the Carnival album) 2011 studio album by Erland and the Carnival

Nightingale is the second studio album by the folk rock project Erland and the Carnival, released in 2011 on the Full Time Hobby label. The album combines British folk themes with original rock music and received largely positive reviews." Dusted Magazine stated that "Nightingale is a distinctive exemplar of folk revivalism for the age of indie," and This is Fake DIY marked the album as the point where the band had "proven their worth in instrumental experimentation."

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Corrigall</span> Scottish woman found 150 years after her death

Betty Corrigall was a Scot whose body was found 150 years after her suicide and burial in an unmarked grave. Her grave is now a popular tourist site on Orkney, and she was the inspiration behind the 2012 album Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North by The Magnetic North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Orkney Islands Council election</span> Orkney Islands Council election

Elections to the Orkney Islands Council were held on 5 May 2022on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.

References

  1. 1 2 Barkham, Patrick (8 January 2019). "nature's songwriter - Erland Cooper". The Guardian . Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  2. Murray, Robin. "'Critical Distance: Erland Cooper's Quiet Majesty".
  3. Burnside, John (15 April 2018). "'How a seagull, a short-eared owl and an oystercatcher have released an album'". New Statesman. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  4. 1 2 Barkham, Patrick (8 January 2019). "'If it moves me to tears, I've achieved what I wanted': nature's songwriter Erland Cooper". Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  5. On, Whats (8 January 2019). "'NEST London Borough of culture opening': NEST" . Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  6. On, Whats (8 January 2019). "'portia-coughlan': portia-coughlan" . Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  7. "'Composer buries album in Orkney':".
  8. Guyoncourt, Sally (6 July 2021). "Erland Cooper buries only copy of new album, with fans urged to find it to be first to listen". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  9. Williams, Huw. "Erland Cooper: Musician's 'planted' tape found in Orkney" . Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  10. 1 2 Tyler, Kieron (6 March 2012). "Interview & Video Exclusive: The Magnetic North". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  11. Malone, Ailbhe (5 April 2012). "Indie bands get into the island life". The Guardian . Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  12. Fulton, Rick (19 July 2013). "Simon Tong reveals how Orkney's rugged landscape inspired his new band to create haunting debut album". Dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  13. "Erland Cooper - Sule Skerry / Phases from Piccadilly Records". www.piccadillyrecords.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  14. "SAY Award announces 2020 Shortlist". The List. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  15. "Superbloom: Music For Growing Flowers". Erland Cooper. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  16. "Paul Weller on X". X.com. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2024.