Graham Dowdall has been operating under the Gagarin moniker for twenty-five years now and yet each release manages to bring something fresh to the electronica table. The Great North Wood has an impressive if slightly disturbing photograph of a forest on the cover; the sort of forest in which it would be easy to lose yourself, and that sense of the familiar as unknown encapsulates some of the sensations generated by the pieces collected here.
Each track on The Great North Wood very much captures a certain feel. They sit well together as a whole, but are separate little episodes or winding trails that lead through differing landscapes. When the beats kick, in as they invariably do, they feel like anchors that root the gradual bloom of the pieces, allowing them to twist and develop as they progress.
A stealthy drone with a sense of the early morning opens the album and a rush of drama that evokes a mist-filled clearing. You are not sure where you are, but all around branches shine with petals of dew. There is something Close Encounters-like about the electronic insistence of the beats as the piece gradually swells. There is a sense of sadness, of too late realisation in “Eskil”, aided by dull beats and a flute-like opening; whereas the underground trickles of “Desire’s paths” precipitate a headlong rush, a sense of pursuit further into an alien environment, wet vegetation under foot, branches snapping as you pass with the constant rearrangement of electronic textures all adding to the sense of panic. There is maddening insect song on the dark and sinister “Tortini Taormina”, which moves tremulously, while the distant water drips of “Lakuz” change the mood again; here the echoes and sense of timelessness are great. There is a soothing air as you move through caverns coming out into a swirling pool, clear blue skies above you and wide verdant vistas opening up.There is no real precedent to any of this, just a work of one mind with different images conveyed, at times haunting, at times beckoning, but never easy. The pieces often contain an air of off-key tension, the electronic sounds not always comfortable bedfellows, requiring the listener to engage and frequently keeping them on edge. Any sense of escape is always hindered and it is up to you to pay attention. Gagarin’s juxtaposition of natural and electronic sounds gives a mirror image as something familiar but seen in a different realm. The strength of the imagery and the constant unfurling of new textures makes The Great North Wood a slow-burning success, with something new coming to light each listen.
-Mr Olivetti-
