Brian Dougans

Brian Dougans is a British musician, and a member of the British electronica duo, The Future Sound of London (FSOL).

Brian Dougans
Background information
Birth nameBrian Dougans
BornGlasgow, Scotland
GenresElectronica, IDM, trip hop, big beat, ambient
Occupation(s)Musician
composer
producer
InstrumentsKeyboards, Sampler, synthesizer, drums, laptop, computer, music technology
Years active1984–present
LabelsJumpin' & Pumpin'
Virgin Records
Rephlex
Associated actsThe Future Sound of London
Websitefuturesoundoflondon.com

Brian Dougans was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1968. He is one half of the British electronica group The Future Sound of London. He is the more technical member of FSOL, doing most of the programming, circuit bending et cetera and creating electronic instruments at his home studio in Glastonbury, Somerset.

He is currently head of FSOLdigital (FSOL's record label) and co designer of the FSOL:Digitana SX-1 Synthesiser.

His first releases were as "Humanoid", releasing the acid house single "Stakker Humanoid", which reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart in 1988, and also charted in 1992 and 2001. "Stakker Humanoid" was No.1 for five weeks in the UK Dance Chart (December 1988) and has been cited as a major influence on early Aphex Twin releases. Dougans music as Humanoid is also part of the MOMA NY collection via Stakker Eurotechno. Dougans has always been the quiet, technical workhorse of FSOL whilst Garry Cobain brings in his melody and softness to balance Dougans' technical wizardry.

Music

Humanoid

Brian Dougans first releases were as "Humanoid", releasing the acid house single "Stakker Humanoid". The track was a hit not just at influential clubs like Shoom in London, but was championed by mainstream stalwarts like Radio DJ Bruno Brookes and Kylie and Jason producer Pete Waterman. After the single reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1988, leading to Dougans' appearance on Top of the Pops on 1 December 1988.[1] Subsequent re-issues also charted in 1992 and 2001.

Stakker Humanoid was No.1 for five weeks in the UK Dance Chart (December 1988) and has been cited as a major influence on early Aphex Twin releases. Dougans music as Humanoid is also part of the MOMA NY collection via Stakker Eurotechno.

Stakker was also used as the name of the collaboration between Dougans and video artists Colin Scott and Mark McLean. Eurotechno, the soundtrack to a visual installation by the group, was originally released in 1989.

Future Sound of London

Brian Dougans was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and met Garry Cobain in 1985 when he was at Salford College of Technology in Manchester studying Music Recording Technology. After Dougans left college he set up his own studio in London where Cobain joined him and they began to release a plethora of singles under various aliases, some of which would end up on their first compilation album (as FSOL) Earthbeat in 1992.

Whereas the sound of Amorphous Androgynous is Cobain's vehicle, FSOL's more "mechanical" sound is Dougan's.[2][3]

Synthesizers

Dougans has co-designed two synthesizers with English electronics company Digitana; the SX-1 analogue synthesizer and the Halia (stand alone digital sampler synth). The SX-1 has been received with critical acclaim and has been used in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Innocents and One Strange Rock.

Guinness World Records

Dougans received (along with his musical partner Gaz Cobain) three retrospective awards from the Guinness World Records.

  • Most notably, the first internet music download on 22 June 1994, distributed via the New York based internet bulletin board Sonicnet.
  • The first band to tour the world without leaving their studio
  • The first band to tour the world down telephone wires

Discography

All as Humanoid unless indicated (please see also The Future Sound of London).

Albums
Release DateTitleLabelNotes
27 January 2003
 EurotechnoRephlex
CAT129CD		An early project, released on Aphex Twin's label Rephlex, a soundtrack of sorts to a visual installation artist Mark McLean both of which was a major inspiration to the Rephlex collective and as such was re-released on the label in 2003.
19 November 2007
 Your Body Sub AtomicFSOLDigital.com
Digital download		20th anniversary remix album of the Stakker Humanoid release and other tracks by Brian Dougans; the remixes are by both new and established artist's and DJ's, download also included an Adobe Flash "booklet" and high quality video of the "Feadz 2007 Mix".
19 March 2007
 4 ForestsFSOLDigital.com
Digital download		As Part-Sub-Merged, an experimental project released on FSOL's website; a dark soundtrack to a short film by him under the same alias.

Compilation albums
Release DateTitleLabelNotes
1989
 GlobalWestside Records
CDHUM 1989		Early compilation of the singles he released in 88/89.
10 February 2003
 Sessions 84-88Rephlex
CAT130CD		An experimental compilation full of acid house tracks and a remix of Stakker Humanoid.
1 March 2007
 Zeebox 1984-1987 Vol. 1FSOLDigital.com
Digital download		As Zeebox; the first part of a digital download compilation set of Zeebox albums, experiments from his time in Glasgow and Manchester.
4 March 2007
 Zeebox 1984-1987 Vol. 2FSOLDigital.com
Digital download		As Zeebox; the second part of a digital download compilation set of Zeebox albums, experiments from his time in Glasgow and Manchester.

EPs
Release DateTitleLabelNotes
1992
 BraindamageBit Bites Brain
BIT 9215-12		A release on a small German indie label featuring b-sides by another artist called Phase IV.

Singles
Release DateTitleLabelNotes
1988
 "Stakker Humanoid"Westside Records
WSRT 12		As Humanoid, first single, hit No. 17 in the UK singles chart, No. 1 in the UK dance chart for five weeks
1989
 "Slam"Westside Records
CDWSR14		As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation.
1989
 "The Deep"Westside Records
HUMT2		As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation.
1989
 "Tonight"Westside Records
HUMT1		As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation.
1989
 "Crystals (Back Together)"Chicago Trax
PROMO HUMT3		As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation.
1989
 "R.A.V.E"Dangerous
M-4001		As Humanoid, released on the obscure American Dangerous Records.

See also

References
  1. Stuart Aitken (11 November 2013). "Stakker Humanoid: how the Future Sound of London won hearts and minds". guardian.co.uk.
  2. The Future Sound Of London Interview Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Barcodezine.com. Retrieved on 2017-06-15.
  3. Future Sound of London : Music News Feature. Clash Music (2009-10-17). Retrieved on 2017-06-15.
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