Quick Facts
Biography
Brian Dougans (born 1965) is a British musician, and a member of the British electronica duo, The Future Sound of London.
He is a "man of many thoughts and few words" almost always letting Cobain take the lead in interviews with them both. He is also the more technical member of FSOL, doing most of the programming, circuit bending etcetera and creating electronic instruments at his home studio in Glastonbury, Somerset where he lives with his wife and two children in a church that stands at the intersection of nine leylines.
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. Subsequent re-issues also charted in 1992 and 2001.
"Slam", the follow-up, was less successful, reaching No. 54. He has however continued to release music under this name to the present, primarily through FSOL's online digital download store.
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 Cobain left college to set up his own studio Dougans 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.
Discography
All as Humanoid unless indicated.
Albums
| Release Date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurotechno | Rephlex 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. | |
| Your Body Sub Atomic | FSOLDigital.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". | |
| 4 Forests | FSOLDigital.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 Date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | Westside Records CDHUM 1989 | Early compilation of the singles he released in 88/89. | |
| Sessions 84-88 | Rephlex CAT130CD | An experimental compilation full of acid house tracks and a remix of Stakker Humanoid. | |
| Zeebox 1984-1987 Vol. 1 | FSOLDigital.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. | |
| Zeebox 1984-1987 Vol. 2 | FSOLDigital.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 Date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braindamage | Bit Bites Brain BIT 9215-12 | A release on a small German indie label featuring b-sides by another artist called Phase IV. |
Singles
| Release Date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "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 | |
| "Slam" | Westside Records CDWSR14 | As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation. | |
| "The Deep" | Westside Records HUMT2 | As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation. | |
| "Tonight" | Westside Records HUMT1 | As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation. | |
| "Crystals (Back Together)" | Chicago Trax PROMO HUMT3 | As Humanoid, featured on "Global" compilation. | |
| "R.A.V.E" | Dangerous M-4001 | As Humanoid, released on the obscure American Dangerous Records. |