
The Future Sound of London (often abbreviated to FSOL) is a British electronic music group composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans, who met in the mid-1980s while studying electronics at university in Manchester, England. Dougans had already been making electronic music for some time, working between Glasgow and Manchester, when the pair first began working together in various local clubs.
In 1988, Dougans embarked on a project for the Stakker graphics company under the name of Humanoid. The result was Stakker Humanoid, a single that went on to reach number 17 in the UK charts, becoming the first credible UK acid house tune to cross over into the mainstream. Cobain contributed to the accompanying album. A video was also produced.
The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music. Although often associated with ambient music, Cobain and Dougans usually resist being typecast into any one particular genre. Their work covers many areas of electronic music, such as ambient techno, house music, trip hop, ambient dub, and acid techno. In addition to music composition, their interests have covered a number of areas including film and video, 2D and 3D computer.
Links to Peel[]
Before the Future Sound Of London, Peel played tracks from Garry Cobain's project, Humanoid on his shows, including inviting him to do a session for his programme. Peel also chose Humanoid's Stakker Humanoid as one of his favourite tracks of 1988, which he included in his Peelenium 1988.
In 1992, when the Future Sound Of London started to make records, Peel played their debut single, Papua New Guinea, which got an early airplay during that year. The track later entered at number 22 in the UK singles chart and also had an entry in the 1992 Festive Fifty.
Peel continued supporting the Future Sound Of London, including the group having three sessions for his programmes, as well as their side project called Metropolis. By the time, the 21st century appeared, Peel rarely played any tracks from the group.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- 1992 Festive Fifty: Papua New Guinea #11
Sessions[]
1. Recorded: 1992-08-25. Broadcast: 18 September 1992. Repeated: 13 November 1992
- Lifeforms / Expander / Papua New Guinea / Space Hippy
2. Recorded: 1995-09-12. Broadcast: 29 September 1995. Repeated: 12 January 1996
- Spatial Freakout / My Kingdom / Yage
3. Recorded: 1997-05-08. Broadcast: 08 May 1997
- Tudor Oak / The Shining Path / Trying To Make Impermanent Things Permanent / Thinking About Thinking About Thinking / How To Be A Genuine Fake
1. Recorded: 1988-11-15. Broadcast: 28 November 1988. Repeated: 28 December 1988
- Orbital (Feeling) / Slam / Jet Stream Tokyo
Other Shows Played[]
- Humanoid
Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid HQ (Original Clip + TOTP Remix)
- 24 October 1988: Stakker Humanoid (12”) Westside
- 23 November 1988: Stakker Humanoid (12") Westside
- 18 January 1989: Cry Baby (v/a LP - Acido Amigo) Westside
- 03 July 1992: 'Stakker Humanoid (Smart Systems Remix) (12 inch)' (Jumpin' And Pumpin')
- 10 July 1992: 'Stakker Humanoid (Cobain Mix '94)' (12”) Jumpin’ & Pumpin’
- 17 July 1992: 'Stakker Humanoid-12 inch original (12 inch-Stakker Humanoid 92)' (Jumpin' & Pumpin')
- 26 July 1992 (BFBS): Stakker Humanoid (the 1994 mix)
- 27 May 1995: 'Stakker Humanoid (12")' (Westside)
- 22 December 1999: 'Stakker Humanoid (12")' (Westside) Peelenium 1988
- Future Sound Of London
The Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea HD (Offical Video)
- 09 February 1992: Papua New Guinea (Dumb Child Of Q) (12") Jumpin' & Pumpin'
- 15 February 1992: 'Papua New Guinea (12 inch)' (Jumpin' & Pumpin')
- 29 February 1992: Papua New Guinea (Dumb Child Of Q) (12 inch) Jumpin’ and Pumpin’
- 17 April 1992: Papua New Guinea (12 inch) Jumpin’ & Pumpin’
- 14 August 1992: Expander (album - Accelerator) Jumping and Pumping
- 15 August 1992: It's Not My Problem (album - Accelerator) Jumpin' & Pumpin'
- 24 August 1992 (BFBS): It's Not My Problem (LP - Accelerator) Jumpin' & Pumpin'
- 01 January 1993: 'Papua New Guinea (12 Inch Original)' (Jumpin' & Pumpin') FF #11 (JP: 'There were of course about six zillion mixes of that, but as far as it is possible for there to be an original, I think that was the original.')
- 04 June 1994 (BBC World Service): Dead Skin Cells (album - Lifeforms) Virgin
- 11 June 1994: Dead Skin Cells (2xCD - Lifeforms) Virgin
- 17 December 1994: ‘You're Creeping Me Out (CD – ISDN )’ Virgin
- 30 December 1994: Far-Out Son Of Lung & Ramblings Of A Madman (LP – ISDN) Virgin
- 11 February 1995: Snake Hips (12" Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman) Virgin Promo
- 18 February 1995 (BFBS): 'Snake Hips (2x12"-Promo 500)' (Virgin)
- 19 May 1995: 'Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman (CDS)' (Virgin)
- 27 May 1995: 'Kai (CD-ISDN)' (Virgin)
- 02 June 1995: ‘It's My Mind That Works (CD – ISDN)’ Virgin
- 03 June 1995 (BFBS): 'Kai (CD-ISDN)' (Virgin)
- 05 October 1996: My Kingdom (Part 5) (single - My Kingdom) Virgin
- 06 October 1996 (BBC World Service): My Kingdom (12”) Virgin
- 26 October 1996: live concert, tracks unknown
- 05 March 1997: We Have Explosive (CD Single) Virgin
- 26 November 1997: Papua New Guinea (12") Jumpin' & Pumpin'
- 25 June 1998: We Have Explosive (CD single) Virgin (Annie Nightingale's segment of the show)
- 23 December 1999 (Radio Eins): Papua New Guinea (12”) Jumpin' & Pumpin'
- Metropolis
- 04 December 1992: Metropolis (12 inch) Union City Recordings