Emancipator (musician)
Emancipator | |
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![]() Emancipator in Istanbul. (October 26, 2013) | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Douglas Appling |
Also known as | Emancipator |
Born | Virginia, United States | May 27, 1987
Origin | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Genres | Electronica, trip hop, downtempo, ambient, chill-out |
Occupation(s) | Producer, DJ |
Instrument(s) | Drums, violin, guitar, keyboard |
Years active | 2006-Present |
Labels | Loci Records, Emancipator Music, Hydeout Productions, 1320 Records |
Website | emancipatormusic |
Douglas "Doug" Appling (born May 27, 1987), better known by his stage name Emancipator, is an American electronic music producer based in Portland, Oregon. He launched his music career by self-releasing his debut album Soon It Will Be Cold Enough in 2006 while he was still a college student.[1] He has subsequently released six albums, founded his own record label, and formed a live band, the Emancipator Ensemble, whose sold-out shows have been called by one critic "an unforgettable experience".[2]
Early life
Doug Appling grew up in Virginia where he studied violin from ages 4 to 12, progressing to electric guitar, drums, and bass as a teenager. He cites his father's "eclectic music collection" as sparking his interest in electronic music, while his mother "who’d volunteered in the Peace Corps, exposed him to African thumb pianos and sounds from beyond the Western palette". He played drums in a post-punk group in high school that won their prom's "battle of the bands" competition.[1] On how he got his start producing, Appling states "I got hooked on [producing electronic music] when I started chopping up loops in Acid Pro for fun in high school".[3] After high school, Doug attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, completing an undergraduate degree in psychology. While there, he took a number of classes in music theory which influenced him as an artist.[4] He self-released his first solo album, Soon It Will Be Cold Enough, under the name Emancipator in 2006. Distribution was limited since he burned the CDs at home, sold them via his MySpace channel and "hand-delivered them the post office every week.”[1]
Career
In late 2007, Emancipator came to the attention of Nujabes's Japanese label, Hydeout Productions, who re-released Soon It Will Be Cold Enough in April 2008. Moving to his current home of Portland, Oregon in 2009, he played his first live U.S. show as the opening act for Bonobo, who Appling admits is "one of [his] favorite producers."[4] This, together with a tour of Japan in 2008-2009, helped to provide exposure to larger audiences both at home and abroad. During this time frame, he switched from using Acid Pro and Reason to using Ableton Live as his music sequencer and digital audio workstation software for all of his productions.[1] His second album, Safe In the Steep Cliffs, was released in January 2010 on the Hydeout label to some acclaim.[5] Remixes, an album of reworked versions of Emancipator tracks by Blockhead, Big Gigantic, Tor, and others, was self-released in 2011.[6][7] Around this time, Doug began touring live with violinist, Ilya Goldberg; the duo drew positive critical attention.[8] In 2012, Appling founded his own label, Loci Records, and released the album Drum Therapy by Tor as the label's debut album.[9]
2013 saw the release of Emancipator's third studio album, Dusk to Dawn, his first album on Loci Records. Significant touring and studio work followed the release of the record and a four-piece full-band, Emancipator Ensemble, debuted for live audiences.[10]
In 2015, Emancipator released his first live album, Live from Athens, in June; his second remix album, Dusk to Dawn Remixes, in July; and his fourth studio album Seven Seas, in September.[11][12]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details |
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Soon It Will Be Cold Enough | |
Safe In the Steep Cliffs[15] |
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Dusk to Dawn[16] |
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Seven Seas[17] |
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Remix albums
Title | Album details |
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Remixes[18] |
|
Dusk to Dawn Remixes[19] |
|
Live Albums
Title | Album details |
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Live In Athens[20] |
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Singles
Title | Song details |
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Shook (Sigur Ros X Mobb Deep) |
|
Maps |
|
Father King |
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Elephant Survival |
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Kids/Truman Sleeps |
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References
- ^ a b c d Greenwald, David (25 March 2014). "From violin to Ableton: Inside Emancipator's evolving electronic world". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ Osorno, Allie (25 Oct 2015). ""Emancipator" Review". The Vermont Cynic. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "IAMA with Doug Appling: "Hey Reddit! I'm Doug Appling, better known as electronic artist Emancipator. Ask me about life, production, owning a record label, and everything in-between!"". Reddit. 24 Sep 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ a b Carelli, Alexandra Marie (7 May 2010). "Interview with Doug Appling: Emancipator". SFGate. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ Fisher, Tyler (17 Feb 2010). "Emancipator - Safe In The Steep Cliffs (review)". SputnikMusic. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "Artist Biography - Emancipator". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ https://www.discogs.com/Emancipator-Remixes/master/630254
- ^ Pareles, Jon (3 Feb 2012). "Laptops and Hip-Hop Hang Out With a Violin: Emancipator Plays at Highline Ballroom". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ "Tor new album 'Blue Book' announced + premier of first single "Days Gone"". Loci Records. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ Womeldorph, Zane (21 Nov 2013). "Emancipator Ensemble review / Boulder Theater (Boulder, CO)". The UNTZ. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ "Emancipator (artist bio)". Loci Records. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ Greenwald, David (25 Sep 2015). "Emancipator releases new album, 'Seven Seas'". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ https://www.discogs.com/Emancipator-Soon-It-Will-Be-Cold-Enough/release/1613410
- ^ https://www.discogs.com/Emancipator-Soon-It-Will-Be-Cold-Enough/release/1368240
- ^ https://emancipator.bandcamp.com/album/safe-in-the-steep-cliffs
- ^ https://emancipator.bandcamp.com/album/dusk-to-dawn
- ^ http://www.emancipatormusic.com/announcing-seven-seas-album-tour
- ^ https://www.discogs.com/Emancipator-Remixes/release/5076200
- ^ http://www.emancipatormusic.com/dusk-to-dawn-remix-album-out-now
- ^ "Live In Athens - emancipator". emancipator. 4 June 2015.
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