Gorodisch is Stephen Cracknell, who has enjoyed a varied and eventful career in music. He performed as a guitarist on a number of tracks released by the now defunct Bristol label Cup Of Tea, including the elusive Grantby, while running a business importing obscure vinyl albums from America.
He then went on to be one of the founder members of Trunk Records who released the 'Super Sounds Of Bosworth' series and 'The Wicker Man' OST. After 'The Wicker Man' release Cracknell left Trunk to concentrate on the Gorodisch project.
Gorodisch (the name is a bastardisation of a character in the Delacorta novel and later Jean-Jacques Beneix film 'Diva' - who shares Cracknell's love of a good sandwich) is an attempt to distil the wide range of Cracknell's own musical tastes from traditional British song to contemporary folk music such as disco, drum and bass and 2 step, passing through jazz, hip-hop, exotic instrumentation and electronica.
Gorodisch made his debut on the noted 'Osmosis' compilation on The Leaf label and followed this up with 'Cariad' also on Leaf, as part of the 'Invisible Soundtracks' series.
Then came a spell during the summer of 2000 alongside Fridge as part of Badly Drawn Boy's band, before Cracknell returned to the studio to complete the mini-album 'Thurn & Taxis' which was released in July 2001 to much acclaim.
'Thurn & Taxis' is a nod to the author Thomas Pynchon and his novel 'The Crying Of Lot 49' picking up on the themes of monopolies versus underground communication, and the notion of reality being coloured by time and memory.
The rest of the year was filled with DJing and two live appearences (at the 12 bar club and Cargo) with a full band, before commencing work on the new full album due out later this year.
Soundtracks play an important role in the Gorodisch musical world and last year he also took part in sessions with David Holmes for the 'Buffalo Soldier' score.
"Like (the sadly missed) Ultramarine and, much more recently, The Beta Band, Simian and Zero 7, Stephen Cracknell recognises the natural link between the pastoral tradition (acoustic/analogue) and contemporary electronica (digital). As Gorodisch, he released his divine debut LP. 'Thurn & Taxis', a bewitchingly oblique take on the folk idiom which booted it into the twenty-first century and made it funky as fuck.
This serving of Gorodisch should make for a pretty magical night"
Time Out preview, 5-12 Sep 2001
"Stealth like combinations of live strings, guitars and filmic sampling with understated beats ... choosing to bastardise elements in ways that avoid obvious jazz/folk/psych taggings. Smooth"
4/5 DJ Magazine Sureplayer
"A model of tranquillity. Opening and closing with a flurry of harp and seaspray, its seven tracks process dissolute strums, noir-ish jazz and a few stray temple bells... truly harmonious poise"
Uncut
"Keen on melody, pithy and refreshingly unpretentious, Cracknell lends the psych-country of 'B.O.F.' and the dubbed up folk rocker 'Blues For Pablo Money' a fresh, slightly tapped dimension... a gem of a mini-album"
NME
The Gorodisch Dirty Dozen
compiled by Stephen Cracknell - 29/5/01
Julie Driscoll "I Know You Love Me Not" MFP
Mike Westbrook "Awakening" Deram
St Germain "Sure thing" (Todd Edwards Mix) Blue Note
Don Cherry "Universal Mother" Atlantic
Custom Blue "Stucture" Island Blue (unreleased)
Herbert "Bodily Functions" album K7
Anne Briggs "The Snows They Melt The Soonest" Topic
Redman & DJ Kool "Lets Get Dirty" Def Jam
Blaze "You Dont Really Love Me" Motown
Bert Jansch "Blackwaterside" Transatlantic
Foxy Brown "Oh Yeah" Def Jam
Black Sabbath "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" Vertigo
(Biography Last updated 29 May 2001)
Release date 7 November 2005
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Celebrating the anniversary of any record label is always a strange thing, as the quality of releases are down to the bands the label chooses to work with. Still, ten years feels like a bit of a milestone. That’s especially true for The Leaf Label, which was launched by ex-4AD ... [more]
Release date 4 May 2004
CD
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A full-length compilation album for the price of a CD single, Delivery Room follows on from 2002’s Lost For Words and the Osmosis sampler from 1999.
The release of the compilation coincides with the long-awaited launch of The Leaf Label’s new website ( www.theleaflabel.com ). Both CD and website follow ... [more]
Release date 2 September 2002
CD
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A full-length label compilation for the price of a CD single? You may well find yourself Lost For Words at the prospect of such bounty.
Lost For Words is the successor to the enormously popular Osmosis budget-priced sampler from 1999 which ushered in The Leaf Label's second wave of artists, ... [more]
Release date 10 December 2001
CD
This limited edition promo only CD was created to mark the occasion of The Leaf Label's major London event on 10 December 2001. The concert featured live appearances from Eardrum, Dan Snaith and Gorodisch, plus DJs Graham Sutton, Rob Ellis, Tony Morley and Four Tet. Copies of the CD were ... [more]
Release date 25 June 2001
LP
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( play all tracks )
'Thurn & Taxis' is the first full release by Gorodisch, aka Stephen Cracknell. The recordings were put together during 2000 and the early part of 2001, bringing together traditional British folk-song and more synthetic influences, making for a thoroughly contemporary sound that's woozily out of time. With live cello provided ... [more]
Release date 12 March 2001
CD
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With popular demand and critical appreciation for Yokota's work at an all time high, The Leaf Label imported a limited number of copies of Leaf Compilation, Yokota's first ever mix CD. Released own Yokota's own Skintone label, from which Leaf licensed his other album releases, it was the first time ... [more]
Release date 6 November 2000
12"
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Following hot on the heels of 'Invisible Soundtracks: Macro 3' CD comes this new EP (Volume V in the 12" series) containing four brand new tracks. This time out, Leaf have got some people you should really have heard of to contribute: Chris Brann (as P'Tang), Faultline, Sofa Surfers and ... [more]
Release date 3 August 1999
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'Osmosis' is a 14-track album of new and exclusive tracks from The Leaf Label, available for less than the price of a single. The CD showcases releases by many of the label's recent signings, together with a few exclusive cuts by old favourites such as The Sons Of Silence and ... [more]
13 July 2006
Now we've got over the excitement of playing at Somerset House, there are a few things happening round our way:
This Friday 14th July our very own Nancy Wallace will be be doing a completely solo set at Filthy McNasty's in London Town. It's free to get in and you can listen to some of her fine tunes here .
Then on the morning of Sunday 16th July there is a special event at ... [read full article]
26 January 2003
Stephen Cracknell (aka Gorodisch) is set to release a 7" single as The Memory Band, on a brand new label, Hungry Hill.
The record will be in the shops on January 27, and we hope it will be available for sale on PostEverything.com imminently.
Aided vocally by Adem and Polly on the title track, the band has been produced and recorded by The Leaf Label's Gorodisch and motivated by several live performances undertaken last year.
Boots and Stephen ... [read full article]
12 March 2002
Anyone for ritual killings and a feast of orgies? Join us for GORODISCH’s live musical rework of the classic film The Wicker Man (joined by Adem Ilhan from Fridge, with vocals provided by singer-songwriter Polly Paulusma), plus DJs KIERAN HEBDEN, JONNY TRUNK & PAUL LAMBDEN
Compere: TIMOTHY OF LONDON
Visuals: BLUE SUNSHINE
Halloween presents Full Length 12
FRIDAY 22 MARCH
ICA, The Mall, London SW1
Doors open: 8pm
Admission: £8/£7 concessions; £6 ICA members
Tickets ... [read full article]
