Order FURIOUS ANGELS here
Listen, I take art too seriously. I'm one of these guys who believe in the Bushido of creativity, that art should only be made for the right reasons and never make the business side of it a priority. The line between art and entertainment has become so thin in the music industry that not many artists have consciously remained on the right side. Multitalented Australian composer Rob Dougan is a beautiful anomaly in that regard as he released FURIOUS ANGELS in 2002 before leaving the music industry for over a decade, leaving behind only fifteen songs to his legacy that still haunt his audience to this day.
Rob Dougan is the best pseudo-mainstream artists you don't know about. I don't know how else to describe him because his music eludes the notion of genre. He's a modern crooner, but his music is predominantly electronic and sometimes even instrumental. He also loves classical music and it's not rare to hear strings in his arrangement. Ever time I spin FURIOUS ANGELS, it's like every song is part of the soundtrack of a different movie. Some of them are aerial and uplifting, others are dark and brooding, most of the songs on the record have their own intrinsic appeal, which makes them playlist friendly. Rob Dougan is an artist you can listen on its own or a part of a larger mix without losing any perspective on the quality of what he does.
Speaking of dark and brooding, Rob Dougan is often remembered for his more tormented songs. His main claim to fame is the title song Furious Angels, which was backed by a tremendous and inspiring video. There are other brooding gems on the record though, my two favorites being the moody and noir-ish Left Me For Dead and the elegiac I'm Not Driving Anymore. It's a funny title, but Dougan uses the driving analogy for someone losing control of his life, which works. Every time I listen to I'm Not Driving Anymore, I get caught in its intensity. There are other good dark songs on the record such ad Nothing At All and There's Only Me, but they don't quite reach the peak of intensity of the aforementioned three.
FURIOUS ANGELS has a couple of instrumental songs on it, including Clubbed to Death, which was a breakthrough piece for Rob Dougan since it was featured on The Matrix's soundtrack. It's a quirky and catchy tune, but it doesn't command your attention like other songs on the record. It wasn't composed to be. An instrumental song that filled me with visions and wonder is Will You Follow Me? It's a special song, because it doesn't need words. It's an odd fit on the album as there are no other uplifting songs like that, but it's quite efficient. It has become a bad days song for me as it makes me immediately feel better upon hearing. FURIOUS ANGELS earned its way into my every day life. It's not just an album I spin anymore. Its songs have meaning to me.
Obviously, I couldn't wait to tell you about this album and it is more an introduction to why I think Rob Dougan is one of the most inspiring artists and one of the best kept secret in the music industry. If you're into FURIOUS ANGELS as much as I am, you'll be happy to hear that Dougan's released some new songs this year after a mysterious thirteen year layoff. I've just found out recently myself, but it's not even a debate for me, I'm going to get this for I know that Rob Dougan makes music for the right reasons and that it will always inspire aesthetes like myself.