Hubbry Logo
Gordon RaphaelGordon RaphaelMain
Open search
Gordon Raphael
Community hub
Gordon Raphael
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Gordon Raphael
Gordon Raphael
Gordon Raphael
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Key Information

Gordon Raphael is an American record producer and musician from Seattle, Washington and New York, currently living in Hebden Bridge (UK), after a 15 years in Berlin. Gordon runs a website called Gordotronic which features his own original music, artwork and writings. In the year 2022 he published his first book, "The World Is Going To Love This (Up From The Basement With The Strokes)" though Wordville Press in London.

Raphael is most widely known for his work with The Strokes, whom he met while attending an early show at Luna Lounge on Ludlow Street, New York City. He produced their debut EP The Modern Age as well as their first two albums Is This It and Room on Fire. The EP and first album were recorded entirely in his basement studio Transporterraum NYC (co-owned by Jimmy Goodman). He has also produced songs for The Cribs, Sarah Maguire, Skin, Mexico's top rock band Fobia, Satellites (from Mallorca), and Soviet Kitsch by Regina Spektor.

Other notables he has worked with include the Cult's Ian Astbury and Ian Brown of The Stone Roses. Other rock music he has produced: from Bognor Regis Kill Kenada, Britain's The Moonies, the London band Three Trapped Tigers, operatic art rockers Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man, Swiss literary-rock band The Mondrians, Finland's Caroline Taucher and The Whas, UK artists Charly Flynn and The Sound Explosion, Peruvian band Los Outsaiders. He worked as engineer, and played keyboards, on all of New York singer-songwriter Roxanne Fontana's second album, Souvenirs d'Amour. As of early 2025 he is mixing an album for Pinc Louds.[1]

Career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

As a musician, Raphael formed two bands in Seattle, Mental Mannequin and Colour Twigs. He was also the keyboardist for the Seattle-based psychedelic band Sky Cries Mary and part of a dark-wave band called Absinthee with Anna Mercedes.[when?] His favorite instrument is the Arp Odyssey, which he started learning at age 18. This small 1970's analog synthesizer creates an infinite pallet of evocative, intense outer space noises as well as a barrage of bass which he uses on many of his own and other artist's recordings.

2000s: The Strokes and work in Europe

[edit]

Raphael moved to London in 2002 following the success of Is This It, and founded a studio there called The Silver Transporterraum of London. In his first year living there, he worked with thirty bands, and was asked to produce the debut album of The Libertines whilst mixing live sound on their first-ever UK Tour (with The Vines and The Strokes). Rapahel also began curating a club night called The Basement Club with Transgressive Records co-founder Toby L, presented very early concerts by Regina Spektor, Bloc Party, The Libertines, and Raphael's own band Black Light among many others.

In 2005, after working for almost a year on The Strokes album First Impressions of Earth, Raphael was replaced as producer by David Kahne.[2]

He moved to Berlin to be close to his friend, producer Moses Schneider. From his Berlin base, many European bands began to contact him via the internet to work, including Zeno and the Stoics (Madrid), Mikkel Glasser (Copenhagen), Satellites (Mallorca), Big Deal (London), A Brand (Brussels), Deportivo (Paris), Scanners (London), Olivia Anna Livki (Berlin), Super 700 (Berlin), Ian Astbury (London), Eva Loft (Berlin), and The Michelles (Berlin).

2010s: Further international work and original music

[edit]

In January 2010, Raphael went to Cape Town, South Africa, to produce the debut album Shark by indie rock band The Plastics.

In 2011–2012, Raphael worked in San Antonio, Texas with Education, The Dirty Clergy, Ill Prospekt and Victoria Celestine. He then met Ricky Berger and co-engineered her new collection of songs. Around the time of Hurricane Sandy, he was back for a rare visit to Manhattan producing an album for Lewis Lazar, then luckily being called to his beloved Seattle for an album with Ben Ireland (a drummer that Raphael worked closely with in his own bands including Mental Mannequin, The Tears of Gloom, and Sky Cries Mary). Whilst in the Pacific Northwest, Raphael was introduced to The Tempers, a "wild-electronic band of brother and twin sisters" and was thrilled to record 6 interstellar electronic rock songs with them.

In May 2013, he went to Lima, Peru, to record a Peruvian new band called Los Outsaiders. In October 2013, he went to Seattle, Washington, and recorded a seven-song EP with Red Martian. In April 2014, Raphael went to Mexico City and recorded a six-song EP with the up-and-coming band Sol Flamingo while simultaneously filming a small documentary on "the making" of it with Montreal based filmmaker Patrick Barbeau.

Raphael gave a production master-class at British & Irish Modern Music Institute in Berlin (BIMM) in March 2016.[3]

A fortunate development occurred when rising Argentinian musician Rocco Posca asked Raphael to produce his new album, Fervor for Sony Music. In June 2018, these recording sessions began, and on the first day guitarist Maria Florencia Silva, offered to start a new band with Raphael, called The Wild Cards which toured briefly through South America.

On January 1, 2019, Raphael released his album I Lick The Moog, which had been recorded in his old NYC Studio Transporterraum during Christmas 2000, four months before the recording of The Strokes Is This It began. At that time Raphael, was actually living in the studio, in a basement under Avenue A. The album contains outsider-rock songs, mixed with experimental soundscapes and electronic atmospheres created on his beloved Arp Odyssey, a Jupiter 6 and Mini Moog.

As of June 1, 2025 Gordon Raphael has 15 albums of his own music on all streaming platforms, as well as 4 EPs and 12 singles.

Production discography

[edit]
Year Title Artist Credits
1986 Skin Yard Skin Yard Assistant engineer, recording[4]
1986 Dry As a Bone Green River Engineer
1998 Fresh Fruits for the Liberation Sky Cries Mary Engineer, mixing
1999 Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time Scout Engineer, mixing
2000 Colour Twigs Colour Twigs Producer
2000 Mélodie Citronique Blonde Redhead Engineer
2001 The Modern Age The Strokes Producer
2001 Is This It The Strokes Producer
2001 Souvenirs d'Amour Roxanne Fontana Engineer
2001 The Bellweather Project Slang Engineer
2002 Riff After Riff The Wildhearts Producer
2003 Soviet Kitsch Regina Spektor Producer
2003 Room on Fire The Strokes Producer
2004 Fake Chemical State Skin Producer
2005 Rosa Venus Fobia Producer
2006 First Impressions of Earth The Strokes Co-producer
2008 Reality Check The Teenagers Vocal engineer
2008 Close to the Sun Jody Porter Producer
2008 The Right Way to Do Wrong Myriad Creatures Producer, engineer, mixing
2010 Close the Evil Eye The Tellers Producer, engineer, mixing
2018 I Don't Run Hinds Producer
2021 Cool Colleen Green Producer, engineer
2026 Selling a Vibe The Cribs Producer

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Gordon Raphael

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Gordon Raphael (born July 1957) is an American musician, , and , best known for producing ' breakthrough debut album Is This It (2001) and their follow-up Room on Fire (2003), which played a pivotal role in revitalizing in the early . Born in , Raphael moved to , at the age of eight, where he developed an early passion for music and recording influenced by his father's background and access to tape recorders and synthesizers like the during high school. In the and early 1990s, he played keyboards in Seattle bands, including recording sessions for proto-grunge acts like Green River and performing with the space rock group Sky Cries Mary from the late to 1994. After relocating to in 1998, he established low-fi studios such as Transporterraum and Chateau Relaxo, where he discovered and produced ' early EP (2001) after attending one of their gigs at . Raphael's production style, characterized by raw, analog techniques and minimal overdubs, extended to other notable works, including Regina Spektor's debut album (2004) and engineering for The Libertines' early tours. His career has spanned locations including (2002–2005) and (2005–2020), and he now resides in , a rural town in , , where he continues producing for emerging acts such as SAMSARA, Violet Fox, and Chéri Chéri. In 2022, he published his memoir The World Is Going to Love This: Up From the Basement With the Strokes, detailing his experiences from the grunge scene to his time with .

Early life and education

Childhood in Seattle

Gordon Raphael was born in the Bronx, New York, in July 1957. His family relocated to Seattle, Washington, when he was eight years old, immersing him in the city's evolving cultural landscape. In , Raphael's early exposure to music came through records he discovered around age 10, including works by , , , and , which he later described as profoundly impactful, convincing him that music was "the most important thing in the world and the most powerful thing." He began lessons but quickly grew frustrated with the rigid instruction, such as directives to play quietly, preferring instead to experiment freely and loudly. This self-directed approach fostered his initial musical curiosity amid the late and early local scene. Raphael quit formal schooling in his late teens to pursue music and recording full-time. As a teenager, Raphael honed self-taught keyboard skills, attending local concerts that connected him to Seattle's vibrant punk and new wave community in the mid-, including early performances by influential bands. During high school, he developed a particular affinity for synthesizers, falling in love with the —a compact analog instrument whose versatile sounds would define much of his later production style. These formative experiments with keyboards and the local music environment during the pre-grunge era solidified his passion for rock and electronic elements, paving the way for his involvement in bands during the .

Formation of early bands

Gordon Raphael entered Seattle's burgeoning scene in the early as a and co-founder of the experimental synth-driven band Mental Mannequin, formed around 1980 with Tor Richard Midtskog, Mike Davidson, and other local musicians. The group drew from the city's punk and new wave influences, performing at venues like the Seattle Concert Theater alongside acts such as The Blackouts, and reflecting the experimental ethos of Seattle's pre-grunge era. Raphael's early fascination with synthesizers, honed since childhood, shaped the band's sound, which emphasized electronic textures in a live setting. Following Mental Mannequin's disbandment, Raphael co-founded Colour Twigs in 1982 with Midtskog, expanding his multi-instrumental role to include keyboards, vocals, and contributions to songwriting and recordings. The band blended psychedelic new wave with electronic elements—often termed "Seattle Mystery-tronica"—featuring 808 drum patterns and synthesizer-driven tracks like "It's Easy" and "Military Man," performed at local spots such as and the Vogue. This period immersed Raphael deeper into 's alternative ecosystem, where interactions with emerging groups like and Green River highlighted the interconnected punk and proto-grunge community, fostering a vibrant yet DIY-driven atmosphere. By the 1990s, amid the explosion, Raphael joined Sky Cries Mary as keyboardist in the early 1990s, contributing to the band's live performances and studio work on their 1997 Fresh Fruits for the Liberation. In this trance-infused group, he played keyboards, guitars, and samples, enhancing their ethereal sound during tours and recordings that captured Seattle's evolving alternative landscape, though the band maintained a distinct psychedelic edge separate from mainstream . His tenure with Sky Cries Mary, which lasted until 1997, underscored his versatility in live settings and solidified his presence in the city's dynamic music circles.

Career

Early engineering and production work (1980s–1990s)

Gordon Raphael began his professional career in music engineering during the mid-1980s in 's burgeoning underground scene, assisting on key -era recordings that captured the city's raw, energetic sound. He served as assistant engineer on Skin Yard's self-titled debut album, released in 1986, where he supported lead engineer at Reciprocal Recording studio. This work involved hands-on tasks like tape handling and basic tracking on an 8-track setup, emphasizing live room miking to preserve the band's aggressive guitar tones and dynamic performances without heavy overdubs—a technique emblematic of early production that prioritized immediacy over polish. Raphael's first full engineering credit came with Green River's Dry as a Bone EP, also in 1986, where he produced and recorded several tracks at his own Ultralab studio in the basement of a 1927 Seattle church he had recently converted into a creative space. Ultralab featured a modest setup with reel-to-reel tape machines and basic outboard gear, allowing Raphael to experiment with close-miking drums and guitars to achieve the gritty, distorted textures that defined proto-grunge. This EP's sessions highlighted his approach to minimal intervention, recording the band live to tape to retain natural bleed and urgency, which influenced the raw aesthetic of 's Sub Pop label releases. By the late 1990s, Raphael had honed his skills on more alternative-leaning projects, engineering and mixing Sky Cries Mary's Fresh Fruits for the Liberation in , where he also contributed keyboards, guitars, and samples as a band member. His production focused on layering psychedelic elements with clean yet atmospheric mixes, using effects like reverb and delay to enhance the band's ethereal sound without overpowering their organic instrumentation. Similarly, he recorded two tracks on Scout's debut album It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time in 1999, applying a straightforward technique of capturing the band's live energy in studios, emphasizing balanced frequencies and subtle compression to highlight vocal intimacy and guitar drive. Entering the early 2000s, Raphael marked his first complete production credit with his own band Colour Twigs' self-titled album in 2000, self-recorded at home setups blending analog tape with emerging digital tools to create a psychedelic new wave vibe. This period also saw him engineering Blonde Redhead's EP Mélodie Citronique in 2000, where he handled vocal recordings and overall tracking to support the band's experimental , using precise mic placement for nuanced French-language vocals and atmospheric . Minor credits, such as contributions to Slang's The Bellwether Project in 2001, further built his reputation in indie circles through turntable elements and mixing that fused electronic and rock textures. These works underscored Raphael's growing expertise in fostering authentic, unpolished sounds amid Seattle's alternative ecosystem.

Breakthrough with The Strokes and relocation to Europe (2000s)

In 2000, Gordon Raphael discovered while attending a performance at in , where he was impressed by their raw energy and approached the band afterward to offer recording time at his Transporterraum studio. This led to him producing their debut EP, , released in 2001, which captured the band's sound using the studio's intimate basement setup in Manhattan's East Village. Building on this success, Raphael fully produced ' breakthrough debut album later that year, employing vintage equipment such as tube microphones, a Pultec EQ, and a basic drum setup to achieve a gritty, lo-fi aesthetic that emphasized the band's urgent riffs and Julian Casablancas's vocals. He continued this approach for their follow-up, in 2003, again at Transporterraum, where the use of old analog gear like mics and minimal overdubs preserved the raw, edge that defined their early output. Raphael received co-production credits on three tracks of ' 2006 album —"Razorblade," "Electricityscape," and "Killing Lies"—before being replaced mid-project by due to creative differences. Following the release of , Raphael relocated to in 2002, drawn by the city's vibrant music scene and the Strokes' growing fanbase, where he established The Silver Transporterraum studio equipped with '60s-era Hammond organs, Leslies, and synthesizers to facilitate a broader range of recordings. In this new environment, he produced Regina Spektor's debut major-label album in 2004, co-helming sessions that highlighted her piano-driven with unconventional techniques like close-miking her vocals for an intimate, theatrical quality. He also collaborated with during their early rise, mixing sound for their first tour and conducting initial production sessions, though the band ultimately pursued other producers for their debut album . Raphael's adaptation to the UK and European music landscapes in the mid-2000s was evident in select projects that showcased his versatility beyond American garage rock. He contributed production to several tracks on The Wildhearts' Riff After Riff (2003), including "So Into You" and "The Miles," blending his raw aesthetic with the band's high-energy punk-metal style during sessions at his London studio. For Skin's solo album Fake Chemical State (2006), he co-produced most tracks, infusing the ex-Skunk Anansie frontwoman's rock tracks with a polished yet edgy sound that reflected his growing European influences. Similarly, he produced Fobia's Rosa Venus (2005), Mexico's leading rock band's album, co-directing with Paco Huidobro to merge Latin alternative elements with his signature analog warmth on songs like the title track. By the late 2000s, around 2005, Raphael moved to to collaborate closely with producer friend Schneider, immersing himself in the city's underground electronic and experimental scenes, which began shaping his production toward more textures and modular synth explorations in subsequent work.

International collaborations and solo music (2010s–2020s)

In the , Gordon Raphael expanded his production career through a series of international collaborations, embracing a nomadic approach that involved setting up temporary studios in diverse cultural hubs to infuse recordings with local flavors and raw energy. In January 2010, he traveled to , , to produce the debut album for band The Plastics, capturing their melodic indie sound at Sound and Motion Studios. From 2011 to 2012, Raphael relocated to , , where he worked with emerging local acts, including producing Education's Moment of Truth and sessions with The Dirty Clergy, Ill Prospekt, and singer Victoria Celestine, adapting his methods to the region's vibrant indie and hip-hop scenes. Raphael's global itinerary continued in May 2013 with a trip to , , to record the self-titled debut Outsaiders for the band Los Outsaiders, blending classic rock elements with modern indie influences in a seven-track session that showcased the group's multilingual energy. In April 2014, he headed to to produce a six-song EP for up-and-coming act Sol Flamingo, simultaneously documenting the process in a to highlight the band's style amid the city's bustling creative environment. Later that decade, in 2018, Raphael co-produced Spanish garage rockers Hinds' sophomore I Don't Run, adding a polished New York edge to their lo-fi tracks while preserving their humorous, dexterous songcraft during sessions in , . His production philosophy during this period prioritized portable gear and on-location immersion, allowing cultural nuances—like Peruvian rhythms or Mexican —to shape the sonic palette without overpolishing the artists' raw essence. In 2016, Raphael shared insights from his peripatetic career through a production at the British & Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in , discussing techniques for capturing live energy and working with international talent. Entering the , he produced Los Angeles-based artist Colleen Green's third album Cool in 2021, collaborating across multiple studios to elevate her lo-fi pop with synth layers and melodic hooks while maintaining an intimate, weed-infused vibe. In early 2025, Raphael mixed Pinc Louds' album You Can't Eat the Moon and Be a Werewolf Too, blending punk, , and EDM elements for the queer-folk outfit in sessions that emphasized emotional tangibility. Recent activities included December 2024 recordings in , , with student band The Blackouts, and further 2025 sessions with acts like Orange Blossoms in New York, Junkyard Tornado in , and others in and , often shared via his as glimpses into his ongoing border-crossing workflow. Alongside these projects, Raphael pursued his own music, emerging as a prolific solo artist with a focus on synth-heavy, introspective compositions. His solo debut I Lick the Moog arrived in January 2019, featuring tracks recorded two decades earlier in his New York studio during a holiday break from sessions, recontextualizing early 2000s experiments in . By June 2025, Raphael had amassed 15 solo albums, 4 EPs, and 12 singles across streaming platforms, exploring themes from cosmic to personal reflection through representative works like Mental Mannequin (2023), the dreamy Sleep On The Radio, the upbeat Good Morning Mrs. Sunshine (2025), and the EP Substitute Music in the Year of Our Lord (September 2025), which teased delirious, synth-driven tracks amid his touring schedule. This output underscores his shift toward self-directed ry, often self-produced in makeshift setups that echo his collaborative ethos.

Personal life

Residences and lifestyle

Gordon Raphael was raised in , after being born in and moving there at age eight, where he developed his early interest in music production through home recordings using analog equipment. Prior to 2000, he relocated multiple times within the United States for band work and studio opportunities, eventually settling in in 1998 to establish the TransporterRaum studio in Alphabet City. Following the breakthrough success of producing ' debut album in 2001, Raphael moved to in 2002, where he resided for several years and founded additional studio spaces like The Silver TransporterRaum. In 2005, seeking closer collaboration with European producers, Raphael relocated to , , maintaining a base there through the late and into the while pursuing international production projects that involved frequent travels across and beyond. This pattern of relocations reflected his adaptable approach to music-making, often setting up temporary or home-based studios equipped with vintage analog gear such as synthesizers, keyboards, and tape machines to prioritize raw, live-sounding recordings. By the late 2010s, Raphael sought a more stable yet creatively stimulating environment, settling in , , , in December 2019. , a small town renowned for its bohemian artistic community of musicians, writers, and visual artists, has shaped his daily creative routine, providing inspiration through its rural landscapes of hills, rivers, and canals where he incorporates walks and local collaborations at venues like the Trades Club. This setting allows him to balance production work for other artists with his own songwriting and performances, emphasizing a philosophy of organic, unpolished music creation over commercial polish. As of 2025, while primarily based in , Raphael continues to utilize nearby as a temporary recording hub, collaborating at facilities like Eiger Studios on projects with emerging artists.

Memoir publication

In 2022, Gordon Raphael published his memoir The World Is Going To Love This: Up from the Basement with through the independent publisher Wordville. The book chronicles his four decades in music production, with a particular emphasis on his pivotal role in the New York scene during the early , including collaborations with artists like and . It draws from Raphael's personal archives, offering an intimate look at the creative processes behind landmark recordings and the cultural resurgence of that he describes as a "rebirth" in New York and . Central themes in the memoir revolve around the behind-the-scenes dynamics of recording sessions, such as those for ' debut album, where Raphael highlights the unfiltered energy and interpersonal bonds that shaped the music. He explores relationships with band members, emphasizing mutual trust and spontaneous artistic decisions that captured the raw essence of the era's sound. The narrative frames this period as a "ghost revival" of rock's vitality, contrasting the decline of with the invigorating indie wave that followed, while reflecting on broader lessons in and innovation in music production. The memoir was well-received for its candid, insider perspective, earning praise from outlets like , , , and BBC Radio 6 for its vivid storytelling and unique insights into indie rock's golden age. On Goodreads, it holds an average rating of 4.15 out of 5 from over 90 reviews, with readers commending its engaging anecdotes and inspirational take on artistic perseverance. Promotional efforts included in-person events, such as a 2022 discussion at Rough Trade East in , and radio interviews like one with WTBU at , where Raphael elaborated on the book's themes of creative risk-taking. Writing the memoir allowed Raphael to reflect deeply on his career trajectory, influencing his continued artistic output in the 2020s, including solo albums like The Lost Cities / Lifetimes (2024) and Dangling Between the Essentials and the Decorations (2024), which echo the raw, introspective style detailed in the book. This literary project thus bridged his past productions with his ongoing personal music endeavors, reinforcing themes of resilience and evolution in his work.

Discography

As producer

Gordon Raphael began his production career in the during the 1980s, assisting on early recordings before transitioning to full engineering and production roles in the . His approach, rooted in analog tape recording and minimal intervention, aimed to preserve the organic feel of performances, a that carried through his later work with revival acts. This lo-fi aesthetic, often using vintage gear like tape machines and tube amps, became a hallmark, influencing the raw, energetic sound of indie and alternative music across decades. In 1987, Raphael engineered Green River's influential EP Dry as a Bone, handling production and recording at Ultralab Studios for tracks that bridged punk and proto-grunge, including the seminal "This Town". Later, in the late 1980s, he contributed as assistant engineer to Skin Yard's self-titled debut album, recorded at Reciprocal Recording in , where he supported lead engineer on sessions that captured the band's aggressive sludge-metal edge. By the late 1990s, as a member of Cries Mary, Raphael also engineered and mixed outtakes compiled on the 1998 collection Fresh Fruits for the Liberation, blending with electronic elements. He contributed additional recording to Scout's 1999 album Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, aiding the indie band's shoegaze-tinged sound. In 2000, Raphael engineered Blonde Redhead's EP Mélodie Citronique at Transporterraum NYC, contributing to its dreamy textures alongside Ryan Hadlock. That same year, he engineered sessions for Slang's debut, supporting the New York noise outfit's experimental edge. Raphael's breakthrough in the 2000s came with , whom he discovered at a New York gig and produced starting with their 2001 EP , recorded live to tape in just three days to retain urgency and grit. He followed as producer for their debut album (2001), capturing the band's CBGB-inspired revival in analog sessions that defined early-2000s indie. Raphael produced the follow-up (2003), emphasizing tight rhythms and reverb-drenched guitars while maintaining a raw, unpolished vibe. He co-produced select tracks on (2006) with , including "Razorblade", "Electricityscape", and "Killing Lies", blending his lo-fi ethos with the band's evolving stadium sound. Outside , he produced ' 2002 album Stormy in the South, Karma in the North on several tracks, infusing the British rockers' punk energy with his tape-saturated style. In 2003, Raphael engineered Roxanne Fontana's Souvenirs d'Amour, adding keyboards and shaping its introspective singer-songwriter arrangements. He produced Regina Spektor's breakthrough (2004), highlighting her piano-driven quirkiness through intimate, live-room recordings. Raphael handled production for Skin's (ex-Skunk Anansie) 2006 solo debut Fake Chemical State, delivering electronic-tinged alt-rock with bold vocal dynamics. For Mexico's , he produced tracks on their 2005 album El Ritmo Azteca, adapting his methods to fusion. During this period, he also mixed live sound for on their first UK tour (2002–2003) and contributed to specific demo sessions, fostering their chaotic aesthetic. In 2008, Raphael served as vocal engineer for ' debut Reality Check, refining the French electro-punk band's irreverent hooks. That year, he produced, engineered, and mixed Myriad Creatures' The Right Way to Do Wrong, enhancing the indie band's eclectic pop with analog warmth. He also produced Jody Porter's () solo debut The Best Part of the Show, blending power-pop with Strokes-like edge. Entering the 2010s, Raphael continued international work, producing, engineering, and mixing The Tellers' 2011 album Close the Evil Eye in , elevating the Belgian indie rockers' raw melodies. In 2018, he co-produced Hinds' I Don't Run in , applying his tape techniques to the Madrid duo's fuzzy garage pop for a polished yet gritty result. Raphael produced and engineered Colleen Green's 2021 album Cool on Hardly Art, transforming her lo-fi indie into upbeat with confident grooves. Recent sessions include producing tracks for The Blackouts in London (2024–2025), reviving the band's alternative rock with fresh analog sessions. As of 2025, he mixed Pinc Louds' album You Can't Eat the Moon and Be a Werewolf Too on Needlejuice Records, contributing to its queer-punk-folk through layered, tactile soundscapes.

As performer

Gordon Raphael's performing career began in the music scene of the , where he served as the keyboardist for the psychedelic rock band Sky Cries Mary. He contributed keyboards to several of the band's albums during this period, including A Return to the Inner Experience (1993), This Timeless Turning (1994), and Moonbathing on Sleeping Leaves (1997), helping shape their neo-psychedelic sound with atmospheric synthesizers and experimental arrangements. Earlier, Raphael fronted the band Colour Twigs, which he formed in 1981 and described as a psychedelic new wave project rooted in Seattle's underground scene. The band's self-titled album, recorded on multitrack tape recorders and featuring Raphael as performer and producer, was released in 2000 and later made available on streaming platforms, blending raw energy with improvisational elements. Transitioning to a solo career in the 2010s, Raphael evolved into a synth-heavy artist, often self-recording in home studios across and the U.S. His releases emphasize personal, introspective lyrics over pulsating electronic backdrops, marking a shift from band dynamics to individualistic expression. Key albums include Sleep on the Radio (2018), a collection of lo-fi rock tracks; I Lick the Moog (2019), an archival release of 2000 recordings paying homage to analog synthesizers; Mental Mannequin (2023), revisiting his early 1980s band material with tracks like "The Poet's Vision Exploding to Life" that explore surreal, poetic themes; and Good Morning Mrs. Sunshine (2025), featuring songs such as "Angels on Pine Street" that reflect on urban nostalgia and resilience. Other notable works encompass Electro (Weird Side), Floodlight of the Moon, Black Light, and Dangling Between the Essentials and the Absurd, showcasing his affinity for modular synths and genre-blending production. By November 2025, Raphael had issued 15 solo albums, four EPs—including Substitute Music in the Year of Our Lord (2025)—and 12 singles, establishing his output as a cornerstone of modern indie .

References

  1. https://www.soundonsound.com/people/gordon-raphael-producing-strokes
  2. https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/i-have-decided-never-to-invest-in-property-instead-i-have-bought-guitars-and-keyboards-wn6x5cf8f
  3. https://www.spiritstudios.ac.uk/about/people/gordon-raphael/
  4. https://brianfunk.com/blog/gordon-raphael
  5. https://demomagazine.ca/2025/06/24/this-isnt-just-it-beyond-the-strokes-with-gordon-raphael/
  6. https://www.portraitsdigital.com/gordonraphael
  7. https://agrrrlstwosoundcents.com/2021/12/31/a-conversation-with-gordon-raphael/
  8. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/green-river-seattle-grunge-oral-history-pearl-jam-mudhoney-783878/
  9. https://highlark.com/gordon-raphael-interview/
  10. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1110595615993343/posts/1614029432316623/
  11. https://grungeincluded.substack.com/p/gordon-raphael-musician-writer-artist
  12. https://www.longbrosbooks.com/pages/books/7793/punk-underground-poster/original-punk-poster-featuring-mental-mannequin-at-the-seattle-concert-theater
  13. https://theticket.seattletimes.com/top-picks/gordon-raphael-fantagraphics-bookstore-gallery/
  14. https://www.gordotronic.com/colour-twigs-history/
  15. https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=28070
  16. https://tapeop.com/interviews/46/gordon-raphael
  17. https://www.last.fm/music/Sky%2BCries%2BMary
  18. https://www.endino.com/skinyard/skindetail.html
  19. https://www.discogs.com/master/127332-Skin-Yard-Skin-Yard
  20. https://www.discogs.com/release/13108734-Green-River-Dry-As-A-Bone
  21. https://www.discogs.com/master/1725865-Sky-Cries-Mary-Fresh-Fruits-For-The-Liberation
  22. https://www.discogs.com/release/5881849-Scout-It-Seemed-Like-A-Good-Idea-At-The-Time
  23. https://www.discogs.com/master/873787-Slang-The-Bellwether-Project
  24. https://www.discogs.com/master/12358-The-Strokes-The-Modern-Age
  25. https://www.discogs.com/release/616517-The-Strokes-First-Impressions-Of-Earth
  26. https://www.stereogum.com/1850735/first-impressions-of-earth-turns-10/reviews/the-anniversary/
  27. https://eigerstudios.co.uk/gordon-raphael/
  28. https://www.discogs.com/release/25338838-Regina-Spektor-Soviet-Kitsch
  29. https://www.newsweek.com/music-producer-indie-rock-strokes-libertines-1774257
  30. https://www.discogs.com/master/151332-The-Wildhearts-Riff-After-Riff
  31. https://www.discogs.com/release/654979-Skin-Fake-Chemical-State
  32. https://nessymon.com/interview-with-gordon-raphael/
  33. https://www.ossiarecords.com/the-plastics
  34. https://www.sacurrent.com/music/the-first-local-gordon-raphael-produced-album-is-educations-moment-of-truth-2290496/
  35. http://www.ziprecords.nl/los-outsaiders
  36. https://theaccidentaljournalistcom.wordpress.com/blog-2/
  37. https://floodmagazine.com/49845/hinds-i-dont-run/
  38. https://www.bimm.ac.uk/news/online-masterclass-with-gordon-raphael/
  39. https://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/album/cool
  40. https://pinclouds.bandcamp.com/album/you-cant-eat-the-moon-and-be-a-werewolf-too
  41. https://outlook.monmouth.edu/2024/12/monmouth-student-band-the-blackouts-travel-to-london-to-record-album-with-the-strokes-producer-gordon-raphael/
  42. https://gordonraphael.bandcamp.com/album/i-lick-the-moog
  43. https://music.apple.com/us/artist/gordon-raphael/1677519280
  44. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/35394-gordon-raphael/
  45. https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-strokes-producer-gordon-raphael-hebden-bridge-interview-lounge-society-cains-heresy-2883788
  46. https://www.bimm.ac.uk/news/the-strokes-producer-gordon-raphael-talks-to-berlin-students/
  47. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/herbie-may-in-a-post-lockdown-world-i-had-a-self-imposed-lockdown-of-a-kind-5377699
  48. https://www.amazon.com/World-Going-Love-This-Basement/dp/1838403671
  49. https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-strokes-is-this-it-producer-gordon-raphael-on-his-new-00s-indie-book-the-world-is-going-to-love-this-3110675
  50. https://www.gordotronic.com/book-pre-order/
  51. https://sites.bu.edu/wtbu/2022/06/04/interview-gordon-raphael/
  52. https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-world-is-going-to-love-this-up-from-the-basement-with-the-strokes-gordon-raphael/1a58a50796078f3b
  53. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60574328-the-world-is-going-to-love-this
  54. https://www.facebook.com/wordvillepress/videos/gordon-raphael-speaking-to-his-friend-toby-l-at-rough-trade-east-so-how-did-his-/851887855726640/
  55. https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-lost-cities-lifetimes/1733463684
  56. https://open.spotify.com/album/1hznffxKmwbRfNJMbUVnRB
  57. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9bREgDZaNk
  58. https://www.discogs.com/release/13094178-Green-River-Dry-As-A-Bone
  59. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/gordon-raphael/credits/
  60. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/ep/blonde-redhead/melodie-citronique/
  61. https://www.discogs.com/release/10948250-The-Strokes-First-Impressions-Of-Earth
  62. https://www.discogs.com/master/151323-The-Wildhearts-Stormy-In-The-North-Karma-In-The-South
  63. https://en.everybodywiki.com/Roxanne_Fontana
  64. https://www.songchecks.com/blog/gordon-raphael
  65. https://www.mixonline.com/recording/producer-gordon-raphael-talks-solo-project
  66. https://music.apple.com/us/song/feeling-better/272613485
  67. https://www.discogs.com/release/18889903-Myriad-Creatures-The-Right-Way-To-Do-Wrong
  68. https://www.discogs.com/release/4604486-The-Tellers-Close-The-Evil-Eye
  69. https://www.thefader.com/2018/03/30/hinds-finally-floating-i-dont-run-interview-new-for-you
  70. https://www.discogs.com/release/20555926-Colleen-Green-Cool
  71. https://www.discogs.com/artist/59296-Sky-Cries-Mary
  72. https://tidal.com/browse/artist/6270482
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.