I Lay Down

"The best of progressive ambient." - WIRED Magazine

Dogon formed in the late 1980s in Venezuela when North American composer/singer Paul Godwin reunited with Venezuelan electronic musician Miguel Noya. The first recorded outing "Notdunjusta" (1996) was hailed by press and radio alike as quirky, lush and tropically percolating with pre-Columbian rhythms and space-age humor. The album pre-figured artists such as Boards of Canada or Lemon Jelly and was part of the '90s progressive ambient movement that included The Orb, Steve Roach, Jhno, Spool, et. al.
The pair followed closely with "The Sirius Expeditions," (1997) a gorgeous exploration of deep space transcendence. Now after 15 years a reunion has created "All My Relations (at peace)" an album including more songs with words (vocals by Godwin) and special guest performances on bass by Kai Eckhardt (Mahavishnu, etc.), Micro Vard (Club D'Elf, Morphine), Rudy Trubitt (The Sippy Cups), Stephen Yogi on electric violin, Alfredo Garcia on cello. The new work stays close to the original intentions of Dogon, a sonic place for deep emotions - love, loss, surrender, transcendence, and humor.

AllMusic Review of "Notdunjusta" by Jim Brenholts

Dogon is Miguel Noya and Paul Godwin. Notdunjusta is their classic 1996 release and one of the quirkiest discs of the '90s. Noya and Godwin incorporate many different styles into their sound design. This CD has elements of desert ambience, tribal minimalism, experimental avant-garde, and symphonic synthesizer e-music. The fusion of these styles gives the disc a new and fresh feel. Godwin and Noya have not invented a new style; they have merely forged a unique and infectious sound. Listeners will feel the fun and join the festivities. It is very difficult not to smile when listening to this CD. The atmospheres are large, the samples are offbeat, and the rhythms are warped. Noya and Godwin have created a unique adventure. This CD is a classic and an essential element of any e-music collection.

A Brief History of Dogon

1981: Paul Godwin (USA) and Miguel Noya (Venezuela) meet while students at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. The two find a common language in British Art Rock of the 60’s and ‘70s and early electronic and punk bands. They form an electro-punk band, Dog 46. Few recordings from this period.

1985: Godwin and Noya reunite to create soundtrack for independent vampire film by Daniel Doura (Argentina) “It is in the Blood.”

1988: Dogon is formed in Venezuela to perform for Amnesty Int’l Tour and other concerts. A cassette is produced “Dogon” including songs and instrumentals with lyrics and video by Amee Evans.

1994: Dogon perform "Netloops," very likely the first ever internet-linked concert using the web to transmit MIDI and audio. This is pre-development of programs like ResRocket. Godwin in SF is heard performing keyboards at live concert in Caracas, Venezuela.

1996: Dogon reunites in San Francisco recording first CD, “Notdunjusta” on NEWdOG Records. The release is written up in Billboard, Keyboard, Alternative Press and the band is called “The Best of Progressive Ambient” by WIRED Magazine.

1997: NEWdOG secures distribution through World Domination Recordings/WEA and appears in stores throughout North America. The band records “The Sirius Expeditions” and tours West Coast of US/Canada on The Ambient Brunch Tour with Jhno, Spool, Banco de Gaia, DJ Cheb I Sabbah, Bossa Cuca Nova.

1998: The band is featured on nationally syndicated radio shows “Music from the Hearts of Space” and “Echoes.” Further concerts in Venezuela.

1999: Dogon appears at SFMoma with experimental lineup including Kai Eckhardt (bass), Zoe Keating (cello), Guy Gershoni (drums), Jhno (decks).

2013: Band reunites at Talking Tree Ranch, Placerville, CA and records double CD (unreleased) “Smellucinations Vol. 1 & 2”

2014: Dogon creates concept album “All My Relations (are at peace).”
Debut performance October 11, 2014 at Talking Tree Ranch.