Gagarin Quartets - collaborators
Modulus Quartet - performers
Jonathan Truscott
Violin 1
Craig Stratton
Violin 2
James Hogg
Viola
Nick Allen
Cello
Modulus Quartet specialises in performing original string quartet repertoire written in close collaboration with a number of international composers. Drawing on its collective experience, the quartet seeks out music of an individual style, developing creative relationships with composers and artists. The quartet explores new ways of presenting music, performing in unusual venues and incorporating visual arts and multi-media technology.
Modulus released their debut album, 12 Seconds of Light, in 2017, featuring music by composers Terry Davies, Veera Lummi, Ash Madni, Richard Norris, Eliot Lloyd Short and Matthew Slater. The tour to promote the album took in a variety of unusual locations including Honister Slate Mine in the Lake District and Carnglaze Cavern in Cornwall. Visuals were created by videographers Tom Brown and Diego Barraza. The tour was supported by Arts Council England and the quartet was featured on BBC Spotlight South West. Modulus subsequently toured the album in Romania in 2019 as well as performing other new works in the UK and making appearances on London Live and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.. In collaboration with the Charlie Pyne Quartet they premiered new scores, by Terry Davies, for three 1920s silent Surrealist films at the Crucible Theatre for the 2019 Sheffield DocFest.
As with many artistic groups, the global pandemic put a temporary halt on plans, however since 2022 the quartet has been busy working on several projects: recording Sensoria, a multi-media collaboration with composer Richard Norris; recording Veera Lummi’s Tide Within for the film short Burning Gold directed by Matt McDermott; recording the strings for Veera Lummi’s solo vocal album Liminal; working with students at Eastbourne College; premiering Gagarin Quartets by Nicholas de Carlo at Ramsgate Festival of Sound and subsequently performing them on International Day of Human Space Flight at the Brunel Museum in London.
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The quartet are busy preparing material for their second album, Evolutional, to be released in 2025 featuring works by Eliot Lloyd Short, Maria Muraru, Richard Norris, Malcolm Lindsay, Roger May and Veera Lummi. In the first half of 2024, Modulus worked with Newham Music’s Youth Ensemble Scheme, using Gagarin Quartets as the inspiration for creative composition work. Both Evolutional and Gagarin Quartets will be performed on tour in 2025.
Photo: Diego Barraza
Nicholas de Carlo - composer
Nicholas de Carlo is an award-winning contemporary composer whose music seeks to explore symbolic interpretations of subject matter and story. Previous projects include Tempelhof Airport, Berlin Stations, Women of Troy, Othello, The Human Body and Gagarin with the albums Gagarin - Son of The Earth & Gagarin - Returns.
Nicholas de Carlo is an award-winning composer, producer and recording artist who has worked with artists & directors across almost every genre, from west end theatre, global advertising, documentaries & film scores to world famous rap artists, rock, punk & alt-pop.
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Clementine Bartaud - editing and montage
Clementine Bartaud is a freelance video editor based in Margate/London, UK. She specialises in short form - Branded content, music videos, fashion promos and short documentary.
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Julian Bigg - graphics and film
Julian Bigg trained at Epsom School of Art & Design in the mid 1980s and started Fresh Produce Design Consultancy in 1989. Fresh Produce’s clients include the food outlet EAT and News International.
Julian has created visuals for the music industry designing album covers and directing videos for chart topping bands including Tom Jones, Space and Adamski. He also has been creative director for music and style-based magazines Touch and critically acclaimed, but short lived, Untold magazine.
In 2013, he launched and co-curated Ramsgate Music Hall, winner of NME magazine’s UK’s best small venue.
Julian is creator of visuals for Gagarin Quartets.
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Johnny Goddard - projections and film
Johnny Goddard is a film director, visual artist and curator at this museum is not obsolete. As a director for Youth Hymns he has worked with artists as diverse as Snoop Dogg and Wolf Alice and has recently directed an advert for JBL. He brings a timeless analogue aesthetic to the live visuals for Gagarin Quartets.
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