Douglas R. Docker

Douglas R. Docker
Douglas R. Docker performing live (May 2012)
Background information
Birth name	Douglas Ralph Docker
Born	16 June 1967 Auxerre, France
Genres	Rock, progressive rock, progressive metal, AOR, hard rock, heavy metal, space rock, electronic, European classical, Music of Thailand
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter, composer, producer, musicologist, ethnomusicologist, teacher and teacher trainer
Instruments	Piano, keyboards, bass, vocals
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Ash America, Avenue of Allies, Battlegod Productions, Black Swan Records, DNA Records, GAN, Lion Music, Massacre Records, Pride & Joy Music, Rock Company, Zero Corp.
Associated acts	Antonio Caffaro, Area 51, Biloxi, Docker's Guild, Frantic Amber, Tony Mills, Night Fever, Rustfield, Shining Line, Vivaldi Metal Project
Website	Docker's Guild Official Website

Douglas R. Docker (born 16 June 1967) is an American-French musician, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work in the progressive rock/metal, AOR and classical genres. He has worked with artists including Biloxi, Area 51, Shining Line, Therion,^[1] Rustfield,^[2][3] Frantic Amber,^[4] Tony Mills,^[5][6] and the Vivaldi Metal Project.^[7][8]

Biography

Classical Music (1977-1999)

From 1977 to 1981 Docker performed as a second violinist in the orchestra of the Istituto Musicale Corelli of Pinerolo.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]} From 1978 to 1988 he competed as a pianist in about a dozen international classical piano competitions (Senigallia, Stresa, Bardolino, Torre Pellice, Capri), receiving two first prizes.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]} He also performed in recitals as a classical pianist throughout the 1980s.^[27][28]

In September of the same year he obtained a BA in Classical Piano at the Conservatory of Cuneo.^[29] He was then hired to play piano and organ on the album Ave Maria by Italian tenor Antonio Caffaro.^[30]

In June 1996, Docker briefly returned to classical music with a recital called "Paesaggi Esotici", performed at the Turin Museum of Natural History. Featuring Mio Nakamura on vocals, the program included operatic arias and traditional songs linked by the common theme of "the exotic" (particularly Asia).^[31]

In November 1999, he performed Allegro de Concierto by Enrique Granados at the SFI-Västertorp in Stockholm for its yearly Kulturdagen (Culture Day).^[32]

Docker's Guild (2008–present)

Docker returned to Italy in January 2008. In 2011 he published an article cataloging the Waldensian musical heritage.^[33][34]

In 2008, Docker began a project named "Docker's Guild". Its album The Mystic Technocracy – Season 1: The Age of Ignorance was released in 2012 on Lion Music, described by the artist's record label as a progressive rock space opera.^[35] Performers on the album included Tony Franklin, Guthrie Govan, Jeff Watson, Greg Bissonette, Goran Edman, John Payne, Tony Mills, and Amanda Somerville. In 2016 Docker released a crowdfunded sequel entitled The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds of Future Past. A Season 2 --- "The Age of Entropy" --- is planned.^{[36][37][38][39]}

Discography

Spleen

• GentiEmergenti 2 – compilation cassette (1986), keyboards on "Autolesionismo"

Anatema

• Suonomodo – compilation LP (1988), keyboards on "Love You Sometime"

Antonio Caffaro

• Ave Maria (1989), classical piano and pipe organ^[40]

Douglas R. Docker

• Beloit Corporation / Leykam Murztaler – industrial video soundtrack (1990), keyboards and programming, composer, arranger, engineer and producer
• Beloit Corporation / PWA IP – industrial video soundtrack (1991), keyboards and programming, composer, arranger, engineer and producer

Biloxi

• Let the Games Begin (1993), did not play on album, but was featured in all album credits and photos, and supplied keyboards on US promotional tour

Area 51

• In the Desert (1996), keyboards and programming, lead and backing vocals, composer, arranger, engineer and producer

Rustfield

• Demo 2009 (2009) guest keyboard solos on "Compromising", "Waxhopes" and "High Waters"^[41]
• Kingdom of Rust (2013), guest keyboard solos on "Compromising", "Waxhopes" and "High Waters", piano on "Love Moan"^[42][41]

Docker's Guild

• The Mystic Technocracy Demo (2009), keyboards and programming, lead and backing vocals, composer, arranger, engineer and producer
• The Mystic Technocracy – Season 1: The Age of Ignorance (2012), keyboards, lead and backing vocals, composer, arranger, engineer and producer
• The Heisenberg Diaries - Book A: Sounds of Future Past (2016), keyboards, lead and backing vocals, arranger, engineer and producer

Shining Line

• Shining Line (2010), guest keyboards on "Strong Enough"

Tony Mills

• Over My Dead Body (2015), songwriter, arranger and lead vocals on "Bitter Suite", songwriter, arranger and keyboards on "Free Spirits", arranger and keyboards on "My Death" and "We Should Be on Right Now"^[43][44]

Frantic Amber

• Burning Insight (2015), guest keyboards on "Entwined" and "Soar"

Videography

Anatema

• "Love You Sometime" – videoclip (1988)

Douglas R. Docker

• Beloit Corporation / Leykam Murztaler – industrial video (1990)
• Beloit Corporation / PWA IP – industrial video (1991)
• Les Ensembles pi phat dans le village de Nang Rong en Thaïlande – "Épisode 1: Nang Rong et le Club de musique classique thaïlandaise Khok Makharon" – documentary (2006)
• Les Ensembles pi phat dans le village de Nang Rong en Thaïlande – "Épisode 2: Le Festival de Khao Phansa et le Club de musique classique thaïlandaise Khok Makharon" – documentary (2006)
• Les Ensembles pi phat dans le village de Nang Rong en Thaïlande – "Épisode 3: L'École de Nang Rong et les élèves de la classe de musique classique thaïlandaise" – documentary (2006)
• Les Ensembles pi phat dans le village de Nang Rong en Thaïlande – "Épisode 4: L'Ensemble pi phat Maeo Thai et la risiculture à Nang Rong" – documentary (2006)

Biloxi

• "Run for Your Life" – videoclip (1994)

Area 51

• "No More Dreamers (In the '90s)" – videoclip (1996)

Docker's Guild

• "A Matter of Energy" – trailer (2012)
• "Darwin's Tears" – short film (2013)
• "The Heisenberg Diaries - Book A: Sounds of Future Past" – trailer (2016)

Therion

• Adulruna Rediviva – limited edition DVD (2012), translator and voice-over for the 5 "Making Of" documentaries

Writings

• "Les ensembles pi phat dans le village de Nang Rong en Thaïlande", Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV), 2006
• "Phrá Phírâp et sa musique – Le shivaïsme tantrique au cœur de la musique traditionnelle thaïlandaise", Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV), 2007
• "La catalogazione dei beni musicali del patrimonio valdese", La Beidana, year 27°, n° 70 (February 2011), p. 48–52.

References

1. "Crew". 011 – An Adventure with Therion (Official Website). Retrieved 22 March 2016.
2. "Rustfield Page". Massacre Records (Official Website) (in German). Massacre Records. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
3. "Discography Page". Rustfield (Official Website). Rustfield. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
4. "metal.it » Interviste » Docker's Guild: suoni di un futuro passato". www.metal.it. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
5. "Tony Mills Page". Battlegod Productions (Official Website). Battlegod Productions. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
6. "Tony Mills". Tony Mills (Official Website). Retrieved 23 March 2016.
7. "Douglas R. Docker official lyricist". Vivaldi Metal Project (Official Website). Vivaldi Metal Project. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
8. "Douglas R. Docker (arranger / lyricist)". Vivaldi Metal Project (Official Website). 4 August 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
9. "Buon Natale dal "Corelli"". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian). 15 December 1977.
10. "Successo del "Corelli"". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian). 22 December 1977.
11. Bocchino, Osvaldo (24 December 1977). "Il concerto degli allievi del "Corelli"". La Lanterna (newspaper) (in Italian).
12. Santero, Giovanni (7 June 1979). "Da Pinerolo: orchestra - coro - pianoforte". L'Unione Monregalese (newspaper) (in Italian).
13. Prone, Giorgia (8 June 1979). "L'attività dell'Istituto musicale "Corelli"". La Lanterna (newspaper) (in Italian).
14. Bo, C. (8 June 1979). "Bravura e modestia dei giovani (110) del "Musicale" di Pinerolo". Provincia Granda (newspaper) (in Italian).
15. Maiolini, Vivetta (14 June 1979). "Concerto dei giovani allievi dell'Istituto musicale "A. Corelli"". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian).
16. "300 giovani concorrenti al festival "Città di Bardolino"". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 33 (7). July 1980. pp. 66–67.
17. "Oltre mille concorrenti al "Città di Stresa"". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 34 (6). June 1981. p. 98.
18. "Successo del Festival "Città di Bardolino"". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 34 (7). July 1981. p. 34.
19. "Grande successo a Torre del concorso 'Karl Czerny'". Il Pellice (newspaper) (in Italian). LXXI (18). 7 May 1982.
20. "Torre Pellice: i risultati del Concorso "Czerny"". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian) (6). June 1982.
21. "Festival "Città di Bardolino" - Premio "Montani"". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 35 (7). July 1982. p. 54.
22. Baudissone, Bruno (19 May 1983). "Più di cento pianisti al concorso di Torre P.". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian).
23. "Torre Pellice: i risultati dei concorsi". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 36 (6). June 1983.
24. "Torre Pellice". Musica e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 1 (2). July 1983.
25. "Festival "Città di Bardolino": ancora una netta affermazione". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 36 (7/8). July 1983. pp. 42–43.
26. "Vivo successo del 7° Festival "Città di Bardolino"". Strumenti e Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). 38 (7/8). July 1985. p. 120.
27. "Conclusa a Palazzo Italia la Mostra "Porte e portali"". La Pagina (newspaper) (in Italian). 3 November 1982.
28. "Concerti di primavera del "Corelli" a Pinerolo". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian). 19 May 1983.
29. "Cuneo - Conservatorio di Musica "G. Verdi"". Il Mondo della Musica (music magazine) (in Italian). XXVIII (33/34). Maria Elisa Tozzi. January 1990.
30. Pellice, Gianfranco (21 December 1989). "Serata d'onore per il tenore Caffaro a Bricherasio". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian). 84 (49).
31. Osella, Leonardo (6 May 1996). "Musica all'insegna del naturale". La Stampa (newspaper) (in Italian). 130 (123).
32. "Kulturdagen". På väg (newspaper) (in Swedish) (2). December 1999. pp. 4–5.
33. "La catalogazione dei beni musicali del patrimonio veldese" (PDF). La Beidana n. 70. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
34. Docker, Ralph (February 2011). "La catalogazione dei beni musicali del patrimonio valdese". Beidana (La) : Cultura e storia nelle Valli valdesi. 27 (70).
35. "Docker's Guild – The Mystic Technocracy". Lion Music. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
36. "Interview with Douglas R Docker (DOCKER'S GUILD) | Ytsejam.com". Retrieved 2016-08-06.
37. "Lion Music Official Page". Lion Music. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
38. "Docker's Guild: "The Heisenberg Diaries - Book A" Album". PledgeMusic. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
39. http://www.dockersguild.com/home/blog/the-mystic-technocracy-season-2-the-age-of-entropy
40. Pellice, Gianfranco (21 December 1989). "Serata d'onore per il tenore Caffaro a Bricherasio". L'Eco del Chisone (newspaper) (in Italian). 84 (49).
41. "Rustfield Official Website - Discography Page". Rustfield Official Website - Discography Page. Rustfield. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
42. "Massacre Records - Rustfield Page". Massacre Records - Rustfield Page (in German). Massacre Records. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
43. "Battlegod Productions". Battlegod Productions Official Page. Battlegod Productions. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
44. "Tony Mills Official Website". Tony Mills Official Website. Retrieved 23 March 2016.

External links

• Official Douglas R. Docker YouTube Channel