Mark Cooper

Windsor boy Mark has been involved in music for the last 20+ years as a local DJ and a drummer... Founder and one half of "Cosmic Moonbase" - a collaboration between Mark and Damian Clifton from Maidenhead - Both met on the local band scene in the early 90's. Mark bumped into singer,song writer Damian who at the time was the main engineer at "Crazie's Hill Studio" in Wargrave, Berkshire. After a mutual appreciation of electronic music and love for Andrew Weatherall & Terry Farley's take on the scene and both casualties of the "Summer of Love 88", Mark asked if Damian would like to "engineer" a track for him. After many weeks and late nights at Crazie's Hill, Mark & Damian realised that their connection was just a bit more than a "paid gig from another wannabe DJ" and their first idea "Morning Time" was born and got a release on a hidden gem of a compilation album "Sanctified Dance from the UK Underground"(N:Soul Records) in 1995. After nearly 17 years later and a conversation between Mark and his son's drum teacher James Davis, it turned out that drummer James was best friends with Damian through school so after James calling up Damian and saying about "this DJ, drumming dude" both "Coops & Clifton" were reconnected only to realise that they still shared the passion for cool electronica and wanted to get something together!! Damian jumped on a train to visit "Solid Gold", Mark's weekly residency in Windsor's Bar FiftyOne where DJ's past and present, the likes of Brandon Block, Terry Farley, Danny Rampling, Justin Robertson, Steve Proctor, Rocky - to name a few, were on hand to relight the fire and get these 2 fellas musing over what they could do if they got together again... Mark is also working with Terry Farley and is part of the "Bedford Falls Players" with other resident DJ Rob Webb and has enjoyed a very credible "Recall the Morning Time", (Endemic Digital) which is a "doff of the cap" to the original Damian/Mark collab from 1995... Their new release "Ballad of Hardrock" is out on Moodmusic and sports a brilliant "Ashley Beedle" Remix. Subsequently Mark & Damian have been signed to Bloxbox Records - brain child of DJ Brandon Block & Tim Lyall and have featured their "Can Eddie Come Out to Play" on the "Cool Luggage" EP the first release on the label and the latest club stomper "The Forgotten" with remixes from Nick Hook, Virgin Magnetic Material, Stu King amongst others... So apart from some VERY credible company Mark (Solid Gold) Cooper and Damian (Moonbase) Clifton have created "Cosmic Moonbase" and plan to bring a special fusion of Balearic & Cool Electronica to the table with their "Cosmic Disco" take on "Old but New School music... The rest as they say is about to be written!!