Banco de Gaia is an electronic music band from England, formed by Toby Marks (born 1964, South London) in 1991.

In 1978 Marks began his musical career, as a drummer in a heavy metal band.

Marks moved to Portugal in 1986, and played Beatles music for tourists. He first delved into electronic music in 1989, when he bought a digital sampler. The first tune he recorded on it was called "Maxwell House".

The music of Banco de Gaia is best categorized as ambient dub, but Marks works to cross genres, often using Arabic and Middle Eastern samples against a bass heavy reggae, rock, or trance rhythm to produce deeply textured tracks that progress layer upon layer.

In 1997, Banco De Gaia put together a five piece band that included Ted Duggan (drums) and Ashley Hopkins (bass). The band reduced in number to just Marks, Duggan, and Hopkins in 1999, and then just Marks and Duggan from 2000 until 2003; when Marks went back to being a solo artist.

Discography

The first records

• Medium (1991)
• Freeform Flutes and Fading Tibetans (1992)
• Deep Live (1992)

This first three albums existed only on tape and are no longer being sold due to copyright issues with several samples used on them.

Albums

• Maya (Planet Dog 1994)
• Last Train to Lhasa (Planet Dog 1995)
• Big Men Cry (Planet Dog 1997)
• The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia (1999)
• Igizeh (2000)
• You Are Here (2004)
• Farewell Ferengistan (2006)

Live Albums

• Live at Glastonbury (Planet Dog 1996)

Compilations

• 10 Years (2002)
• 10 Years Remixed (2003)

EP's

• Desert Wind (1993)
• Heliopolis (1994)
• Last Train to Lhasa (1995)
• Drunk As a Monk Mixes (?)
• I Love Baby Cheesy (1999)
• Obsidian (2000)
• Zeus No Like Techno / Gray Over Gray (2004 (?))
• Kara Kum Remixes (2006)
• Echoes (22-minute version of Pink Floyd song) (?)

External links

• Banco de Gaia Official Page
• Banco de Gaia at Allmusic

• Planet Dog Records website

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