John Mills-Cockell

Canadian electronic music pioneer

After a stint in the avant-garde mixed media project "Intersystems" in 1968 and forays into the rock forum the following year with the "Kensington Market" in Toronto and the lesser-known "Hydro Electric Streetcar" out in Vancouver, electronics composer John Mills-Cockell formed the groundbreaking, though criminally ignored, "Syrinx" in 1970. This led to a pair of LPs, the meandering synthwork of 1970's 'Syrinx' and the follow-up 'Long Lost Relatives'. The years 1972-74 were spent across the pond in Europe, with Mills-Cockell soaking up old world influences for the recording of solo albums, "A Third Testament" and "Heartbeat". Mills-Cockell would release a third solo effort, the synth-pop "Gateway" a couple of years later.