Doug Appling records and performs downtempo electronic music under the name Emancipator, operating from Portland as a producer and multi-instrumentalist whose independent output and heavy touring calendar, frequently at festivals, have built an audience across many countries. His first album, Soon It Will Be Cold Enough, appeared in 2006 on his own imprint as a wintry blend of detailed beats and atmospheric layers that included violin from Cindy Kao and vocals by guest Thao Nguyen, then received a 2008 reissue on the Japanese label Hyde Out Recordings. He stepped onto the stage for the first time in 2009 as support for Bonobo and traveled to Japan for shows the same year. Safe in the Steep Cliffs, the second album, followed in 2010 and incorporated greater amounts of live instrumentation along with bolder arrangements and programming choices. The 2011 release Remixes collected reworkings of Emancipator material by Blockhead, Big Gigantic, and others. Appling launched his own imprint, Loci Records, in 2012 and began issuing recordings by associates such as Tor and Stèv. His third album, Dusk to Dawn, arrived on Loci Records in 2013 and became the first to feature violin from longtime stage associate Ilya Goldberg. He kept performing with the full Emancipator Ensemble lineup, often sharing festival headlining slots with Pretty Lights and ODESZA. Three projects surfaced in 2015: Live in Athens, Dusk to Dawn Remixes, and Seven Seas, his fourth studio album. Baralku appeared in 2017.
