Rob Young was born in 1968. He wishes he had been old enough to see his favourite group, Can, when they played at the Victoria Rooms, Bristol – 500 metres away from his home – in 1975. 43 years later, he would end up as Can's official biographer, with the publication of All Gates Open: The Story of Can (Faber & Faber, 2018). He has worked as a music writer and editor since 1993, when he joined the staff of The Wire magazine. He edited the collections of Wire articles, 'Undercurrents: The Hidden Wiring of Modern Music' (Continuum 2002), 'The Wire Primers: A Guide to Modern Music' (Verso 2009), and a selection of commissioned pieces on a legendary musical genius, 'No Regrets: Writings On Scott Walker' (Orion 2012). He wrote the first two in Black Dog Publishing's Labels Unlimited series of illustrated record company biographies: 'Warp' (2005) and 'Rough Trade' (2006). In 2010 he published his 650-page history of folk music and the British imagination, from the late 19th century to the present, 'Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music' (Faber and Faber). He has contributed to many publications including Uncut, Sight & Sound, The Guardian, Frieze, Artforum, Art Review, London Review of Books and the New Statesman, as well as art catalogues on Jeremy Deller, Pink Floyd, Carsten Nicolai and Seb Patane. allgatesopen.co.uk Facebook: Rob Young Twitter: @polyalbion
