Dub Gabriel

In the ‘90s and 2000s, producer/composer/mixmaster Dub Gabriel has specialized in a multicultural blend of electronica and world music — electronica as in ambient music, world music as in the music of the Middle East, India, and Africa (Arabic North Africa as well as black music from West and Central Africa). Electronica, of course, is a very far-reaching term; electronica is everything from the most forceful, harsh, and abrasive techno and rave music to the most laid-back downtempo and chillout, and Gabriel's work has generally been somewhere in between. Gabriel is musical, but the New York City resident is also funky and invigorating. Although his recordings are heavily electronic and involve a lot of programming, they aren't 100-percent programmed; a Dub Gabriel production is likely to combine electronic beats with acoustic ethnic instruments such as Indian tabla drums; in other words, he likes to unite ‘90s and 2000s studio technology with traditional, time-tested instruments that have been around for centuries. However, not all of his work has taken place in the studio. Since 1999, Gabriel has been coordinating dance-oriented events that he calls Brooklyn Massive Parties (some of which have been attended by crowds of 500 or 1000 New Yorkers). As a DJ/mixmaster, he has performed at private parties for Denis Leary, teen pop star Britney Spears, and other major celebrities. In 2003, Gabriel's Ascend album was released by the New York-based Baboon Records.