Pascal Gabriel
Encyclopedia
Pascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian
-born musician based in London
. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock
band The Razors
(bass guitar
and backup vocals). He left Belgium
for London
in the late 1970s and worked as a freelance sound engineer in various studios, earning a reputation for innovative remix
es for artists like Marc Almond
(Soft Cell
) and Yello
.
Toward the end of the 1980s, Gabriel was a producer and co-writer for S'Express
and Bomb the Bass
-- two of the first sample
-heavy dancefloor artisans of that era. He claimed a number one UK single with the S'Express track "Theme from S'Express
" and a number two with Bomb the Bass' "Beat Dis."
Following the success of S'Express and Bomb the Bass, Gabriel embarked on a series of projects, mixing
, producing
and writing with a variety of artists, including Claudia Brücken
(formerly of Propaganda
), Erasure
, and Debbie Harry
from Blondie
.
In the 1990s, Gabriel moved away from beats and breaks and into the pop music world, collaborating with EMF
, Inspiral Carpets
, Kitchens of Distinction
and Falco
.
From 1996 to 1998 he wrote, produced and performed with the Mute Records
-signed band Peach (known as "Peach Union" in the U.S. due to another band already using the name). Their song "On My Own" was featured prominently in the film Sliding Doors
.
From then until 2006, Gabriel collaborated with a host of popular artists, including the then unsigned singer Dido
(with whom with he wrote several songs: "I'm No Angel" and "Here with Me" from her multi-million selling debut album No Angel
), Kylie Minogue
(including "Your Love" for her album Fever
), Dot Allison
, Natalie Imbruglia
, Rachel Stevens
, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
, Skye Edwards
(Morcheeba
), Bebel Gilberto
and many others.
Since then, getting back to his more left-field electro/punk/dance roots, he has co-written & produced electro artist Miss Kittin
's cult classic solo album 'BatBox
', five tracks on New Zealand's rising star Ladyhawke's debut album, Ladyhawke
(including the singles "Dusk Till Dawn
", "My Delirium
" and "Magic
") as well as co-writing "Tune into my heart" on Little Boots
' début album Hands
.
He has recently worked with Erasure singer Andy Bell
on his 2010 dance project "Non-Stop" and done additional production on five tracks on Goldfrapp
's fifth album, "Head First
", as well as co-writing and producing three tracks on Marina and the Diamonds 2010 album "The Family Jewels
". He has also written and co-produced the song "Can't Beat the Feeling" on Kylie's new Aphrodite
album.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-born musician based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Razors
The Razors
The Razors is a punk rock band from Namur, Belgium formed in late 1977 and split on Sept 1978.Mainly influenced by The Ramones and the early British punk rock scene, the Razors quickly made theirs this new principle: "We don't know how to play music. Well, who cares? Let's do it anyway !"They...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and backup vocals). He left Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the late 1970s and worked as a freelance sound engineer in various studios, earning a reputation for innovative remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es for artists like Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
(Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
) and Yello
Yello
Yello is a Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. They are probably best known for their singles "The Race" and "Oh Yeah", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals, as does most of their music....
.
Toward the end of the 1980s, Gabriel was a producer and co-writer for S'Express
S'Express
S'Express were a British dance music act from the late 1980s, who had one of the earliest commercial successes in the acid house genre."Theme from S'Express", based on Rose Royce's "Is It Love You're After", was also one of the earliest recordings to capitalize on a resurgence of sampling culture...
and Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
-- two of the first sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
-heavy dancefloor artisans of that era. He claimed a number one UK single with the S'Express track "Theme from S'Express
Theme from S'Express
"Theme from S-Express" is an acid house song by English dance music band S'Express from their album Original Soundtrack. It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in dance music history and is notable for introducing acid house culture to the UK's charts....
" and a number two with Bomb the Bass' "Beat Dis."
Following the success of S'Express and Bomb the Bass, Gabriel embarked on a series of projects, mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and writing with a variety of artists, including Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
(formerly of Propaganda
Propaganda (band)
Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish....
), Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, and Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
from Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
.
In the 1990s, Gabriel moved away from beats and breaks and into the pop music world, collaborating with EMF
EMF (band)
EMF were an indie dance band from the United Kingdom. The band, from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During its initial eight year run , EMF had released three studio albums and had gone on hiatus and reformed twice...
, Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...
, Kitchens of Distinction
Kitchens of Distinction
Kitchens of Distinction were a three-person alternative rock/dream pop band formed in Tooting, South London, England in 1986...
and Falco
Falco (musician)
Johann Hölzel , better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian pop and rock musician and rapper. He had several international hits: "Der Kommissar", "Rock Me Amadeus", "Vienna Calling", "Jeanny", "The Sound of Musik", "Coming Home " and posthumously, "Out Of The Dark"...
.
From 1996 to 1998 he wrote, produced and performed with the Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
-signed band Peach (known as "Peach Union" in the U.S. due to another band already using the name). Their song "On My Own" was featured prominently in the film Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The music was composed by David Hirschfelder...
.
From then until 2006, Gabriel collaborated with a host of popular artists, including the then unsigned singer Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
(with whom with he wrote several songs: "I'm No Angel" and "Here with Me" from her multi-million selling debut album No Angel
No Angel
No Angel is the debut album by pop singer/songwriter Dido. Originally released in June 1999 in the United States, the album found a mass audience when it was released worldwide in February 2001...
), Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
(including "Your Love" for her album Fever
Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
), Dot Allison
Dot Allison
Dot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
, Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
, Rachel Stevens
Rachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...
, Skye Edwards
Skye Edwards
Skye Edwards is a British singer-songwriter, born in East London. Her career began in 1994 when she and the Godfrey brothers formed the band Morcheeba, which released five albums with Skye as lead vocalist...
(Morcheeba
Morcheeba
Morcheeba are a British band, mixing influences from trip hop, rock, R&B, and pop.They have produced 7 albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.-Biography:...
), Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque...
and many others.
Since then, getting back to his more left-field electro/punk/dance roots, he has co-written & produced electro artist Miss Kittin
Miss Kittin
Miss Kittin is an electronic music DJ, vocalist, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy...
's cult classic solo album 'BatBox
BatBox
-Charts:-External links:** at YouTube...
', five tracks on New Zealand's rising star Ladyhawke's debut album, Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke (Ladyhawke album)
Ladyhawke is the eponymous debut album by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released on 22 September 2008 by Modular Recordings. Produced by Pascal Gabriel, Greg Kurstin, Kid Gloves, Kish Mauve's Jim Eliot, Paul Harris and Van She's Michael Di Francesco, the album incorporates...
(including the singles "Dusk Till Dawn
Dusk Till Dawn (Ladyhawke song)
"Dusk Till Dawn" is a song by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released as the third single from her self-titled debut album, Ladyhawke...
", "My Delirium
My Delirium
"My Delirium" is a New Wave song performed by New Zealander musician Ladyhawke. The third track on Ladyhawke's eponymous debut album, the song was released as a single on 8 December 2008...
" and "Magic
Magic (Ladyhawke song)
"Magic" is a song performed by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released as the fifth and final single from her debut album Ladyhawke . It was produced by Pascal Gabriel who co-wrote the song with Ladyhawke herself. The song was inspired to be a fantasy epic and love song...
") as well as co-writing "Tune into my heart" on Little Boots
Little Boots
Victoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
' début album Hands
Hands (Little Boots album)
Hands is the debut studio album by English recording artist Little Boots. It was released in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2009 by 679 Recordings to generally positive reviews. Many critics complimented its "well-crafted" pop songs and "diverse" production...
.
He has recently worked with Erasure singer Andy Bell
Andy Bell (singer)
Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
on his 2010 dance project "Non-Stop" and done additional production on five tracks on Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
's fifth album, "Head First
Head First (Goldfrapp album)
Head First is the fifth studio album by English electronic duo Goldfrapp. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2010 by Mute Records. The album's lead single, "Rocket", was released on the iTunes Store on 5 March 2010...
", as well as co-writing and producing three tracks on Marina and the Diamonds 2010 album "The Family Jewels
The Family Jewels (album)
The Family Jewels received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
". He has also written and co-produced the song "Can't Beat the Feeling" on Kylie's new Aphrodite
Aphrodite (album)
Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "All the Lovers"...
album.
Selected production credits
- S'ExpressS'ExpressS'Express were a British dance music act from the late 1980s, who had one of the earliest commercial successes in the acid house genre."Theme from S'Express", based on Rose Royce's "Is It Love You're After", was also one of the earliest recordings to capitalize on a resurgence of sampling culture...
- Co-wrote and produced no.1 single "Theme from S'ExpressTheme from S'Express"Theme from S-Express" is an acid house song by English dance music band S'Express from their album Original Soundtrack. It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in dance music history and is notable for introducing acid house culture to the UK's charts....
". - DidoDido (singer)Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
- Co-wrote "Here With Me" and "I'm no Angel" from 1999's No AngelNo AngelNo Angel is the debut album by pop singer/songwriter Dido. Originally released in June 1999 in the United States, the album found a mass audience when it was released worldwide in February 2001...
. - Dannii MinogueDannii MinogueDanielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
- Co-wrote "No Romeo" from 2007's Unleashed. - Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
- Co-wrote "Your Love" and "Tightrope" from 2001's FeverFever (Kylie Minogue album)Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
. - Bebel GilbertoBebel GilbertoBebel Gilberto is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque...
- Co-wrote and produced Ceu Distance from 2004's Bebel Gilberto albumBebel Gilberto (album)-Track listing:# "Baby" - 3:49# "Simplesmente" - 4:49# "Aganjú" - 4:44# "All Around" - 4:44# "River Song" - 4:57# "Every Day You've Been Away" - 4:05# "Cada Beijo" - 4:26# "O Caminho" - 2:59# "Winter" - 4:19# "Céu Distante" - 2:58# "Jabuticaba" - 3:02...
. - Rachel StevensRachel StevensRachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
- Co-wrote So Good and "I Will Be There" from 2005's Come And Get It. - Freeform FiveFreeform FiveFreeform Five is London based DJ, producer, songwriter Anu Pillai. It was his remix of Isolee’s “Beau Mot Plage” in 1999 that alerted many to this production outfit....
- Co-wrote "No More Conversations" (2005). - Miss KittinMiss KittinMiss Kittin is an electronic music DJ, vocalist, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy...
- Co-wrote and co-produced Miss Kittin's BatBoxBatBox-Charts:-External links:** at YouTube...
album (2008), including the single "Kittin Is High" and "GraceGrace (Miss Kittin song)"Grace" is a song by French recording artist Miss Kittin. It is the second and final single from her fourth studio album BatBox . Co-written and produced by Pascal Gabriel, it is composed as an electropop love song.-Critical reception:Quentin B...
". - Ladyhawke - Co-wrote and produced several songs for 2008's LadyhawkeLadyhawke (album)Ladyhawke is the eponymous debut album by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released on 22 September 2008 by Modular Recordings. Produced by Pascal Gabriel, Greg Kurstin, Kid Gloves, Kish Mauve's Jim Eliot, Paul Harris and Van She's Michael Di Francesco, the album incorporates...
, including the singles "Dusk Till DawnDusk Till Dawn (Ladyhawke song)"Dusk Till Dawn" is a song by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released as the third single from her self-titled debut album, Ladyhawke...
", "My DeliriumMy Delirium"My Delirium" is a New Wave song performed by New Zealander musician Ladyhawke. The third track on Ladyhawke's eponymous debut album, the song was released as a single on 8 December 2008...
" and "MagicMagic (Ladyhawke song)"Magic" is a song performed by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released as the fifth and final single from her debut album Ladyhawke . It was produced by Pascal Gabriel who co-wrote the song with Ladyhawke herself. The song was inspired to be a fantasy epic and love song...
". - Little BootsLittle BootsVictoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
- Co-wrote "Tune into my Heart" from her album HandsHands (Little Boots album)Hands is the debut studio album by English recording artist Little Boots. It was released in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2009 by 679 Recordings to generally positive reviews. Many critics complimented its "well-crafted" pop songs and "diverse" production...
(2009). - Dot AllisonDot AllisonDot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
- Co-wrote "Cry" from her 2009 album "Room 7½". - Marina and the Diamonds - co-wrote and produced "Shampain", "Girls" and "Rootless" from her 2010 album "The Family JewelsThe Family Jewels (album)The Family Jewels received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
". - Andy BellAndy Bell (singer)Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
- co-wrote and produced Non-Stop album (2010). - GoldfrappGoldfrappGoldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
- Additional Production on "RocketRocket (Goldfrapp song)"Rocket" is a synthpop song by English duo Goldfrapp from their fifth studio album, Head First. Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, with additional production by Pascal Gabriel, the song was released as the album's lead single on 8 March 2010. To promote the single release,...
", "Believer", "Dreaming", "Head First" and "I Wanna Life" from their 2010 album "Head FirstHead First (Goldfrapp album)Head First is the fifth studio album by English electronic duo Goldfrapp. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2010 by Mute Records. The album's lead single, "Rocket", was released on the iTunes Store on 5 March 2010...
". - Kylie - Co-wrote and co-produced "Can't Beat the Feeling" from her 2010 album AphroditeAphrodite (album)Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "All the Lovers"...
External links
See also
- Punk rock in BelgiumPunk rock in Belgium- Bands :* Agathocles * The Agitators * Back Lavatory * Belgian Asociality . .* Billy Bolley and the degenerates * The Breath of Life* Brutal Society * Capital Scum...