Gabriel & Dresden

Infobox musical artist
Name = Gabriel & Dresden


Img_size = 125
Img_capt = Gabriel & Dresden Logo by Bruno Silva.
Background = group_or_band
Origin = San Francisco, CA, USA
Genre = Progressive trance
Electronica
House
Occupation = DJ, Producer, Remixer
Years_active = 2001–2008
Label = Organized Nature
Associated_acts = Motorcycle, Andain
URL = [http://www.gabrielanddresden.com/ www.gabrielanddresden.com]
Current_members =
Past_members = Josh Gabriel
Dave Dresden
Notable_instruments = iMac G5, Logic Pro [cite web|url=http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/interviews/a/IntGabDresd_2.htm|title=Notable Instruments]

Gabriel & Dresden was the project name of the DJs and producers Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden from San Francisco. Their popularity and activities are centered in the United States, they won the WMC award as Best American DJ twice in 2007 and 2008, the same day the group spilt-up.

History

"Early Years" (1980-2001)

Dave Dresden's music ability is due to training from being inside a deejay booth for fifteen years, while Josh Gabriel has an undergraduate college degree in music composition from the California Institute for the Arts. Josh founded the music creation tool Mixman in the 1990s. It was one of the first programs to use loops of digital audio for music making. Before he attended music school in Holland and Los Angeles and started experimenting with synthesizers and computers in the early 1980s. At the same time Dave was a club deejay in a suburb of New York City as well as a renowned US dance music journalist. He became the Music Director of grooveradio.com and met Pete Tong, who asked him to help find music for the Essential Selection. [cite web|url=http://www.davepearce.co.uk/interviews/gabriel_and_dresden/|title=Dave Pearce Interview] They met at a party being hosted by grooveradio.com at the Miami Winter Music Conference in March 2001. Josh gave Leon Alexander a record, the record was "Wave 3", which Dave then gave to Pete Tong, and he played it on the Essential Selection and also used it for his compilation that same year. Pete gave Dave the opportunity to do a spec mix of New Order and Dave asked Josh to work on it with him. The two joined forces in 2001 and made a name for themselves by creating numerous remixes. In 2002 Gabriel & Dresden released their first single "Lament" (Saw Recordings) in the United States. The first gig presentation Josh & Dave had as Gabriel & Dresden was Arc in New York City. [cite web|url=http://www.inthemix.com.au/chat/inthespotlight/22831/Gabriel_Dresden|title=First Gig]

"Rise to fame" (2002-2008)

"We make music with lyrics and choruses, music that is emotive with melodies and meaning."

- says Josh Gabriel. [citeweb|title=Profile|url=http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/gabrielanddresden/index2.html|publisher=apple.com|accessdate=2008-04-17]

In 2004 they released their first Mix-CD "Bloom". They entered the prestigious DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ's poll in 2003 at #43. After having their seventh #1 Billboard Dance Chart Hit with the Madonna & Britney Spears collaboration "Me Against the Music" they worked on their own group Motorcycle with singer and songwriter Jes Brieden, with their track "As The Rush Comes" in 2004. They have steadily climbed the chart every year since then, placing at 40 in 2004, 22 in 2005, and 33 in 2006. In 2005 the single "Arcadia" was released although it was also the first track on Bloom. At the end of the same year the track "Without You Near" was released at Coldharbour Recordings. This track was produced in cooperation with Markus Schulz and Departure.

In 2005 they created the Gabriel & Dresden logo, known for it's keyboard shape was designed by Bruno Silva. The logo features the pianos key notes with dots on the keys for the notes G and D. [cite web|url=http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/catalogue/G/151328.html|title=Logo] It includes the name of the group, Gabriel above and Dresden below. They launched their record label Organized Nature that serves primarily to release their own music. Gabriel & Dresden produced the track "Zocalo" with Armin van Buuren which was released on his album/LP Shivers. They presented "Gabriel & Dresden bring you Organized Nature", on March 24 during the WMC. The Winter Music Conference, Realivze Tribe Productions, and Polka Dot present the Official Record Label Launch of Organized Nature. The event lasted for five hours, Live PA From Motorcycle and BORIS MD of Departure; Appears on Without You Near by Markus Schulz on the track were Gabriel & Dresden has left a mark as well as Zocalo by Armin Van Buuren. Gabriel & Dresden were recently lauded as "America's Best DJs" at the Miami Winter Music Conference's International Dance Music Awards. They also took home an award for Best Alternative / Dance Single for their hit "Dangerous Power" featuring the voice of Jan Burton. This is not the first time they have been cited for their DJing, winning the Best New DJ award at the 2005 Dancestar awards and performing on the show as Motorcycle with Jes Brieden. They have also worked with Pete Houser, a friend from the California Bay Area which created the Alias Bigtop. They released ORG004 also known as Sub & Tidal, with Sub appearing on their DJ Mix Compilation "Bloom". Dave Dresden has appeared as Summit with Peter Lorimer.

"We make songs that make you feel good about feeling bad."

- says Dave Dresden. [citeweb|title=Profile|url=http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/gabrielanddresden/index.html|publisher=apple.com|accessdate=2008-04-17]

The self-titled Gabriel & Dresden was released in 2007 bringing them a great year as America's #1 DJ's, the same year saw the releases of "Tracking Treasure Down" and "Dangerous Power". They had a Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number one hit in July 2006 with the song "Tracking Treasure Down" which was written by Molly Bancroft who also the vocalist on the track. Bancroft also wrote and sang on their hit "Let Go." After the success of the album, the duo decided to tour around the globe to emphasize their support for electronic dance music which is still considered an underground genre.

"Departure" (March 30, 2008)

The duo finished their last tour with two appearances at the WMC in Miami. They played a 5+ hour set at the Pawn Shop on March 28, 2008 and a closing 1 hour set at the Beatport/Remix Hotel Pool Party at the National Hotel on March 30, 2008 (with visuals provided by VJ Psyberpixie). The Andain project will be completed and released in 2008. Fact|date=September 2008 Josh Gabriel will now be touring solo and focusing more on his solo album due out later in 2008.

"Influences" (2001-2008)

Throughout the career of Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden, there has been a large influence from them to Electronic Dance Music (EDM). Unlike other deejay groupings/bands such as Above & Beyond who dedicates a trance based composition, Gabriel & Dresden remain mixing club and house music like Deep Dish which is another duo which has created many #1 charting songs and remixes. Gabriel & Dresden have both gained influences from various artists such as Alexander Coe, musically known Sasha which inspired them to write a more minimal tone of tracks which can be heard in their only self-titled studio album, Gabriel & Dresden (album) with tracks like uplifting "Eleven" with Scarlett Etienne, "Enemy" with Jan Burton and the repetitive "Mass Repeat", they have also rock based influences which make some songs sound indie. While working as Gabriel & Dresden rather than separate, they both needed to concur on how the track is going to be like when it is done, meaning the approval from two people is better than from a one peron persepective. Josh Gabriel has gained influence from producer James Holden, as well as Depeche Mode and The Cure. Dave Dresden has been also inspired by the same artists Josh admires but also Jonathan Peters. [cite web|url=http://www.inthemix.com.au/chat/inthespotlight/22831/Gabriel_Dresden|title=In The Spotlight]

Gabriel & Dresden have been a great influence to various artists, like Christopher Norman, Blake Jarell, Tim Grube, Chephren Blake, and Brian Martinelli. In 2006 a compilation of Gabriel & Dresden remixes was created by Geyser & Massa, the compilation was release in Russia only through the label Music1st. [cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/release/1190653|title=Various - Gabriel & Dresden Collected Remixes ] Christopher Norman who mixes under his own name and the alias Retrobyte, works as part of Organized Nature, the label which is owned by Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden, due to the separation of the electronic band, the expected full length production album of Retrobyte was delayed to an unknown date in 2008. Gabriel & Dresden named Chritopher Norman as the breakthrough DJ of 2008 in the 2007 DJMag awards. [cite web|url=http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top100dj&top100dj_op=results&results_op=2007&search_op=display&top_100_id=23&limit_num=1&page=1|title=Breakthrough DJ]

Discography

Albums

"This gallery contains studio albums, compilation albums and DJ mixes by Gabriel & Dresden."

""

(July 22, 2003)

"Bloom"

(September 7, 2004)

---

"Gabriel & Dresden"

(June 1, 2006)

"Sensation"

(May 1, 2007)

---

"Toolroom Knights, Vol. 2"

(October 22, 2007)

ingles/EPs

"This list contains singles by Gabriel & Dresden, Aliases and Co-Productions."
* 1997 Around You "As Motorcycle with Jes Brieden"
* 2002 Lament
* 2003 As The Rush Comes "As Motorcycle with Jes Brieden"
* 2004 Arcadia - #6 Finland
* 2004 Deep, Breath, Love "As Motorcycle with Jes Brieden"
* 2004 Imagination "As Motorcycle with Jes Brieden"
* 2005 Portobello / Serendipity
* 2005 Zocalo "with Armin van Buuren"
* 2006 Tracking Treasure Down - #1 Hot Dance Club Play, #8 Hot Dance Airplay, #6 Finland
* 2006 Without You Near "with Markus Schulz"
* 2006 Mass Repeat / Eleven "with Scarlett Etienne"
* 2006 Dangerous Power - #1 Hot Dance Club Play, #4 Hot Dance Airplay

Remixes

* 2001 New Order - Someone Like You
* 2001 Way Out West - Mindcircus
* 2001 Groove Armada - Superstylin'
* 2002 4 Strings - (Take Me Away) Into The Night
* 2002 Medicine8 - Capital Rocka
* 2002 Balligomingo - Purify
* 2002 Andain - Summer Calling
* 2002 Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun
* 2002 Tiësto - In My Memory
* 2002 Weekend Players - I'll Be There
* 2002 Roger Goode - In The Beginning...
* 2002 Ils - Music
* 2002 Jewel - Serve The Ego
* 2002 Beber & Tamra - Travelling On
* 2003 Annie Lennox - A Thousand Beautiful Things
* 2003 Lili Haydn - Anything
* 2003 Motorcycle - As the Rush Comes
* 2003 Nalin & Kane - Beachball
* 2003 Andain - Beautiful Things
* 2003 Three Drives - Carrera 2
* 2003 Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
* 2003 Coldplay - Clocks
* 2003 Dave Gahan - I Need You
* 2003 Deborah Cox - Play Your Part
* 2003 Evanescence - Hello
* 2003 Jewel - Intuition
* 2003 Britney Spears - Me Against The Music
* 2003 Duncan Sheik - On A High
* 2003 Annie Lennox - Pavement Cracks
* 2003 DJ Keri - One For The Road
* 2004 Above & Beyond - No One On Earth
* 2004 Nelly Furtado - Try
* 2004 Kristine W - Save My Soul
* 2004 The Engine Room - A Perfect Lie
* 2004 Gabriel & Dresden - Arcadia
* 2004 Dido - Don't Leave Home
* 2005 Rachael Starr - Till There Was You
* 2005 Perasma - Swing 2 Harmony
* 2005 Özgür Can - Changed
* 2005 Nicol Sponberg - Resurrection
* 2006 Depeche Mode - Here Is The House
* 2006 Motorcycle - My Blue Heart
* 2006 Gustavo Santaolalla - The Wings
* 2006 Robbie Rivera - Float Away
* 2006 Markus Schulz & Departure with Gabriel & Dresden - Without You Near
* 2007 Deep Flexion - Emotions Of The Night
* 2007 D. Ramirez & Mark Knight - Colombian Soul
* 2007 D. Ramirez & Mark Knight - Sylo
* 2007 Monochrome - Pearl
* 2007 68 Beats - Replay The Night
* 2007 The Killers - Read My Mind
* 2007 Gabriel & Dresden - Enemy
* 2007 Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One
* 2008 Faithless - A Kind of Peace

Awards / Nominations

2003

42nd Best DJs according to DJMag (Debut) [cite web|url=http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top100dj&top100dj_op=results&year=2003|title=DJMag Top 100 DJs]
2004

41st Best DJs according to DJMag [cite web|url=http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top100dj&top100dj_op=results&year=2004|title=DJMag Top 100 DJs]
"Won" WMC Best Producer - Gabriel & Dresden
"Won" WMC Best Progressive / Trance - As The Rush Comes - Motorcycle
"Nominated" WMC Best Underground Dance - As The Rush Comes - Motorcycle

2005

29th Best DJs according to DJMag [cite web|url=http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top100dj&top100dj_op=results&results_op=page2&year=2005|title=DJMag Top 100 DJs]
"Nominated" WMC Best Remixer - Gabriel & Dresden

2006

20th Best DJs according to DJMag [cite web|url=http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top100dj&top100dj_op=results&results_op=page2&year=2006|title=DJMag Top 100 DJ's]
"Won" WMC Best Remixer - Gabriel & Dresden
"Nominated" WMC Best ProgressiveHouse/Trance Track - Without You Near - Markus Schulz (with Gabriel & Dresden Feat. Departure)
"Nominated" WMC Ortofon Best American DJ Award - Gabriel & Dresden
"Nominated" WMC Best Producer - Gabriel & Dresden

2007

23rd Best DJs acccording to DJMag [cite web|url=http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top100dj&top100dj_op=results&results_op=2007&search_op=display&top_100_id=23&limit_num=1&page=1|title=DJMag Top 100 DJ's]
"Nominated" WMC Best Progressive House/Trance Track - Tracking Treasure Down - Gabriel & Dresden
"Nominated" WMC Best Producer - Gabriel & Dresden
"Won" WMC Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track - Dangerous Power - Gabriel & Dresden
"Won" WMC Best Ortofon American DJ - Gabriel & Dresden

2008

"Nominated" WMC Best Progressive House/Trance Track - Dangerous Power - Gabriel & Dresden
"Won" WMC Best American DJ - Gabriel & Dresden
"Nominated" WMC Best Global DJ - Gabriel & Dresden
"Nominated" WMC Best Dance Artist (Group) - Gabriel & Dresden

References

Links

* [http://www.gabrielanddresden.com/ Official Homepage] (English)
* [http://www.myspace.com/gabrielanddresden Myspace]
*
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Gabriel%2B%2526%2BDresden last.fm]
* [http://musicbrainz.org/artist/7fedce48-0f20-442d-80fe-324c61339fc3.html MusicBrainz]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:knfoxqt0ldfe Allmusic]
* [http://www.wintermusicconference.com/archives/index.php WMC]
* [http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gabriel+%26+Dresden&titel=Gabriel+%26+Dresden&cat=a Finnish Charts]
* [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=542232&model.vnuAlbumId=798472 Billboard]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=45273215 Gabriel & Dresden's MySpace]
* [http://www.troonik.com/r/3/290/gabriel-dresden.aspx Gabriel & Dresden Tracklisting archive]