With hard jackin beats chugging under whimsical, rich melodies, Gabriel D Vine conjures a seductive sound: mesmerizing dancefloor-oriented pop. His professional musicianship and knack for clever, memorable refrains has been proven on vinyl EPs, under the moniker Monkey Bars, on a slew of underground labels as well as his own Clover Club Recordings. And with his recently released Subliminal Records full-length Food-Eating Food, this Monkey means business.
His first two Subliminal singles "You Be Want Some Fun" and "Pass You By" warmed up DJs and audiences alike in 2003. Early adopters included a diverse bunch: Erick Morillo, Mark Farina, Seb Fontaine, Steve Lawler and Pete Tong, as well as radio stations worldwide such as the UKs BBC Radio 1, Los Angeles KCRW and Power106, and Italys Radio Idea. His third single "Shuggie Love" topped the No. 1 spot on the Music Week Club Chart and No. 7 on their Pop Chart a full month before its April 2004 release. His debut album Food-Eating Food dropped in May 2004. Shuggie Love saw domestic release in the UK, USA, France, Italy and Australia.
Whether its his musicianship or innate talent, Gabriel D Vine shines in the DJ booth. His all-you-can-eat trough-style DJ set blends choice house cuts with samples, synths and vocals. His taste is matchless, his technique flawless, and his energy irresistible. Through the house filter Gabriel redefines dance music; intense, physical beats meld with dense harmonies and musical layers of jazz, rock, disco, funk, samba, and theres always a surprise. He's rocked crowds and blown minds everywhere, from superclubs to soirees and from East to West.
With his background in live performance, Gabriel has naturally developed Monkey Bars live show. His divalicious lead singer Rachaels performance recalls a young Tina Turner. Shes accompanied by a whirlwind of live samples and jazz improvisation with Gabriel on keyboard and long-time collaborator Doron Orenstein on sax, upheld with the perfect groove.
Gabriels jazz background set the stage for his later success studying classical composition at Austrias Musikhochschule. His award-winning works include pieces for full orchestra, chamber groups, jazz big band and voices.
However, for the last seven years, he has yielded to his muse over funky, groove-laden foundations. Though initially inspired by experiences at the legendary full moon parties in Californias Mojave desert, deeper impressions were made in the Los Angeles house scene by the Basement Jaxx, Pepe Bradock, Rhinocerose, and even Squarepusher. With that to inspire him, Gabriel quickly mastered the way of the beat, but the references end there. Monkey Bars sound like Monkey Bars.
While many artists have lost sight of what it means to have fun with music in clubs, Gabriel D Vine brings the playground to the floor and even the adults will be taken to a magical place of musical rapture.
