*AliEN FUNK MOVEMENT back catalog available on BEATPORT*Cutting his DJ’ing teeth in the early 80’s, Gareth underwent numerous baptisms of fire in the creative battleground of London house parties, spinning an electrifying blend of soul, rare groove, hip-hop & jazz-funk alongside the more electronic-based sounds that were forming the early blueprint of techno and house music. Honing his skills in this environment provided a firm grounding for the next leap into the studio itself, and by the early 90’s, he had already established himself as an underground producer of note. Throughout the last 2 decades Gareth’s reputation has preceded him, aided & abetted by the critical acclaim accompanying the output of his ‘Alien Funk Movement’ label. With over 100 releases under both this moniker and his various other guises (‘Tribalation’ ‘Primary Sequence’ , ‘Osmosis’ & as well as AFM), on a host of premier imprints (Big Chief, Nightshift, Visitor, Loaded, Strictly Rhythm/G2), Gareth has played a major part in shaping the sound of London’s underground house scene, and has also been accredited with having had a defining influence in the emergence of the Tech-House movement. The last few years have seen his ‘Tribalation’ project gain worldwide praise and recognition; with a unique soulful, dub influenced sound that can truly lay claim to being authentic ‘tribal house’, Tribalation releases have garnered lavish accolades from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Josh Wink, Sasha, Danny Tenaglia and John Digweed to literally name a few.Superlative producer that he undoubtedly is, when riding the decks Gareth is nothing short of incendiary. Unlike most contemporary house jocks, he learnt his craft by means of the hip-hop school of mixology, beginning circa 1982, and this informs his style to this day. This is evident, not just in the exuberant dexterity of his scratching technique, but in his whole approach to building a set greater than the sum of it’s parts, working the system and exhorting the crowd into a greater communion with the music. This is a man who lives and breathes underground music and the ideals that it embodies – no chosen career this, but a collision of the fates.[LOVEMYFLASH]
