Skip to main content

60 seconds with...Gabriel & Dresden

We chat to America's premier house DJ/producers Gabriel & Dresden

Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden are some of America's premier house DJ/producers. Hailing from San Francisco, the hugely popular team blur the boundaries between progressive house, electro and techno, and their self-titled album was released to unanimous acclaim last year.

A new mix compilation, 'Toolroom Knights mixed by Gabriel & Dresden', is out now on Toolroom Records, and Josh Gabriel's latest solo cut 'Summit' is released digitally on 15th November on their label, Organised Nature. DJmag snared Josh to talk awards, amazing gigs and production under pressure...

You won the award for Best American DJs in the International Dance Music Awards. Did that feel good?

"It felt great, especially considering how many people were up for it, and that it was voted for by people who are into dance music. It's nice to get those things."

Your latest mix for Toolroom crosses a range of styles, but they all gel. Do you think that DJs have become more open-minded to different genres in the last year or so?

"I think that everybody ebbs and flows. I still don't see many people playing a wide range, it's normally a relatively narrow scope, but styles do change."

What's the latest news with your Organised Nature imprint?

"The next thing that is coming out is my solo album, but the first single preceding that is called 'Summit'. It's techno, pretty hyped-up druggy techno, and the remix is more swingy, full of the strange ideas that make a dancefloor moment."

You recently remixed a track - Monochrome's 'Pearl' - overnight, under pressure, for the Heineken Thirst Studio music event in Las Vegas. Was it tough working under those conditions?

"It was fun and a little bit of pressure makes your brain think differently. We ended up signing the track to our label, it's actually going to be our next release after 'Summit', backed with our remix."

You've had a pretty punishing tour schedule this year - what's been your favourite gig?

"A few stood out over summer months and for a few different reasons. One was for pure volume of people going off. Global Gathering in Kiev, playing with Sasha, Digweed and James Zabiela, wow, it was like 15,000 people. And then the Monday Bar in Stockholm, and in Cyprus we played this beach party that had an incredible vibe."

What's next production wise for you guys?

"We're working right now. The song 'Beautiful Things' is sung by Mavie Marcos from Andain. Dave and I are producing an artist album with her. It'll be a year when we're done. It's actually more indie rock meets Portishead, it's all kind of stripped down but if you hear it, you'll be like, that's them. If you keep an open-mind it's not hard to understand why we like it."