So, if your looking for the best way on earth to spend your Saturday-before-Halloween celebration, I happen to have your answer. FREAKNIGHT! it just sounds cool doesn't it? good thing the event is also cool extremely radical.
My first experience hearing Gabe was back a couple years ago when I was a working at Envy. He and Andrew Gonzolas were playing their progressive house set in the side room, and I was so excited to hear something other than top 40 (no offense top 40 fans) while I was working. Driscoll was the first person to introduce Deadmau5 to me that night during his set when he played 'Faxing Berlin,' and I was psyched. I've stayed in contact with Gabe ever since and am so pumped to see how far he's come in the portland music scene. Without further ado here's what we had to talk about...
RC: What was your music experience growing up and when were you first introduced to electronic music?
GD: I have always loved music and had a broad variety of musical influences throughout my life. My parents grew up in San Francisco in the 60's and 70's, so when I was young it was all about classic rock, blues and folk music. As I grew older I listened to punk, metal, alternative rock, reggae, classical, hip hop and basically anything else I could get my hands on. I started going to concerts at an early age and was always amazed at the energy that could be created at live shows. I think it was about 1994 or '95, when I was first introduced to electronic music. Some friends of mine who went to raves regularly took me along, I was 14-15 years old and had heard of raves but had no idea about the music that was played there or the culture that surrounded it. I was instantly hooked and I started going to underground parties in Portland and up and down the west coast . I eventually stopped going to underground shows as I got older but have always kept up with the music and now enjoy going to clubs more and seeking out epic events around the world!
RC: What Djs would you say influenced you?
GD: DJ Dan, Donald Glaude, Above and Beyond, Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, Armin... I mean there's so many great DJ's out there, I could go on and on. For me, I listen to a lot of different djs and producers, and I am influenced by all of them.
RC: When did you start Ding and would you say part of your mission is to expand peoples awareness of electronic music
GD: I started Djing back in the late 90's with a close friend of mine DJ Wiggles. As for expanding the awareness of the music for sure. When I started djing professionally I was working with Liquid productions who at the time were the main Top 40/Hip hop club promoters in town and I would play in the second rooms at Portlands hottest mainstream clubs like H20, Bettie Fords and Solo ect. We were trying to bring electronic music into the club scene, and expand the audience to people who may not enjoy going to raves or underground clubs but still had a love for the music. For 3-4 Years we hit it hard and had many amazing packed nights that turned a lot of new people on to the music.
RC: It seems that Portland has a smaller dance music scene than what you would find in larger metropolis, would you say there is hope in the future for dance music in Portland?
GD: Yea I think there is. Portland's population will continue to grow and if club owners and promoters continue to organize top quality events the opportunity to bring more talent and bigger shows will increase. From what I have heard and seen the all ages raves and underground shows have been packing out and with Red Cube and The Whiskey Bar in full swing they are bringing top headliners from around the world on a consistent basis which is all good indicators that the scene will continue to grow. Very exciting times.
RC: So when you're Djing, whats the relationship you try to have between you and the crowd
GD: I try to feed off their energy and give it back to them. I believe the best Djs have an ability to read the crowd, and are able to adapt what they play to fit the setting. Its not easy but what I try to do is connect with the audience and give them what they want while still playing music that I love and that fits my style. The best nights are when the crowd really gets into it and are ready to party all night. As a DJ, you really wanna pay attention to the crowd and see what they react to. They can give you energy, and you can feed it right back to them with your attitude, stage presence and the music you play. The give and take is really an amazing thing and one of the main reasons I love to DJ.
RC: I know you went to WMC a couple years ago, how was that?
GD: It was amazing. It was the ten year anniversary so there were some really special events and performances that took place. Every once in a while an event will really open my eyes to a whole different level of the scene. When you live in Portland, you don't get the same experience as other bigger cities. For example if you live in Miami, LA, or Chicago there are multiple clubs that bring headliners every weekend. This gives the scene a home and stuff is blowing up all the time. In Miami for WMC and Ultra fest you get people from all over the world, that come together for the love of dance music. Every club owner, DJ. Promoter, clubber and anyone else involved in the industry come together for a week to hold seminars, show new products, network and party at some of the best clubs in the world. Pool parties go all day and the clubs go all night. All of that set on the white sandy beaches of South Beach is something everyone needs to experience.
RC: What specific genres are you're listening to right now.
GD: I listen to a bit of everything but my favorite genres are progressive house and trance. I also like to play tech, house and elecrto too. It just all depends on the night, the venue and the crowd.
RC: How do you find your tracks and for people who are just getting into the music, and might know who know the big guys like Tiesto are, but don't really know where else to find music, do you have advice for them?
GD: I would say the best way to get educated on a broad variety of music would be check out online record stores like beatport or trackitdown and just listen to all the different genres and see what you like. Also iTunes pod-casts, DJ publications, websites, blogs and satellite radio shows are a good way to hear a lot of the newest tracks.
RC: Can you remember your first live performance?
GD: I can't remember exactly what show it was but I know I was put on first at a rave thrown by my good friend Dj wiggles back in the late 90s. He is another very talented Dj/promoter from Portland.
RC: Where do u see yourself in the next few years?
GD: Hopefully traveling more and continuing to do what I love. I am getting into music production and although it is going to take me a long time to get where I want to be with it, that is the end game for me. Traveling to DJ and producing my own tracks while collaborating with other musicians and vocalists from all over the world would be a dream come true.
RC: What do you use to play with live?
GD: Sometimes I use Serato scratch live but prefer to use Pioneer CDJ 2000s or 1000mk3s with a Pioneer Djm 800 mixer.
RC: Do you have any pre or post show rituals?
GD: No specific rituals on the day of a show or before I play but anytime I get a booking I just make sure to put a lot of thought and pre planning into the gig. I do a ton of research on tracks and I develop a sound that I think will work well for the time slot. I will try my best to match the genres of the other djs playing that night. I try to imagine myself in the club and pick music that fits the vibe i'm trying to create and then adapt on the fly.
RC:What do you use to record your mixes?
GD:I use 2 Pioneer CDJ 1000mk3s and a Pioneer DJM 800 mixer to mix. I have a Motu 828 audio interface that sends the signal to my computer via fire-wire and I record with Sound Forge software
RC: What would you say goes into making a demo/mix that people can download, versus playing live?
GD: With demos its hard to recreate the same energy as a live show so for example, a lot of my mixes/demos might end up a little more chill and Ill let the tracks play longer since there is no crowd to keep moving. Also you have a lot more time to pre plan/program and edit your mixes if you choose with demos. Most of my mixes I still do with very little pre programming and post editing though to keep it as much like a live set as possible. Live sets on the other hand I rarely pre program mixes and there is crowd interaction and venue ambiance that can totally influence how the set will be. I do a lot quicker mixing to keep the crowd moving and use sampling and effects more as well.
RC: For people who are just getting into your music, and want to hear more of your mixes where can they find them?
GD: All my contact info and links can be found at www.gabrieldriscoll.com. I have a soundcloud account which posts new mixes directly to my facebook and I also have a podcast on Itunes that people can subscribe to for free. Every time I post a new mix on itunes subscribers will automatically have it downloaded to their computer. Right now I'm doing the podcast once a month but eventually want do 2 or 3 mixes a month and include guest mixes from other djs.
RC: Any last thoughts for the readers?
GD: If you live in Portland and you love electronic music I hope to see you on the dance floor.
RC: Word
There is no doubt this guy is going places in the music world, I sense I'll be doing a 2nd interview with him in the not too distant future. Check out Gabriel Driscoll on Facebook or at gabrieldriscoll.com. You can find his mixes posted there. And if you have Itunes, be sure to subscribe to his monthly podcast.
If you like his mixes, keep posted and come check him out live, its a whole different experience
One last note, word on the street is he'll be playing at Freaknight 2010, which is a HUUUUGE show, along with our own DJ Sidestep and other PDX favorites
www.freaknightfestival.com
Just a reminder, get your tickets this is going to sell out!