DUB GNOSTIC: Producer / Curator / Promoter / DJ / Journalist.  1991-present.

Music Genres: techno, house, dub, experimental, ambient, post-pop.

OVERVIEW: 

     A play on the word agnostic, the music of dub gnostic aligns itself with the ethos of dub reggae production techniques, but applies this ethos to the genres of house and techno.  Hence, he's not entirely sure if its a dub.  Resistant to sub-generic catagorizations, he has been said to play any and all manner of house and techno:  progressive, deep, minimal, electro-house, tech-house, dubstep and machinefunk. 

     His influences derive from his youth in London, where Plus 8 Records was situated in the early 1990's.  London was also conveniently situated between Detroit and Toronto, a two hour drive to each.  While his cultural insight was informed by the likes of Genesis P-Orridge and Hakim Bey (more recently Gilles Deleuze and Kodwo Eshun), his music developed under the influence of both Jeff Milligan and John Acquaviva. Purveyed to the highest standards, his music strikes a balance between Fine Art and Dancefloor sensibilities.

     Throughout the nineties, dub gnostic has worked with several of Canada's pioneering figures and production houses.  These include Transcendance, Alien Visitation (who produce Toronto's Harvest Festival under Alien InFlux), Moontribe (Toronto).  In 1997, he relocated to coastal British Columbia with the mandate to develop the minimalist house and techno sounds that had become established through Toronto artists like Mike Shannon, Jeff Milligan and Jeremy Caulfield.  It was in Vancouver, that he paired with Tobias c. Van Veen and established Technowest.org - an online info-resource (an off-shoot of techno.ca) and one-time booking agency for artists such as Forest Green, Sutekh, Ben Nevile, Fishead and Jon Delerious.  Another product of their collaboration was the New Moon series.  This series brought Art and Activism together in public space installation / protests that sought to consolidate the right to free association by means of conviviality and art.  It was also in Vancouver that he became acting manager for the first West Coast Canadian techno imprint "Bug Girl Sound".

     In 2000, his work as promotions/production director at Neptune Soundbar in Victoria, set the bar for the possibilities in West Coast club culture.  With a 3000 W monitor system (including dedicated sub-bass) and a 28000 W in-front-of-house PA, this club was a treat to play for everyone from DJ Heather to Ricardo Villalobos.  It was also at Neptune that the careers of Cobblestone Jazz and Adham Shaikh became cemented as in-house residencies permitted the opportunity to experiment and develop.  In addition to his own contributions to the nightclub industry, dub gnostic had by this point DJ'd for legendary Canadian venues such as Toronto's Industry, and Vancouver's Lotus Lounge and Sonar Nightclubs.  It was also in 2000, that he first performed on Texeda Island, at a Beach Party that would soon become the Diversity Festival (where he performed in 2005 and 2006).   In autumn 2000, he recorded "Creston Blue" with Ben Nevile (telegraph, cycling 74) which was released in 2001 on Mosaic Records out of the UK. He is currently working with Chris Rozek (Revolver Records Canada) on dubstep and techno.

     After a brief stint in Edinburgh, Scotland, he returned to London to concentrate on finishing his academic degree (Cultural History) and focussed his musical interests in a regular radio show which he was a part of from 2001-2005.  Having returned to BC in 2005, presently in Victoria, he's presently a supporter of not just the Intentional Dance communities that have arisen on the West Coast, but "Intentional Art" in general. His present residency is the “Convivial” series at Whitebird Lounge in Victoria (Third Saturday of the month), the first stage of the Rhizome series.


Artist Pseudonyms: 
Dub Gnostic (1998-present)
The Alchemist (1996-1998)
Dave Baphomet (drum'n'bass moniker)
No-Body (1992-1995)

Releases: "Creston Blue" (co-written with Ben Nevile) Mosiac Records UK #31 LISTEN


DJ'ING:

3 National Tours. International Destinations have included Boulder (Colorado), Austin (Texas), Seattle (Washington) and Edinburgh (Scotland). 

DJ Residencies:

CURRENT:  Rhizome(s) (Convivial Residency @ Whitebird Lounge)

As Dub Gnostic: Convivial (2009, Whitebird Lounge, Victoria, British Columbia), Orca (2000, Victoria, British Columbia)
Future Theories (2001-2003)
New Moon (1998), Together 604 Network (1998)
Harvest Festival (2000-2001, Toronto, Ontario)

As The Alchemist: Fusion (1997, Vancouver, British Columbia)
Paradigm Shift (1997-1998)
Operation Organic (1995-1997)

As DJ No-Body: Destiny Fridays (1993-1994, Toronto, Ontario)
Further (1994-1996, London, Ontario)
Spadina Hotel's Ambient Mondays (1995, Toronto, Ontario)
Dolphin Intelligence Network (1994-1996, London and Toronto)
Transcendance (1994-1995, Toronto, Ontario)
Bacchus (1995, London, Ontario)

Throughout his career he has worked alongside notable talents:

Terry Mullan, Dan Curtain, Jeff Milligan, Mike Shannon, Jeremy P. Caulfield, Dan Bell, Mike Grant, Octave One, Richie Hawtin, Miss DJAX, The Acid Junkies, Underground Resistance, Freddy Fresh, Freaky Chakra, DubTribe, Cobblestone Jazz, Mathew Jonson, Ben Nevile, Random Noise Generation, Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Scanner, Hyperactive, DJ Heather, Sammy Dee and Zip of Perlon Records, Repair (pre-Repair project Wax Bean Orchard), Fred Everything, Dead Voices On Air, Nonplace Urban Field, David Kristian, Fred Gianelli, Kelli Hand, 'Evil' Eddie Richards, Legion of Green Men, Mike Dearborne, T-1000, Aux 88, Freddie Fresh, DBX, Cosmic Baby, The Art of Trance, Fierce Ruling Diva, Deee-Lite, John Acquaviva, Rolando, Suburban Knight, Altitude, D. Wynn and Mike Huckaby to name a few. 
 

Promotional Highlights: 

1993: 

Climax: London Regional Art Gallery: London, Ontario
Featuring: John Acquaviva, Richie Hawtin, Nick Holder


1994: 

Xenophrenic: London, Ontario
Featuring: Fred Gianelli (Psychic TV), Jeff Milligan, John Aquaviva.
Fused experimental electronic music with experimental lighting and video.


1995: 

Scanner Live: McLaughlin Planetarium: Toronto, Ontario
Featuring: Scanner (UK), Kelli Hand, Paul Johnson
Programmed video, lighting and lazer show for Planetarium concert.


1996: 

Boob: Toronto, Ontario
Featuring: Nonplace Urban Field (Burnt Friedman, ~scape, Germany), David Kristian (Montreal), Algorithm (Toronto) 

1997: 

Premonition: Victoria, British Columbia
Featuring: Echoplex (Poland/Detroit)
Parking lot multimedia installation.


1998: 

New Moon Series: Vancouver, British Columbia
Featuring: Jeremy Caulfield, tobias c. van Veen, Tyler Stadius, Jarkko
Indoor/Outdoor installations.


Dub Gnostic Presents: Vancouver, British Columbia
Featuring: John Acquaviva, Phil Western, Perfume Tree
Series of club events at Celebrities and The Starfish Room.


1999: 

Free Maison: Sombrio Beach, British Columbia
Featuring: Interchill Records
Outdoor installation in Old Growth Rainforest environment.


2000: 

Neptune Soundbar: Victoria, British Columbia
Featuring: Perlon Records, Mike Grant, A:XUS, Mike Shannon, Tyler Stadius
Promotions Director, collaborated with other clubs and talent buyers in the region, facilitated graphic design and street promotions.

Radio: Rhizomes Radio (2007-2008, CFUV, Victoria British Columbia), 2003-2005 (CHRW, Future Theories, London, Ontario), multiple appearances on CiTR (Vancouver BC), CKLN (Toronto, ON), CKDU (Halifax, NS) and others.

Journalism and Graphic Design:
-Wrote for Monday Magazine, Phat Magazine, Offbeat (1998-2000, Victoria, BC)
-Self-produced Magazines: Free Articulations of Random Thought (1993-4)
NADA (1994)



Community Work:
-Harm Reduction Awareness Campaigns via Print Literature and Counselling.
-Peace Movement Activism in both Vancouver and London