Gabriel Rei^CA/QC

Gabriel Rei fuses techno, house, ambient and dub in an effort to produce collective states of both calmness and arousal—oscillating smoothly between peaceful meditations and beat-driven action, sometimes coloured by sweet, yet acidic textures.

Montréal-born and raised, Gabriel Reichhold honed his musical skills by studying percussion during his teenage years. A passion for dance-ready genres like techno and house lead him to develop his skills as a DJ and gradually integrate himself into the city’s music and nightlife scene. With collaborator Gene Tellem, Reichhold co-hosts Loose Excursions on n10.as radio, where both DJs share musical ideas stretching from house to techno and dub, including their own live improvisations. Fond of new zones to explore, Reichhold recently composed the soundtrack for Le Troisième Été D’Amour, a performance piece addressing the commodification of counter-cultural movements. In the piece, a dancer is in the middle of a cube surrounded by the audience, moving to lights, spoken words, and music, tempting them to adopt the cultural revolution she has initiated. This year, Reichhold released Love and Her, a two-track EP filled with bittersweet ambient synths and melodic undulations.

After his last appearance at MUTEK 2017 as part of the Loose Excursions duo, Gabriel Rei debuts with a solo live set, a product of his own explorations on the theme of “inclusive content,” a cultural stance in favour of inviting musical events—in contrast to alienating, highbrow exclusivity and genre orthodoxy. Reichhold contends that nuance, as applied in his music, provides a much more accurate picture of the fluctuations in energy found on the dancefloor and in life itself.