| Gizelle
A pioneering female d.j. on the London underground free party scene,
her experience and d.j. talent has taken her thro ugh
two decades of dance music. At 17 years of age, she joined a Lovers
Rock singing group called ’Charisma’. They released records and won
an award for Best Lovers Rock group, performing alongside the likes
of Smiley Culture, Maxi Priest, Barrington Levy and Dennis Brown.
But when the group split in the early 80s, Gizelle began exploring
music and buying records.
Through her passion for music, in 1987 she began d.j.ing in a pub in
South London, playing soul and rare groove every Friday night. Then
one weekend in the summer of 1988, she went to her first acid house
party. She instantly embraced the energy of acid house and it’s new
exciting sounds. Inspired by this new revolutionary music, she found
herself going to ’Spectrum’, ’Rage’ and ’Clink Street’ religiously.
Her musical taste changed over night and she soon found herself
playing at underground acid house parties as a resident for ’Asylum’
(New Cross) and ’Cooz’ (Wood Green). The impact of those crazy acid
house days simply fuelled her passion and dedication to the
underground music scene in London for future years. It became a way
of life.
The next main turning point for Gizelle was connecting with ’Zero
Gravity’, ’The Farside’, the Liberator d.j.s and Lawrie Immersion in
1994 through meeting Sexy Rubber Soul and Tasha Killerpussies at an
all-women’s radio project ’Brazen Radio’. The same year, she
produced her first release ’Diagnosis’ on ’Bag’ records (with Dave
The Drummer engineering) and was also invited to play on ’Immersion
Sound System’. She soon became resident d.j. playing with Lawrie
Immersion, the Liberators, ’Geezer’ Guy McAffer, Dave The Drummer,
DDR, Zebedee, Ant and many more every weekend. Around this time,
another party revolution had kicked in fuelled by the fight against
the Criminal Justice Bill and soon the new wave of London
underground acid techno was born. Playing almost every weekend for
years in the late 90s, Gizelle found herself at the forefront of the
London free party techno scene as a pioneering female d.j. inspiring
others along the way.
Ever since those days, she has remained part of the ’Stay Up
Forever’ family collective and the ever growing London underground
party network of amazing artists and party people alike. In the
studio, she has produced dance music under the guise of "Rebel Yelle",
plus other collaborations with producers such as Geezer, Dave The
Drummer, DDR, Ant and Carl Audiopancake. Behind the scenes over the
years, she has run a record label ’Antidote’, worked frantically in
dance music distribution and stressed herself out as a production
manager in a record vinyl pressing plant. Gizelle is starting to
produce again and learn the tools herself, so watch out for future
productions.
Gizelle’s d.j. sound is constantly being inspired by music
everywhere, especially by the wonky and more experimental side of
techno and electro/breaks, so her style is ever developing. Nowadays
her sets have a more eclectic feel incorporating all facets of
techno, acid house flavours and wonky/electro beats.
Internationally, she has enjoyed playing worldwide over the years in
places such as Venezuela, Brasil, Japan, Russia, Poland, Spain,
Belgium, France, Holland, Ireland, Bulgaria, Sardinia, Australia,
Canada and USA... "MANY THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE AT HOME AND ABROAD
WHO HAVE INVITED ME TO D.J. AT THEIR PARTIES OVER THE YEARS. I’VE
HAD SUCH EXCELLENT TIMES OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS - MET SO MANY FUNNY,
UP FOR IT, INTERESTING AND POSITIVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALL BEEN SUCH A
GREAT INSPIRATION IN MY LIFE. THIS IS WHY I JUST CAN’T STOP... AND
MOST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC... WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT
IT?!!! :)
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