🙏 Fausto Magazine
‘A masterclass in musical leftfield thinking’
Read it here

🙏 ITV – Tour de France Highlights
Gary Imlach
‘A remarkable album’
Watch it here

 🙏 Rouleur Magazine
Ed Pickering / James Startt
‘Conjures up a perfect dreamy image of Mont Ventoux’
Read it here

🙏 Outside Left  Music -Interview
Tim London
Read it here

🙏 Fairfax City Music (Fairfax,USA) – Interview
Claudio Bustamante
Listen to it here

🙏 Pédale Magazine
Benjamin Carle
‘The Original Soundtrack of a mythical col’
Lisez-le ici

 🙏200 Magazine
Julien Bourgeois
‘Bomb the bike!’
Lisez-le ici

 🙏Escape Collective
Matt De Neef
‘Channels the emotional journey
that the everyday rider will go on’
Read it here

 🙏 Electronic Sound
Ben Wilmott
‘Like Steve Reich and Sonic Boom jamming…
Every bit as invigorating as the ride itself’

 🙏 Dubmission on WYEP Radio (Pittsburgh, USA) – Interview
Kerem Gokmen
Listen to it here

 🙏 Music Map
Gilberto Ongaro
‘A moving experience, one that does not leave you indifferent’
Read it here

 🙏 Ouest France
Nadine Boursier
‘The discovery: Perfect to meditate, or to breathe in the open air’

🙏La Provence
Maëlys Ponge
‘A really introspective moment’

 🙏 Orr Magazine
Oscar Smit
‘An absolute masterpiece, even for non-cyclists’

Mont Ventoux is also called the Mythical Mountain. It was written about as early as the 14th century. Later, it became a source of inspiration for figures like Jan Kal, Jan Donkers, and Bert Wagendorp, as well as for musicians such as Spinvis and Alex Roeka. But a full album had never been dedicated to this mythical place — until now. Pascal Gabriel, aka Stubbleman, has changed that.

After producing late-1980s hits like Beat Dis and Theme From ‘Express, Gabriel spent a long time immersed in pop music (Dido, Goldfrapp). About six years ago, he ventured into more adventurous electronic music. With this second album, he immediately wins over this reviewer — not only because he too has often cycled up the mountain, but especially because of the impressive music.

The album title refers to his time on the 21-kilometre climb to the summit (the record by Iban Mayo is 55:21). Gabriel has done his homework thoroughly. His electronic minimal music is built from data recorded by his bike computer, combined with modular synthesizers and — almost imperceptible — environmental sounds.

Each of the 18 tracks indicates which section of the climb it corresponds to. Especially after five kilometres, when the oak forests begin, the music becomes more minimal and serene. At the spot where Tommy Simpson died, the electronics suddenly take on a menacing, dark tone. At the summit, there is a majestic view and space for contemplation, accompanied by soothing ambient sounds.

An absolute masterpiece, even for non-cyclists.

Oscar Smit / ORR Magazine

 🙏 Rockerilla Magazine
Mirco Salvadori
‘Where minimalism meets the sublime’
Whoever would have believed that somewhere between Beat Dis and a Kylie remix, a contemplative soul would be lurking, capable of converting the ascent of Mont Ventoux into a veritable sonic epic?

Pascal Gabriel, a.k.a. Stubbleman, a composer of long standing with a restless mind, defies the heights not only with his bike, but also with his modular synth: turning sweat, slopes and heartbeats into music.

The Belgian-British musician’s second release is a work in stages: eighteen pieces, three movements, a single ascent.

Biometric data is transformed into sequences, landscapes into sound, and effort into melody. There’s no athletic posturing here, rather it’s an ode to the silences and solitudes of high altitude, where minimalism meets the sublime.

Of course there is irony in the idea of telling a real-life story with a synthesiser attached to a bicycle,
but there’s also a burning truth: everything rolls, shifts, and climbs.

And when Stubbleman reaches the summit, where Tom Simpson lost his life,
the music becomes elegy, breath and memory.

A story without words, where every note is a blind bend, every rest a breath leading to the final push.

It’s a record which celebrates not cycling, but the human condition, pedal stroke after pedal stroke.
A work to listen to with your eyes closed, and your heart soaring.

 🙏 L’Equipe Magazine
Pascal Aznar

🙏  Panard Magazine
Pascal Aznar
‘A story of life and death that only Cycling can write, and compose’

🙏 Cast the Dice: ‘In the company of oaks’

🙏 Outside Left Music: ‘Once the road’
Tim London

Sieste Ambient set on StationStation Radio
2hrs of laidback beats for your daily siesta
(Available on replay here)

Train-themed set on Kiosk Radio 
(Just back from a Trans-Europe train journey: Paris / Berlin / Brussels / Marseille)

Stuart Maconie’s Freakzone

I’m delighted that my collaboration with Nils Petter Molvær ’Ne pas se pencher au dehors’ is included in the latest edition of Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone on BBC Radio 6 Music, along with my friend and Crammed Discs label boss Marc Hollander (playing with Fred Frith).

Just what you need if you fancy a little step aside from the norm during the festive season…

(Thank you very much, Stuart!)

‘Ne pas se pencher au dehors’
Stubbleman feat. Nils Petter Molvaer

Eight distinguished artists wrote and recorded original pieces for this album which joins some dots between vintage, experimental & new ambient, and pays tribute to the relaunched Made To Measure composers’ series.

All tracks were made to measure for this album, and revolve around the loose idea of wordless fiction. 

Aside from being such a seductive, fascinating collection of tracks and moods, the album is also modestly aiming at joining dots between certain classic ambient composers, artists who approach experimental ambient from their pop or club background, and eminent exponents of the great new generation of ambient music composers.

There’s an excellent review of it on Further Dot – Read it here

Out October 15th, 2022
Crammed Discs – Bandcamp

Erasure ‘Rock Me Gently’
Stubbleman Remix

Just when I thought I was out, Pop pulls me back in…
I’m delighted to have remixed Erasure’s beautiful song ‘Rock Me Gently’.

It is featured in the expanded edition of their ‘Erasure’ album out November 18th.

Taken from the Erasure album ‘Erasure’ 2CD expanded edition released on 18 November Includes the singles ‘Stay With Me’, ‘Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer’s Day)’ and ‘Rock Me Gently’, plus B-Sides, New and Classic Remixes, Rarities & Live Recordings.

Hear it first here – Pre-order the album here

Simon Fisher Turner / Edmund De Waal’s Exquisite Corpse

Delighted to have contributed a Stubbleman remix of SFT‘s collaborative album
with Edmund De Waal, as part of a musical Exquisite Corpse.

Stubbleman’s remix (Exquisite Corpse VII) is a remix of Polly Scattergood’s remix which was a remix of Yann Tiersen’s remix of Looper’s remix of Microcorps’ remix of Alessandro Cortini’s remix of Nik Colk Void’s remix… with more to come.

Simon Fisher Turner + Edmund de Waal’s 2020 collaboration A Quiet Corner in Time has been remixed and reworked by 10 artists to create a musical exquisite corpse, with each artist remixing the previous remix in the series. This endeavour came together as friends helping friends in a creative space, all of the artists involved have given their time and artistry for free and all tracks are available at no charge via Bandcamp exclusively. Simon and Edmund would like to highlight the ongoing struggle in Ukraine and encourage donations to the United24 charity as an extension of friends helping friends: u24.gov.ua

Out September 12th, 2022
Free download of all the versions here:
https://simonfisherturner.bandcamp.com/

NTS Radio – Made To Measure

From my first introduction to the Made To Measure series back in the mid-Eighties until the last release MTM46, those records took me on an incredibly adventurous and wild sonic journey which never failed to surprise and inspire me, often both at once. 

I’m thrilled to have been asked to contribute to this NTS tribute, and I’ve cocooned again for a couple of days with this extraordinary collection to select an hour of my favourite pieces.

If you missed the NTS Live broadcast,
check it here on the NTS Archive 

The Skyline EP

Skyline Drive was originally intended for Mountains and Plains, an album inspired by a road trip across the USA. It recalls the resplendent fall colours: the blazing oaks, birches, poplars and maples along Skyline Drive, the road that snakes its way across the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, floating high above the Shenandoah valley.

Initially selected for a 4D sound compilation which never saw the light of day, this mesmerising overlooked gem is now finally released on a digital EP, alongside the legendary Barry Adamson’s dark and brooding remix of Badlands Train, with Taos Twilight moodily transformed by Erased Tapes artist and Brandt Brauer Frick member Daniel Brandt, and closing with Microcorps’ Alexander Tucker’s ethereal and contemplative treatment of Piety Wharf.

These last three tracks complete a series of seven remixes spawned by Mountains and Plains (following those by Simon Fisher Turner, Aksak Maboul, Penelope Trappes and Miss Kittin)

Buy | Stream 

Kiosk Radio – Outsiders

Kiosk Radio have asked me to contribute an hour long show to their ‘Outsiders’ series.

Sailing close to the ‘Outsider’ theme, I selected my favourite tracks from Abul Mogard, Hélène Vogelsinger, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller‘s project Sunroof,  Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Snow Palms, Christine Ott, Irmin Schmidt, Kraftwerk, Alessandro Cortini, Biosphere & Max Richter.

I hope you enjoy an hour of peace with these extraordinary artists and innovative outsiders.
LIVE from 11am Monday 16/08/21 on Kiosk Radio 

Afterwards on all the Kiosk Radio online things
(Soundcloud, Mixcloud, Twitch etc.)

Have a look at the work of artist Pattie Beerens
She crafts incredibly delicate sculptures, so beautiful and fragile.

I’m delighted with the association of ‘Badlands Train’ which soundtracks her short film.
Watch it here

John Cage’s 4’33 – Cover and interview

Check the interview by Mat Smith and my version of this legendary piece here

Sheltersuit / Caritas Soundtrack

The wonderful people of Arztmobil / Caritas Berlin work incredibly hard, all year round, day and night, helping the homeless in Berlin, and their work is very much needed in the harsh winters, when they distribute the amazing Sheltersuit.

Albeit in a very minimal way, I’m humbled to support and help with the remix of Stubbleman’s Taos Twilight
by Daniel Brandt which is being used on four short films that show their incredible work.

See two of them on my Instagram feed here and here

Please support / donate at Caritas Berlin or Sheltersuit

Legendary DJ and artist Miss Kittin has created
this stunning rework of ‘Great River Road’,
exploring the path of the Mississipi river
as it meanders south from state to state.

It was made in January 2020 and somehow signals
a poignant foreboding of the dark times to come…

Check this short film
by Pippa Ungar | Angel & Maverick

Out now on Crammed Discs
Buy | Stream it here

Serious Livestream Sessions: Songs and Stories

I wish I could have met the lovely audience who joined me online
for the livestream performance of forthcoming EP
‘The Blackbird Tapes’
(3 new pieces inspired by the increased birdsong in lockdown London)
It was slightly odd to be unable to see your faces and play to three iPhones, but I really enjoyed it!

Out 05.06.20 on Crammed Discs

Watch the short film for 4am Conversation here 

Daylight Music 333
The Union Chapel, Compton Terrace
London, UK
Saturday 14th of March, from 12 to 2pm

‘..quietly revel in the pure pleasure of new, often unexpected, musical delights..’

Following the invitation from the wonderful people
of Daylight Music and the Union Chapel to use their unique organ,
I will be teaming up with the super-talented resident organist Jay M Richardson to present exclusively a brand new piece of music.

Taken from what will be the next album ‘1:46:43’,
‘The Green Cathedral’ is the second movement of this work.
Inspired by the iconic cycling climb of Mont Ventoux,
it is an artistic response to the second part of that epic ascension.

Please arrive at 12 o’clock to see Stubbleman
and these two equally remarkable artists:
The Hackoustic Orchestra and Henrik Lindstrandt

– info here –

Festival Yeah!
Lourmarin, France
Auditorium Fruitière Numérique
Sunday 7th of June, 4:30pm
(Cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic)

I’m thrilled to announce a show at this wonderful cult festival,
along with Vacarme and an array of exceptional artists,
carefully curated by Laurent Garnier and Team Yeah!

For this special event at Lourmarin’s ‘Fruitière Numérique’,
I will be performing the entire ‘Mountains and Plains’,
followed by the 3rd Movement from ‘1:46:43′, ‘Ventoux Variation IV’
This concert, a premiere in France, will be a mirror performance of our show at The Southbank’s Purcell Room last November, and there will also be an additional surprise treat for our French and Provençal fans…

Get tickets early, Festival Yeah! sells out extremely fast!

– info and tickets here –

‘Griffith Park’ – Aksak Maboul remix
The pioneering, legendary Belgian avant-garde group  Aksak Maboul
have created an incredible rework of ‘Griffith Park’:
Marc has taken it out there, to a place full of wonder, and
Véronique delivers a soft, intimate voice, with such beautiful words…
(see below)
…and it is OMG so cool!
‘Le tour est joué’! – Thank you so much, Marc et Véronique!
–
Release date 13th of March
on all digital platforms

This is the third release in a series of reinterpretations
by remarkable collaborators, expect more surprises…

Sold-Out London debut at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room!
‘..immersive and mesmering’, ‘hypnotic, really enchanting.’, ‘outstanding’…
Thank you all for being such a brilliantly receptive audience, I was totally thrilled by the reception.
This feeling of intimacy with 250 people at once – as if they were in your living room.
It was equally wonderful to see that I’d reached out to many international friends!

So…many thanks…
…merci beaucoup, grazie mille, muchas gracias, danke schön, mockrát děkuji, moltes gràcies!

– Read the review by Mat Smith on Documentary Evidence here –
– Read the review by Sam Street in Jazzwise Magazine here –

Artist and composer extraordinaire Simon Fisher Turner
has created a wonderfully intimate remix of ‘Abiquiù’

It has vocals, and acoustic guitar recorded in the bathtub…so inspired, and effortlessly cool.
I really love this, and I hope you enjoy it too!

– Available here on Spotify and all digital platforms –
It’s the second in a series of remixes by innovative artists – more surprises coming in 2020…

This is the Empty Stage, minutes before our first ever show at Warwick Arts

Great vibes, beautiful room, and a really appreciative audience
with perceptive questions for the Q&A that followed.
Thank you all for an amazing night!

‘Longwood’ has been remixed by Penelope Trappes,
and it’s a panoramic, magnificent rework!

– Available here on Spotify and all digital platforms –
It’s the first in a series of remixes by innovative artists – more surprises in store…

Exclusive edit of ‘Griffith Park’ with the 50th edition of ‘The Wire Tapper’.
Thank you The Wire magazine for including Stubbleman in this excellent selection!

‘Mountains and Plains’ – Playback + Q & A
at Stanfords Travel bookshop, London

It was an absolute pleasure to host an evening playback followed by a Q & A to a packed house
at the legendary Stanfords travel bookshop (Purveyors of Maps & Travel Guides since 1853)
to celebrate the release of ‘Mountains and Plains’ – The first time they’ve ever hosted a music event!
Thank you to all present and for the damned great questions!

Katsutoshi Yuasa collaboration
at The Royal Academy, London

Katsutoshi Yuasa
The Mother Road #1, 2019

I’m absolutely thrilled to announce an exclusive sound installation and album preview 
at the Royal Academy of Arts,
for the 34th annual London Original Print Fair on Young Collectors’ Evening,
in collaboration with Katsutoshi Yuasa and Tag Fine Arts.

Thursday 25th of April
6pm-9pm
Royal Academy of Arts
Main Galleries, Burlington House
Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
To redeem your complimentary tickets
simply follow this link to download or print your invitation

TAG Fine Arts will be debuting Katsutoshi Yuasa‘s latest prints.
These limited edition woodcuts were created as the artist’s visual response
to the album cover of ‘Mountains and Plains’.

Katsutoshi Yuasa
The Mother Road #2, 2019

These artworks will be featured in a sound installation at The Young Collectors‘ evening,
where I’ll be presenting an exclusive preview playback of Mountains & Plains,
accompanied by bespoke automated instruments fitted into vintage Globetrotter suitcases.

Zagara
Lecce. Puglia

Soundtrack written in collaboration with artist Heidi Locher (Studio Locher) for Zagara, an Art Center & Artist’s retreat in Puglia, Southern Italy.

Skyline Drive
London, Berlin

Commissioned specifically for a 4D limited edition Space Trix (Vol. 2) release, mixed in 4D Sound  in Berlin.