Dave Angel

A child of the London acid-house explosion, British-born DJ and producer Dave Angel makes Detroit-styled techno with strong jazz and soul influences. One of the first artists of international renown to take Motor City futurism to a major-label level, Angel (born Dave Gooden) signed with Island's Blunted sublabel in 1996 and recorded his debut longform release, Tales Of The Unexpected. Previously, Angel released EPs through the Black Market, Love, Apollo, and R&S labels, as well as his own Rotation label, which was established following a string of charting hits in the early '90s, including the "Nightmare Mix" of pop group Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." The son of a jazz musician, Angel's roots are in bebop and modern jazz (as both a fanatic and a radio jockey) as much as in the Detroit-styled techno he is more often known for. Although he lived the common inner-city experience of crime and drugs, Angel glommed onto the burgeoning acid house scene in the late '80s after a series of jail sentences and the death of his father. Self-taught as both a producer and musician, Angel drew heavily in style and mood from original Detroit luminaries such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Eddie Fowlkes. A DJ of renown, Angel's following (both on the decks and on wax) has been strongest in Germany, where the hardcore, trance, and techno scenes regularly attract audiences far in excess of the house-centered U.K. and American scenes. His second album Globetrotting gained release on 4th & Broadway in 1997. Released from his Island deal the following year, Angel returned with two EPs, a two-disc mix album (39 Flavours Of Tech Funk), and a second mix release via the X-mix series. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide