Producer/DJ duo Gabriel and Dresden return to the UK this weekend to launch their Toolroom Knights mix CD at the club night's massive first birthday at Ministry of Sound.
Based in San Francisco, Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden have produced a long list of dance-floor favourites including the 2004 hit (as Motorcycle with Jes on vocals) As the Rush Comes, becoming well known for their progressive trance remixes.
Recent DJ and production work has seen pursue their favoured electro house sounds, as can be heard on their latest mix for Mark Knight ’s label when it is released next week.
We managed to interrupt their busy world tour schedule to ask them a few quick questions before they head over for Saturday night's big party.
Congratulations on being voted 'Best American DJ' at this year's Winter Music Conference. It must be incredible being at the top of your game, is there anyone you still learn from?
G&D: "Thank you! Considering the names we were nominated with, it was quite an honour and the fact that the voting was done by fans really means a lot to us.
"We're never ones to rest on our laurels, and there are so many people to learn from in so many different ways. The amount of people who have influenced us to this day is huge and ranges from Paul Oakenfold to Puff Daddy (or whatever he calls himself now) to Berry Gordy and Pete Tong.
"Right now we are studying a lot of what the Germans are doing. We listen to a lot of indie rock artists such as The Shins, Hot Chip and Peter, Bjorn and John. Anything that has soul, feeling and emotion we're into and study."
Can you try and sum up the Gabriel and Dresden sound for us in three words?
"Sad, sexy, euphoric."
In what ways does the new compilation really capture the Gabriel and Dresden sound?
"It's the sound of both what we do currently as DJs as well as where we want to go as DJs."
When you started to put together the Toolroom Knights compilation, did you try and capture the energy of a live set, or did you approach it differently?
"Yes and no. Yes in the sense that it's technically what we do when we DJ, re-arranging the songs to fit our set, but also we wanted to create a dance music experience that would sound great almost anywhere."
Were there any tracks that from the very beginning you knew you would have to include?
"The first thing that came to mind when Mark Knight asked us to do the compilation was his Columbian Soul track - it was the song that was in our heads the entire Winter Music Conference, and we knew we wanted to do something with it as well.
"We also knew that Mark was really into a track off our debut artist album called Enemy, so that went onto the list immediately as well."
You have said that Toolroom Knights was the perfect platform to release the compilation from. Can you explain this to us?
"Our 2004 hit As The Rush Comes put us squarely in the trance scene, a scene we never felt part of for many reasons. Quite a lot of people came to our early shows disappointed that we were not a carbon copy of the DJs who were playing our tunes.
"We knew we needed to change our perception and we worked really hard to do that, and we feel that doing the Toolroom compilation is a culmination of that process."
The mix showcases some of your latest remixes, including the hugely popular Read My Mind by The Killers. What qualities do you look for in a tune to potentially remix?
"In almost all of our remixes (save for 3 we won't mention here!) we consider the song's lyrics and melody first and foremost.
"To do a good remix, we feel that we need to be able to apply the lyrics to our own lives or those around us. Even though we are two completely different people, we respond to great words and great music in the same way."
Is there anyone you would love to remix you?
"Trentemoeller."
What do you think the future holds for dance music, but perhaps more importantly, what do you hope it holds?
"We would like to see dance music equated with all other genres of music that are popular. Even in the UK, where dance has had a very successful run, it's treated as a gimmick, a one hit wonder that comes and goes away.
"A&R guys should spend more time trying to find the talent and nurture it to fruition. With the ability artists have to sell their music online, perhaps the A&R middleman is not needed in the future, which may actually help dance music achieve the critical and commercial success that is and always has been possible."
Gabriel and Dresden appear at Toolroom Knights 1st birthday celebrations at Ministry of Sound, London on Saturday, joined by up-and-coming Knights, the Sucker DJs, Pete Griffiths, George Andrews, Richard Dinsdale and Bart B Moore – famous for his track So It Goes dubbed an Essential New Tune by Pete Tong.
With so much cutting-edge music to hear, you don't want to get left behind, so book your tickets now