Julius Gabriel is a saxophonist, performing and recording artist. His work focuses on the exploration of his instruments in all their limits and dimensions, emphasising the multidimensional unfolding of sound through spatial and electroacoustics. He is dedicated to a wide range of musical styles, sonic corporeality, free improvisation, extended playing techniques and electronics.
Born and raised in Berlin, he started his music education at the age of ten with saxophone lessons at public music schools, later supplemented in the vibrant club culture and the underground jazz scene. In 2009 he moved to Essen for the BA programme „Jazz Performing Artist” at the Folkwang University of the Arts, complemented by courses at the Institute for Computer Music and Electronic Media and ensemble projects for New Music.
During his years in the post industrial Ruhr area, he became a member of the sound collective The Dorf, he founded the agit-schizo-disco group Das Behälter with poet and performer Xenia Ende, the psych-noise-jazz quartet Blutiger Jupiter and the reeds duo About Angels and Animals with Jan Klare.
He entered the international stage in 2014 with the world premiere of Barry Guy’s piece The Blue Shroud, written for a new 14-piece ensemble with soloists from the fields of baroque, contemporary, improvised and jazz music. He has been performing and recording ever since with the Blue Shroud Band and under Guy’s direction as well with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra.
In 2016 he moved to Porto, Portugal, where he released his first solo album, formed the trance-inducing force Paisiel with sonic sculptor and drummer João Pais Filipe, the jazzcore trio Ikizukuri with Gustavo Costa and Gonçalo Almeida, and collaborated with many artists from a wide range of musical backgrounds.
During the pandemic years he worked on new instrument ideas, developed the ghaitophone, the twin drone saxophone and an electroacoustic percussion saxophone.
In 2022, he has been artist in residence at the Indian Music Experience Museum in Bangalore.
Julius Gabriel appears on numerous albums on independent labels such as Ana Ott, Lovers & Lollypops, Rocket Recordings, Fun in the Church, Subcontinental Records, Creative Sources, Umland Records, Not Two Records, Intakt Records and Fun in the Church. He played concerts all across Europe in concert houses such as Essener Philharmonie, Casa da Música Porto, National Forum of Music Wroclaw, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Alte Oper Frankfurt, South Bank Centre London and on festivals such as Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon, Wien Modern, unerhört!, ФУЗИОН, Moers, NOW!, Open Source, Zappanale, Keroxen, JSS Music Conference, RhythmXchange Festival, Tarcento Jazz, Rainy Days, Ad Libitum, Krakow Jazz Autumn, Jazztopad, Jazz em Agosto, Milhoes de Festa, Primavera Sounds, Sonic Blast, SWR Metalfest, Tremor, Waking Life, Zigurfest.