GIZELLE (aka Rebel Yelle) has been spinning all things Acid, House & Techno since the acid house explosion hit London at the end of the 80’s.

Gizelle's DJ journey began playing funk & soul music in a bar in Deptford, but when she first experienced the sound and energy of acid house music in the summer of 1988 her musical direction changed overnight. Her first major gig was playing acid house & balearic beats as resident DJ for the ‘Asylum’ parties in south east London and for the ‘Cooz’ parties in north London, warming up for legends Mr C, Evil Eddie Richards and Shock Sound System. 

But it was in the mid-90’s when more musical connections took place. In 1994 she met Sexy Rubber Soul at Brazen Radio, an all female community radio project in London, and from there was invited to play for the Zero Gravity second birthday party event in Hackney. This was a major turning point where people were actively coming together, connecting and taking right action through music and creativity. So from this, Gizelle became involved with the Zero Gravity collective parties and through this scene she also linked up with the Liberator DJ’s and Lawrie Immersion, who invited her to first DJ on the Immersion Sound System at the squatted Cool Tan arts centre in Brixton. After this first event, she began playing out every weekend on Immersion at underground free parties, in and around London, and soon became a strong female component and force behind the decks playing alongside comrades Chris Liberator, Aaron, Liberator, Julian Liberator, DDR, Guy 'Geezer' McGaffer, Dave The Drummer, Ant, Zebedee and many more, delivering the new London acid techno sound coming out of the underground party scene at those times.

In the late 90's, she joined the ‘Stay Up Forever’ collective, producing acid techno under the guise of ‘Rebel Yelle’, DJ'ing all over the UK & worldwide, and running the ‘Antidote’ record label whilst working in music distribution, exporting SUF Acid & Techno labels and then as production Manager for a collective vinyl pressing plant, formed by members of the underground techno scene. 

Over the years she has constantly explored dance music and experimented with different styles of acid and techno styles, as well as house and breaks.  She is still passionate about the underground dance music scene, its creativity and the diverse community it brings together. Over the years, she has developed her sound encompassing new styles of Acid House and Techno, alongside more experimental and wonky electronic sounds, together with breakbeat, house and reggae, as well as the everlasting classic acid house and old skool sounds from the roots of rave culture.

Gizelle has played worldwide in places such as Russia, Japan, Venezuela, Brazil, Australia, USA, Holland, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria and all over the UK. Over the years, she has also played festivals such as: Glastonbury, Boomtown, Maui Waui, Illusive, No Mans Land and Surplus Fest.

2013-2017 Gizelle broadcast the successful monthly REBEL YELLE SHOW on Optical Radio. Each month she invited fellow established DJ’s and Producers from the London underground party scene to guest on the show, exploring the sound of the underground and different styles including Acid House, Acid Techno, Techno, Old Skool Acid House & Rave and Breakbeat. Gizelle Rebel Yelle has also played as a guest DJ on various independent radio stations such as Pure Radio (Holland), Report To The Dancefloor (Greece), FNOOB (UK), Live in Hackney Show on Techno FM (UK) and Reels Rebel Radio (UK). 

Thank you for listening to my mixes and for taking the time to visit this page. What is a life without music?

Gizelle :) xxx

Using an instrument many have owned but few have mastered, urban jazz harmonicist, Frédéric Yonnet’s musical skills and stage presence crush every preconceived notion you’ve ever had about the harmonica.

Regarded for decades as the choice instrument of street musicians and loners who wanted to express themselves through country music or the blues, in Yonnet’s hands the harmonica becomes something altogether different; a lead voice in urban jazz, R&B and hip-hop. With each performance, stereotypical walls come tumbling down as Yonnet presents the harmonica in a refreshing and modern context that is boldly stylish, enchantingly cool and absorbingly brilliant.

Just listen to his sound. It funks. It rocks. It hips and hops. It grooves. It sways. It testifies. It prays. It has a reverence for gospel, blues and jazz while appealing to a generation bred on pop rock and hip-hop.

His impressive style has led to performances, tours and recordings with some of the heaviest hitters in the music business including the legendary Stevie Wonder, the iconic Prince, award-winning songwriter David Foster, game-changing instrumentalist Kenny G, American Idol’s Randy Jackson and R&B artists Erykah Badu, Wyclef, India.Arie, Anthony Hamilton and John Legend. Rolling Stone magazine referred to Yonnet as “Prince’s killer harmonica player” and praise from comedian Dave Chappelle, contemporary jazzman Bob James, songstress Patti Austin and producer Pharrell Williams have affirmed his mission to change the way the music industry, musicians and enthusiasts regard the pocket-size reed instrument.

Born in Normandy, France to a Parisian father and French Guyanese Creole mother, Yonnet lived in and around Paris most of his life. As a child, he and his dad performed comedy routines in theaters throughout France and by 14, he decided to literally march to the beat of his own drum. After a short stint as a drummer, Yonnet revisited an instrument he had received as a child, the harmonica. “I got kicked out of bands because I kept trying to play the melody on the drums,” says Yonnet. “On the harmonica, I can play both the melody and the rhythm. Plus they’re lighter to carry.”

These days, the U.S.-based Yonnet travels with pedal boards, mixers, amps, microphones and more than 50 diatonic harmonicas. “I’m pretty intense on the harmonica and I like to have the ‘sharpest ax’ at all times.” To be sure, he’s not afraid to wield it. There aren’t many musicians who would go tête-à-tête with Stevie Wonder on the harmonica, but Yonnet has proved himself more than capable. “Frédéric Yonnet — a Wonder disciple — had a crazy harmonica duel that almost sent Stevie flying off the stage in a frenzy,” said Fox News following their performance at Madison Square Garden. Without a doubt, Yonnet’s friendship with Wonder has been his biggest musical inspiration.

At the same show in 2007, Prince first witnessed Yonnet’s expert musicianship, exhilarating panache and inexhaustible stage presence. It would be months before their paths crossed again, but when they did, Prince seized the opportunity to have Yonnet jam with him and his band at a house party. “Genius recognizes genius,” said saxophonist Mike Phillips, who performed with them that night and witnessed the energy that Yonnet brought to the band. Since then, Yonnet has recorded with Prince and performed with him as a featured guest at numerous shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on Prince’s 20Ten European tour.

While Yonnet enjoys the excitement of performing with some of the world’s greatest music legends, he knows that it’s the technical mastery of his instrument — along with innovative collaborations and solo projects — that will earn him recognition as one of the greatest harmonica players in the world.

Followers of lène