Daniele Gaudi (born 12 July 1963), better known as Gaudi, is an Anglo-Italian musician, solo artist and record producer based in London, who specialises in dub music, electronica, reggae and worldbeat. His distinctive production sound appears in a number of albums nominated for Awards and prizes such as Grammy Award 2019 -Best Reggae Album Of The Year- for Mass Manipulation by Steel Pulse and BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music 2008 for the album Dub Qawwali by Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His music work and contributions have topped international charts such as: Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the album Heavy Rain by Lee "Scratch" Perry, Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the album Mass Manipulation by Steel Pulse, Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the album Vessel of Love by Hollie Cook, Billboard Reggae Chart no.2 with "Rainford" by Lee "Scratch" Perry, UK Dance Chart no.1 with the album Prism by The Orb, no.1 with Jus' Come (Terra Terra Remix) by Cool Jack, no.1 in the UK iTunes chart with Blue Monday by Dub Pistols, Gaudi, Dubmatix, no.41 UK Chart with Midnight Rocker by Horace Andy, no.2 in the Italian Chart with Lasciala Andare by Irene Grandi, no.15 UK Chart col remix di Taxloss by Mansun, no.5 in the Italian Chart with Chi (Who) by Aram Quartet, no.2 on the iTunes European Chart and no.32 iTunes USA Chart with his solo album Bass, Sweat & Tears, no.1 in the Italian Chart with L'amor carnale by Bastard Sons of Dioniso.
Gaudi's career started in 1981 in his native country Italy, as a keyboard player in underground bands such as Wild Planet, Red Light and Violet Eves, Bamboo Company, he has collaborated with which The Gang (on the album Barricada Rumble Beat) and Disciplinatha (on the album Abbiamo pazientato 40 anni, ora basta).
He founded Raptus, one of the first Hip Hop act using Italian lyrics, then subsequently Tubi Forti, a production team soon to become fairly established in the indie circuit for their works with Isola Posse All Stars on Stop al panico, for Sud Sound System on Fuecu and for Donatella Rettore on Zan Zan Zan. They also released a number of 12in singles as: National Rare Groove, Dr Muff & Crazy Stuff, 4t Thieves and Etnotechno, the latter being Gaudi's first experiment with World Music fused with electronica.
In 1987, he began his solo project as a singer, with the name Lele Gaudì, creating what was to become the first Raggamuffin' album ever written in Italian.,[3] signed a record deal with Polygram/Universal and flew to Jamaica first, then to London at Jah Tubby's Studio for the recording of his first single Maliniconico Love, featuring Crucial Robbie on the B side.
First single and debut album Basta Poco were released resulting in an immediate success and the winning of his first Award as "Italy Best New Coming Act 1991".
His second single 1990 Anni Fa was banned from Vatican City due to its "sensitive content", needless to say this did nothing to harm record sales and Gaudi collaborated with socially conscious Italian singer Ricky Gianco and Francesco Baccini on their single, firmly establishing Gaudi as a household name.
Pulling together previous music influences, Gaudi started experimenting with a new music instrument, the Theremin, combining its ethereal electronic sound with dub and psychedelic music, resulting with the release of a number singles with the moniker Dub Alchemist.
Career in London, 1995–present
Gaudi, tour 2017. Live at Rainbow Serpent, Victoria, Australia
In 1995 Gaudi relocated to London and worked on new music for his future album Earthbound plus a series of productions and remixes included Jus come, Terra Terra rmx by Cool Jack, produced with Dj Angelino and with which reached the no.1 in the UK Dance Chart.
The first album Gaudi produced in his London's Metatron Studio was Sound of Anatomy, a collaborative full-length cinematic concept with Pauli Atzei, released with the moniker Ultraviolet Zero, on Gaudi's label Sub Signal Records.
He then started composing music for BBC, Channel 4, RAI, ITV and MTV, including the soundtrack for the MTV Europe Music Awards 1998, resulting with the release of the single Cadillac Kitsch, as Mad Master Moog.
He collaborated with Italian singer Elisa in the songs A Little Over Zero -on which he played the theremin and the Moog synthesizer- and Gift, which he produced a remix for. Her album Asile's World sold 230,000 copies and reached the no.5 in the Italian Chart, their friendship intensified and a few years later Elisa sung on Gaudi's album No Prisoners in the song Brainwashed Again. He also worked with Italian singer Irene Grandi remixing the song Che Vita è and writing the songs Non ti Scriverò, Lady Picche and Lasciala Andare, included on her albums Indelebile, Lasciami Andare (Live) and on the double platinum Hits. Lasciala Andare topped the Italian chart at no.2 for 16 consecutive weeks and the massive success expanded also in Greece where singer Eleonora Zouganeli released a cover titled Fevgo gia mena mia fora becoming a big success also in Greece.
Gaudi's theremin sound caught the attention of more artists and therefore also appeared on Ornella Vanoni's song L'infinito feat. Delta V, and on the track What if by Grandmaster Flash feat. KRS-One.
Gaudi's third album Earthbound was released accompanied by its dub version Earthbound in Dub, he then met Dj Pathaan with whom begun a four years collaborative project Orchestral World Groove, releasing a number of singles and performing at high-profile international venues and festivals.
He worked on the music scores for movies Dreams of Glory, Dreams of Glory - Raf's Revenge, Cuore Scatenato, Luna Rossa and composed the soundtrack for the theater play My Beautiful Laundrette by Hanif Kureishi, released also as an album on Sub Signal Records.
With French musician/inventor Michel Moglia, created the show Elemental, a work for theremin and "Fire Organ" (a musical instrument invented by Moglia consisting of a 20 meter metal structure with organ pipes working with fire). This show debuted at the Colosseum in Rome to an audience of 350,000 people.
With classical composer Massimo Nunzi, Gaudi worked on a symphonic/jazz interpretation of Shakespeare's The Tempest for a 20 piece orchestra - included Gianluigi Trovesi, Mederic Collignon, Gianluca Petrella, Paolo Damiani and Niccolo Fabi -, infused with his electronic dub elements and Theremin. The show debuted at Roccella Jonica Jazz Festival and at the Villa Borghese in Rome.
Gaudi's 5th solo album Bass, Sweat & Tears was released in 2004 by Canadian label Interchill Records and gained an immediate success becoming the label's best-selling release to date.[3]. Considered by the press "ground-breaking and influential" the album reached notable sales recognitions and charted at #2 in the iTunes European chart and at #32 in the iTunes USA chart. Songs from it were featured in over 70 compilations and licensed for movies such as: Pooja Bhatt's Bollywood films noir Rog and Fareb by Vikram Bhatt, while the track 'Chant Thermique' featured on the film Let It Ride, about the life of legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly, which won the Award as "Best Movie Soundtrack".[4]
He released the album GAUDI:TESTA 1105 (also known as CONTINUUM) with sound-therapist Antonio Testa, reaching the no.3 in the iTunes European chart, then subsequently he teamed up with German producer Pete Namlook for their collaborative album Re:sonate, released on Fax Records.
In the same year he co-wrote and played Melodica, Theremin and Moog on the track Palmprint by Sounds From The Ground and produced the album Walkin' Target by Ashtech, featuring Leftfield's vocalist Cheshire Cat.
In 2007 Gaudi released the compilation Sub Signals Vol.1 and, with Dennis Bovell worked with Lee "Scratch" Perry at the Livingston Studio in London, creating new drum parts for the remake of 3 iconic Bob Marley's songs written by Perry 30 years before: Kaya, Sun Is Shining and Punky Reggae Party.
Gaudi, Tour 2018. Live in Grenoble (France)
In the same year he was in the studio with Horace Andy for the recording and a remix of Just Say Who, included in the album Vulgus by reggae band Almamegretta.
The album Dub Qawwali featuring 'Pakistan's premier ambassador of Qawwali music' Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was released worldwide in August 2007 by Six Degrees Records, receiving massive critical acclaim, reaching no.2 in the iTunes US Chart, no.4 in the UK and was the no.1 seller in Amazon.com's Electronic Music section. It also earned Gaudi a nomination for the BBC's World Music Awards 2008.[5]
In the same year he took on the role of vocal coach for the TV show The X Factor;,[6] emerged victorious with the vocal group he was coaching, Aram Quartet, winning the show.
The following year started with a return to XFactor for the second series and once again to coach the groups category. It was another successful series with the group he was coaching 'The Bastard Sons of Dioniso', winning the critic's award with their track L'amor Carnale (co-wrote and produced by Gaudi), reaching then the no.1 in the Italian charts. Their debut EP with the same name 'L'amor Carnale' (also produced by Gaudi) won the Gold Disc. Subsequently, Gaudi also produced their debut album In Stasi Perpetua, released by Sony Music in November 2009.
The following year Gaudi worked on his 3rd and last series of X Factor, coaching the female vocal trio Yavanna and reaching the 3rd place.
Gaudi's 12th solo album, No Prisoners, featuring Michael Franti, Dub Gabriel, Elisa, Dr. Israel, was released in March 2010 by Six Degrees Records.[7]
Gaudi, tour 2014, live in Moscow (Russia)
2011 began with the ongoing collaboration with UK electronica pioneers The Orb, for the creation of their project SCREEN, with Alex Paterson on samplers, Gaudi on the production and synths and musical maverick Chester Taylor on vocals. SCREEN's debut album We are Screen! was released worldwide by UK label Malicious Damage.
He remixed: Lamb, Trentemøller, Delhi 2 dublin, Ganga Giri, Animation, Kaya Project, HFB, Desmond Dekker, The Upsetters, Adriano K, N.O.I.A and the chart-topping collaboration between The Orb and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour Metallic Spheres.[8]
In 2012, Gaudi released the double CD compilation Everlasting on Iboga Records featuring Mad Professor, The Orb, Lamb, Trentemøller, System 7, Pete Namlook, Tipper, Eat Static, Pitch Black, Alan Parsons and Shpongle.[9]
A tight schedule of music works kept Gaudi busy in the recording studio throughout 2012, spending a few months in California for the production of the album Wake the Lion by American reggae band Indubious, working with Adamski on their collaborative track "Pawa 2 da ppl", remixing a dozen of international pop acts and starting the foundation of his album In Between Times.
A lengthy 2012 tour of the US, Canada, Europe, India and Australia ended in December with a memorable concert at The Pyramids of Giza (Giza Necropolis) in Egypt.
Gaudi's album In Between Times featuring Michael Rose (Black Uhuru front man), Lee Scratch Perry, Twilight Circus, The Orb, Danny Ladwa, Dennis Bovell, Raja Ram from Shpongle, Deadly Hunta, Jahmai and author and philosopher Gregory Sams was released in May 2013 by Six Degrees Records.
The recognition of Gaudi's role as a vocal coach for XFactor's 3 series, led him to return to the Italian national television RAI2, this time for the talent show The Voice, working for two series with singer Piero Pelu' from the band Litfiba, with whom also co-wrote the top-chart single Mille Uragani, included on Pelu's album Identikit (Sony Music).
To celebrate the 10th anniversary release of Gaudi's album Bass, Sweat & Tears, in 2014 the label Six Degrees Records released a new dub album titled Dub, Sweat & Tears, containing dub versions produced by Gaudi. Later in the same year, the album In Between Times - Remixed was released, a remix album featuring: Zion Train, Banco de Gaia, Deep Forest, Tsuyoshi Suzuki, Perfect Stranger, Desert Dwellers, David Starfire, Dub Pistols, Kaya Project and Alexart.
In the following two years Gaudi worked on a number of albums and singles with/for: Hollie Cook, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Soom T, Barrington Levy, Tripswitch, Beats Antique, Deep Forest and Martin "Youth" Glover.
It is with music producer (and Killing Joke's bassist) Youth that Gaudi teamed up for the next few projects, including the green vinyl EP 2063: A Dub Odyssey (released with Youth under the name Youth & Gaudi), the albums Vessel of Love by Hollie Cook and No Sounds Are Out of Bounds by The Orb, on which Gaudi also appeared as keyboardist and songwriter.
Gaudi's album Magnetic was released in 2017 by Rarenoise Records, followed by the collaborative albums Epic Circuit with Grammy Award-winner Deep Forest and Astronaut Alchemists with Youth.
In 2018, Pink Floyd's saxophonist Scott Page and vocalist Roberta Freeman involved Gaudi as a theremin and synthesisers player as part of their supergroup with Stephen Perkins (from Jane's Addiction) on drum, L. Shankar on violin, Norwood Fisher (from Fishbone) on bass, Kenny Olson (from Kid Rock) on guitar, Jon Stankorb on guitar and voice, Eric Mayron (from Dr. Dre) on keyboards.
The supergroup played sold-out shows in Los Angeles, USA and Hungaria, performing live new arrangements of Pink Floyd's classics with the addition of new music pieces composed by Gaudi and spectacular 360 live visuals by Android Jones.
In the same year he worked with Russian Soprano singer Maria Matveeva and remixed the song Kalinushka, written with Deep Forest, part of her project 'Siberian Tales' which subsequently brought her to wim the Russian World Music Awards 2020.
In 2019, he produced songs and dub versions for Steel Pulse's album Mass Manipulation, which charted at #1 on Billboard and received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, played the piano on Horace Andy's song 'Mr. Bassie', played keyboards and synthesizers on the albums Heavy Rain and Rainford by Lee Scratch Perry produced by Adrian Sherwood, which charted at no.1 and no.2 on Billboard respectively.
2019 also saw the release of the collaborative album Mad Professor meets Gaudi, featuring Macka B, Steel Pulse, Michael Rose and Marty Dread, and the EP Ennio Morricone in Dub - the Good, the Dub and the Ugly, released under the name LAB DUB, a production duo consisting of Gaudi and Hardage.
The same year Gaudi remixed Rocky Dawuni, Mista Savona's Havana Meets Kingston, MIDIval Punditz, Dub FX, Tiki Taane from Salmonella Dub, The Elovaters and Bluetech.
The Orb's 2020 albums Abolition of the Royal Familia and the remix album Abolition of the Royal Familia in Dub featured Gaudi on keyboards, theremin, melodica and songwriting on 10 tracks.
UK label Liquid Sound design released the Youth & Gaudi album Astronaut Alchemists Remixes, written and produced by Youth and Gaudi, featuring remixes by The Orb, Bombay Dub Orchestra, The Egg, Banco de Gaia, Pitch Black, Gus Till, Vlastur, Kaya Project, Jef Stott, Deep Fried Dub and Gabriel Le Mar.
To celebrate 100 years of the Theremin, invented in 1920, Gaudi has created the album 100 Years of Theremin (The Dub Chapter), an album of Theremin infused with dub and reggae. In this opus, he teamed up with dub producers Mad Professor, Adrian Sherwood, Scientist, Dennis Bovell and Prince Fatty whom have provided the riddims that underpin Gaudi's Theremin playing on this album project.
The album came out on August 7, 2020, and has been an immediate success, selling out 4 vinyl pressings and has gaining worldwide critical acclaim. The album has been voted #28 in Electronic Sound Magazine's 2020 "Album Of The Year" and #1 in Black Rhino Magazine "Best Album of 2020".
In November 2020, Dubmission Records follows up Gaudi critically acclaimed album, with the 7" vinyl "Theremin in Hand / Theremin Memoir", featuring Colin Edwin on bass, while Horseman and Sly Dunbar are on drums. December 2020 sees the release of Shanti Powa's new single 'Rainy day', produced by Gaudi. The year ends with TWGEEMA (The World's Greatest Ever Electronic Music Albums) including 4 albums with Gaudi works in the chart: 100 Years of Theremin (The Dub Chapter), The Orb Abolition of the Royal Familia, Youth & Gaudi Astronaut Alchemists (Remixes) and The Orb Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty Pt.3. In 2021, Gaudi teamed-up with UK band Dub Pistols and Canadian producer Dubmatix for the creation of their single "Blue Monday" (a cover version of the New Order song), which charted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae chart and at #1 on Beatport. Fifteen new remixes carrying Gaudi's signature were released in 2021: The Orb, Groove Armada, Steel Pulse, Righeira, Big Audio Dynamite, Lion D ft Capleton, Jovanotti, Jossie Telch, Zoe Devlin, Indubious, Ace Ventura & Astrix, Maxi Priest & Hardage, Terra Nine, Ink Project, Ras Tewelde ft Sizzla, he also played keyboards on the remix "I Am Not a Woman, I'm a God" (On-U Sound) by the American Halsey, a song produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and remixed by Adrian Sherwood. He produced Shanti Powa's album Dreamer, released the collaborative album Future Relic with Kiwi electronic producer Grouch (Iboga Records) and released the new single "Dropping the Pressure" as YOUTH & GAUDI. He produced a remix of the track E=MC2 by Big Audio Dynamite included in the compilation series Late Night Tales, appearing as Gaudi feat Don Letts and Emily Capell. In 2022, Gaudi was featured on the albums Midnight Rocker and Midnight Scorcher by Horace Andy as keyboards and piano player, backing-vocalist and songwriter. The former album reached the no. 41 in the UK Albums Chart. He co-wrote and produced the songs "Step" and "Don't Stand For Dis" by the reggae singer Soom T included on her album Good, he wrote the track "Boundary" with Dreadzone featuring Earl 16 and engineered the track "Sightsee MC" featuring Don Letts and Soom T, both tracks included in the double album Dubwiser Vol.2, which reached the no. 13 in the UK official vinyl chart. 15 years after the release of the compilation Sub Signals Vol.1, Gaudi released the Sub Signals Vol.2 on Dubmission Records, featuring Groove Armada, The Orb, African Head Charge, Adrian Sherwood, Dennis Bovell, Steel Pulse and Dub FX. The second collaborative album as Youth & Gaudi titled Stratosphere was released in 2022, followed by the EP Gaudi: Theremin Tribute to The Smiths - on which Gaudi is on the production and plays the theremin -, the single "Outta Sync" by Don Letts and "Positive In Dub" by Havana Meets Kingston, both produced and co-written by Gaudi. With Don Letts he wrote and produced Jamaican star Johnny Clarke's single, "Rise Reggae People", remixed EMF's "Unbelievable" and Venezuelan band Un, Dos, Tres y Fuera, then remixed Brian Ferry, Savana Funk, Eccodek, Bukkha, Living Light, This Celestial Engine, Meatraffle, Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness (B.C.U.C), Dennis Bovell and Arianne Schreiber. The year ended with the release of Havana Meets Kingston In Dub, a collaborative album with Australian producer Mista Savona, featuring Sly & Robbie, Cornel Campbell, Prince Alla, Ernest Ranglin, Leroy Sibbles of The Heptones, Buena Vista Social Club, Lutan Fyah, Randy Valentine, Aza Lineage, Los Van Van and Bongo Herman.
Punk/reggae artist Don Letts released his debut album "Outta Sync" in 2023 via Cooking Vinyl Records, produced and co-written by Gaudi it features Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Hollie Cook, Terry Hall of The Specials and Hollywood actor John Cusack. The longtime collaboration with The Orb continues with the release of "Prism", an album that features Gaudi as a songwriter, performer and co-producer on three songs, the year closes with the release of Creation Rebel's album "Hostile Environment" with Gaudi featured on three tracks as a keyboardist and composer.
With bassist Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree and guitarist Mr. De Palma, in 2024 Gaudi founded the "Gaudi Kosmisches Trio", a band project that fuses the sound of krautrock with dub, resulting with the release of their debut album "Torpedo Forward", via U.S label Curious Music.
Bands and monikers
Gaudi Kosmisches Trio
Screen (The Orb & Gaudi)
Dub Alchemist
Drums Of Defiance (Gaudi & African Head Charge's Bonjo)
Mad Professor & Gaudi
Paranoise
Marree Men (The Orb & Gaudi)
Lele Gaudi’
Gaudi & Grouch
National Rare Groove (NRG)
4T Thieves
Deep Forest & Gaudi
Lab Dub
Youth & Gaudi
Dr Muff & Crazy Stuff
Gaudi & Savona
Mad Master Moog
Ultraviolet Zero
Weirdub
Groovekilla
Youth & Gaudi
Raptus
Terra Terra
Orchestral World Groove
Discography
Albums
GAUDI KOSMISCHES TRIO Torpedo Forward (Curious Music 2024)
GAUDI & SAVONA Havana Meets Kingston In Dub (VP Records 2022)
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