Jacob Lusk, Ryan Hope & Ari Balouzian; an acclaimed gospel singer and choir director, an established film director and a classically trained musician and soundtrack artist. This is the trio that fate brought together and now make up Gabriels.
Their debut EP โLove & Hate In A Different Timeโ comprises five songs that sound instantly of another era without faltering into throwback territory. True masters of story-telling, their timeless take on vintage soul, new R&B and just a hint of ultra-contemporary altpop have seen them become firm favourites of Gilles Peterson, Off Whiteโs Virgil Abloh, Benji B, Annie Mac, Elton John… the list goes on.
The lead track and new single, โLove & Hate In A Different Timeโ, showcases their sound perfectly. A soul-stirring song with elements of funk and that joyous gospel influence too. Jacob has one of those terrifically cavernous deliveries and understands the power of when to adopt restraint and when to let rip. Itโs raw, show-stopping and combines to form a magical few minutes of cinematic sound, unlike anything else out there today.
In the songโs long-form video, directed by band member and British born musician Ryan Hope (himself a celebrated music video director), weโre taken through a history of the dancefloor in archive footage, culminating in Jacob singing Billie Hollidayโs Strange Fruit to a rapt audience during a Black Lives Matter protest in LA last year. Itโs an engrossing, moving watch and an evocative listen.