Artist description If he was stranded on a deserted island, and was given a choice of food or his record collection and turntables, there is no question as to what the likely answer would be. He spends hours on end talking about, listening to, and concocting ways in which he can compose music. Ask anyone who knows him, and they will tell you: Noel has always been a music geek. Early in his childhood, his mother always had music playing in the background while he lay in his crib. This impressionable time of youth shaped the musical foundation that would eventually impact his life. He was raised on the likes of artists such as Stevie Wonder, Chicago, The Eagles, Tower of Power, and The Beatles, just to name a few. Soul, funk and everything in- between, would grow to influence his diverse styles and production inspirations. Noel's DJ'ing all started back in 1985, a high school kid in a break-dancing crew, who began to take interest in the DJ more than break-dancing itself. He understood the significance and power that the person behind the decks had, to set the tone for making people want to dance and understand the messages he conveyed through music. It was then that he finally decided to take up the art form of DJing. While still in his teens, he couldn't afford turntables of his own, and his eagerness to blend songs found him buying a cheap Radio Shack mixer with no crossfader using a cheap belt-driven turntable and a tape deck to complete his mission. It was time consuming to tape all of his songs from vinyl, but well worth the effort of what was to come. He recalls a high school friend who had an actual DJ set-up commenting on his mixtape that he brought with him to school one day. A surprised, "Is this you?" was all he needed to help him realize that moving people with music is what he wanted to do. From his beginnings in spinning Electro and early Hip-Hop, his desire to move forward and challenge himself came in 1989 in the form of House music. Upon his first listen, he wanted to get out of the bedroom and into the clubs and play. It wasn't until a year later that he got his first gig in a club and it has been there ever since. He toured the US in '93, playing at the Limelight in NYC at the famed DISCO2001 along side Keoki and a little known budding house DJ named Onionz. He met and played beside many people along the way, including a rising star, by the name of Dieselboy. But, he became disillusioned with what he felt was the lack of progression in the House scene. It wasn't until 1995, did his interest in Jungle arrive in the appearance of a compilation album bought at a used record store on a whim. He took it home, threw it on and knew he would be back on the decks once again. He hasn’t looked back since. In 1996, he met up with, a then unknown, UFO! at a club called The Jungle, SF's first Drum & Bass weekly. Shortly thereafter, he began his own weekly along with his inter-planetary brother, UFO! as residents, and it was there that he met JUJU. He knew there was something in the drum and bass sound that he wanted to share with people. Apparently he wasn’t alone on this quest, as later that year, they started PHUNCKATECK--a collective of influential djs and producers who have contributed innovative sounds to a growing scene-- all for the sake of working together to push the madness aptly named Jungle. With releases on Rawkuts, Moonshine, Green (Cold Fusion w/ Abstract), Pneuma (Area Code), and Verde (the 'SCO), his DJing has gone from behind the decks and onto the production board. He now resides in the 'burbs of Los Angeles with his wife, and has a residency at the Los Angeles Garage monthly, Rude Sound playing breaks and 2-Step (yet another chapter in his life of pushing the envelope for, what is now, yet another little known genre of music). After taking a long needed break from the Jungle scene, he plans on going back to his roots to work on solo releases on the forthcoming OM Records release, Golden Gate Breaks. From what started out as an interest, has now transformed into his lifestyle. The time has come for his emergence back into the scene, and once again, he is ready to change the tide.

Music Style UK Garage/2-Step/Breaks

Musical Influences Zed Bias, Menta, Darquan/Oris Jay, DJ South Central, DJ Hype, DJ Zinc, Ed Rush & Optical, Roni Size, Stevie Wonder, Chicago, Mavin Gaye, Earth Wind and Fire, Led Zepplin, Beatles, Neptunes, Dr. Dre... to name just a few...

Group Members PHUNCKATECK: NOEL, JUJU, ABSTRACT, UFO!, SAGE, ECHO, ESASSIN, JOHN TEJADA, JASON MOUSE & HIVE

Location Diamond Bar, California - USA

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