Stubbleman - In the Company of Oaks

Stubbleman is the alter ego of British composer and producer Pascal Gabriel, gaining recognition for co-writing and producing two of the most defining tracks of the late ‘80s UK techno explosion: Theme from S’Express (S’Express) and Beat Dis (Bomb The Bass). Over the years, he has worked with a diverse array of artists, from Wire, Can, and Goldfrapp to Dido, Debbie Harry, and Kylie Minogue. 
 
After many years navigating the pop music jungle, Pascal has returned to his electronic and experimental roots with his new project, Stubbleman ("the stubbly man"), combining modular synthesis, found sounds, and traditional instruments. 

Stubbleman’s forthcoming second album, 1:46:43 – The Ventoux Trilogy (due out 06.06.25) transforms the legendary Mont Ventoux cycling ascent into music, using real-time ride data—heart rate, speed, power, and cadence—to drive evolving modular synth sequences. Enriched with field recordings, melodies, and rhythms, the album’s 18 pieces span three movements, mirroring the mountain’s changing landscape in recurring themes and variations.
One ride. Four parameters. Eighteen compositions.

In the Company of Oaks sets the stage for the album’s second movement and marks the transition into a dense, towering forest, where the unyielding grey tarmac pitches sharply upward, winding through a cathedral of ancient oaks whose vaulted canopy casts dappled shadows across the road. The air is thick with the scent of pine and earth, a heady mix of stillness and strain. Each breath grows heavier, each movement more deliberate, as the solitude of the climb sets in. The only sounds are the rhythmic cadence of breath, the whir of the chain, and the occasional rustling of leaves stirred by a fleeting breeze.

The Ventoux Trilogy is not simply a piece about cycling. It is a meditation on human endurance, solitude, the raw beauty of nature, the struggle between despair and hope. A sonic reflection on life itself.