Gabe 'V-Non' Rosales

Bio

With the diligence of a quantum physicist, and the determination of an Olympic Gold Medalist, and the heart to match, Gabe Rosales has instinctually nurtured many different talents to progressive, breakthrough levels. Beginning his artistic career by sketching at age five, studying the human figure at age eight, developing music skills on the piano at ten, to performing in many theatrical plays before the age of 12, Gabe solidified a foundation and love for many different outlets of artistic expression at a very young age. He grew up in the little, predominantly Latino city of San Juan Capistrano in southern California. Being an only child, he figured out many ways to keep himself entertained. His tastes ranged from reading, writing, and drawing, to recording joke radio shows and recording his "rap" lyrics on his family's tape recorder. Growing up with his mother singing and playing old Mexican folk music while accompanied by his father on two classical guitars, Gabe's household was filled with music.

With the use of capital punishment at the religious school he attended, Gabe began questioning the representatives of these particular sects which also helped mold his own views on the subject of organized religion. At age 7, Gabe developed a taste for the macabre when he asked his mother to start reading the disturbing writing of Edgar Allen Poe to him at bedtime. Hearing stories such as "The Tell Tale Heart", and poems like "The Raven" before bedtime began molding his brain. These literary inspirations also aided his vocabulary for his own writing, as well as fueled a growing fascination with the occult, supernatural and darker aspects of life.

In 1986 Gabe's family split due to alcohol problems, and irreconcilable differences between his parents. This was extremely hard on Gabe as he became increasingly masochistic and depressed about his life. Still dealing with alcohol in his family he developed a sense of responsibility to take care of his parents when he needed the care himself. At this time his music tastes began with hip hop artists DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince to the hardcore gangsta rap of Eazy E and NWA. When he was 12, the rock genre made its way to Gabe's ears in the form of the band Faith No More, which he became obsessed with.

In 1990, Gabe's mother returned to college at the University of California, Santa Cruz in northern California. She brought Gabe along on the move which forced him away from his father and placed him in a completely new environment. At age 13, this helped heighten his sense of self by having to grow in his talents. With continuous nightmares every night resembling the 13th century Italian, Dante's Inferno, and a strong set of beliefs pertaining to religion and human instinct, Gabe bought all kinds of occult books written by Anton La Vey and Aleister Crowley. He proclaimed himself a follower and teacher of the occult. This threatening and dark representation Gabe made for himself was not kindly accepted by his classmates. "I remember having to clean the spit off my jacket when I came home from school sometimes", Gabe recalls of his junior high.This was more fuel for his art, poetry and harsh sense of indulgent, animalistic existence.

After buying a "death metal" band tape as a joke between him and his girlfriend, Gabe's musical life changed. The joke became a real love for the vocally unpleasing art form. After picking up weight lifting and bodybuilding, the teenage artist vented his frustrations through intense workouts every night to a new aggressive, violent soundtrack. Duplicating the harsh vocals and using his sac religious poetry as the catalyst, Gabe became the lead singer of his own death metal band, but the only thing the band lacked was a bass player. Within 3 months, Gabe began gigging and taking bass solos at age fourteen with his new found instrument.

After 2 years of developing new relationships and a new band, Gabe's obsession with the occult wore on his mother. When his rebellious, satanist based views became too much to bare, she sent him away to live with his father, returning down south in Laguna Beach California. It was a new city for Gabe's residency, but it was still surrounded by his old stomping grounds. His name was recognized locally due to his family's long history of business in the small city. His family, along with a few other latino families, rose to success together in the city with mafioso like respect and credibility. Gabe moved to one of the of the 2 mobile home parks in the wealthy area with his father, stepmother and stepsister.

Having a limited social life due to a lack of close friends, Gabe found himself practicing rigorously 12-16 hours a day, for months during the summer. With sporadic bass lessons and 5 years of "formal" self teaching, Gabe increased his musical tastes from his old love, bands like Deicide and Suffocation, to a diversity of artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Weather Report and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. This helped Gabe hone his skills in a wide arena of music from the "out" jazz of Art Tatum and Coltrane, to the repetative and groove oriented funk and R&B of Cameo and Zap. This would eventually prepare him for the myriad of top name music artists he would soon work with.

During his high school career his talents flourished. From being the 1st freshman in Laguna Beach High's history to have the lead role in an award winning comedy production, to gigging regularly at high school functions, the young artist worked at developing a strong sense of self expression and a warped sense of humor. By his senior year he had taken part in numerous theater productions, played in 7 different bands and flourished in an advanced placement art class where he began receiving college credit for his work. With some of his assorted art pieces being showcased at the local art school, Gabe had a myriad of options to pursue for his future career. Music began playing a more prominent part as he began seriously studying theory on his own from university tonal harmony text books and the time he spent drawing eventually got taken up rigorous rehearsal schedules and instrument practicing.

When Gabe was 17, he began finding contradictions in his occult practices as he did with his Christian upbringing. His consistent nightmares had ceased a few years before. He stopped representing himself and his views in this dark light, but his art still reflected his demonic edge.

At this time he crossed paths with session, touring, and production legend, Paul Pesco. Paul took Gabe under his wing and began showing him "the ropes" of the music industry as well as introducing him to a book that would send him on a path to eastern thought, the Zen Guitar book. This also sparked an extreme interest in quantum physics and the order of all things which included the human experience. This new found interest made its way into his poetry-turned-hip hop lyrics. Just a year after graduating high school Gabe landed a voice on guitar hero George Lynch's eclectic 1999 release, "Smoke This". A 3 month tour followed the release. With new endorsements with ESP guitars, Dean Markley strings and Hughes and Kettner bass amplification systems, Gabe began living his dream at age 19, a few years younger than George Lynch's son. After the chaotic lifestyle of the hard rocking 1999 US tour which included excessive alcohol consumption, Gabe returned home where even his closest friends recognized and worried about his destructive, indulgent lifestyle. Gabe went on a spiritual search and attended a 10 day Buddhist vipassana meditation course, where he took a mandatory oath of silence for the courses entirety. This experience changed his views on his existence drastically. A deeper sense of universal understanding vanquished the young artist. A deep inner peace enveloped Gabe's life and everyone noticed it when he returned.

From that point on, the southern California native landed other high profile gigs and tours in the music world through networking and word of mouth. From heavy rock band Lynch Mob to pop megastars like Jennifer Lopez and Christina Milian, to fusion legends such as Prashant Aswani and Joey Heredia, Gabe has graced stages from country to country, continent to continent.

Even with his growing resume and promising future, alcohol and drug consumption crept back into Gabe's life which led him to a deathly destructive path. From drug dealing, health issues to excessive alcohol consumption, this volatile chicano found himself incarcerated several times. After being incarcerated for months, Gabe observed the sub culture of jail life, and drew from it inspiration for his work. The different phases of emotions fed concepts and stories about doing time which Gabe in turn focused back into music. He wrote sheet music, lyrics and vigorously worked out to pass the time productively. He also embraced his latin culture and sympathized with the trials and tribulations of the dominant hispanic race in the facility. He was even asked to hold a position for the southern chapter of the mexican mafia in his dorm for the time he was there. Even before his incarceration, Gabe's addictive personality proved that there was no room for any substances in his life and his first hand experience of the level of addicts in jail reinforced his drive to rise above all mind altering substances.

After years of trial and error, Gabe has redefined his existence in a positive, completely clean and healthy environment. He has established a name for himself in the music world, and earned street credit along his path. He has survived to tell many great stories about his chaotic lifestyle and the characters he's encountered. This has aided him in instructing young and older players alike with the skill, knowledge, touring, production experience and invaluable life lessons he has endured over his life span thus far. Working as a solo artist, musician, and dedicated teacher, Gabe has proudly accepted the honor of passing on his music knowledge to many hungry individuals. With over 9 years of teaching experience, Rosales caters to each students needs with awareness and encouragement. Using a zen based philosophy, he cultivates awareness, technique and heart.

With Vipassana meditation, and a taxing, physical and mental work ethic as a catalyst for his self expression, and utilizing the negative and positive aspects if his life, Gabe has kept his love pure and honest in his life's art. At age 29, he finally harnessed his skills to release his first explosive album that encompasses all the styles he has grown to love as a part of him. "Vital Nonsense" can be purchased now on the music page of this site. Be on the look out for performances, locally and on the web.

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

List of Recording Artists Gabe Has Worked With:Labyrinth, Unit E, Gooch, Beyond 7, Lynch Mob, George Lynch Solo Album, Sonny Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Sunru, Jimi E and the Moral Groove(winner of the 2008 “best R&B” act in Orange County for the O.C. Music Awards), Christina Milian, Tim James, Prashant Aswani Trio w/ Joey Heredia and John Platero, Sheena Easton, Souljahz, Mike Baas, Alec Bridges, Dukes of Socket, Henry Butler, Listen (winner of the 2006 “best hard rock” band in Orange County for the O.C. Music Awards), Contra, Paul Pesco, Sen Dog (Cypress Hill), Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls), Tilo (Methods Of Mayhem), Fat Joe, Ingrid Wakes, Zzazzo, ASD w/Craven Moorehead, Karen Cobb, DA Fisher, Chase Allen, P.O.T.H.A., Riz Story, John Heussenstamm, Divine Styler, Dave Weckl, Nick Hernandez (Common Sense), Bert Baker (Pharcyde, Chase Allen), Steve Perkins (Jane's Addiction), Juan Doe, DJ Ravidrums, Peter Michael Escovedo, Ronnie Gutierrez, Darrel Diaz(Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters), Leo Vigil.

ToursLynch Mob US tour 1998-1999, Tim James Columbia Road Show 1999, Jennifer Lopez European Promo Tour 2000, Christina Milian Japan Promo Tour 2003, Sheena Easton Malaysia Tour 2005.

Videos

Music

Discography

Vital Nonsense (2009)

Lyrical Warfare Volume 1 (2010)

Lyrics
Coming Soon!

Division 
AIM West Coast General

Contact Details 
GabeRosales.com