Gavin Koppel, better known by his stage name DJ Lyfe, is an American musician, record producer, and artist, best known as the former turntablist and co-songwriter of the band

Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

between the years of 1995 and 1998. He is also a

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

artist.

Career

Koppel got his start in music in 1987. He met the band Incubus, at that time consisting of

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

Brandon Boyd Brandon Charles Boyd (born February 15, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, author and visual artist. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the American rock band Incubus, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. In a ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

Mike Einziger Michael Aaron Einziger (born June 21, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is best known for being co-founder and guitarist of the rock band Incubus, and has also co-written, produced and collaborated with a wide array of a ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

José Pasillas José Antonio Pasillas II (born April 26, 1976) is an American musician best known as the drummer and co-founder of alternative rock band Incubus. Biography José Pasillas is of Mexican descent. He grew up in Calabasas, California. He began pl ...

, and

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

Alex Katunich George Alex Katunich (born August 18, 1976) is an American musician. He is best known as the former bassist of Incubus. Since high school, Katunich has used the stage name of Dirk Lance, which was apparently taken from the credits of a pornogra ...

in 1994 at the S.I.R. Theater. He joined in 1995 and performed with the band for their 1997 EP, ''

Enjoy Incubus ''Enjoy Incubus'' is the major label debut EP by Incubus released on January 7, 1997, on Epic Records. It contained re-recordings of songs that featured on their previous, independent releases '' Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout Root Beer'' and '' Fungus Amo ...

'' and the following album later that year, ''

S.C.I.E.N.C.E. ''S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'' is the second album by the American rock band Incubus, released on September 9, 1997, by Epic/Immortal Records. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA, and is the second and final Incubus release to feature Gavin Koppell (known ...

'', on

turntables A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

under the stage name DJ Lyfe. He is credited as doing "Turntable Kung-Fu" on ''S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'' He also appeared on the track "Familiar" from '' Spawn: The Album'', which Incubus performed with

DJ Greyboy DJ Greyboy (a.k.a. Andreas Stevens) is an acid jazz DJ from San Diego, California now residing in Long Beach, California. Early in his career he was the partner of Rob Dyrdek in Crime on the Turn Tables. His style of music includes hip hop, so ...

. He was replaced by

DJ Kilmore Chris Kilmore (born January 21, 1973) is an American musician and DJ. He is the turntablist and keyboardist of the rock band Incubus since 1998. Allmusic–Incubus bio./ref> Discography * ''Make Yourself'' (1999) * '' When Incubus Attacks V ...

after being fired in 1998. In 2003, Koppel sued Incubus for failing to account properly. Koppel's claims were rejected following arbitration in February 2004. In 2010 Kilmore would file a restraining order against Koppel following various online threats in response to the lawsuit. His graffiti art has been featured on TV show ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' Season 7 episode 13.">"Cold Case" Bombers (TV episode 2010) - IMDb
/ref>

Discography

With Incubus

''The following is a partial discography of Incubus, documenting the main releases on which the DJ is credited.'' *''

'' EP (1997) *''

'' LP (1997) *'' Spawn: The Original Soundtrack'' Compilation (1997) *'' Monuments and Melodies (Japanese Edition)'' Compilation (2009) *'' The Essential Incubus'' Compilation (2012)

Solo filmography (as a mixtape DJ)

*''87 Ways DVD Mixtape Vol. 1'' (2005) - ''As DJ 1987''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koppel, Gavin American hip hop DJs Rock DJs Incubus (band) members Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people)