JO-S
JO-S
(Driven AM |Westbay Intl | Shogun Ltd | 31 Records | Sonorous | Peer Pressure | Taciturn Records | LA)
After bursting on to the New York electronic music scene in the late 90s as a DJ and Producer, JO-S has revitalized his sound by adding vocals to both his DJ sets and original songs. Several #1 singles have resulted from this new endeavor.
Los Angeles, CA. April 20, 2009 – After 14 years as a drum and bass DJ and producer, JO-S is now developing his skills as a lyricist and vocalist. His congenital talents have allowed JO-S to find new inspiration as he continues to explore his potential as a singer and MC. “I’m always looking for new ways to expand the live performance aspect of my craft. Singing was the natural progression. It has expanded my skill set as an artist thus allowing me to add more production value to my live DJ sets. I’ve always felt it was important to be a positive spokesperson for the scene as well. My lyrics typify this sentiment. I choose to write about topics that step outside of the club scene.”
This positive energy and motivation to explore his potential as a vocalist earned him a 12” release on Westbay International Recordings. “Define” (co-produced by Kubatko) features the vocal work of JO-S for the first time on vinyl. The lyrics of “Define” reveal that within drum and bass music, there are no boundaries. “When I wrote the lyrics I was thinking about the genre splitting that was going on within the scene. I felt this was segregating the fans, producers and DJs. Throughout my tenure as a DJ and producer, I’ve explored all styles and I’m known for running the gamut of sounds almost every time I play. I represent progressive drum and bass music that moves the dance floor… that’s my job as a performer.”
Since JO-S signed to Westbay Recordings (one of the top-ten selling drum and bass labels distributed through Nu-Urban Distribution), he has now garnered enough attention overseas to perform in the UK. In
celebration of his forthcoming release, JO-S played alongside such notable artists as Killa Kella, Dbridge and Lynx at a party called Diverse in Swindon, UK. He was also given a slot to showcase his vocal
talents along with his DJ skills at Subfactory in Reading, UK. As JO-S continued to move forward with this newfound vision, he started receiving attention from various producers from around the globe. One
artist who beckoned was Sinistarr hailing from Detroit. He flaunts an innovative, yet minimal soulful sound. “Vines” was the result of the collaboration. Sinistarr helped JO-S reach artists like LTJ Bukem, Fabio, Spectrasoul, Random Movement and Stunna who are all representing his music.
In addition to working with Sinistarr, JO-S was contacted by a prolific artist named Lenzman from the Netherlands. He is noted for releases on Spearhead, Phunkfiction and C.I.A. The two began collaborating on a tune called “Emeralds”. DJ Friction signed it for release on his top ten label, Shogun Ltd. When Friction came to Los Angeles to perform at Bassrush in January of 09’, JO-S was invited on stage for an impromptu live vocal performance of “Emeralds”. Now a smash hit, “Emeralds” sold out within a day when first released on promo. “Emeralds” also reached 1 on the Beatport and Juno download charts. The success JO-S has enjoyed by pairing up with Lenzman has lead to other signings on such labels as 31 Records and Goldie’s highly respected imprint Metalheadz.
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