Hi there! I'm Chris Joss, almost my real name, I'm a French "multi-instrumentalist and autonomous studio producer"(I didn't come up with that but that sums it up). As a listener I love drums and they're the heart and soul of my music. I had organ lessons in my teens which gave me the basics to learn other instruments. Jamming was my school. I've played loud, loud headphones, long hours, now I'm suffering from tinnitus and hypercousia, reasonably loud sounds hurt, unreasonably loud sounds are ringing for months, now I play quiet and can't play live anymore for these reasons. I have a passion for recording and sound production.
After 3 brief but revealing experiences with major labels through the band I was fronting, I left France for London in 91 with a band that imploded within weeks. Jumped from bands to bands on bass or guitar, sound engineered a bit while making solo tracks of various styles on my Atari+sampler+16track setup.
95-96 taped a few tracks influenced by 60's & 70's soundtrack music gathered on The Man With a Suitcase. Presented as an imaginary 60's TV series soundtrack I sent it to a round of UK labels without success. I moved to La Rochelle France in 98 in need of sun and water. I met the Cristal team who connected me with indie Pulp Flavor that released the LP in 1999 minus 2 tracks found on the Bombay By Bus EP.
99-01 recorded Dr Rhythm 15 tracks of funky electronica released in 02 by Irma. In 2000 I moved into a place where I could play drums again (sometimes) but most of the tracks have programmed drums giving a more breakbeat sound than my subsequent records. The total absence of promo and payment from this dreadful label made this release a painful experience.
2002-2003 got myself an 8 input soundcard for my computer, for the first time getting a sound I liked on the drums and jammed away. A turning point for me in music production coinciding with the birth of my daughter, it became You've Been Spiked. Influenced by 60's & 70's pop & funk I incorporated modern elements through the sound production, obscure samples backgrounds and computer trickery and mixed genres which originally coud not be heard together, thus keeping away from the revival scenes. Released in France in early 2004 on Cristal Records the response was devastating and the distributor closed down. ESL Music signed me and released the album late 04 with a new artwork by award-winning Neal Ashby. Spiked tracks are in TV series & programs, movies, commercials and games. Remixes by Ursula 1000, Fort Knox Five & Kraak & Smaak followed in 05 & 06.
2004 I spent 5 months making the Discotheque Dancing video and was approached to rework the "Deep throat" soundtrack for the movie Inside Deep Throat (soundtrack on Koch in 05)
2005-2007 remixed Jody Watley, Pirates of the Caribbean, Joe Bataan, Woody Hermann, Bebo Valdes, Thunderball, Frank Sinatra, Yerba Buena, Praful, Fisherspooner.
Dec2005 I smashed the 3 bones of my right elbow, I'm now limited in my movements but still can play. I was very lucky to be operated by fantastic surgeon Mr Beya. A musician himself he saved my arm and my music making. Between hospital stays in Jan/Feb 06 I was asked to record a version of John Williams' Superman for a movie trailer of Superman, what is called "on spec" you work for nothing in the hope it'll get picked up, it wasn't. I had to record the drums in many short sections. After months ESL got clearance and released it on an EP in Aug 07 alongside remixes by Basement Freaks & Plastilina Mosh.
2004-2007 recorded the 13 tracks that make Teraphonic Overdubs. Reacting to the critics (good and bad) that could only hear a retro sound in Spiked, I experimented to make the modern aspect of my music more obvious while keeping the acoustic drums-bass-guitar-keyboards setup. Most of these experiments didn't convince me and will most likely stay outtakes. I made many different versions of the same tracks, "I want Freedom" is an alternate version of "Count the daisies", Summer Springs" of "Luna Rides Back" and kept on changing the tracks to keep them fresh for me to work on as my elbow accident had delayed the progress on them. Returning to hospital in dec06/jan07 disabled me again for months and the many projects I engaged in during these 4 years (remixes, production, VJing, DJing, videos) often made me feel I could never finish this album. I bought a sitar, flute, double bass, congas, bongos towards the end of the recording and replaced many electronic parts with these instruments, changing the direction of the album. Released on ESL in Feb08 with an artwork by Patrick Donohue, remixes of I Want Freedom by Smokey Bandits, Atfunk and Myagi came out in Aug08.
Nov2006-may2008 recorded my 5th LP, entitled Sticks. Compared to the 4 years it took to make Teraphonic, Sticks was a pleasure ride. Inspired by the new instruments I turned down remixes and side projects to stay focused. I recorded the basic tracks while still working on Teraphonic, the sitar is giving a more contemplative vibe than my previous releases. Alexander Von Mehren from Norway contributed with a lovely vibraphone solo on "Tea Age Sea" and I used a saxophone sample from Praful on "Melisma Mercury". The artwork was done by multi-talented Cyril Jean. Sticks will be out in March 09 on ESL Music.
tout va bien à la Rochelle après les Franco. ? c'est Gabriel ! Je te propose de venir écouter notre nouveau titre composé avec Gilles, un copain chanteur. Tu as la version pop de "Everyone" et une version remix un peu plus dark ! Bye Gab.D
excuse moi mais tous tes morceaux déchirent, arf ... ça fait du bien ! tu connais PAOLO APOLLO NEGRI, tu devrais bien aimer aussi. Bon ba Bravo, ça sent la maturité !
Hello Chris Joss, Je pars près d'angoulème pour danser dans un festival. J'ai cru voir que tu étais en nouvelle zélande, ça va pas être facile pour te rencontrer. Dj Moulinex diffuse toujours quelques titres de tes album. Merci encore pour la musique. @ bientôt! Olivier alias Dj Moulinex.
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