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Say hello to multi-instrumental phenom Joni Love. Joni runs tings at Dulce in her home base of New Brunswick, New Jersey with a wildly successful and soulful weekly at the Harvest Moon, and has been catching fire in studios around the New York City area.
Girlfriend's got an opinion on everything, including String Theory, but here's the catch...they're well-informed. She sat down with Beleza to talk about creative compulsion, Puerto Rico, and playing flute, sax, and trumpet in a digital world.
So Joni Love, what's your game, girl?
Kickin ass and takin names!
How long have you been performing?
I've been performing all over for a 15 years. Uh does Marching Band count ;)
How did you get into it?
My mom played guitar and sang. My dad was in a 50.s Beatle type band. Probably a bit a nature and a bit of nurture lead me down this path.
What music/styles influence your playing?
Salsa and anything remotely Latin for sure! I am also influenced by various island music; Motown; psychedelic rock as well as the pitter patter of little kitten feet and the rhythm of the windshield wipers on a rainy day.
What was the first peice of music you ever bought with your own money or coerced
somone to buy for you?
Pink Floyd . Wish You Were Here.. Begged for that album for a month!
Did you bang on pots or hum fur elise as a baby?
Yes to both. That is, until mom got me a little toy piano.
Do you come from a musical family? If not, what was your guide?
Mom is musical enough. she.s really more of a LOVER of music . dabbling a bit and admiring from afar. Dad has raw talent and recently started up a new band playing the Hawaiian steel pedal guitar.
What kind of environment did you grow up in?
Mostly Water, Earth and Air . sprinkled with urban decay.
How did you come to discover the music you're into now?
Spying on DJs, public radio, and various web resources.
What keeps you in it?
Couldn.t get out if I tried. mafiaesque I suppose. It might sound corny but it.s as if I HAVE to do it. there.s no choice. That.s the only way I can think of it.
What keeps you in it?
Couldn't get out if I tried. Mafiaesque I suppose. It might sound corny but it's as if I HAVE to do it. There's no choice. That's the only way I can think of it.
What track/song always makes you cry?
This does not make me cry but Claire De Lune always moves me unbelievably.
What makes you want to run screaming and pierce your eardrums?
All country music with the exception of Johnny Cash . because he.s the man in black and nearly started a riot in San Quentin and that.s just plain cool man.
What's the most embarrassing music you own that you love dearly or for whatever reason you can't get rid of?
It's a toss up between my 80s house/freestyle (Jungle Brothers, Latin Rascals, Sapphire, Judi Torres, TKA) home made mix or my .Songs of Walt Disney World. tape which I keep mainly for: The Electric Light Parade, The Tikki Room and this one slammin steel drum tune that I can.t recall the name of.
What do you like/hate to wake up to in the morning?
Like: Sunny Skies
Hate: Rain and Cold
What was the most craziest, most off the hook, heavenly gig you ever played and why?
My local gigs are all off the hook and fun so that.s a tough question. I did this house party once (remember? You were there) and the entire house was rigged w/ speakers and the basement was full of happy people all dancing, hooting and hollering till 5am. That was fun. Otherwise, I played at Shelter, NYC once back when it was at Vinyl. That was cool. And, OH!
Played with the Trio Los Condes in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico in November of 2003. That was a SERIOUS HONOR. Also, going back to songs making you cry, they played such beautiful ballads that night. and yes, I cried that night.
The shittiest?
Rutgers Lunch Café
Tell me about the New Bruns scene.
Well the New Bruns scene is odd. There are lots of talented folks here. New Brunswick is home to Rutgers University and the Mason Gross school of the arts. So there are old familiar faces but also a revolving door of new people coming and going with each year. The scene was mostly made up of jam and rock bands until maybe the past 5 years. Some Drum and Bass parties popped up here and there. Recently the scene has been growing and for the better. There are 3 strong forces in New Brunswick in regard to electronic or dance music. I run Dulce (www.dulcesound.com) the longest running ElectrOrganic Deep House party (and the first of its kind here) in the city with the help of my partners DJs Argo and Bob Walkner and fellow Musicians Taji Malik and Mark Vasquez. Then we have Nabil doing oh so many cool old and new school Hip-Hop / Funkdified events (http://www.undergroundexp.com). And last but not least Aftermath (http://www.bassfreq.com/) an electronic dance music party . maybe a touch on the harder side dipping in to drum and bass, industrial, jungle, and all other sort of genre.
Best thing about New Bruns or Philly?
Best thing about New Brunswick is -- Dulce =) Ok, ok and some cool, down to earth, home grown heads that love music.
Worst?
Worst Thing. Um frat boys, cool people, cheese masters. But hey! They're everywhere right?
What are you up to now?
Working on recording and my website content.
What projects you got cookin?
Let's just say there are some buns in the oven ;).
And what vinyl are you on, whom have you recorded with?
www.discogs.com/release/144114
is from a recording done for - Alex J / Wako / zyx / Germany
I've also recorded for/with:
Todd Gardner - Subliminal Soul / Yellow Orange
Keith Blackstone - Soulful Sounds
Mr V. - affiliated with Masters At Work
What's your day job?
Webmaster and Jack of all things IT related
What do you like to do when you can't stand to think about music for even one more beat? aka, hobbies?
In my spare time I like to watch cartoons and make small messes around the house.
What's your feeling on string theory?
String Theory is quite interesting when placed in line with the Big Bang sort of as a parallel physics theory of time and space relativity. The jury is still out tho..
Astrology: a force to be ignored at your own peril, or stargazing new age hippy crap?
I don't much care for astrology but my friend the Cancer, he's always going on and on about it -- as he wails at the Moon. While my Virgo friends fret tirelessly over the details and how to keep things in order. My Taurus friend has decided it's a bunch of hog wash and won't budge on the matter. Miss Pisces thinks it's all the rage but she really doesn't care what happens tomorrow. While the Gemini, she loved it yesterday but hates it today. Go figure. Me, I could have told you what any of them think because I just sort of *know* these things and please don't challenge me on that because the only winning move for you is not to play. But me, the Scorpio--no... I'm not much in to it. ;)
Goal for this year?
Build up my website presence and get some new recordings out there.
Hope for the world?
Good Tunes, Sunshine and Strawberry Milk for all!!
Parting words?
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of the dreams."
- Willy Wonka
Contact info?
www.dulcesound.com, joni@dulcesound.com
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