When not touring as one of the worlds most in-demand female DJs, Brazil-born artist Joyce Muniz spends most of her time between the cities of Berlin and Vienna and releasing on labels like Get Physical and Exploited.
2019 saw a new chapter for Muniz, as she launched her very first record label, Black Diamonds. A partnership with guitarist Joshua Tennent that has already brought releases from Toni & Mash and Demetrius.
We spoke with Joyce about the new label, her own success over the years, how she compares Europe to her home country and what’s to come from her own studio in the coming months. Grab the full interview below.
Hey Joyce, how are things in Austria right now?
Things are going well! I have not been spending so much time here in the past few months because I have been touring a lot. But when I am here I try to spend as much time in the studio as possible. I also have my radio show on Austria´s premiere radio station FM4. The last 3 years, I have been switching between Vienna and Berlin as my apartment is in Berlin but I still have my studio in Vienna.
You’re about to release your remix for Demetrius’ Keep Going, how did you approach the remix in the studio?
For me, it was very important to keep the spirit of the original version – which is really cool and dark. But at the same time, I wanted to stretch it and make it DJ friendly. I made a new bassline and dubbed the vocals a bit. I love Demetrius’ vocals & lyrics for this song. The idea was to make a remix to play in the late-night sets.
And it’s coming on your own label, Black Diamonds, what inspired you to launch the label?
The reason why my partner Josh and I launched the label was actually because of the Demetrius project. Demetrius was looking for an electronic music producer and that’s why he took me on board. Josh is a guitar player and he is working with Demetrius on this project so that is how we met.
After we worked on a few tunes, we thought it would be nice to release some of the tracks. Then we realized how hard it was to find a label for that type of crossover electronic music. During the process of launching the label Josh & I realized that many of our musician friends were looking for a kind of crossover label which is electronic but at the same time alternative.
To be honest, I never wanted to have a label. But it’s been a great process and it has given me a platform to help other artists. We now have many possibilities open and I’m excited to see what happens with our other releases. Especially since I have been involved in so many different projects in the last years as a producer.
Do you have any exciting projects in the works for the label?
A couple of weeks ago we released the first single for Toni & Mash – LTFGU which is going very well. I am also doing a remix for their second single, Lone Wolf, which will be released in the Fall. I-Wolf (Sofa Surfers) is also working on some demos for us. We know each other from back in the day. I even sang for one of his tracks in 2004. He has a very nice style which is very different from Demetrius and Toni & Mash. It’s more dark and experimental and it will add another dimension to the label.
And what about your own music? You’ve released on Exploited, Get Physical, 20/20 Vision and Moodmusic in the past, what’s coming in the future?
In the last month, I was very busy with touring and also launching the label. I didn’t have much time to work on my own music. I’ve also been doing a lot of remixes for other artists. For example, I just finished a remix for the French singer and songwriter Kazy Lambist.
After the summer, I want to take some time for the studio and focus on my sound. I have a few ideas but I want to take the time to develop them. My next focus should be my second album which is going to be very different than the first one Made In Vienna which was released in 2016 on Exploited. Of course, I have some sketches but nothing that I can share at the moment.
You come from Brazil, do you think you will ever return to South America?
I grew up in Vienna and now my main base is Berlin. Right now, I don’t think I would move back to Brazil since all the people I work with are based in Europe. I love going to South America to play gigs and visit my family but I have been based in Europe for about 20 years and I feel very connected to the culture and the people here. I can imagine maybe one day when retiring but for now, I feel Europe is my home.
And how does the scene in Brazil differ from Europe? What’re the biggest differences you’ve noticed?
Brazil did progress a lot with its artists and even parties. You see a lot of Brazilians leading the electronic scene. Brazil has a bunch of talented artists. The only thing that I miss is the labels. Most of my Brazilian friends had to move to Europe to build their international career even though the scene has developed a lot.
We appreciate you taking some time out to chat, is there anything you want to share before we go?
Thanks for the interview. I just wanna say that music is about moments and quality and good vibes and not about genre. Even if I am an electronic music producer it doesn’t mean that I am not open to making a pop song or something different. People should go more with the flow.