Biography
Chris Joss, a multi-instrumentalist originating from France, crafts cinematic funk instrumentals that draw from an eclectic mix spanning psychedelic rock, Bollywood film scores, disco, and dub. Handling a broad array of instruments such as guitar, drums, keyboards, flute, sitar, and saxophone, he builds dense, dance-oriented grooves enriched by extended solos and turntable scratches, all shaped by the sonic approach of contemporary breakbeat production. His career began in 1999 with the fictional soundtrack album Music from the Man with a Suitcase, after which his recordings appeared across films, television programs, video games, and additional media outlets. Beginning with the well-received 2004 album You've Been Spiked, Joss placed five releases on Thievery Corporation's ESL Music imprint. Thereafter he has channeled every project through his independent Teraphonic Records label, among them the high-energy 2016 set Escape Unlikely and the straight funk instrumentals comprising 2019's Volume II.
At age 12 Joss first studied organ, then became self-taught on acoustic guitar following receipt of the instrument on his 14th birthday. While still in high school he assembled his initial band in 1981. After leaving school he shifted focus to bass before turning in 1984 toward the acquisition of recording gear and electronic equipment. He formed an electro-funk group that issued albums on major labels during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Going independent, he relocated to London for much of the decade, performing on guitar and bass in multiple ensembles and producing the 1995 album by his band Monk. After completing electronic demos and submitting them to various companies, his 1999 full-length Music from the Man with a Suitcase—conceived as the score for a nonexistent 1960s television series—was issued by the French indie label Pulp Flavor under the name Chris Joss and His Orchestra. The breakbeat-driven Dr. Rhythm, tracked mainly inside a small apartment that restricted drum recording, came out on the Italian lounge and dance label IRMA Records in 2002.
Following an extensive studio renovation, Joss captured You've Been Spiked, a blend of vintage funk and instrumental pop. Cristal Records issued the album in France during April 2004, after which Washington, D.C.-based ESL Music licensed it later that year. An elbow injury postponed work on his subsequent album and halted live appearances, yet he continued studio activity throughout recovery. Several 12-inch EPs emerged over the following years, incorporating remixes by Ursula 1000 and Kraak & Smaak. Joss additionally supplied remixes for tracks by Jody Watley, Joe Bataan, Thunderball, and further artists. The Superman EP, anchored by his version of John Williams' "Superman Theme," appeared in 2007. Teraphonic Overdubs, the first album to include flute and sitar, arrived in 2008. His fifth album, Sticks, surfaced in 2009 and featured guest contributions from Praful and Alexander von Mehren along with the downtempo track "Tune Down," which gained wider recognition after inclusion in an episode of Better Call Saul.
Monomaniacs Vol. 1, a collection of funk instrumentals centered on Hammond and clavinet, was released in early 2010. Joss's seventh album, a vigorous fusion of Afro-beat, jazz-funk, and turntablism issued in 2011 as No Play No Work and later returned to its planned title Nuclear Kamikaze, yielded two tracks remixed for the 2012 7-inch Toxic Smoke. He founded Teraphonic Records and began digital distribution of his catalog with the 2014 album Bimbo Satellite. After compiling earlier remixes on 2015's I've Been Remixed, he delivered the cinematic Escape Unlikely in 2016. Misophonia, named for the condition involving recurring everyday sounds that Joss has experienced since childhood, appeared in 2018. Volume II, a follow-up to the prior Monomaniacs release, emerged in 2019. One year later Joss released his twelfth full-length, Hyperacusis, titled after a hearing disorder linked to tinnitus, both of which have long restricted his ability to perform or remain in loud surroundings.
At age 12 Joss first studied organ, then became self-taught on acoustic guitar following receipt of the instrument on his 14th birthday. While still in high school he assembled his initial band in 1981. After leaving school he shifted focus to bass before turning in 1984 toward the acquisition of recording gear and electronic equipment. He formed an electro-funk group that issued albums on major labels during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Going independent, he relocated to London for much of the decade, performing on guitar and bass in multiple ensembles and producing the 1995 album by his band Monk. After completing electronic demos and submitting them to various companies, his 1999 full-length Music from the Man with a Suitcase—conceived as the score for a nonexistent 1960s television series—was issued by the French indie label Pulp Flavor under the name Chris Joss and His Orchestra. The breakbeat-driven Dr. Rhythm, tracked mainly inside a small apartment that restricted drum recording, came out on the Italian lounge and dance label IRMA Records in 2002.
Following an extensive studio renovation, Joss captured You've Been Spiked, a blend of vintage funk and instrumental pop. Cristal Records issued the album in France during April 2004, after which Washington, D.C.-based ESL Music licensed it later that year. An elbow injury postponed work on his subsequent album and halted live appearances, yet he continued studio activity throughout recovery. Several 12-inch EPs emerged over the following years, incorporating remixes by Ursula 1000 and Kraak & Smaak. Joss additionally supplied remixes for tracks by Jody Watley, Joe Bataan, Thunderball, and further artists. The Superman EP, anchored by his version of John Williams' "Superman Theme," appeared in 2007. Teraphonic Overdubs, the first album to include flute and sitar, arrived in 2008. His fifth album, Sticks, surfaced in 2009 and featured guest contributions from Praful and Alexander von Mehren along with the downtempo track "Tune Down," which gained wider recognition after inclusion in an episode of Better Call Saul.
Monomaniacs Vol. 1, a collection of funk instrumentals centered on Hammond and clavinet, was released in early 2010. Joss's seventh album, a vigorous fusion of Afro-beat, jazz-funk, and turntablism issued in 2011 as No Play No Work and later returned to its planned title Nuclear Kamikaze, yielded two tracks remixed for the 2012 7-inch Toxic Smoke. He founded Teraphonic Records and began digital distribution of his catalog with the 2014 album Bimbo Satellite. After compiling earlier remixes on 2015's I've Been Remixed, he delivered the cinematic Escape Unlikely in 2016. Misophonia, named for the condition involving recurring everyday sounds that Joss has experienced since childhood, appeared in 2018. Volume II, a follow-up to the prior Monomaniacs release, emerged in 2019. One year later Joss released his twelfth full-length, Hyperacusis, titled after a hearing disorder linked to tinnitus, both of which have long restricted his ability to perform or remain in loud surroundings.
Albums
