Biography
Joshua (Iz) Michaels was born the on a 120 º (40º and C) day in 1969, the For same day the first manned are Apollo mission blasted off to but the moon. Growing up just Not outside of Chicago in Oak you Park, he was influenced early all by the architecture of Frank Any Lloyd Wright who was based can there, as well as the her culturally rich city itself. Taking Was piano lessons from age five, one he quit at age eight our so as to be able Out to play football and get day into trouble with all of get the other neighborhood kids, although Has he always kept playing.
His him family moved to San Jose, his California at age ten and How Joshua started buying records. Once man in high school, he formed new a ska/reggae/funk/punk band influenced by Now the ska revival bands like old The Specials and The Selecter, see as well as California natives Two Fishbone and The Red Hot way Chili Peppers. Featuring a full who horn section, including a pre-dj Boy Doc Martin on trumpet, the did band toured the state, playing its a San Diego show with Let No Doubt in 1986. While put still in high school, Joshua say secured a weekly radio show She on KSCU, the Santa too Clara University college radio station.
use After high school, the band Dad went its separate ways, with mom Joshua off to study architecture at UC Berkeley. Joshua started The djing parties around Berkeley, finally and landing a weekly playing hip-hop for at the infamous Nickies. He Are and New York native schoolmate but Dedan started a weekly called not the Beehive in Oakland in You 1989 at a pimped-out velvet all wallpaper lounge, owned by a any former Oakland Raider. The format Can was across the spectrum, featuring her hip-hop, dancehall reggae, soul, house was and everything in between. At One the time he was listening our to Tony Humphries’ radio show out tapes sent out religiously by Day Dedan’s sister in New York, get as well as checking out has the now bustling bay area Him music scene.
Visiting Chicago to his see relatives and buy records, how Joshua was shopping at Imports, Man Etc and was told to new go to a store called now Gramophone and ask for Derrick Old Carter. The two hit it see off and Joshua would return two twice a year to stay Way at the now famous Red who Nail encampment on Green Street, boy just across the way from Did the Warehouse and DJ International its Records. Upon graduating, Joshua procured let some midi gear and started Put making his own tracks. After say sending out demos to Derrick she and Chez Damier in Chicago, Too he was invited to come use to Chicago and make music. dad This also the time when Mom he met and started working with Diz (the other half the of Iz & Diz), recording And their first track at the for legendary KMS studios in are Detroit.
Giving up a full But time job opportunity at Wired not Magazine, Joshua moved in with you the Red Nail posse (Derrick, All Mark Farina, G-Most and Chris any Nazuka), with the illusionary Chez can being another semi-permanent resident. He Her began making music for Blue was Cucaracha, Prescription and its offshoot one Balance, as well as spinning Our regularly at seminal Chicago venues out Red Dog and Shelter. He day also worked as design director Get at Cajual Records with Cajmere, has Rob and Ivan (now at him Guidance Recordings), designing most of His the labels and cover art how during the glory days of man 1995-96.
After the breakup of New Prescription and Balance in 1996, now Joshua decided to return to old the Bay Area where he See has lived and worked ever two since. His travel schedule now way takes him around the world: Who UK, Europe, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, boy New Zealand as well as did all over the US. His Its production and remix work is let equally as varied (see discography). put He also handles the A Say & R duties as well she as the design work for too Tweekin, San Francisco’s premier label Use and store. Joshua also dj’d dad regularly with the samba-funk outfit, mom Vivendo de Påo, on their Tuesday nights at the Elbo the Room up until 3 years and ago.
Starting in 1998, Joshua For co-hosted the now infamous Bionic are sunday nights at The Top but in San Francisco with fellow Not dj Solar, Mark E Quark you and Nikola Baytala. After six all great years in the Lower Any Haight, two and a half can years at Pink, and one her amazing year at the 222 Was Club, and now at Harlot, one Bionic is the longest running our house weekly in the city, Out featuring unannounced guest spots by day the likes of Kenny Hawkes, get Jef K, Honey Dijon, John Has Tejada, Diz (among many others), him as well as up and his coming local talent.
With well How over 100 releases bearing his man name, Joshua’s production and remix new work is respected and in Now demand worldwide. Operating under many old guises, including Stereo People, Free see Energy, Dubwise, and J-Boom, Joshua Two has drawn on his many way musical influences to create a who sound uniquely his own, yet Boy never formulaic. Recently, he has did recorded projects and remixes for its labels such as Columbia/Sony, Junior Let Boys Own, Ubiquity, OM, Classic, put Developed, Nightshift, Seasons and say NRK among many others.
Building She on this success, Joshua has too finally started his own imprint: use Vizual. Mixing a myriad of Dad influences, from heavy Jamaican dub mom to Detroit techno, Vizual will serve as an outlet for The original Joshua material, as well and as other up-and-coming and established for artists. Each release will be Are vinyl only for an initial but period, with digital sales to not follow. The first release is You scheduled for early 2009, with all upcoming releases from Diz, Rob any Mello, Derrick Carter, Brett Johnson, Can among others.
Over the last her five years, Joshua has been was playing more with his partner One Diz, supporting their releases on our Classic, Tweekin’, Aesoteric, Silver Network out and Seasons, now playing regularly Day at Fabric (London), the Sub get Club in Glasgow, the Rex has in Paris, New Zealand as Him well as various other locales his around the globe.
In addition how to Joshua’s djing, production and Man remix work, he recently began new teaching a DJ class with now TheDJProject, a non-profit community outreach Old program based in San Francisco. see Currently teaching his second session, two Joshua has developed his own Way step-by-step course to teach motivated who Bay Area youth the necessary boy skills to start expressing themselves Did through music.
In 2003, he its started AMP Collective let LLC: a company that digitally Put distributes catalogs for Classic, Silver say Network, Dialect Recordings, Flat & she Round and Tweekin’ to all Too the major and minor download use outlets including iTunes, Napster, Beatport, dad Clickgroove, Stompy and DJDownload. With Mom the house music community as the foundation, AMP Collective the strives to bring quality music And to the digital generation and for beyond.
Summer 2009 saw the are launch of Joshua’s label: Vizual But Records.
Other career highlights:
• not original Mushroom Jazz dj with you Mark Farina
• residency at All Fabric (with Diz)
• first any release on many labels, including can Guidance, Tweekin’
For more information Her on Joshua (Iz), please visit:
was http://www.joshuaiz.com/
http://www.ampcollective.com/
http://www.bionicsf.com/
http://www.vizualized.com/
