Biography: New York DJ Joe Toolz spins aggressive minimal techno of the raucous, hard, soulful variety. A native of New Jersey, Joe became fascinated with the world of beats and rhythm early in his teenage years and began spinning vinyl in 1996 after being inspired by NY techno artists AdamX and Dj Gonzo. He has rocked clubs, warehouses, festivals, radio stations (WKDU in Philadelphia), and outlaw parties throughout New York and the east coast ever since.

In 1998 Toolz began his studio experience at Third Story Recording in Philadelphia where he worked with Josh Wink, King Britt and Ursula Rucker amongst others. He has went on to serve as sound engineer at Chung King Studios in New York on recordings by most notably Eminem, Everlast, Loose, Jimmy Cozia, Stretch Armstrong, Clark Kent, and Cannabis. He recorded the vocals to the music video of Mos Def’s seminal “Umi Says”. Presently Toolz records out of a home studio set up in the urban culture in the raw that is Brooklyn where he produces, mixes, edits, and sequences an eclectic mix of his own tracks as well as those of individuals eager to utilize his studio expertise. These experiments in techno and electro soundscapes make use of groove techniques Toolz perfected in his work on tracks for Wink and King Britt at Ovum Records.

Having spun music up and down the east coast with the likes of Robert Armani, Frankie Bones, Joey Beltram, and Dieselboy, Toolz has moved on to spread his wings across the U.S., North America and Europe with a unique, treacherous take on groovin' house, spirit altering tech-house, and blistering techno. Proficient spinning on three decks setups as well as the traditional two Toolz has evolved into a pyrotechnic magician who experiments with the use of a Powerbook G4 laptop during his sets to incorporate live programming. This use of manipulated sounds and beats provide raw, fresh media for Toolz and his sonic experiments, betraying the influence of NYC’s rich and creative beat culture. Toolz takes these sounds inherent everywhere around him and crystallizes them, later cut and pasted using the audio software programs Protools, Reason, Bias Peak, and Recycle. Impeccable mixing on multiple decks produces nuanced, driving beats that search through the ether of techno’s boundaries and yet always settle into the realm of satisfying, aggressive techno. Toolz is the real deal.