Joyce Muniz

The metaphor of life as a journey is deeply embedded in most cultures. But it’s particularly apt for Joyce Muniz.

Born in Brazil, she moved to Vienna in her teens and now splits her time between there, where she has her studio and a show on national radio station FM4, and Berlin. She started her career as a DJ and MC at Vienna’s Flex club, then found fame as a vocalist before dedicating herself to production, supported by labels such as Exploited, Get Physical, Permanent Vacation, International DJ Gigolo and Pets. Most recently she took her music on the road, performing live with different orchestras across Germany as part of the Synth Live project, the first woman to join them. All this is alongside continual DJing, recently touring Australia to tick off playing every continent – bar the less-than-club-friendly Antarctica.

Her second album ‘Zeitkapsel’, German for time capsule, retraced many of the steps she’s taken, while also launching her Joyce Muniz Music imprint. ‘Never Brushing The Sound’, featuring British MC Le3 bLACK. echoed the trip-hop and downtempo that surrounded her in late ‘90s Vienna. The d&b of ‘Bangalore Girl’, supported by DJ Marky, recalled the music she first MCed over. And ‘Imagine’, fronted by iconic vocalist Roland Clark, reflected the deep love of house that inspired her to make music. The biggest hit, however, was ‘Arrivederci Bella’. A jacking love letter to electro house, but also a break-up track, it featured Muniz rapping in Portuguese, the first time she’d used her own voice since her baile-funk-inspired outings in the mid 2000s.

The album’s cover, part surrealist painting, part visionary experience, reflects an accompanying spiritual path. Diagnosed with cancer in her early 30s, Joyce returned to Brazil and her experiences with plant medicines reconnected her to her grandfather’s shamanism. This rebirth reconfigured her attitude to creativity and life. When Covid hit she explored the breadth of her music making – resulting in ‘Zeitkapsel’ – and sharpened the technical skills that make her a go-to workshop host for Native Instruments. She also completed a Bachelor’s Degree in radio presenting. These avenues mean Joyce can roam where she chooses. Remixing Chicks On Speed and collaborating with the UK’s Detachments, she’s re-exploring the electro roots that brought her to the attention of DJ Hell many years ago, now a mentor. But with the on-going support of Âme, Dixon, Claptone and Green Velvet and more, as well as thousands of Shazams each week, she continues to explore sounds, collaborating with artists across the world.

Alongside weekly gigs in Europe and frequent visits to America, Joyce often returns to play Brazil. This was rewarded with the cover feature of her proud nation’s Mixmag. Winning new fans each visit to her birth country of over 200 million, there’s no doubt she has plenty more road to travel.