Joe Rizla was born in September of 1973 and raised in Scarborough, Ontario Canada, has been blessing the turntables for the past nineteen years with his sweet and soulful deep sounds of underground DANCE music and 80's soul. Joe gives credit to those who have inspired him the most beginning with God and family, then to some of his closest friends; Trinidadian Deep, Marcelo Cruz, and Underground Vibe. He also gives credit to those who have laid down the path of inspiration like Nick Holder, Dave Campbell, Ron Trent, Larry Heard, Anthony Nicholson, Glenn Underground, Boo Williams, Peter, Tyrone and Shams..
Joe has continued to keep his style consistency yet exciting by playing both current and past releases. He was put onto soulful music at a young age, listening to everything from Steve Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Sky, Loose Ends, to Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Wonder, Gill Scott Heron, Herbie Hancock and Rolling Stones to Reggae artist like Sanchez, Bob Marley, and King Tubby. At the age of eleven when his uncle gave him his first collection of records, he enjoyed playing around with these thing we call records. Over time, the feeling of wax under his fingers made him start collecting all forms of music on records from disco to soul to rock n roll to reggae music.. At the age of 13 Joe Rizla attended his first after hour-party. Here he was exposed to house music for the first time. Instantly Joe Rizla fell in love with this new sound, and the new form of music called house music. He also fell in love with the feeling the music gave. From then he went out to look for all those same records that where being played by the local Dj's who inspired him.
Joe Rizla has played at many establishment / clubs and after-hour parties over the years in Toronto such as 26 Oxford, 23 Hop, The Oz, Lime Light, Foundation, Roxy Blu, Alto Bosso, Chocolate Lounge, Savannah Lounge, 488 Yonge Street, Surface, 99 Queen Street East, Modesto, 215 Victoria, Fez Batik, B Side, Element Bar, Power Bar, The Pavilion, Lincoln, Hush, Carboneight, Lil Red, Mad Bar, Bauhaus, Roxy Blue, Foundation, Government, and the Warehouse. The one major sessions that Joe Rizla is known for is the Re-Birth after-hour parties at 15 Polson Street also known as G2 Net. At the tail end of 1998 the Re Birth after-hour parties began each and every Saturday nights, where the doors opened at one am and closed when the last person finished dancing. The Rebirth parties began because there was a lack of venues / clubs in the city playing good soulful underground house music. Most of these people came out to listen and dance to quality music and to have a good time. By the middle of 2001 the Re Birth sessions ended on a high where 1000 party people were screaming for more.
After the Re Birth parties ended, Joe Rizla hooked up with Junior Palmer and help began the Phat Black Pussykat After-hour sessions at 488 Yonge Street. These sessions lasted for about four months until a new home was found. That new home was Foundation (12 Brant Street aka Roxy Blu). The sessions at Foundation lasted for a year and a half or so. The whole purpose for Joe Rizla & Trini with Phat Black Pussykat parties was to introduce more people to the deep soulful sound of house music.
Joe Rizla has been welcomed and played some of Toronto special events and parties such as Garage 416, Solid Garage, Solid Garage Classic, RNB Parties, Solutions Parties, Ritual, and Solid Garage Deep Parties.
Currently, Joe Rizla is the host, DJ and music programmer for Canada longest and oldest house music radio show to date on CKLN 88.1 FM Toronto. The F.E.A.R. Edit Radio show (free electronic audio revolution) began as the Oblivion Express in 1986. Then in 1989- to present its called the F.E.A.R. Edit.
With many years under his belt as a DJ/ Music Programmer, Joe Rizla has been working in his recording studio on some of his own musical productions on his own label. BLACK KEYS MUSIC AND RECORDS and SEED OF RHYTHM RECORDINGS
