Pietro YYZ
Singer/Songwriter
/
/
ABOUT>
Pietro YYZ has been known as Joker Jones since 1992. Originating in a small studio above a mechanics shop this first carnation of Joker Jones was conceived as stage persona Pietro would adopt during performances on the congas or drum kit with bands. As the ninety's progressed Pietro found himself attracted to the newly re-emerging electronic dance culture in Toronto. Especially the sounds being spun by Legendary DJ ‘Dr. No’, simply called ‘Hardcore’ at the time. The music was like a soundscape for the mind. With the perfect marriage of drum and bass, it was irresistible. While all his friends became DJ's, Pietro had production on his mind: he wanted to write the tracks himself.
To begin this path, Pietro started to play along side some DJ's forming partnerships and throwing events and parties. As time progressed he found himself a resident at the ‘Beat Junkie’ Night Club in Toronto. Concurrently, he played congas with an electronic group called ‘Kinder Atom’. It was during this period he started his collection vintage effects and keyboard synthesizers. Eventually, this addiction spread to acquiring electronic drums and drum machines.
Pietro went back to school in Hamilton, in 1997, to obtain a degree in audio engineering from the Recording Arts Program of Canada. Spending every waking moment exploring analog synths and drum machines was his dream. By this time his collection of vintage equipment was fairly impressive. At this time Pietro was also working nights and weekends in a music shop refinishing drum kits and teaching children how to play the drums.
In 1998 after obtaining his degree he moved to Peterborough, Ontario where he formed a partnership with a DJ to perform "Live Techno" (using drum machines and synths to play Techno live). During this time he honed his skills playing three nights a week. That summer he played at an OM festival in Tweed setting up a side stage and performing multiple times during the weekend with various DJ's.
In the fall of 1998, Pietro started to work with a long time friend on a newly budding Toronto nightlife promotional team. Lifeforce was the collective of three of Toronto's largest production companies, Dose, Syrous, and Renagades boasting attendances of 8-15 thousand people at events as well as countless smaller nightclub events. One club was System Sound Bar, where Pietro had opportunities to play along side some of the greatest house DJ’s in the world! Later he would have a weekly residency at Turbo nightclub.
In 2000 Pietro celebrated the new millennium and a new era of song writing. It was now time to work with computers for music sequencing, as opposed to writing directly with vintage instruments and multi-track recording gear.
In 2002 Pietro was working during the days at Steve's music in Toronto, he was writing on state of the art equipment at work, every second he could, as part of his job. He was refining his craft. It was here that he was offered a chance to fly to San Francisco to write an album. Unfortunately he was unable to obtain the rights to release it in Canada.
For the last decade, Pietro has been experimenting with engineering techniques, sound layering and making a comfortable living working as a welder.