“I saw a beautiful lady walking past me on a beach in Miami – she had a body like Beyonce, and the first thing that came to mind was pretty harp sounds, like when you’re dreaming. Those sounds kept playing over and over, and I thought to myself ‘wow, it’d be crazy to have sex in Africa with her!’ When I got home, the track just came to me….”
That, staggeringly, is JoVonn’s direct and racy explanation for new single Sex In Africa, released next month under new Afro-centric pseudonym Soulfricans on Launch Entertainment, the US label helmed by legendary Strictly Rhythm co-founder Gladys Pizarro. Cleverly fusing harps with deep, swinging percussion and neat key solos, it’s no surprise that the sexy tune has already beguiled heavyweights Louie Vega and Tony Humphries.
“I love creating off the cuff like this” JoVonn continues. “And then going to clubs and watching people dance to what you’ve created… that’s an amazing thing.”
The man’s breakthrough arrived in 1990 with what was actually his second single release, a Warner Bros record entitled Turn And Runaway. The cut rocketed to position 10 in the illustrious Billboard charts and, subsequently, paved the way for a lengthy, highly productive career in club music; a career that currently spans more than 400 individual productions across the genres of house, R&B, hip-hop and nu-soul, and labels including Spen’s Code Red and, of course, Defected.
JoVonn insists that his major focus is house: “It’s like gospel; it’s spiritual.” The house imprints he founded in 1997, Nextmoov and Nextmoov Traxx, are actually gearing up for another wave of activity: “Yeahhhh, I have some plans to sign a bunch of hot new producers and artists next year. But then I’m also planning some tech-y tunes – the tech sound has really taken off; Dennis Ferrer is a good friend and crazy producer and inspiration. On top of that, I’m working on some R&B and soul projects for my newest label BaseRoom Entertainment. I’m gonna explode everywhere….”
And here’s the thing. JoVonn is the Queens DJ and producer renowned for quality dancefloor music, but at a slightly less influential level perhaps than some of his peers – Vega, Gonzalez, Humphries, Morales…. He certainly accepts the point in terms of his DJ profile: “Personally I feel I’m underrated as a DJ; not a lot of people have heard me play. But that’s all going to change. In general, I feel like I have a lot more to give people; that there is a lot of people yet to hear the JoVonn sound. Look out world!”
Which brings us on to Christmas and what the American would like Santa to bring him this year. “Good question” he muses. “Naturally I want new music toys to work with in my lab, ha ha! But, y’know, I’m really behind Sex In Africa and maybe because of the new Soulfricans tag, I feel like it’s a part of a big new push into the wider dance music community. I certainly hope so. It drops just before Christmas; good reactions and sales would be a crazy present.”
JoVonn, whose most recent studio outings include Old Man Groan, Jurassic House and He’s More (featuring Carolyn Harding) sums things up: “My days are built entirely around music. It’s what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years and I’ve never ever lost the drive. The dance music business is changing and that can get you down some days, but I’m always up for the challenge… I love it, I really do!”
If it wasn’t clear from Sex In Africa, make no mistake - JoVonn is a man with feeling. Who’d have it any other way?
Soulfricans’ Sex In Africa is released on Launch Entertainment (US) on December 21, 2009.
JoVonn's artist album 'Blaque House' is out now on Code Red Recordings
