Joi - A Return To The Pendulum Vibe

*See larger image here*

Back in 1994, Joi, a little known singer from Atlanta (Originally Nashville, TN) was set to take the world by storm. A then protégé of Dallas Austin, Joi was to become his next big star, following in the paths of fellow ATL acts Monica and TLC. But unlike her musical sisters Joi was the wild card in Austin’s musical deck, the strange one who favored experimentation and edge. “I had a vision of a very creative girl, someone who would be a leader, who could write and improvise. Joi was the one I was looking for. Creatively Joi is like my soul mate,” explained Austin back in 1995.

To put it in contemporary perspective Joi was to music what Erykah Badu was in 1997, what Kelis was in 1999, what Res was in 2001, and what Janelle Monae and Solange are now; A black woman who’s idea of music defies stereotypical norms and embraces different styles, genres and ideas. Joi and Austin set out to create something innovative, limitless, and ultimately creative. In a mere three weeks they were able to create her underground classic debut, The Pendulum Vibe.

Helmed by Joi, Dallas Austin, Diamond D., Rondal Rucker and Chris Wolfe, The Pendulum Vibe was a near masterpiece of heavy soul, funk, rock and, oddly, classic latin music that spoke of love & heartbreak, self-discovery, liberation and sexual freedom. As Joi herself put it, "The album is serious."

Right from the jump Joi tackles heavy issues such as racism and empowerment on the opening tracks “Stand” and “Freedom.” On the latter (which was remade [twice] as the theme for the Panther Soundtrack) Joi sings emphatically about rising against racial oppression, “You try to tell me that my life ain't worth a damn / But I know much better / And so I'm gonna take my freedom.”

Shifting gears from social issues Joi reflects upon her own worry and self-doubt on the albums lead single, “Sunshine and The Rain.” Over heavy bass, steely guitar riffs and haunting synth wails, Joi sings the blues of her pressure to be successful, “Feels like the come up is way too tight / Chokin’ and squeezing my life, every time / I’m feeling that pressure.” Joi’s dark rock take on life’s strain is enchanting, so much so that after hearing this song Lenny Kravitz asked her to go on tour with him.

Besides fighting self-doubt Joi also sings of her struggles to find self-love and understanding of herself. Over the upbeat jingle bells, synth flutters and snare hits of “Found My Niche” she professes her love for the woman and artist she’s become. “Find Me,” provides an even more interesting beat full of bongo hits, flute runs, guitar licks, and playground noises, as Joi repeatedly declares that “I must find me.” Spoken like a true sage to be.

While on a search to find herself Joi’s also looking for a healthy love to call her own and laments about its absence on cuts like “Fatal Love Sick Journey” and “I Don’t Mind.” On the strangely upbeat “Memories” she revisits the frequent bittersweet memories of a former lover, singing, “I wish I knew / why you are doing this to me / always taking me back to where I wish I could be.” Sonically it’s as sunny as a Sunday afternoon but Joi’s lyrics are as melancholy as the lonely nightfall that follows.

Where Joi embraces her true heartache is on the record, “If We Weren’t Who We Were.” Choosing to forgo any help from her band, Joi, instead, sings a cappella and lays it all on the line as she vents about the pain of a failed relationship; “If we weren’t who we were / there would not be two hearts broken from lies / tortured by fear and pride / honesty has nothing to hide / if we weren’t who we were.” It’s Joi at her most vulnerable place and possibly her most beautiful.

From beautiful to genre-bending, Joi pushes the sound of black music into uncharted territory as she delivers an a cappella rendition of the ancient latin motet, “Adoramus Te, Christe,” by Gasparini. It’s both pleasing and haunting listening to her sing such a peaceful piece of classical music.

Perhaps the most daring track on the album is “Narcissa Cutie Pie” a mesmerizing ode to love for the same gender. Over sampled drum and snare hits, romantic keyboards and erotic saxophone lilts Joi reveals her desire to make love to another woman, singing, “I, I want her and I don’t know why / I guess I’m another victim of narcissa cutie pie.” As the song reaches its bridge the instrumentation and sexual tension swells and Joi wails, “They all love what it feels like inside of my thang / both sides pull me deep in both directions / they can’t get enough of me.” This is what a bisexual anthem and an eargasm should sound like.

Like the stories it presented The Pendulum Vibe was that mix of bittersweet joy that is life. It was the sway between pain and pleasure, happiness and sorrow, Sunshine and the Rain. Above all it was good music and heralded as the new sound of R&B.

Despite such glowing critical acclaim and Joi’s “it” girl status the album sold less than 100,000 copies in the U.S. Although mainstream listeners didn’t get it other artists, particularly one “Material Girl,” did. After hearing The Pendulum Vibe Madonna was so inspired by Joi’s sound that she completely altered the direction of her Bedtime Stories album and hired Dallas Austin and Babyface to give her album a similar R&B feel. She also helped convince legendary designer, Calvin Klein, and photographer, Steven Meisel, to hire Joi and she became the first black model to appear in a major CK print campaign.

After 15 years the album is now out of print but if you can find it online (Amazon) I HIGHLY recommend you get it. It’s worth every discounted or inflated penny. If you want to get a taste of the album's sound check out the link and the videos below.

Joilicious (Just scroll through and find the songs on the media player on the left or find the album in the media section.)