Today, january 27, zurich-based composer, lyricist and dancer “joyo ann” releases their
debut EP “Ctrl me”.

The five pieces move from claustrophobic, compressed high pitched vocals (“B*O*Y*S”), into submissive money-poem track “Payday”, followed by the aggressive c@pitalist-realist vibe snapshot “Im Warenlift”, over meta-ironic dnb and trap mashup “Phantom”, to the finishing, project-defining, autotune ambient-noise anthem “2day I’ll hurt the man inside”.

This project is the current state of joyo ann’s process between studies with sound synthesis and the searching for gender euphoric lyrical sentences.
“Ctrl me” grew on a (for joyo) new lyrical approach, where language is understood as mainly a transmitter of vibes; where words gain more importance in how you say them and how they sound, rather than what they mean intellectually.
- “lass die matratze nicht verrotten oder einbetoniert im massenschlag,
brudi ich würd lieber mit euch küssen als aufrüsten” -
Playing with referential language and shifting it the way you want to say it. The result in this case is mainly “cute”, “undefined” and “scared”. The result represents mainly the ambivalent, overwhelming and non-linear nature of a human brain.
It is to say that this current approach was extremely influenced by german lyricist and rapper “Neromun”.


Growing up as a kid of generation Z, destruction, confusion and despair around ourselves, becomes inherent from the very first day. The complexities of contemporary times are to be dealt with various strategies. Moving from coping mechanism to coping mechanism.
This project is the print of joyo ann’s current way to cope. It is the acceptance of never being defined in identity, always on the move to adapt to yet a new thought, idea or understanding.
It is /leaving an ideological explanatory access to writing, composing behind and an honest attempt to find artistic communication that is both intuitive and referential as well as conscious of personal fears, desires, positions and privileges.

Sonically, this EP consists mainly of sounds generated with digital synthesis, as well as some modular synthesis and electro-acoustic piano-processing. It is also joyo ann’s first try on working with rhythmically focused tracks. Largely inspired by current deconstructed, experimental hip hop and glitch artists such as “aya”, “blackhaine” & “rainy miller” (who also mixed this record), “jpegmafia” and many more.
For joyo ann, the ability of taking up very different styles and influences in this project, from past such as present experiences, was very important.
On one side coming from a love for sound design and experimental music; drone, noise and glitch music build one cornerstone for this project and the root of joyo ann’s composing in general.
From a different perspective, growing up in Europe's breaking culture, these experiences influenced them and their perception of culture and expression in huge depth. “Ctrl me” is also a recognition and appreciation of the influence hip hop, breaking culture and other black cultures had on their life, while trying to find critical ways of expression that reflect their own personal reality.