NITE JEWEL (USA)
March 3, 2009
California native Ramona Gonzalez first began her transcendent minimalist dance-pop escapades in the privacy of her own home in Los Angeles after performing with bands in both the Bay Area and the L.A. area.
With the aid of her multitrack cassette recorder and whatever keyboards, drum machines, and other instruments that were available to her, she very quickly developed her own unique sound and began performing live in the L.A. area under the moniker Nite Jewel.
Later, teaming up with multimedia artist Emily Jane, the Nite Jewel project became a two-woman band, touring alongside the likes of Deerhunter and Glass Candy. The Nite Jewel sound has been likened to that of a warped, lo-fi version of Late-80′s Freestyle Electro sensation Debbie Deb and has also found appeal among not just the ‘indie rock’ & ‘experimental’ crowd, but also among avid listeners of hiphop, funk, disco, & soul. While very fond of these aforementioned genres and artists, Nite Jewel gathers much of her inspiration from the likes of Los Angeles Free Music Society’s avant garde experimentalist Tom Recchion, obscure UK hari krishna new age electro-acoustic duo Woo, and the sublime ambient electronic music of groups like Germany’s Cluster and Italy’s Sensations Fix. Nite Jewel never hesitates, however, to cite 90′s R&B pop groups such as TLC & SWV as influences who left an indelible mark on her music sensibilities as a teenager.