Joseph Branciforte (b. 1985) is a musician, composer, designer, Grammy award-winning recording engineer and producer, and founder of the Greyfade record label.

Described by Pitchfork as a “mastermind behind the scenes,” Branciforte has shaped the sound of countless recordings since 2010, blending artistic vision with technical expertise to become one of the most sought-after figures working in creative and experimental music today.

Since 2019, Branciforte has emerged as an influential artist in his own right, working fluidly across acoustic and electronic mediums. His music is marked by a dynamic interplay between meticulous structure and expressive immediacy, using process-driven techniques and technology to blur the line between composed and emergent sound.

His notable projects include LP1 and LP2, two duo recordings with vocalist Theo Bleckmann featuring Branciforte on Fender Rhodes and electronics. LP1 received widespread praise for its seamless merger of voice and machine, The New Yorker calling it a “beguiling” debut and All Music Guide recognizing it as one of 2019’s best albums. LP2 pushed their sonic language further, combining improvisation and post-production into a richly textured work, described by PopMatters as “a stunning experimental soundscape” and The Irish Times as “ear-opening and mind-altering.”

In 2023, at the invitation of Taylor Deupree, Branciforte set out to reimagine one of Deupree’s early microsound works for an all-acoustic ensemble. The result, 2024’s Sti.ll, highlighted his talents as an arranger, earning recognition for its balance of fidelity and transformation. Pitchfork hailed the album as “a contemporary classical composition of arresting beauty,” with Branciforte’s vibraphone, tactile production, and intricate arrangements bringing new depth to the minimalist work.

Branciforte founded the Greyfade record label in 2019 as a platform for artists exploring process-based composition, alternative tuning systems, and digitally mediated forms of improvisation. Combining curatorial vision, a refined design ethos, and exacting recording and production, the label has become a prominent outpost in the world of experimental music. As curator and designer, Branciforte brings careful attention to sound, concept, and form, crafting a cohesive identity that bridges music and visual art. In 2024, Greyfade launched the FOLIO format: a hardcover book that serves as an album release, critical text, study score, and collectible art object.

He maintains a busy production schedule mixing and mastering records at Greyfade Studio, located just north of New York City.

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Myriad artists are characterized as polymaths, but few may actually live up to the billing. Joseph Branciforte is one who’s earned that distinction.
The New York City Jazz Record

An electronic composer and audio engineer of impeccable taste and discerning ears.
Chamber Music Magazine

[Branciforte] manages to make the alien sound familiar while discovering new contours, crevices, and some positively room-rattling low end.
The Wire

Every sound is thoughtful and intentional, rewarding the patient listener.
SPIN