John Tejada
Tom Magic Feet speaks to US-based producer John Tejada about his third album, The Matrix Of Us.
"All my life all I thought about was music. There's no way I can do anything else." Well, when your parents are an opera singer and a conductor and you've grown up learning to play several different musical instruments, what else are you going to do? Work on the bins?
Yet around the age of 16, John Tejada became bored of traditional instruments and began to investigate the world of electronic music. Classical music's loss was techno's gain as Tejada (pronounced 'Tey-aa-daa') has since established himself as a producer of no little merit via a string of releases for labels like Seventh City, Multiplex, Plug Research, Ferox and R&S, many produced in collaboration with his regular musical cohort and best friend, Arian Leviste. What do these labels have in common? They don't release throwaway rubbish, that's what.
Yet it was Essex's A13 label that first picked up on Tejada and released his debut album as Lucid Dream, Pure Punk, in 1997. Although not a classic by any stretch, as a first long-player it wasn't at all bad. Two years later he followed up with Little Green Lights & Four Inch Faders under his own name and the improvement was there for all to hear. Now he's thrown in his lot with London's deFocus label to release his third and best album to date, The Matrix Of Us, as delicate, melodic and frankly sexy record as you'll find.
"This album was a very specific creation for deFocus. I've wanted to make an album like this for years; a non-dance album but staying very true – maybe more true than ever – to myself. There are a lot of personal themes on the record that felt good to express in this summer I've had. The title is up to interpretation as many of my own favourites are. At times it is about two specific people, and at times it could be about our whole human race and everything in-between. I never reveal the true meaning of any of my titles."
That said, a few of John's titles are decipherable – 1998's City Of Drumrolls, City Of Headaches EP for his own Palette imprint was a reaction to the popularity of formula dance music in his home city of Los Angeles and the thinking behind his 1997 The J Is Silent EP for Denmark's Multiplex label is self-explanatory. Yet on the whole, his track titles remain eloquent mysteries sourced from the inner workings of his mind.
"Titles are very hard for me," he admits, "but now I force myself to name them and give them that extra element that tells the story for me. Since my music has no vocals, this is the only vocal expression I have and I am happy with the titles for this record [The Matrix Of Us]. They kind of work as a poem reading from start to finish."
No vocals? That's not strictly true. The first dance music to catch John's ear was hip hop – an influence that's there for all to hear on the new album – and he's worked with MC Divine Styler several times, the most recent example of which is the track Genetical Love on the new LP. The same track also features guest vocals by his mother, Carmen.
So does she nag him to tidy his room and put the trash out after recording sessions? "Ha ha, yeah. It's great working with her, actually, so easy and natural. I call her over and say, 'Can you sing on this real quick?' I wish everyone was so great and easy to work with."
Yet around the age of 16, John Tejada became bored of traditional instruments and began to investigate the world of electronic music. Classical music's loss was techno's gain as Tejada (pronounced 'Tey-aa-daa') has since established himself as a producer of no little merit via a string of releases for labels like Seventh City, Multiplex, Plug Research, Ferox and R&S, many produced in collaboration with his regular musical cohort and best friend, Arian Leviste. What do these labels have in common? They don't release throwaway rubbish, that's what.
Yet it was Essex's A13 label that first picked up on Tejada and released his debut album as Lucid Dream, Pure Punk, in 1997. Although not a classic by any stretch, as a first long-player it wasn't at all bad. Two years later he followed up with Little Green Lights & Four Inch Faders under his own name and the improvement was there for all to hear. Now he's thrown in his lot with London's deFocus label to release his third and best album to date, The Matrix Of Us, as delicate, melodic and frankly sexy record as you'll find.
"This album was a very specific creation for deFocus. I've wanted to make an album like this for years; a non-dance album but staying very true – maybe more true than ever – to myself. There are a lot of personal themes on the record that felt good to express in this summer I've had. The title is up to interpretation as many of my own favourites are. At times it is about two specific people, and at times it could be about our whole human race and everything in-between. I never reveal the true meaning of any of my titles."
That said, a few of John's titles are decipherable – 1998's City Of Drumrolls, City Of Headaches EP for his own Palette imprint was a reaction to the popularity of formula dance music in his home city of Los Angeles and the thinking behind his 1997 The J Is Silent EP for Denmark's Multiplex label is self-explanatory. Yet on the whole, his track titles remain eloquent mysteries sourced from the inner workings of his mind.
"Titles are very hard for me," he admits, "but now I force myself to name them and give them that extra element that tells the story for me. Since my music has no vocals, this is the only vocal expression I have and I am happy with the titles for this record [The Matrix Of Us]. They kind of work as a poem reading from start to finish."
No vocals? That's not strictly true. The first dance music to catch John's ear was hip hop – an influence that's there for all to hear on the new album – and he's worked with MC Divine Styler several times, the most recent example of which is the track Genetical Love on the new LP. The same track also features guest vocals by his mother, Carmen.
So does she nag him to tidy his room and put the trash out after recording sessions? "Ha ha, yeah. It's great working with her, actually, so easy and natural. I call her over and say, 'Can you sing on this real quick?' I wish everyone was so great and easy to work with."
