Silversonic

Silversonic Cover Art
By David Grey

John Tejada & Ulrich Krieger Team Up on New EP Release

Silversonic

With Remixes by Josh Wink

Out on Palette Recordings

July 16, 2021

Palette Recordings, now in its 25th year, presents a new collaboration between electronic music artist/DJ/producer John Tejada and composer/saxophonist Ulrich Krieger. The duo’s first release, Silversonic, is a four-track EP with three dancefloor-friendly tracks—including two remixes by Josh Wink—and one beatless track, all showcasing Krieger’s woodwind prowess. The original version, a techno track that charts a journey from epic, melodic swells to pummeling hi-hats, is a blend of Tejada’s master electronic production and Krieger’s unique performance on his tenor and baritone saxophones, and contrabass clarinet. It features Krieger’s signature blend of microphonics, a specialized playing style involving microphones and feedback that he is known for. Check out an excerpt here. Find the pre-save links here.

Year Of The Living Dead

John Tejada

With his new album, Year Of The Living Dead, due out on February 26, 2021 on Kompakt, Vienna-born and LA-based producer John Tejada finds a blissful extended moment of balance between the new and the familiar. Anyone who’s followed his career to date, which has included four previous albums for Kompakt, outings for storied labels like Plug Research, Playhouse and Cocoon, and numerous remixes and collaborations–most recently, his Wajatta duo with comedian and musician Reggie Watts–will immediately sense the warmth and eloquence that Tejada brings to his gilded, pliant techno and electro hybrids. But there’s more here, too; an explorer’s glimmer in the producer’s eye, as he gets to grips with new ways of working and being, while offering a reflective opening for the listener, something echoed in artwork by graphic designer and ‘contemplative artist’ David Grey. For more information, please visit kompakt.fm/releases/year_of_the_living_dead

“The album was started using tools I was unfamiliar with, which became an interesting exploratory process,” Tejada explains. “Staying away from the obvious and having to re-learn simple things was a fun challenge.” You can hear these new creative pulsions pushing the eight tracks on Year Of The Living Dead ever-forward; the album has a unique cast, and though there are trace elements of the genres Tejada has indulged previously, he’s never quite put them together this way before. There’s the dubwise glitter sprinkled across the moody opener “The Haunting Of Earth,” the kind caresses found amongst the deftly woven textures of “Sheltered,” and the churchy melancholy, all hymnal and golden, of “Echoes Of Life.” Year Of The Living Dead also speaks obliquely to its moment, though Tejada works this implicitly, allowing the strange circumstances of 2020 to cast their inevitable shadow without being obvious or didactic. “The production process began right before lockdown and continued through what felt like a very serious time for all of us,” he recalls. “Not being able to see or touch our loved ones made me feel we are all like ghosts. We can observe from a distance but cannot really be there. We are isolated and alone.” And yet, Year Of The Living Dead’s tenderness offers an out for that anxiety and loneliness, its intimate immensities gifting the album a redemptive and compassionate core. Compact and glistening, Year Of The Living Dead sculpts unassuming beauty.

Moving 909s

John Tejada
Photo:
Holly Parker

Palette 71, Moving 909s, kicks off with legendary Warp artist Plaid on remix duties. Transforming the title track, re-synthesized 909 samples and Lua scripted sequencing, Plaid builds melodies and arrangement to epic proportions in classic Plaid fashion.

John Tejada’s new EP is an homage of sorts to the sample heavy production style of the late '90s. "Limiting the options and just creating and manipulating a batch of samples is my happy place,” says Tejada. 

The title track hints back to a personal favorite, Optical’s 1997 gem, "Moving 808s." While the sound is quite different, the approach is similar: samples, editing, some filters and not a whole lot more opens up a lot of creative possibilities without too much getting in the way. Of course, the bass plays an important role. Combing through some older influences of varying styles, the production became more in line with Tejada classics like “Timebomb” and “Western Starland,” both sample collage pieces focused on groove.

The final track, "Infinity Room" also follows this production process while resulting in a slightly moodier sound

John on IG - https://www.instagram.com/johntejadaofficial/ 

Bandcamp - https://johntejada.bandcamp.com/ 

The End Of It All: John Tejada

It's The End of it All with John Tejada, Not!
Photo: Juan Mendez

The End of it All? Hardly it is only the beginning....

The End of It All, released in 2006 on Palette Recordings, is one of the most iconic John Tejada songs ever produced. It is instantly recognizable and has been played by top DJs of different genres the world over. Selling thousands of copies on vinyl, it hit #2 on the Beatport Overall Chart as well as garnering a lengthy stay on its Classics Chart. It’s been imitated, covered (unauthorized), and until now, only one official version was ever released. There have been multiple unreleased versions over the past 9 years, including a version Tejada performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with a 100-piece male chorus ( GMCLA) in the summer of 2010. 

The new 2015 mix originated as part of Tejada’s 2015 live hardware set that he has been touring around the globe. “Reactivation” and “Sheven” are two additional new works featured on the B side, which also originated from his 2015 live performances. They showcase Tejada’s strong sense for the dance floor. “Reactivation” is the result of a Casio CZ-101 and Roland TR-909 locking into a strong bassline-driven groove. “Sheven,” named for its use of a Roland SH-7, features a sickly sounding riff with punchy 909 drums.

This new release of The End of It All will continue to ensure the track's legacy as one of John Tejada's most valued classics. 

The new mix is out, now!

Hook-up with John at:

•  paletterecordings.com

•  johntejada.bandcamp.com (lots of exclusive material both new & old)

•  facebook.com/johntejadaofficial

• @johntejada

•  instagram.com/johntejadaofficial

T.G.I.F! "One Step"

One Step

And now for something completely lovely and unique, have a terrific weekend!

ONE STEP is a collaboration between the French director Clément Oberto and L.A.-based electronic composer John Tejada.

Shot in hyper slow-motion with a phantom camera in the Mojave desert, ONE STEP speaks about love, time and life trajectory. 

"After 10 years working with composers, I realized the best way to create a strong match between music and video was to start the collaboration at the earliest stage possible and leave all the doors open," says Oberto.

With ONE STEP, Tejada and Oberto deliver an audio-visual poetry located at the exact intersection between short film and music video.

John Tejada is in the midst of promotion for his upcoming album, Signs Under Test, out via Kompakt on Feb. 3, 2015. Look for the Feb. issue of German Mixmag for the 8-page cover feature (!). Or hear tunes around the globe from the BBC to KCRW.

Clément Oberto has directed and produced a myriad of work, with a peerless vision focused on the creation of distinctive universes for everything from haute couture and art, to commercials and music videos. 

Check out Oberto and Tejada's Collaboration below, you'll be glad you did!

John Tejada Online: 
https://www.facebook.com/johntejadaofficial

Clement Oberto Online:
www.clementoberto.com