John Tejada - fabric 44

Rhythm has always been the string that holds together the vibrant, flowing fabric of John Tejada's career - even from the age of 8, when he lost himself in a love affair with the drums, or from the age of 12, when he first started DJing. Far too young to DJ at clubs, John spent his youth DJing hip hop ("The stuff that struck me most was always sort of Arthur Baker sound - Planet Rock, Planet Pattrol, Egyptian Lover and the Kraftwerk influence") at school dances and throughout the backyard party scene in sunny Los Angeles. It's rather difficult to imagine John Tejada, nothing short of a techno legend - a linchpin in the scene's development as a seminal producer, DJ, remixer and label owner - being a hip hop DJ. John certainly has had no trouble finding a core audience despite his experimental tendencies. Even as a teenager, unable to get into the groove of high school because he was obsessed by the grooves of his records, he got hooked up with a college radio show in LA called Fly ID, which instantly (and unknowingly) became a cult sensation. Upon meeting a kindred spirit named Arian Leviste, John ditched a scholarship for a prestigious art school and instead threw himself straight into the studio world, working at a sound library/post-production music company. The two of them put their hand to collaborative productions in '91 and the chemistry was absolute: together, the expansive pair has produced over a dozen singles and three immaculate albums.

"When I finally listened to the mix, I put a lot of attention to detail of the way the tracks came together in and out. I did edit the tracks quite a bit, but it's really subtle and it just helps with the flowing journey, to take it one step above of what you might hear when a DJ plays out. I wanted the whole track selection to turn into one piece of music: a techno-classical piece that has movements and moods from start to finish, like conducting an electronic symphony." John Tejada

On fabric 44, John Tejada swoops in and swells with a deep, pulsating mix that swallows the listener whole. Breeding energetic beats amongst beautifully woven layers and intricate patterns, the mix hypnotises and stuns with complex sonic artistry. A dense masterclass in melodic techno, fabric 44 features the driving feel of the Palette All Stars (Tejada with Arian Leviste and Justin Maxwell), the distinct rhythmic stomp of Orbital, slick harmonics from Beatstreet's Pigeon, and Tejada's own synth-heavy bleeps, all wrapped in a warm electronic embrace.

Tracklist
01. Dave Hughes - Let's Do It
02. Pigon – Kamm
03. Namlook - Subharmonic Atoms
04. Donnacha Costello - Colorseries Olive B
05. WAX - WAX10001
06. Nekes – Cristal
07. Alex Cortez - Phlogiston EP
08. Palette All-Stars - Downtown Hotel
09. Palette All-Stars - After School Special
10. EQD - Equalized001
11. John Tejada & Justin Maxwell - Benus Boats
12. John Tejada & Arian Leviste - M Track 1
13. Orbital - Fahrenheit 303
14. John Tejada – Torque
15. M-Core - Be Gene
16. John Tejada & Arian Leviste - Forbidden Planet
17. Substance - Relish (Shed Remix)
18. Spooky – Candy
19. John Tejada - The Open
20. LJ Kruzer - Huba (Plaid's 15 Years Lost Remix)