Sat, 12 Feb 2011 / Post a comment
Hello John, usually you prepare meticulously the evening party or use live carefree?
I still use mostly vinyl and some cd, so I have to prepare what I will bring in my bag. I feel this gives me greater focus rather than having 1000s of wav files on a laptop. Once I have a general idea of what I will bring on my trip I sometimes group certain records together by sound and energy. I never put records in order since that doesn’t really do much good. I have to get an impression from the previous dj and the crowd and find inspiration that way.
Do you need information about the place you will play , the type of audience and what pulls in that particular club?
Not so much. It’s nice to have some idea of what to expect, but even with the info, you really can’t be sure how the night will go.
Do you ever dwell on the DJ who opened the evening or would you rather go in and impose your sound?
Not at all. My performance is up to me and no one else. It’s my responsibility to do a good job and play the best set I can no matter what the circumstances.
Do you ever think “I definitely want to play this music tonight”?
Sure. I will always have favorite old and new tracks with me, or something new I’ve just written that I’d love to get a reaction for. These small planned ideas can really inspire the set.
When you play live are you afraid of making a mistake or you’re always sure of your performance?
DJ performance wise I feel pretty comfortable. I don’t mind a small mistake here or there, especially using vinyl. Real records can skip and that’s ok once or twice in a set. It lets people know its real. When I am playing a live set however I do want it to go as smoothly as possible. Usually when doing a live tour I try to plan something really interactive preferably with just hardware. In those cases I have to really concentrate because then there is no computer to save me. If I push the wrong button or make the wrong move you can tell. So a lot of practice will go into a live set of mine as I end up rehearsing and memorizing the evolving of the set.
What do you do with the promoters and the public, you prefer to interact with all or you just want your space?
I find it quite heartwarming that people would care about my music. I’m generally a quiet guy, but I love talking about music and enjoy meeting people. They are the reason I get to do what I do. I’ve been lucky to have some really special moments with people that I will never forget.
Sat, 04 Dec 2010 / Post a commentLos Angeles-based producer John Tejada had a short-time affair with HipHop some time ago but meanwhile has become a household name in electronic music. Here's his selection for "3 Things People Play":
Plaid "Dett" featured on "The Sound of The Eleventh Season" [Cocoon Recordings]
I always try to throw some Plaid into my sets. They've made some incredible dance music over the years (many times under different aliases), but are not really known for it. Spicing up a set with Plaid can really evoke some extra colors and textures to the set. This song was featured on the recent Warp box and I would guess it was an unreleased gem from a while back. I really enjoy it's playful character and mood.
John Tejada "Sweat (On The Walls)" Martin Landsky Remix [Pokerflat]
I really enjoy both remixes, but found what my friend Martin did was quite clever. The remix seemingly only uses the original sounds. It's quite restrained in that way, but also highly creative rearranging all the pieces with such precision. I really enjoy playing it as well.
Shed "Keep Time" [Ostgut Ton]
This song comes from Shed's Traveler album and from what I previously read it was the only song not written at the same time of the others. Perhaps that makes it stand apart? I enjoy the whole album quite a bit, however, this song gives me a strong feeling of hip hop nostalgia. For me, it reminds me almost of the abrasive feel some of the Bomb Squad productions had in the early Public Enemy days. I could easily imagine Chuck D rhyming over this.
