John Tejada: Artist You Should Know
John Tejada has been a stalwart, worldwide in the dance music scene for over a decade. However, I must confess, I’d slept on a large number of his releases, because like…
By Mario Cotto • • 1 min readThat being said, even if I’m, say, a Malbec kinda person, sometimes a sharp Pinot Gris can blow my mind completely and excite the palate.
Tejada’s new album, “Parabolas” out now on Kompakt is a real stunner. It’s not a reinvention of a genre. It’s not a total dance music game changer (although it is quite possibly the man’s masterpiece.)
What it is, is a truly gorgeous album, full of great minimal techno that leans in the direction of IDM classics from Aphex Twin and The Black Dog. Evocative without being overwhelming and technically well-crafted without being cold and mechanical, “Parabolas” is lush music for headphones and night drives. Tejada comes from a family of classically trained professional musicians and he seems to have a natural polyphonic gift that stands out on tracks like “A Flexible Plan” and “The Mess and The Magic“.
But the highlight and simply unparalleled production on the album is “Subdivided“. (below)
Hints of italo disco, ambient, and acid weave in and out this track giving it a timeless and boundless feel that is out of genre and out of time.
Moving away from the familiar and trying something different should always be this immensely rewarding. but, I’m glad it isn’t, so that when you find something new it’s a real revelation. Thank you, John Tejada. Thank you.
– Mario Cotto
[Editor’s Note: Stream the rest of the album on Kompakt’s site.]