John Tejada Is The Global Techno Veteran Only Now Breaking Into His Hometown Scene

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John Tejada Is The Global Techno Veteran Only Now Breaking Into His Hometown Scene

Tejada does things backwards while going forwards.

When THUMP sat down with John Tejada on the rooftop of the MAC in Montreal at this year's Mutek, it seemed as if the festival was more of a reunion for him, rather than a quick gig and hotel room stint. Being a producer who has been playing live for over twenty years and gained international influence from the west coast, Mutek is a global gathering of friendly faces for Tejada. "I always look forward to it because there are so many close friends here. It feels like a vacation where I can hang out and see friends play," he says. "Even in Europe, where so many things are going on, I can't think of any festivals that are curated in this way. Each venue being used is so differently."

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Tejada is a recurring performer at Mutek. He fits Mutek's mandate well, constantly supporting the festival's desire to have hardware driven live performances. "I prefer to use hardware without a computer and utilize a live set that's meant to be played so that there's no real beginning or end to certain pieces," explains Tejada. "This frees me up creatively because I don't have to worry about doing something a specific way or doing it the same every night."

His productions have most recently been showcased on Michael Mayer's esteemed Kompakt label, where he released his twelfth studio album, Signs Under Test. As a label boss himself, Tejada is currently celebrating his nineteenth year at the reigns of Palette Recordings and is looking forward to the big two-zero next year. "I didn't expect it to last very long, so 19 years later I'm pretty happy. Working with Kompakt has been great, but it has drawn my attention away from Palette, so I want to build it back and at least make it to twenty."

In a way, Mutek acts as a window for international artists to enter the North American market and for Canadians to gain exposure within their own borders. Tejada's experience in Montreal, although, is one of both familiarity and oddity. Both international artists and fans recognize Tejada as a veteran but having been based out of Los Angeles since he was young, his role in shaping the local scene has not been very prominent. Within such a massive metropolis, you can find almost any niche if you search hard enough, but in terms of techno; it is less of a hub than its comparable counterparts on the East Coast.

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"I moved there when I was eight. I came from Vienna, Austria. My father stayed in Vienna so I have maintained a connection with Europe that way, but the older I get the more I appreciate and enjoy Los Angeles. I've never had the desire to move," he explains. Son to an orchestra conductor and soprano singer, John Tejada has music in his genes. Although his contemporary creations separated him from the classical realm of his parents, he notes they were extremely supportive of his musical direction. Later, he moved to LA with his mother, where his passion for the city grew along with his passion for his brand of electronic music.

"What I recently realized about being in LA was that my influences were global. It wasn't a local scene. Although there was a scene in the city, it didn't peak my interest. I didn't associate electronic music with a specific city," reflects Tejada. "In LA, especially then, you really had to search out if you wanted to find stuff. Part of that was fun, but a lot of it kind of sucked."

Even after running parties in the 90s, LA was the last place Tejada was offered gigs. Nowadays, there has been a major shift and the desire for experimental electronic music has grown. Gradually, the small pockets of techno aficionados that were once sporadic are now being connected—even in LA.

"Electronic music, as an art form, has started to take off in LA. The Droid guys have been bringing more people to the city with every event they throw. There are more and more promoters using new venues for experimental parties. It is growing," he says.

There is a surge of popularity on almost all forms of electronic music, but the future looks bright for LA's techno scene and Tejada is starting to get the traction he deserves in his hometown. And yet, even that surprises him.

"I have never seen it bustling in the way it has in the last few years."

John Tejada is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter

Geoff is on Twitter.