Artist Spotlight – mr.chem fm

Artist Spotlight: John Tejada

links:

bandcamp
soundcloud
facebook
kompakt webshop

With both his parents being professional classical musicians, it might not be a surprise that John Tejada has become known as one of the most prolific and consistent producers in today’s eletronic music landscape. Trained on drums and the piano from an early age, the LA-based synth mastermind has since amassed his own impressive skill set, embracing the music as a personal frontier, expanding on his resume as a techno recording artist as producer, remixer, DJ, and label owner. Known for crafting a brand of subtle, musical sonics, his recorded output ranges across tempo and genre lines, from chilled out affairs with spacious arrangements to pulsating, densely layered, deeply energetic tracks that work magnificently in the hands of DJs as well as on the home stereo.
Before hooking up with Kompakt, the much-acclaimed studio wizard had already made his own dent in the musical universe, thanks to a flurry of top-tier releases on labels such as Steve Bug’s Pokerflat Recordings, the legendary Plug Research imprint, 7th City, R&S and many more – but nothing prepared the world for those exquisite bangers „Sweat On The Walls“ and „Mono On Mono“, both released in 2004, with the latter being one of the most fervently beloved classics on John’s own label Palette Recordings. It’s here that John has continuously honed his skills, together with friends and long-time collaborators like Arian Leviste, Justin Maxwell or classical jazz guitarist Takeshi Nishimoto (as band project I’m Not A Gun).
Besides his work in the trenches of modules, patches and other things spelled synth, John has developed some serious DJ acumen over the years – travelling around the globe to light up renowned clubs and festivals such asMovement (the event formerly known as the Detroit Electronic Music Festival), Sonar Festival (both the Spain and Tokyo instalments), Dance Valley (Netherlands), Sync Festival (Greece), Mutek Mexico, Fabric (London), Yellow (Tokyo), Rex Club (Paris), The Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) and many, many more. It’s somewhat admirable, then, that the man still finds time for his studio explorations – but the quality of the releases he has unleashed upon Kompakt alone (including brilliant full-length offerings and a couple of much-liked 12“es) bears witness to the musical genius that is John Tejada.
source: KOMPAKT

mr.chem’s personal note

Whether as Lucid Dream, Autodidact, or by his name, John Tejada’s music has been at the very top of our playlists for nearly three decades. You just know that every new release you managed to get your hands on will be great. Tejada simply never disappoints. Big shoutout to mr. Tejada – a great guy, amazing musician, and one of the most played and enjoyed artists on our station.

As a random amusement to end this post, here’s John owning one of the Blind Tests – wonderful video series which where a tremendous joy to watch (and participate).

July 21, 2023
Artist Spotlight: Jens Buchert

links:

jensbuchert.com
apple music
spotify
amazon music
soundcloud
youtube

Music is a universal language that brings people together regardless of race, nationality, class, color, or creed, and few speak it as fluently as Jens Buchert. Despite releasing music under several aliases and pseudonyms including, Hydra and Dakini Mandarava among others, one thing remains consistent about Jens Buchert: his commitment to excellence.
Jens Buchert is one of the most popular international producers of electronic deep moods music. For over 25 years, the Stuttgart native has been stamping his indelible mark on the eardrums of music lovers across the globe. He is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier producers of ambient and electronic sounds. His versatility has also allowed him to achieve success in other instrumental genres, including Down Tempo, Trip Hop, Chillout, and Lounge.
A musician, graduate of film and media science, video producer, sound engineer, music designer, and photographer – Jens is a multifaceted artist whose creative energy has no bounds. His music is heard worldwide: whether during the boarding announcements of American Airlines, in television movies, feature films or documentaries, or in TV ads for Audi. Buchert owns his own music label, Jebu Records and is an exclusive artist for Warner Chappell Music.
Never settling or becoming complacent, Jens Buchert has proved to his loyal fans that each new release will be expansive and masterfully crafted. As with many of his influences from the New Wave era, Jens’ music tracks are carefully arranged. His compositions bear his character and depth–their primary purpose is to inspire people to do extraordinary things. Buchert wants to help listeners realize their full potential and more importantly, forget their daily worries, even just for a few minutes. As Jen’s describes his music’s mission:
“Let music educate us, enable us [to] see things differently and appreciate everything we have, including our great planet; it’s a cosmic gift that we should highly appreciate and respect. We should also remember that every action has a consequence we should consider, given it will impact what happens now and in the future.”
source: planetones.com

mr.chem’s personal note

Ever since the first joy of discovering one of his songs, Jens had a special place in my musical heart. His releases will take any fan of downtempo / chillout music on a magical journey. Buchert’s music evolved and spread across different styles and genres over the years, yet never seemed to move away from the stunning virtue you cannot help but recognize in practically every aspect of his production – strive for perfection. Each tone appears to be flawlessly sculptured and balanced, every musical component feels like thoroughly planed piece of colorful puzzle, placed exactly where it should be with incredible precision. Jens makes no compromises in his dedication to achieve the highest level of quality in his creations. We’ll keep echoing our endless admiration and gratitude for Mr. Buchert, one of the most played artists on our station.

June 24, 2023