Backstock: John Tejada

Despite hailing from the warm climates of California, classically trained musician Tejada doesn't make music that reflects the sunshine vibes inherent in West Coast techno. Instead, Tejada appears to be strictly informed by the colder, more mechanical sounds of Midwest techno hot spots Detroit, Chicago, and Columbus, OH. This compilation of tracks off of Tejada's Palette imprint are all produced by Tejada and seamlessly mixed together for the impatient listener who can't wait for each of these stuttering techno symphonies to play out. There's not a great deal of innovation here. Just stellar productions that pay high regard to early Detroit techno works. That is not to imply that Tejada pays strict adherence to the blueprint. There is a floor thump that dates later than Detroit originals, and his clever melodic trickery often pays off. And when it doesn't, like the ill-times filtered house of "Timebomb," Tejada immediately corrects himself with the novel brass section on "Tub." A far from generic piece of techno that would sit comfortably next to the originators.