John Tejada

Prolific since the mid-'90s, it's fair to say that most listeners of techno have made their minds up about Californian producer John Tejada a long time ago. That's rather unfair to Tejada, not only because he's one of those talents that never seems to get a major break, but also because the consistently high quality of his understated brand of techno makes him easy to bypass in a world of club music always chasing after the next flashy sound. Tejada's tech-house middle ground is club music that doesn't delve into revisionism or attempt to peg down the sound of tomorrow; it doesn't sound terribly new today, but it won't sound terribly old tomorrow either. Parabolas (his debut album for Kompakt) collects Tejada's strengths: strong production values, finessed melodies and a smooth, upbeat disposition. Like his previous efforts, it's not an album that immediately draws attention to itself or offers any grand gestures, but its subtlety and the sheer quality of its parts further cement Tejada's reputation as a producer's producer.