A celebrated fixture in the world of left-field dance music since the late '90s, DJ and producer John Tejada proves that minimal techno can be warmly melodic rather than forbiddingly austere. His 10th album, Signs Under Stress, is built around typically slow-burning grooves, tracks that are more immersive than propulsive. The stripped-down beats recall everything from vintage electro (“Y O Why”) to classic Detroit techno (“Penumbra”) to rippling trance (“Endorphins”). And each track is packed with a near-psychedelic level of detail, as Tejada threads spine-tingling melodies and surprising synth-pop hooks around hypnotic, intricate rhythms.
- Michael Mayer
- Robag Wruhme
- Roman Flügel
- Mathew Jonson