Kenny Larkin and John Tejada

Friday, September 15th

Decibel and Union present

KENNY LARKIN
Cadenza / Art of Dance / Warp
https://www.facebook.com/pg/KennyLarkinOfficial
https://soundcloud.com/kennylarkin
https://twitter.com/kennylark
https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/kennylarkin

with very special guest

JOHN TEJADA
Palette Recordings / Kompakt / Pokerflat
https://www.facebook.com/johntejadaofficial
http://paletterecordings.com
https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/johntejada
https://www.discogs.com/artist/62-John-Tejada

Featuring Art Curation by Futra // Visuals by CLOAKING

10PM / 21+
Tickets available at http://bit.ly/kenny-larkin-union

Union – Noise
4067 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles

ABOUT KENNY LARKIN
To most electronic music aficionados, Detroit native Kenny Larkin is a man who needs no introduction. His impressive 20-year history of creating arguably some of the most timeless, soulful techno ever created, is unquestionable. But, to the newer generation of club-goers, who aren’t aware of his contributions, 2012 serves as the year to re-establish his position as one of the most valuable forces in dance music today.

On his popularity, Larkin states:

“I’m more like the artist’s artist. I’ve had very successful electronic artists tell me constantly how much I’ve influenced them, but, to the newer generations of club-goers, my name might not be as well known. I like to say, I’m famous for not being famous!” -KL

Since the beginning of his career, Larkin’s profile was never considered massive, nor did he ever serve as the “face of techno.” Yet, the respect and admiration he garners from his fans, electronic musicians, and journalists globally leave little doubt as to his relevance, and influence in a genre that sometimes can be described as lacking in feeling, warmth and musicality.

It is that musicality that allowed him to give us an unforgettable collection of original material and remixes, such as the amazingly groovy Inner City “Share My Life.” Many consider this rework one of the best Inner City remixes ever done. Or the equally stunning remix done for Ben Klock’s “OK,” which was voted by website LITTLE WHITE EARBUDS as the 20th top track of 2009.

The reviewer comments:
… Larkin defrosts Klockʼs “OK” with swelling warmth and a bass line that wound itself all the way to the horizon. High wire strings gave the remix a sense of drama, while faultless percussive turns saw halting snares, clipped shakers and languid hi-hats entwine themselves through the fabric of the track. Coaxing an animalistic cry from his hardware, Larkin had already succeeded in creating a stunning take on “OK” by the three minute mark, but then topped it all off with a gorgeous piano solo that continued for the remainder of the track, adding a graceful fragility to the feverish pace set by the other elements. Not just one of Larkinʼs finest moments but one of 2009ʼs as well.Stunning! -LWE

But by far, one of the most memorable recent remixes, was Larkin’s version of Radioslave’s “Don’t Need A Cure For This.” Released in late 2010, Larkin effortlessly displays his penchant for melody, and his signature jazzy keyboard riffs. The keyboard line, alongside the driving rhythm, resulted in the remix becoming one of the most charted remixes of 2010-11 on popular electronic music websites Resident Advisor, and Beatport.

Never to rest on his laurels, in Dec. 2011, Larkin delivered one of the first biggest remixes of 2012. Less jazzy, but no less impressive than his Radioslave remix, Larkin’s expertly crafted version of Inner City’s, “Future,” which he coincidentally co-produced, and co-wrote, quickly climbed to the number one spot on Beatport’s Top 100 Techno Chart, and reached number 16 on their Top 100 overall chart, which combines all genres. Top dj’s from around the globe are currently supportive this massive floor filler.

This was one of only a few Detroit titles to ever reach number one on the techno chart, since the creation of Beatport.

“Quality, not quantity…” -KL

The building blocks of his signature sound are rooted in his early exposure to jazz, funk, and soul, in addition to other more electronic influences. These styles all serve as the backbone of his unique style. This was a key component in the formation of the second wave of Detroit Techno, alongside artists such as Carl Craig.

Larkin’s small, but impressive catalog of work of over the years, all displays his ability to chisel out of the often cold hard machines, his own sound that is all heart and soul. Quite simply, this is electronic soul music.

After listening to his debut album, released on Warp Records, Azimuth (released1994), the press commented:

Azimuth is one of the most imaginative and original techno albums yet.
MUSIC WEEK

Delightful, pure Detroit-style techno. Melodic, emotive and, like so much great U.S. techno, almost jazz-like in places. Larkin is a man with his finger on the fast forward button of music’s future.
SELECT

A masterpiece. This LP of intelligent Detroit techno is an upcoming classic.
STREETSOUNDS

Street Sound magazine later voted Azimuth as one of the top 50 Techno CD’s of all time.

His second album, entitled Metaphor, released in 1995 on R&S, was no less impressive:

A juxtaposition of polished classic Detroit and quirky jazz-inspired innovation. At times very minimal and ambient, other times well informed by house, Kenny’s warm dance beats hit in just the right places at just the right time.
I-D

This is electronic soul music, full of human feeling and warmth.
MixMag

Metaphor was Nominated for “Best Electronic Album of the Year by KeyboardMagazine

In 1995, Larkin was voted “Best Techno Artist of the Year by local Detroit, Metro Times.

Larkin returned from a break, and re-established himself with his, “Keys,
Strings,Tambourines.” The album was released on the legendary Planet e, and was voted by Pop Matters magazine as the ninth best electronic albums of 2008.

For their selection of top 20 albums of 2008, well respected website, Resident Advisor, listed Larkin’s album at 18.

“Throughout Keys, Strings, Tambourines, Larkin peppers his elegant tech house rhythms with jazzy keyboard fills, strings, tambourines and oddball synth blurts, making for an especially tuneful listen that doesn’t skimp on the ass-shaking. Fans of Larkin’s classic works will not be disappointed here, nor will those discovering his music for the first time.” –Resident Advisor

Kenny has an undeniable passion for making music. In addition to his busy global dj schedule, Larkin is currently working on no less than 7 remixes, for a number of noteworthy artists craving the Larkin touch. In addition, he is putting the final touches on his first original release since his KST release on Planet e. Due out in the spring on Cadenza Records..

Larkin’s sound continues to stand the test of time. His unique, musical approach to dance music transcends expectations in balance with meeting his own ambitions and meanwhile pleasing “Detroit-Days” devoted followers all the world over. As his popularity grows, he will no doubt convert new fans to believers and show them that music…REAL music, and Techno can in fact coexist in the same fuzzy place in the heart.

Famous for not being famous? Not for long.

ABOUT JOHN TEJADA
Normally associated with his peers in techno from Detroit, Europe and elsewhere, John Tejada has embraced electronic 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 techno, 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.

John Tejada was born in Vienna, Austria on April 21, 1974. His parents, both professional classical musicians (his mother an opera singer and father a conductor) began his early piano training at the age of 4. In the summer of 1982, John would move with his mother to her place of birth, Los Angeles. It was that summer at the age of 8 another instrument would catch his eye, the drums. Teaching himself to play along to classic rock music, John quickly learned his way around the drum set (an instrument he still plays to this day in his I’m Not A Gun project). Everything changed however when he got his first taste of early 80’s hip hop music. The impact of those early productions and electronic experimentation was very strong. Soon after, at the age of 12 John was given his first set of turntables and a mixer. He wanted to figure out everything he was hearing DJs do at that time. His first gigs came at the age of 12 for his own school, DJing his school dances.

Soon after his fascination with DJing began his fascination with production began. Just as he was completely determined to learn the tricks of local DJs, he now wanted to know how the music was made. His introduction came around the age of 15, when he acquired his first looping delay. Soon after came his first workstation, an Ensoniq EPS sampler. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities. John spent every part of his day honing his craft.
In 1991, while still in high school, John was already recording his first productions. He was also involved in college radio, even though he was just a junior in high school. John had a spot on “The Fly ID Show” with DJ Rob One. John produced the show’s first record for Rob and also went on to do some hip hop production on Ruthless Records. It was during this time that he met his long time collaborator and best friend Arian Leviste. The two met at a hip hop recording session in ‘91. John, already tired of the hip hop scene and where it was going, spent hours talking to Arian about acid house, techno, ambient house and everything they seemed to have in common. The two agreed they would meet weekly to compose material. It took some time before they would release any music, but in 1994 they pressed up their own single and that started a chain reaction of releases. John and Arian during this time also were accepted into Cal Arts’ (California Institute for the Arts) electronic music program, but both decided not to attend to hone their craft on their own.

Soon after, John enjoyed a series of releases on European labels like A13, Multiplex, and Generations R&S. In the fall of 1996 he started his own label, Palette Recordings as an outlet to release his own productions without having anyone tell him how to do it. The demand for his music continued to grow and labels such as Ferox, Sino, Mosaic, Immigrant, Plug Research, Pokerflat and 7th City all released Tejada 12”s.

John began traveling internationally in ‘97 to showcase his DJ skills around the globe, traveling to more than 25 countries and playing various clubs and festivals around the world. Festivals included Movement (formerly The Detroit Electronic Music Festival), Sonar Festival (in Spain and Tokyo), Dance Valley (Netherlands), Sync Festival (Greece), Mutek Mexico, as well as internationally known spaces such as Fabric (London), Yellow (Tokyo), Rex Club (Paris), The Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) and many more.

In 1999, John met classical jazz guitarist Takeshi Nishimoto, which was the beginning of another musical frontier. The two had a similar meeting as John and Arian had years before and began talking about making music. The project I’m Not A Gun was born and signed soon after to Berlin-based City Centre Offices. This project would bring back John’s own training as a drummer while also trying his hand at the guitar. The project became a mix of John’s own electronic productions along with Takeshi’s professional guitar playing and John’s drumming. The project has enjoyed great reviews and success the world over and the duo has performed live in LA, Japan and Germany.

In the summer of 2004, John would – in one week – create the two songs that would catapult his techno career. The classic “Sweat On The Walls,” and “Mono On Mono” were released almost at the same time on two different labels. “Sweat” was released on Pokerflat and “Mono On Mono” on Palette. Together the two records sold over 23,000 copies on vinyl. This lead to the equally successful follow up singles “Paranoia,” “Mind Bend” (with more recent collaborator and Palette-signing, Justin Maxwell) “Voyager,” and “The End Of It All.”
With dozens of singles and remixes to his credit, he has also produced full-length albums for Playhouse, Palette, Plug Research, deFocus, Moods and Grooves, Immigrant and A13. For a complete discography please visit http://www.discogs.com/artist/John+Tejada.