Los Angeles Techno Legend Silent Servant Has Died
The Central American tech legend who grew up in Los Angeles and was a member of the Sandwell County band Silent Servant has died.
The news was confirmed today, January 19, by the management of the Triangle agency for Resident Advisor . The cause of death has not been confirmed.
The Los Angeles DJ and producer, real name John Juan Mendez, is known for his work with the Sandwell District collective, which operated from 2002 to 2011, when the group disbanded, helping to inform changes in the sound of techno in the '00s. .
Mendes' musical career spans over 30 years. He began DJing at the age of 16 and soon after met Regis, owner of Downwards Records , and together they released a series of singles throughout the 2000s.
After Sandwell District disbanded, Mendes' solo career included regular appearances with Berghain, Tresor, Bassiani and others, as well as launching the Jealous God label with Regis and James Ruskin.
Earlier this week, Sandwell County announced the release of an archive compilation which will be released in February and will feature 12 tracks titled 'WHERE NEXT?'. ".
In late 2023, Mendes released his latest work, In Memoriam, looking back on his previous work as "a deeply personal memoir of a 30-plus year career spent exploring and mastering the music of the dark side."
His work erases musicians' memories while taking a modern approach to his production. It was released on November 24 via Tresor Records .
“This EP was the first time I could take all my memories and influences and put them into musical form,” Mendes told Mixmag in November.
“From my love of Detroit techno (Model 500 and Cybotron) on the M-87, to more Wave EBM on the M-90, to the dub techno world of Basic Channel and Chain Reaction on the M-99.” and finally techno from New York, Berlin and England from the 2000s to M-00.
Listen to Silent Servant's latest album below.
Gemma Ross is deputy editor of Mixmag, follow her on Twitter.
