If you haven’t come across John B in one of his many musical guises over the past decade, where have you been? Classically trained at a young age, this British superproducer has gone on to become one of the most eclectic and unique individuals working within electronic music today. Consistently escaping categorisation, John’s genre-defying catalogue spans the worlds of Electro, Trance and Drum & Bass, and a few other spaces across the bpm spectrum.
John’s career began in illustrious style as the one and only Goldie picked up on this mild-mannered, blonde-locked science graduate and his distinctive drum and bass beat constructions, and he was signed to the legendary Metalheadz label. Tracks such as the euphoric “Up All Night” have become instant classics in the canon of drum and bass, and repeatedly smashed dancefloors worldwide. John B quickly became a headlining name on flyers across the globe, and his touring schedule has been non-stop ever since. Establishing his own stable of labels (Beta Recordings, Tangent, Chihuahua and Nu_Electro) to reflect his diverse tastes from liquid funk to Latin, provided the perfect platform for John’s groundbreaking sonic experimentation to develop.
From his studio and label HQ in Maidenhead, UK, John has since made major waves within the wider world of dance music. Having picked up on John’s early forays into trance production, Perfecto label boss and DJ superstar Paul Oakenfold commissioned tracks which ended up alongside the likes of Madonna and Justin Timberlake on the epic “Great Wall” compilation. John has also long worn his love of 80s electronica on his sleeve, way before the fashionistas jumped on the bandwagon, and he has been busy signing hot new electro-influenced tracks for his most recent label venture, Nu Electro. There is also rumoured to be a John B reworking of Toni Basil’s classic “Hey Mickey” in the pipeline.
His new album, in:transit has received glowing reviews:
One of the most intriguing DnB albums in a long, long while. John Bs willing to experiment where others merely imitate. Album of the Month! Knowledge Mag June 04
Definitely one of the most talented producers on the planet. DJ Mag June 04
A fantastic concoction of liquid funk, electro & trancey flavours. Dirty, heavyweight bombs that prove John B is still one of the top dogs of the dancefloor! Mixmag
John B delivers an album that can only be described as classic. With all styles covered he proves once again why he is one of the drum n bass scenes most original and adventurous artists. This is the bomb! Go get it now! Update Magazine June 04
Album of the Month M8 magazine
Mighty Drum n Bass electro-shock therapy KlubKnowledge. June 04
As far as drum n bass albums go youll be hard pushed to find anything that crosses boundaries like in:transit does ATM June 04
Still just the tender age of 26, is there is much more to come from Mr B. Next up, godfather of soul James Brown’s new tracks are due for the John B remix treatment, a real surprise for even this musical chameleon. He’s also been busy Remixing Howard Jones, Heaven 17, and S’Express. True to form, it doesn’t seem as if things will be becoming predictable any time soon…
