An artist with a cultured past venturing into new territory under a refreshing new moniker, alias_j, Jon Ojeda has existed throughout key eras of electronic music that have contributed to a newly readied artistic package.
Inspired by many electronic greats, alias_j comes to the fore with an invigorating sonic palate – spanning the realms of Melodic House & Techno and Breaks. Building on over two decades of label operation, Jon already has some exciting releases locked in with prominent labels under his alias_j persona – including ‘Changes’, his debut release on Pig&Dan’s revered ELEVATE imprint, hitting top positions (#4 in Melodic House & Techno and #5 in Techno) in the Beatport Top 10 Charts.
To celebrate the release of ‘Changes’, alias_j shares with us some of his favorite tracks. Enjoy!
1. Marc Romboy – Voyage de la planète (Ocoeur Remix) [Systematic Recordings]
“This is a beautiful ambient symphonic piece. I’ve been using this as an opener and closer in sets. The arrangement is so captivating and really sets a mood and platform for sets – Super emotive and provoking.”
2. Baime – Semele (Original) [Blindfold]
“When this comes out of the break, it’s super dirty. Percussive, bass-heavy, and really hip-shaking. There is a real story in the arrangement. The leads play a melancholy dance that’s captivating which I love. Truly something to be swept away with, in the right moment.”
3. alias_j – Dominion Rising (Original Mix) [ELEVATE]
“This is the first track off my recent release on Pig&Dan’s awesome ELEVATE Records. It’s a story that signifies the launch of my solo career, where I made the conscious decision to take control and go on my own. I had also picked up the Dominion I mono synth from MFB. This was my first outing with the synth. The bass you can get with it is just ridiculous.”
4. Baime – Basilika (Original) [Blindfold]
“I’m really into the music this duo is putting out right now. This is a track off the same EP as ‘Semele’ above. There’s a slight middle-eastern feel to the song which really creates some emotive tension and the percussion and doubled-up kick give it a nice gallop. Similar to ‘Semele’ it’s quite emotive, which is one aspect of Baime’s work I really gravitate towards.”
5. Raffaele Marchitelli – Freeing (Original) [Borders of Light]
“‘Freeing’ has a haunting female vocal that carries throughout, only to be layered over bird ambiances, a tough minimal techno perc, and some seriously dark and gritty synth stabs. It’s one of those tracks that can help transition a set and I really dig the push the groove has. Definitely digging this label’s stuff at the moment.”
6. Marino Canal, David O’Dowda – Half Life (Original Mix) [Siamese]
“This is a REALLY fun record to mix with. There are no drums until 2.5 minutes in so mixing out and into this record is really fun! It’s my favorite mix in my recent Lock & Key mix where I get to just extract the percussion slowly over time from the previous track. And the male vocal is just stunning. If you’re looking for a long-mix record, this is a good one to explore.”
7. alias_j – Moving Again (Original mix) [ELEVATE]
“This is the second track off my recent release on ELEVATE. I was hitting walls arranging it. ‘Moving Again’ is the story of staying focused and pushing through. Being uncomfortable and trusting the process can be hard but it’s very rewarding. Through the process, I got ‘moving again’.”
8. Der Dritte Raum – Pictureoftheday (Extrawelt Remix) [Harthouse]
“I have great memories with Der Dritte Raum from the original release of ‘Hale Bopp’ in 1998. It was showcased on Sasha’s ‘GU Ibiza’ compilation and its contribution really described a moment in time. ‘Pictureoftheday’ is a single of his new ‘Kommit’ album on Kompakt. This remix is blinding breaks rendition by Extrawelt and wow it does not disappoint. Superb vibe, super technical, and ridiculously well-produced and mastered for the club.”
9. Upercent – Les Granotes (Original) [Interpret]
“This a quirky, hypnotic, melodic house and breaks number that does a great job of twisting your head apart in a washing machine of vibe and chug…lol. Sometimes tracks leave the planet. This one’s found its own galaxy. Every exit out of every break pulls you to the next. Definitely a stellar journey record.”
10. Jos & Eli – SOS (Framewerk Reprise) [Renaissance Records]
“I wouldn’t say Jos & Eli are newcomers in any way because they aren’t. But they seem to be hitting an awesome stride right now. I’ve been using this reprise from Framewerk as another opener/closer, and it’s really come in handy. Check out their ‘Spiritual Revolution – Beatless Mix’ on Capital Heaven as well. It’s also an awesome tool for the shed.”
alias_j’s ‘Changes’ EP is out now via Pig & Dan’s Elevate imprint. Purchase your copy here.
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