Wajatta
Some of the best creative collaborations are also the most improbable. In 2017, beat-boxer, comedian and musician Reggie Watts discovered techno titan John Tejada playing a late night DJ set at an underground warehouse party in Los Angeles. A blossoming friendship ensued and the pair entered the studio in an attempt to unify their talents and create a refreshing play on their musical influences.
Forming Wajatta, a portmanteau of their last names, the duo hit the ground running with their debut release Casual High Technology. Acclaimed for Watts’ improvised beat-boxed rhythms and Tejada’s hypnotic blend of synths and drum patterns, the duo returned to the studio to record Don’t Let Get You Down, where they found their roles beginning to seamlessly interchange.
When did you guys first meet and decide to work together?
John Tejada: “It’s been about three years now. Someone brought Reggie to one of the underground parties I was playing at – he was there quite early and I just kind of saw his hair. I was familiar with what he did and kind of figured he was more of a music head than a musician, but we inevitably decided to do something. All my collaborations over the years have come from just hanging out and growing as friends. Now we don’t even need to speak to each other while doing our thing; we’re all synced up and in our comfort zone.”
Did you have shared ideals when it came to making music or was it more a case of opposites attracting?
JT: “I assumed that we came from the same musical upbringing, but that differed more than I expected and we didn’t have any preconceived ideas. Reggie’s a fan of underground dance music, so I figured that would be the first place to play around, and we’re both performing musicians so it made sense to make recordings and do shows.”
As mentioned, you were very much in tune with each other regarding your influences…
“We’re both of the same generation, so a lot of
