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John Rolodex is one of Canada’s leading drum and bass artists and represents the cutting edge of modern music. He has headlined events across Europe and North America including New York, Los Angles, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Copenhagen, Budapest, Oslo and Munich. He is know for his diverse production and has released music on some of the most prestigious record labels in the industry including Metalheadz, Dread Recordings, Freak, and Tech Itch. John’s DJ skills are legendary for both mixing and selection, providing audiences with a wide array of both classics and the newest and freshest, blended together in a truly unique and masterful wall of sound.

John Rolodex is one of Canada’s most unique dance music artists. Having been raised by wolves on the artic tundra in the Northwest Territories, he has a one-of-a-kind outlook on making music. Favouring traditional instruments like the washboard and banjo over modern studio equipment, John’s sound is unlikely to say the least. But the proof really is in the pudding.

John usually performs live wearing furry animal costumes or sometimes with live animals strapped to him. As a result his performances often result in violent protests. He has consequently been banned from performing in Wyoming, Maryland, Kentucky, and The City of Lethbridge.

John is currently remixing several popular music artists including Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Paul Anka. He will be touring later this year with comedian Neil Hamburger as part of his ‘Americas Funnyman Tour’. These shows are expected to be highly-protested and are not to be missed.

Background

John Rolodex is one of Canada’s leading drum and bass artists and represents the cutting edge of modern music. His intent to raise the bar at every opportunity and innovate with each record has served him well over the past decade. From humble beginnings in Edmonton, Alberta in Western Canada, John built his career brick by brick. Headlining shows from New York to Los Angles and London to Budapest and releasing music on some of the most prestigious record labels in the industry including Metalheadz, Dread Recordings, Freak, and Tech Itch, John has constantly broken new ground both as a Canadian DJ and as a drum and bass producer.

As a child John never would have imagined a career in music. "I didn't get along with my music teacher in elementary school." John jokes. "She had it in for me from the beginning. I was total joker then… the class clown." John recalls the foundation of his attitude towards music. "I guess that's what attracted me to aggressive and rebellious music. When I was really small I used to listen to heavy metal; it was the opposite of what she was teaching us." From that point onward, John gravitated toward the heavier side of music; from heavy metal to punk and grunge, the darker side of rock n roll, and later to drum and bass. "I didn't care for the cheesey dance music that was around… then I heard those rolling breakbeats."

In late '95 when John was recording a late-night radio show, he heard the sound that would change his life. "I used to record a CBC show called 'Brave New Waves'. They used to play all kinds of underground music. But that night they played Dillinja's 'Ja know ya big' and Source Direct's 'Snake Style'. I was hooked. I couldn't stop listening to those tunes. I'd heard drum and bass before but nothing like this." John became one of Western Canada's first drum and bass DJs shortly after. Taking the name 'rolodex' from the rolling beats that continually ran through his head.

"There wasn't anywhere to buy the records then, so I convinced a local shop to let me order from a UK distributor… technically I was working at the shop, but my wages barely dented what I took home in vinyl." The records John ordered for the shop, combined with his early DJ sets helped form the foundation for the drum and bass scene in Western Canada.
DJing

As a DJ, John quickly developed a reputation for his skills. With razor sharp mixes, ruthless cuts and diverse selection, John’s DJ sets were unique for the time and over the years, he became known across Canada.

“When you’re DJing, your first concern has to be with the dance floor and the people at the party” he comments. “You have to know how to read the crowd, to anticipate what tunes they’ll be feeling and when to play certain tracks in the night.” Though known more recently for his production, John feels the years of DJing were an important foundation. “I earned my stripes behind the decks. There’s no better feeling than when I’m in the middle of a set and everything’s coming together. When I’m having a good time, the crowd does too.”
Production

Continuing to break new ground, in 2000 John decided to try his hand at production. Joining forces with a friend from school, Cartridge. "I had been up all night putting together one of my first tracks when he and another friend showed up. [Cartridge] walked up to a keyboard and started playing along with the beat that was running… filling in the blanks of what I was working on. It was obvious that we were on the same page." The pair put together a number of tunes which moved dance floors throughout Western Canada and the US on dub plate, but it wasn't until John's 'The Dragon' that the he received recognition as a producer.

Releases

On a DJ gig in Autumn 2001, Ray Keith, owner and founder of the seminal Dread Recordings met John in his hometown. Hearing a CD of his, Ray was impressed and shortly after Ray signed 'Dragon EP', cementing John's place as a name to watch.

Signing to Dread was a big step, placing John on the same roster with legendary producers like Dillinja (as The Specialist), Lemon D (as Covert Operations) on a label that has hosted remixes from Shy Fx, Bad Company UK and many others.

Described as 'classic in every way' by one reviewer, John's 'Dragon EP' was well-received across the board. Combining cinematic atmospherics with upfront breaks and heavyweight basslines. One track on the EP, 'Hard Rain' featuring Cartridge, received special attention, leading to steady play on Bailey's then new show 'Intabeats' on BBC radio 1xtra.

John's second EP 'The Soldiers EP' met with similar success. The hit tune of the EP, 'Rinse It' featured a catchy jump-up bassline making it a favourite of many UK DJs including Nicky Blackmarket, Kenny Ken, and Twisted Individual. However, it was the EP's a-side 'Forget Me Now (Dread Soldiers)' that caught the ear of legendary BBC Radio One DJ the late John Peel and received play on the world famous Peel Sessions.

For his third EP, John worked closely with Cartridge to come up with something that would push the Dread sound to a new level. Over the course of several months, the pair got together frequently to collaborate on what would be their most successful release yet. 'Industries EP' fused an incredible range of styles and sounds, with classic breakbeat foundations, and deep atmospherics. The overall effect was unique leading to a wide range of interpretations. One reviewer described the EP as "amospheric… uplifting and dark" while another commented, "this record will cook up yer brain if dropped at the right time!" But all reviewers agreed that the release was very strong, giving it top marks across the board. Another review noted that "Canada's junglists are definitely a solid presence these days, and John Rolodex has become a regular household name on the UK". It was clear that John had planted a flag on the drum and bass map.

Also gaining attention in 2003 was John's remix of Ray Keiths 'No No' which featured smooth female vocals and a full on ragga vocal from the legendary MC Navigator (of Freestylers fame). Departing from the two-step rhythm of the original, John restyled the tune in classic jungle form with rolling amen breaks and putting the attention on the ragga vocal for the body of the tune. The remix showed another side of John's production; that he was capable of more musical material.

In 2004 John continued to make great strides, signing music with Goldie’s legendary Metalheadz label. John’s ‘Sick & Twisted’, ‘Machinegun Funk’, and ‘Novocaine’, a collaboration with long-time school friend Synoflex were signed to Metalheadz and cemented John’s name as a world class drum and bass producer. Arguably the most known label (and brand) in drum and bass music, Metalheadz is the icon of cutting edge music, and John had shown that his production belonged within its ranks. Due to complications at the label, only ‘Novocaine’ was released officially (on the MDZ04 CD album). ‘Machinegun Funk’ was selected by Klute for his Metalheadz mix cd for Knowledge magazine, and ‘Sick & Twisted’ became a favourite of Dj Bailey (BBC 1xtra) who’s known to drop it across the globe to this day.

Simultaneously John’s music was receiving attention from Tech Itch, arguably drum and bass music’s most skilled engineer and producer, who selected John’s 'Shut The Fuck Up' and 'Can't See Me' for a 12” release on his cult-followed Tech Itch Recordings.

In 2004 John was also featured on Freak Recordings with production mate Cartridge. Signing to Dylan's Freak Recordings, Cartridge found a home for his epic roller, 'Light Cycles', which was co-engineered by John. The tune, received heavy play from djs like Loxy and Ink, and was one of the most ground-breaking tunes of that year.

The following year John continued to raise the bar, releasing the highly sought-after ‘Amenizm Part 1’. The track included hundreds of amen breakbeat edits demonstrating that John was one of the most skilled breakbeat editors in the industry. The tune was released on Pi Recordings which went bankrupt mid-release; pressing only 500-1000 copies of the record. The tune went on to become an underground classic supported by dj Bailey, Pendulum, and many other a-list DJs. The Record is now a collectors item and fetches a pretty penny on ebay.

Realizing the downturn of vinyl and cd sales, John began offering free studio mixes of his material in late 2004. The first of these “Fuck The System” was highly successful and has received over forty thousand downloads. Boasting 23 John Rolodex tunes including remixes, “Fuck The System” started a studio mix trend within the industry which spread contagiously around the world at every level of drum and bass music.

Following-up on the success of “Fuck The System” in 2006 John released “Fuck The System Vol II” and “Soldiers and Killers”. The prior is a continuation of the first FTS mix including 22 more John Rolodex tunes and remixes. The latter is the definitive guide to what’s hard and cutting-edge. Both having received tens on thousands of downloads show that despite declining cd and vinyl sales, someone is still listening.

Future

At present John continues to tour North America and Europe as a DJ. He has also started an artist management agency (FTS Management) to help guide up-and-coming producers to hone their sounds and get their music heard. In addition John has decided to launch FTS Recordings, his own record imprint as an outlet for his own music and music from artists who should be heard.

Later in 2007 John will be releasing his debut full-length album “The Science of Self-Destruction” as well as an accompanying mix album “Fuck The System Vol III: Sex, Drugs & Rolodex”. Stay tuned.