19/01/2024
So sorry to hear this…
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Silent Servant.
A message from our Executive Director, Ale Cohen:
"I met John in 1999, back in the old dublab studio, the very first one in Hollywood. I was playing live with my old band Languis, and John just came in on stage and put a stack of records on our table from his old techno label under Jasper... and then he walked off the stage. That was my introduction to him. From that moment we went on to become close friends, collaborators, and supporters of each other's work and everything else. We traveled together to San Francisco for a live gig, hung out and listened to music together in his bedroom. I remember around the mid 2000s when he was starting to work under Silent Servant how blown away he was with the Omnichord synth I had recently purchased. I ended up giving it to him and he ended up putting it to much better use than me, he was so talented. John was a sweet, warm and genuine person. He was the kind of person I saw as an inspiration for persistence, good work ethic, and constant dedication to one's crafts and passions. The last time I saw him was a couple of weeks ago at the dublab studio, it was a late night show at the station and I dropped by to say hi because I hadn't seen him in a while, little did I know that was going to be the last time I would give him a hug. That night he was as wonderful as he had always been, full of life, busy with projects and always projecting to the future. I loved John dearly, and I will greatly miss my dear friend John Mendez"
His prolific output as a producer and artist laid the groundwork for much of the most ambitious and forward thinking electronic music of today.
Starting at midnight this evening, we will be re-airing his past performances on dublab. You can also listen and watch Silent Servant’s special DJ set – with visuals by Eva Aguila – which he recorded for dublab’s 21st anniversary celebration by clicking here https://youtu.be/H9SU1AJKUbo?si=D0V1sKuewYdvzK77