John Rojas Explores a Visceral Side of Techno on Debut Album, ‘SKIN’

John Rojas explores instincts and sensations on his debut album, SKIN, alongside remixes from MAEDON, Trovarsi, David Castellani, and Unfuckable. Rising Los Angeles producer and live act John Rojas brings his punk and hardcore roots to electronic music. Through his techno-punk band MACHINEKIT, he’s channeled ’90s grit, glitchy textures, and raw hardcore intensity into a sound of his own. Now, he draws on two decades of experience as a producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist for his latest solo project, SKIN, out on David Castellani’s Noetic Music. Named after body parts, the tracks “Tongues,” “Oblique,” “Torso,” “Mouth,” and “Spleen” point to the album’s intimate and physical themes. Hypnotic rhythms and driving beats create a skin-crawling sense of disorientation throughout the project, inviting listeners into a world shaped by instincts and sensation. I’m a band guy. I have only ever known how to play and tour with a group of people, so this was the first time I had to think solely for myself. Much like limbs, I felt disjointed, pulled in different directions. These jarring feelings left me feeling naked and vulnerable. And weirdly enough, that’s what SKIN is about — a soni...