Together as
Wajatta, vocalist/comedian
Reggie Watts and renowned electronic musician/DJ
John Tejada make playful, funk-infused house and techno. Much like
Watts' famed absurdist beatbox comedy, the duo's performances are loose and improvisatory -- the two build off of each other's energy, with
Watts developing vocal melodies and hooks in real time over
Tejada's ebullient beat sequences.
Wajatta's recordings, including 2020's
Don't Let Get You Down, refine this energy into concise song forms.
Both
Tejada and
Watts have been making music since the 1990s.
Tejada, who is classically trained, has released dozens of acclaimed recordings on labels such as Kompakt, Plug Research, and his own Palette Recordings, while
Watts led eclectic soul band
Maktub, played keyboards as part of
Wayne Horvitz's 4+1 Ensemble, and released a 2003 solo debut before branching off into comedy. He became famous for his loop pedal-enhanced beatbox improvisations, and made frequent appearances on late-night talk shows and Adult Swim programs, additionally releasing his two acclaimed Comedy Central specials as CD/DVD sets. A longtime fan of techno and house music,
Watts had always wanted to make proper dance music, and after meeting
Tejada at one of his club gigs, the two Los Angeles residents began working together. Merging their last names, they called their project
Wajatta, and their debut album, Casual High Technology, was released by
Comedy Dynamics in 2018. The duo toured throughout 2019, and
Flying Lotus'
Brainfeeder label released their second full-length,
Don't Let Get You Down, in 2020. ~ Paul Simpson