Mikael Johnston

After kicking around the San Francisco underground scene for more than a decade, Mikael Johnston finally found a measure of success and acclaim as the co-founder of Warner Brothers act Mephisto Odyssey. Johnston didn't start out as a techno-head, though; like many current electronic artists, he got his start in the rock scene. He started out headbanging to the hair bands of the '80s and, when he first met Orpheos Dejournette in 1993 (just after the collapse of the hair band regime), the two decided to put aside their rock roots and check out the as-yet-uncharted territory of electronica. It proved to be a wise career move for both of them. The duo's first single, the self-released "Dream of the Black Dahlia," earned kudos from Bay Area promoters and the international underground scene. Dejournette and Johnston continued to release singles on the Mephisto label and eventually were signed to the progressive West Coast label City of Angels, where they shared the talent roster with future breakbeat kings Crystal Method. In spite of his group's slow-but-steady advance to the top, Johnston became somewhat frustrated at what felt like a career stall. He began to try his hand at side projects. He co-produced albums by fellow techno artists including Simply Jeff (Funk-da-Fried, Vol. 2, 1998), released tracks under the name Seraphim Odyssey (also a collaboration with Dejournette), and began to explore the idea of collaborating with DJ Barrie Eves, who had been a supporter and friend since "Dream of the Black Dahlia" was first released. However, Johnston could not improve upon or even duplicate the success of Mephisto Odyssey, and eventually the band (which now included Eves) decided to get back together. Success followed success; soon the act was signed to Warner Bros. and swiftly evolving from underground darlings to crossover potentials. As the co-producer and songwriter for Mephisto Odyssey, Johnston has gained the reputation of an eclectic (the band has been classified as everything from jazz to drum'n'bass) and a great remixer. Indeed, the remixes of "So What" by Jane's Addiction first brought the group to Warner Bros.' attention in 1999, and the remixes of Static X's album Machine (2001) brought Johnston full circle -- back into the realm of rock once again. ~ L. Katz