The Sounds That Shaped Me: Redux Saints

Redux Saints aka Jason Trevor Miller is best known for his contemporary tech house vibes, full flavour basslines and trademark ‘thicc beats’. An accomplished DJ and producer, as well as label head and A&R of Deep Tech Los Angeles Records, Redux Saints is a man on a mission to bring quality underground house and techno to the masses.

Redux Saints returns on Data Transmission Radio on Saturday Night at 8pm for his monthly Deep Tech Los Angeles Radio Show, we asked him to tell us about the Sounds that Shaped him as an artist.

He says “Music has been a large part of my life ever since I can remember. I started to attend raves and house clubs in mid to late 90’s and developed my deep love for electronic music listening to Sasha and Digweed’s Northern Exposures along with Paul Oakenfold’s ‘Tranceport’.”

“Living in Chicago I was also exposed to lots of house music, which had a major influence on what I look for in vocals from artists such as Frankie Knuckles, Derrick Carter, and others.”

“I took some time off to start a software company around 2008 and after a four-year hiatus I knew that I needed music back in my life for balance and decided to deep dive into DJ’ing and then music production. Back then I was big into Maceo Plex, Claptone, and others. “

“When I first started producing in 2016, I attempted to combine melodic elements with tech-house grooves, but I took a different direction after attending Toolroom Academy and went with my love for strong, soulful vocals on top of stripped back tech-house grooves.  To feed my need for melodics I created another moniker ‘Placebo eFx’ which brings in my first love of trance.“

‘Voicemail’ – Green Velvet, Patrick Topping

I remember hearing this for the first time live at BPM festival (2014) as every DJ was playing it in their sets.  It inspired me to look outside of the genres I was listening to at that time. 

‘So What’Cha Want’ – Beastie Boys

My production is full of detail and you hear a lot of hip samples/elements as vocal hits/glitches.  Specifically, a recent production “You Can’t Front” was inspired by one of my favourite Beastie Boys tracks ‘So What’Cha Want’.

‘Greece 2000’ – Three Drives

Besides the Ministry of Sound Annual, the first album I had on repeat was Paul Oakenfold’s ‘Tranceport’.  I recall coming home after the clubs in Chicago, time and time again, inserting this CD, pressing play and relaxing.  Lots of my early Redux Saints and my techno moniker Placebo eFx have influences of the melodics from ‘Greece 2000’.

‘Open Your Eyes’ – D. Ramirez

The first track I really enjoyed from Toolroom Records was D. Ramirez’s ‘Open Your Eyes’.  It had all the elements that made a great track – strong groove, melodic and vocal hooks – and I was blown away to find out he actually did the vocals himself on the track in his Toolroom Academy course.  I try to incorporate that into all the tracks I release.

‘Sex Machine’ – James Brown

Everything about this track is iconic: bass guitar, piano, vocals, brass instruments. I’m honoured to have an official remix coming out that reinvents a house version for new generations to enjoy.

Deep Tech Lockdown Sessions Vol.3 by various artists, compiled by Redux Saints is out now on DTLA Records https://hypeddit.com/link/nzvt08