reggie watts explores soulful techno side on wajatta, his collaboration with producer john tejada

As one-half of Wajatta, a collaboration with seasoned Los Angeles producer John Tejada, AFROPUNK Festival veteran Reggie Watts points his incredible voice and masterful way around vocal loop in the direction of deep, late-night club music. But not without a healthy dollop of catchy, sunny-afternoon soul. Though “Runnin’,” the first track released from the duo’s sessions, gallops at the brisk, minimalist pace usually associated with the darker side of techno, the song’s vibe is anything but gloomy. Its synths are bright and hopeful, Reggie’s scats are buoyant and bouncy, and when Watts rises into the upper register he commands so well in order to explore some vaguely worded emotions, “Runnin’” becomes into the kind of uplifting, free-for-all jam that could command a party.

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