Rebel Boy has been turning heads in the world of techno after bursting onto the scene in 2019 with a release on Frankyeffe’s Riot Recordings. Since then, he has dropped tracks on UMEK’s 1605 and Oliver Huntemann’s Senso Sounds. Continuing his rise towards the top, Rebel Boy’s latest release is a two-track EP on Spektre’s Respekt Recordings called The Ties That Bind Us.

Here at When We Dip, we have got an exclusive premiere of the title track from the EP. Along with the audio stream, we also took the time to catch up with Johnny Yono aka Rebel Boy to ask him a few questions…

WWD: It’s great to be talking with you today, what part of the world are you now?

Great to be here, thank you for having me. I currently reside in Los Angeles and have been here since 2003.

WWD: We’ve heard a few of your tracks on labels like UMEK’s 1605, what inspires your style of techno?

Capturing the darker and heavier side of techno has always driven me and motivated my sound, which is tailored for the mainstage and peak time hours. Haunting with a twist of emotion is something I strive to encapsulate. I strongly believe that if the music has been injected with real life experiences and a stream of consciousness, it creates a story which then has the potential to resonate with the listeners on a much deeper level that they won’t soon forget.

WWD: How did you first discover the techno genre, and who are some of the other artists you enjoy?

I was born and raised in Detroit, so back in the late ‘90s/early 2000’s is when I was first introduced to proper underground dance music including techno. It wasn’t until later on in my musical journey as a trance producer/DJ that I developed a powerful attraction to the techno genre, and decided I wanted to create it. For three years I held a residency here at LA’s #1 nightclub Exchange LA. I often found myself on stage dropping techno before the headliners came on, and the crowd absolutely loved it! I started to enjoy playing it even more than trance, so eventually I made my departure, and started the Rebel Boy project. Turns out it was my true calling, so I’ve not once looked back.

As far as other artists go, Ramiro Lopez has to be in my top 3 favourites of all time. I also enjoy Pig&Dan, Spektre, Enrico Sangiuliano, MOTVS and ROBPM to name a few others.

WWD: Your next release is on Spektre’s label Respekt, how did you first make contact with the guys?

Yes, very excited about the release on July 9th! Spektre reached out to me after consistently supporting my tracks in their sets and charts, they asked me for new, unreleased material. Of course, I was stoked, and jumped at the opportunity. I quickly fired several tunes off to them, then after months of back-and-forth conversations, the EP was finished with what I feel is a solid body of work that everyone is very happy with. It was truly a delight working with Rich and Paul aka Spektre, as they brought the absolute best out of me, which is something that I feel is so difficult to find nowadays in this industry. In regards to nurturing up and coming talent, they were absolutely spot on, and I am incredibly grateful for that.

WWD: Is there a concept behind the release, and what bits of equipment did you use for the production?

You could say the concept behind this particular release was to do something a bit different than I normally do — to stray from the norm and challenge myself. So far, the feedback from the promo has been amazing, and I’m pumped to see the reactions from my fans!

Here’s a bit of info on how ‘Strange Pulse’ got its title. During the production process of this EP, my girlfriend had been dealing with an irregular heartbeat brought on by God knows what. The doctors were unclear as to what the cause was, and the only remedy they had was to catch it in the act by having her wear a heart monitor for 2 weeks, so that they could track her heart rhythm once the results were recorded in the device. I decided to name the track in honour of her, as the ‘strange pulse’ of her heartbeat was playing on my mind, and I’m so glad she is OK.

WWD: Who are some of the people supporting your music in their DJ sets?

I’ve had support from UMEK, Spektre, Joyhauser, Oliver Huntemann, Teenage Mutants, Frankyeffe, Lilly Palmer, A*S*Y*S, Brennen Grey and loads more. Even trance DJs like Markus Schulz, Mark Sherry and Indecent Noise have given my techno tracks a spin.

WWD: We saw you have collaborated with Frankyeffe, how did that come to fruition, and who else have you teamed up with?

Frankyeffe signed my debut EP to his label, Riot Recordings, which later led to two other EPs. He reached out one day, and asked me to work with him, as he was putting together a collaborative EP, which along with myself also featured Teenage Mutants and Dok & Martin. I was very excited to be a part of that project, and I’ve also worked with The YellowHeads plus Sam WOLFE for an EP on Senso Sounds titled Adrenaline Machine.

Sam and I recently released a collaboration on UMEK’s label 1605 titled “Black Veins” that came out on a various artist EP. We are excited to be following it up soon with a two track EP that’s coming out on 1605.

WWD: What are some of your passions outside of music?

I have a profound love for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and follow the sport very closely, as I am a huge UFC fan. I also adore cooking at home because it’s a nice break away from the music, but it still calls for creativity, which is always a pleasure. My girlfriend and I have a handful of great recipes that we love making together.

WWD: Do you have any gigs or other forthcoming releases planned for the coming months?

Yes! I actually have a gig here in California the same day as the Respekt EP comes out, which will actually be a release party. We are also working to put on a Riot Recordings night here, with Frankyeffe and myself both playing. More dates for my Summer gigs will be announced soon, as I’ve got plenty in the pipeline.

WWD: Thanks for taking the time to chat, is there anything else you would like to add before we finish?

My EP on Respekt is a 2-track titled The Ties That Bind Us and along with the title track it also includes “Strange Pulse”. It’s out July 9th on Beatport so be sure to grab your copy! You can also tune in to my radio show, ‘Rebel Boy Radio’ every 3rd Tuesday of the month on DI.FM’s Techno Channel.

To all my fans and anyone reading this… thank you so much for all the support, and for taking the time to listen to my music. I am grateful for each and every message and comment I receive from you guys — it truly keeps my fire burning! Be sure to connect with me on all social platforms, and feel free to reach out any time if you ever need production advice, or just want to drop me a line. Thank you guys for chatting with me, this was a lot of fun!

Release Date: July 9th, 2021. Buy Here

Follow: Rebel Boy // Respekt Recordings