Mikael Johnston is a musician, producer and remixer most known for his work in electronic dance music. Johnston helped Pioneer San Francisco house music in the early 1990s under the name Mephisto Odyssey. [1] After a string of successful singles on his own label imprint Mephisto Records (starting with the 12" Dream of The Black Dahlia), Johnston signed with progressive west coast label City of Angels, home to future break beat kings The Crystal Method. Johnston's notoriety in the major label music industry began in the late 1990s with his collaboration with Jane's Addiction on a series of remixes for their maxi single "So What" under the name Deep Red. A recording contract with Warner Bros. Records soon followed. While at Warner Johnston worked with Nu Metal act Static-X on a remix for their single Push It. This eventually led to their collaboration on the crossover alternative song, "Crash" which later became a video directed by Len Wiseman that appeared on MTV and in the film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. [2] Johnston's other projects include, Deep Red, Seraphim and The Swerve.
Currently Johnston is one half of the electronic dance music duo Dresden and Johnston with Dave Dresden formerly of Gabriel and Dresden. [3] Dresden and Johnston's remixes of Lily Allen and Nadia Ali both hit #1 in the Billboard Magazine Hot Dance Club Play Chart in 2009. [4] Other remixes by the duo include BT The Unbreakable, JD Webb Better Man, and The Crystal Method Black Rainbows. [5] [6]
Johnston currently works with partner Dave Dresden at The Zoo Studios in Oakland Ca. [7] Johnston still continues to work under the name Mephisto Odyssey [8], and has worked as an engineer, producer and mixer for I Am The World Trade Center, The Matches, Smash Mouth, The Sounds, and Goapele. [9]
References
edit- ^ SF Weekly: Dealing with the Devil [1]
- ^ Allmusic guide: Mikael Johnston Biography [2]
- ^ Beatportal: Dave Dresden announces new partnership [3]
- ^ Billboard: Lily Allen Hot Club Play Chart [4]
- ^ Best of House: Interview with Dave Dresden and Mikael Johnston [5]
- ^ Dance Music Authority: Dave Dresden & Mikael Johnston: Dance Music’s Newest Remix Gurus & THE ‘go to’ producers for EDM! [6]
- ^ Keyboard Magazine: In the studio with Dresden and Johnston [7]
- ^ The East Bay Express: One Twisted Odyssey [8]
- ^ Allmusic Guide: Mikael Johnston Credits [9]