Jan Johnston is one of the hottest and most talented singers in the trance and techno world. She has recorded with world known producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold, and with the talented composer BT (Brian Transeau)-

Her voice is sensual and haunting. Jan carries an intensity that is making the electronic music spectrum change. Last year, she had a number one hit in the dance and club scene with her mesmerizing single, "Flesh". Jan's beautiful voice and lyrics have made a deep impression on the underground community. She is constantly being asked by producers and musicians to collaborate with them. Jan has been featured on all of BT's albums, and collaborated with Oakenfold for the soundtrack of the movie, "Swordfish". Her music was also featured in "American Pie" and "Hackers 2".

Jan is currently working on her forthcoming album, "Emerging" which will be out after the summer.

Interview by Mauricio Saravia

ARTIST INTERVIEWS: Can you tell us about the album you are recording with Perfecto?

Jan Johnston: Yes, the album I'm recording now for Perfecto is pretty much all new tracks. I did make a record last year, but there weren't many songs on the record that were ready to be remixed, so I decided to go back to the drawing board and work with some friends. I have been recording with BT (Brian Transeau). There are going to be some collaborations that I recorded with him, there will also be some collaborations with Paul Oakenfold, and one with DJ Tiesto.

I imagine that by the time I finish the album, there will be fifteen tracks and they will all be dance tracks. As to the music, It's quite progressive, it's got a trance beat feel to it. It's also very melodic. We based all of the songs around mood and melody. There are going to be lot of songs that my friends in the industry will be able to remix for me. I had spent a lot of time working on other people's projects and now that I am working on my own, the friends that I worked with over the years are recording with me. It is very nice.

We're hoping to release the album after the summer, because the summer is not always a good time to put out a record.

AI: The album will be called, 'Emerging'?

JJ: Yes, I had titled it, "Emerging" originally. It will still be, "Emerging". I may add little words to it, like: "Emerging and Unafraid". To me, everything is word association. Emerging? Yes, but 'Unafraid'? I would have to be totally unafraid to stay with my convictions.

AI: Jan, how did you work with BT?

JJ: I collaborated with Brian on his albums. I'm always featured on them. On his last album, I went out and did three songs with him. 'Flesh' is a song that I wrote to a piece of his music -which people have loved- that will also be on the album. I have actually written another song to a piece of music that he had created, which will be called, "Our Last Kiss". I'm really, really happy with that.

AI: The lyrics and moods that you create are very impressive.

JJ: Sometimes, I'll get the piece of music and there has been a mood created. When I'm being played a certain notation, actually sounds like words to me. People ask me: "Where do you find this?" To me, it's like an open canvas, always taps into something that happens to me, my life experiences, or maybe things that I would like to have happened, like one of the most powerful things, the most emotional things, such as 'Flesh' People usually ask me where does that come from? That came from the end of a relationship. It came from feeling empty, and that's why it was written the way it was written.

AI: Which hardware do you work when you are recording, Jan?

JJ: It's all so very sophisticated! We're working on Pro Tools and Mac. I imagine that it has to be a good computer, to have the capability to run a program like Pro Tools. It must be the crème of the crème, but I don't really worry about the hardware very much. I leave it up to the guys that I'm working with, and they are all very seasoned producers

I don't think I would be as open to music as I am, if I had to learn programs and hardware. When I get into the box, I am just thinking about the music. I always want the music to be so loud that people will think: "Are my ears going to bleed?" To drown in the music, that's what I worry about.

AI: It's also very time consuming to learn programs.

JJ: It seems time very time consuming! I talk in layman's term about the layers that I want in the track, or a certain bass sound, that I know how to get what I want in the studio, but I don't spend any more energy than I have to. For me, I want the song to be born and that's where my energy lies. Generally, I am quite clear in what I need. I am coming from the singers and songwriters area. When the producers have a song that has emotion, it dictates the way the orchestration should be. If the journey is right, with a song to dictate or guide the emotion and what is taking place, it helps the orchestration. People like BT and Tiesto, they know what they are hearing from my voice, and what they want from it.

AI: Jan, how did you meet Paul (Oakenfold), and how did you begin to record with him?

JJ: Yes, I have been recording with Paul. There are some songs that we wrote together, and we are also working on some films with him. I can't say what they are right now. The last film that we worked on was "Swordfish" with John Travolta. Paul (Oakenfold) played some of the tracks to the film guys, and they loved a certain songs, so what we had done was used. I have been writing and recording with the hope that they would use them. Right now, these people in film are quite aware of me, so I'm beginning to get some chances in that area too.

I met Paul when I was on tour with BT. He was signed to Paul Oakenfold at the time, so Paul loved the song that I wrote to piece of BT's music. Paul sent me to America to continue working with BT. When Paul heard me perform live, he signed me as an artist and he has been my mentor ever since. He truly believes in what I do, and you can't ask for more than that in this industry.

AI: Jan, how do you feel your music has changed since, J.J.?

JJ: I suppose it's just life experience that colored the way I write. Everything is written from real experiences. When you are young you imagine things, and maybe you don't quite get them, and when you have lived through happiness and sadness, travel and disappointments, and all those things that happen when you are on this journey. I think, that if you listen back to some of the early stuff that I had written before, there won't be a big difference.

AI: What's a day in the life of Jan Johnston like?

JJ: At the moment, I live out the back. I don't live anywhere surreal, as yet. I travel, I work. I really, really enjoy what I am doing, because I am around really great people, and friendship is everything. I have been very lucky with thepeople that I have worked. When I go to Brian's house, which I will be doing next week, I stay there. We go into the gym together, we go to have Sushi together. It's friendship, it's not just work. Right now, my life is about writing and working with as many talented people as possible, without saturating the market, I wouldn't want to do that.

My day is really geared to get in the studio, at the moment. When I have some time, I'm going to go and do some gigs in Europe and Asia, before coming back here to America in July. My life is about work right now, but I do manage great friendships that come from that work, so it isn't too lonely. I haven't got quite enough time to actually have a relationship. I am enjoying. Next year, you can ask me again, and I'll probably reside in a little house somewhere with the equipment and people coming to stay with me.

AI: Thank you very much, Jan!

You Can Visit Jan's Official Site at: www.janjohnston.co