John Silas “Water Sign” EP Release

Join us in celebrating John Silas and his debut EP ‘Water Sign” on Love Injection Records Thursday, May 14 from 6:30-9:30pm with a listening session of the record and music from John & friends.

Line Up:

Marco Weibel

Alyssa Stowers

Mickey Perez

More about the EP:

Astrologically speaking, it’s said that water signs are characterized by their intuition, sensitivity and depth of emotion. John Silas’s work is innately imbued with these qualities. Composed of four original tracks (along with two additional mixes), the producer and instrumentalist’s debut EP, Water Sign, is largely joyously attuned to the dance. Yet these compositions diverge into moments of quieter introspection evocative of a kind of personal chronicle. For John, who’s seen more than his share of nomadic movement buoyed by periods of meditative creativity, it’s a reflection of lived experience: a journey that’s synthesized the influences of childhood Soul Train episodes, adolescent hip-hop sample spotting, tutelage on the MPC2000XL, collaboration with extended family within the Detroit dance music community, record shop clerkdom, and his current citizenship on the planet of nouveau Brooklyn. It’s also an approach entirely at home within the ethos of Love Injection Records - an outpost that’s long championed sounds that span the visceral expanse.

Water Sign’s heart, “Boundaries,” is exquisitely representative of John’s ability to tap into this emotive wellspring. Commencing with a four-chord piano phrase over a steady 4/4 kick and wonderfully jittery hi-hats, it gradually builds - adding bass, vocal snippets, and claps - into exultant synth soloing reminiscent of disco auteur Patrick Adams. But rather than live in that euphoria, mid-way through the track John modulates the rhythm, melody and sonic palette - shifting to electric piano, percussion, and whistles - towards something somewhat less clearly defined, what he calls “hues of vulnerability.” The musical arrangement mirrors the dynamic of falling in and out of love, and ultimately healing. “It was a personal letter to myself for closure,” he says of the impetus for the track. “Facing reality. There’s nothing to hold on to, let go. A reminder that, hey it’s all going to be okay, take a breath, find realignment, be there for yourself.”

“Cyber Dreams,” on the other hand, revels in lush escapism. Riding surging waves of keyboards and Dominica Fosati’s impassioned flute playing, it pauses to consider the wisdom of a sampled spoken voice positing, “To discover or not to discover, that is the question.” Then, after crescendo-ing in volume and intensity, it recedes back to an ambient calm. Detroit stalwart DJ/producer Patrice Scott lends an unmistakably Motor City touch to his remix of the track - infusing some on-the-one brawn to counter the original’s beauty. Musically inspired by one of John’s heroes, the late beloved producer Paul Johnson, “Foster Child” flips a shared sample source with the Chi-town legend into a moment of exuberance and acknowledgment. “Nasty” is very simply self-descriptive, an infectious all-too-brief jam session-like workout featuring Marquinn Mason’s robust saxophone.

And while the soul within these recordings betrays John’s trust in organic moments over overthinking, he’s characteristically modest about his own process and the sounds it yields: “I’m genuinely surprised that others enjoy my music because my intentions when creating are exploratory, tapping into the spiritual connection that transcends time. It’s a boundless sea of information. I yearn to be a fish. I’m slowly evolving gills.” Water Sign is an exciting stage in that evolution. 

All songs and performed by John Silas (ASCAP)

Flute in Cyber Dreams by Domenica Fossati

Sax in Nasty by Marquinn Mason

Mixed by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit NYC

Mastered by François Kevorkian

Lacquers cut by SST

Pressed at Pallas GmBH

Distributed by !K7 GmBH

Liner notes by Jeff Mao

Photography by Nehemiah Brent

Layout by Paul Raffaele

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John Silas is a Brooklyn-based producer, DJ and record store clerk with connections to such beloved shops as Captured, Almost Ready and Plug 7. His radio shows on The Lot Radio shows a tremendous range of influences that undoubtedly inform his music in addition to the art, film and literature he consumes. His contribution with John Barera to the Friends And Mentors v/a EP on Thomas Xu’s Steady Flight Circle was a highlight of 2020. He takes a new creative leap of faith as he dives into his first solo EP release via Love Injection Records in spring 2026.

Love Injection is variously known as a publication, a radio show, a DJ partnership, production duo, and a record label. Co-founded by Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele in 2015 as a monthly print fanzine, Love Injection’s continued multi-faceted expansion and evolution reflects the ongoing process of celebrating people and culture, seeking to fill in the gaps of dance music and nightlife culture’s untold stories and histories, and bring new perspectives to familiar ones. The newest branch of the Love Injection family tree is its record label, Love Injection Records. Conceptually, the label lives and operates with similarly fluid aesthetics, with one foot in the dance world and one outside of it. @loveinjection.nyc

Head Hi is an organization dedicated to art, architecture, design and sound specializing in publications and cultural programming with an espresso bar located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn by the Navy Yard. We feature a curated selection of publications from around the globe. Working with local and international artists, designers, publishers, and organizations in various fields, Head Hi is a space for exploration and interaction that hosts talks, book launches, exhibitions, music, performances and other events. Head Hi Fi enhances the experience of sound in the space with its vintage Klipsch La Scala speakers. @headhi_ny