INTERVIEW: Truant.J

With Ruminations, arriving October 17, Truant.J delivers his most refined and narrative-driven work yet — an EP that bridges emotional introspection with the hypnotic pulse of the club. Built around driving percussion, addictive leads, and a cleaner, more direct production approach, the record marks both a personal and technical evolution for the Vancouver-based artist. Inspired by cyber-futurist imagery, classic films like Metropolis and Blade Runner, and his own process of transformation, Ruminations unfolds as a story of resilience and rediscovery. It captures Truant.J’s ability to fuse raw emotion with forward-thinking sound design — a dark yet liberating reflection of his journey through challenge, growth, and creative clarity.

Ruminations is set to release on October 17. Can you walk us through the main concept or narrative behind this EP, and how it differs (or evolves) from your prior work

Ruminations is a story I wanted to tell, and one that began for me after finishing the title track. One of the things I truly love about Techno is people's ability to impose their own vision or story just on the music, so I didn't want to go too deep into my own thinking there, but rather leave breadcrumbs. Technically, the focus is on driving percussion and addicting sounds and leads to push the records. It's certainly more of a club-forward record than some of the others I've done.

Your music frequently explores darker textures and emotional depth. What were the key sonic or thematic inspirations for this EP (e.g. personal experiences, other music, visual art)?

 I think that when I try to tell a narrative, it draws from many things: personal experiences, as well as art and literature that I enjoy. For this one, I really wanted to explore some personal themes, but put them in a different environment and look at them in a different way. Visual art that inspired me for this was definitely old cyber futurism, Metropolis, and Blade Runner.

In past releases (e.g. TRUANT002) you’ve emphasized “exploration of darker sounds, textures, and emotions.”  How did your production process change (if at all) for Ruminations? Any new techniques, tools, or workflows you experimented with?

Many, I’ve grown a lot as an artist in terms of techniques and influences. I think my technical focus has been on simplicity; this is something I’ve been working with a lot recently, using very strong basic elements and doing less engineering on each one. Also, the style is a bit cleaner and therefore has less of that fun distortion and experimentation, but still provides a lot of opportunities to learn new things.

You’re based in Vancouver, Canada, and have had vinyl releases and support from techno acts internationally. How does your local scene (Vancouver or West Coast) shape your sound, and how do you balance that with global influences?

Part of my goal with the label is to try and connect international and local artists whom I really look up to. I’ve done a bit of that on past releases and aim to continue that with future releases. I think that Vancouver has a very distinct 'west coast' sound that I would love to connect more to the international scene.

Which track on Ruminations do you feel is the most personal or emotionally resonant to you, and can you describe the back-story or creative moment behind it?

Certainly the title track. I think the whole EP comes from working through some challenging things in my life, and I really  feel like Ruminations is an expression of conquering that and reaching a better place. 

The transition between EPs often involves reflection and growth. Looking forward, what directions or new sonic territories are you interested in exploring after Ruminations?

I'm certainly exploring more trancy and progressive sounds again, whereas previous EPs were much more focused on sonic textures and layers. Though I hope I've carried some of that forward, this EP is much more focused on cleaner and driving progressive sounds.

(Bonus) For listeners hearing Ruminations for the first time, is there anything you hope they take away or feel — some emotional or conceptual “residue” that lingers after the music stops?

More than anything I hope people just get a bit of that sense of escape. Most people who are avid Techno listeners have probably felt that deep into a set of an artist they love at a venue they enjoy. I’d love to capture just a little bit of that.

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