Mindbender

1) A Canadian hip hop artist. 2) An early Trance/Techno act also known as Mortal and Jyradelix a.k.a. Jyro Xhan and Jerome Fontamillas A giant leap forward in reflecting the dance underground is the new album from LA duo MINDBENDER. Tony Cummings got their story. Mindbender...doesn't sound like belongs to 29 year old Johann Fontamillas and 28 year old Wilson Peralta whose eponymous album for N*SOUL heralds another step forward in the Christian scene, into ambient/techno/trance.

2) An early Trance/Techno act also known as Mortal and Jyradelix a.k.a. Jyro Xhan and Jerome Fontamillas
A giant leap forward in reflecting the dance underground is the new album from LA duo MINDBENDER. Tony Cummings got their story.

Mindbender...doesn't sound like belongs to 29 year old Johann Fontamillas and 28 year old Wilson Peralta whose eponymous album for N*SOUL heralds another step forward in the Christian scene, into ambient/techno/trance.

Wilson and Johann have known each other since College. Johann's brother Jerome played with the fondly-remembered metal/dance fusion team Mortal. In 1989 Johann was introduced to the world of dance music. "We were living in a loft in downtown L.A.," Johann remembers. "Some of our friends started promoting warehouse dance parties and we went along to see what it was all about. It was a real underground scene but there wasn't any Christian input to it. Wilson and I started playing around with some programming ideas and it grew from there."

In 1992 the dance affiliate of Frontline, MYX Records, started to put together an album under the generic title of Jyradelix using Mortal. Mortal's Jerome Fontamillas roped in his brothers group, resplendent in the surreal name of Psycho-Lizards, to do a couple of tracks for the project. "We did 'Out For Love' and 'Take My Life' and one more. A lot of people said nice things about our tracks - but we never did find out how many copies it sold - Frontline are very secretive about things like that! Anyway, after that Wilson and I really started to take the whole dance thing quite seriously and beefed up our sampler."

Mindbender are thrilled about landing a record deal with Scott Blackwells N*SOUL Records. "NSOUL have been pioneers and it's an honor working with them," comments Johann. He describes their music as "trancy and Holy Spirit-filled." Johann continued, "People underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. People are being touched by our music. And that's the main objective."

Johann considers "Ambien" and "Dreamin" to be the strongest cuts on 'Mindbender'. But already the duo are hard at work on their second album. "It will be a little heavier with more guitar," commented Johann. 'One song we've completed is called 'Breathe'. It's about our need to breathe more of the life of Jesus. Also we have talked to a couple of singers about singing on it - possible Sandra Stephens."

As a second generation Phillippino Christian (he attends the Loa Linda Seventh Day Adventist Phillippino Church) Johann is very aware of the racism epidemic in American culture. "I remember during the time we were recording the Jyradelix album in the wake of the riots. And there are still so many problems of prejudice. There are no easy answers to this huge problem. One thing I do know is that music and particularly dance music breaks down racial barriers. A lot of it is based on black R&B and it's great to go into a dance club and see whites and blacks dancing together."

Christian dance music has not yet brought many rewards for Mindbender. Johann works in a local hospital while Wilson has a position at the Hollywood Musicians Union. But Johann is bristling with the possibilities for the future. "Our aim as a group is simple, to keep making the best music we possibly can, keep praying together, and let the Holy Spirit do his work."

Mindbender combines a blend of live instruments, samples, beats and messages, synthesized keyboards, guitars and vocals that result in a totally mindbending techno sound!

As with the scene they are part of Mindbender are always expanding, growing, changing, becoming. The latest changes effect the very core of Mindbender, the name! Wilson and Johann have decided after 2 years to leave the name Mindbender behind and move in a new direction with a new name Erinfall.

Discography:

Mindbender
Jan-01-00