John Juan Mendez, aka Silent Servant, has passed away

The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Photo credit: Silent Servant – Facebook

Los Angeles-based DJ and producer John Juan Mendez, widely known by his stage name Silent Servant, has sadly passed away. The news was confirmed today, January 19th, 2024 by Mendez’s management, Triangle Agency.

Although the cause of death has not been disclosed, it is believed that Mendez’s partner, Simone Ling, and Luis Vasquez, also known as the darkwave musician The Soft Moon, tragically lost their lives in the same incident.

Mendez had a significant impact on electronic music for over 30 years. He was a member of Sandwell District, a techno collective with Regis, Female, and Function. After Sandwell District disbanded in 2011, Mendez co-founded Jealous God, a respected record label, with Regis and James Ruskin. The label released records from artists like Varg, Phase Fatale, and Black Merlin.

Mendez also released music on labels such as Cititrax, BITE, and Hospital Productions. His latest solo EP, ‘In Memoriam,’ was released on Tresor. A new Sandwell District compilation called ‘WHERE NEXT?’ was recently announced.

As a DJ, Mendez performed at renowned techno clubs worldwide, including Berghain, Tresor, Bassiani, and KHIDI. Mendez had diverse musical tastes and regularly featured new wave, minimal synth, and industrial music on his NTS Radio show. He was also involved in art direction and photography.