It has always been a tough job defining a long-experienced artist’s journey. Highlighting his most valuable moments, and labeling his precise style is a complex job. It would be like restraining the sea’s water, having in mind that water will always keep its path.
Analogy that works perfectly when defining Junior Mackenzie’s work. A work that goes with the life’s course and for instance it can’t be stopped.
Junior Mackenzie sprouts from Juan Fortea’s creative restlessness and his lively uneasiness. He has the ability to filter and transform the darkest moments life brings into something beautiful.
Hence, Junior Mackenzie is not an ordinary musician or singer-songwriter. Junior Mackenzie is a collective project born from an individual whose main purpose is to materialize his songs.
Junior Mackenzie’s creative works are like a logbook where he depicts not just his storms and shipwrecks but also how the sun rises and how it always shines at the end.
Juan Fortea’s work is the consequence of his voyages, of his vivid experiences and of his agreements and disagreements. These lived moments have a connection and continuity on his music. They are his motivation and his life engine.
The resounding universe of Junior Mackenzie is an epitome composed of intertwined elements, creating timeless pieces with no stylistic limits. This
is how Junior Mackenzie offers stoning sceneries where you can escape from the noise that pollutes and twists human existence.
A wide phonographic record (four Lp and four Ep records) shows the evolution of this artist. An evolution based on the artist’s self-management and his nonstop hard work.
Junior Mackenzie walks sure-footed, unceasing, but without haste. He rediscovers himself in each of his works.
It is not surprising then, we are situated before a long path of tours. Some of them have been shared with recognized artists such as Richard Hawley, Frank Black or The Kills among others.
“Files of Life” (2017) was praised by the musical media. This work was listed as one of the best recordings of the year.
The Valencian Institute of Culture granted The Carles Santos award to the single video of the album, Haze.
“Files of Life” took the band to tour Spain, Portugal and France. The band has participated in famous festivals and concerts just as the FIB or Radio, RNE.
Even though Junior Mackenzie’s music is not for everybody’s taste since it requires active listening, the band has achieved a troop of faithful followers through all these years.
Perhaps it is Junior Mackenzie’s honesty, esthesis and/or his natural approach that gets a two-way dialogue with his public; creating then a global brotherhood where both can shelter oneself.
Many pages could be written about Junior Mackenzie, his defeats, his accomplishments, influences, etc.
Junior Mackenzie’s works, songs and video clips would be able to be crumbled if we could do a dissection session. The beautiful and interesting thing about this project is that it is within reach of the listener. In that sense, everybody can read and feel their own way while Juan Fortea takes us through his musical imagination.
