John’s music biography
Welcome to the biography of John T. Webster, also known as Reverend John, Johnsky, and Tom Weber.
Early Beginnings
John began his musical journey in 1985 as the drummer for the pop band Peter Pan, which released the single A Night at the Hippodrome. After leaving the band, he performed with several local bands, including Mens Club, Rapunzel, and Jiggie’s Rock Band.
In 1990, John collaborated with Austrian pop singer Erwin Bros to write and produce Nur vom Frieden zu reden, which was nominated for the Eurovision Song Contest and achieved 3rd place in the Austrian pre-selection. During this period, he balanced drumming in local bands with co-founding his first music studio alongside Werner Freistaedter and Erwin Geppner, the masterminds behind the dance project Unique 2.
Rise in the Music Industry
While continuing his studio work, John produced remixes and original pop productions, gaining momentum with projects like Unique 2’s 1996 hit Break My Stride, a #1 chart-topper across Europe. He also worked with Austrian singer Malice and embarked on a live tour with Bratislava’s Freddy’s Dance Group.
Additional notable projects included Sana Sun for natural cosmetics guru Wolfgang Styx and Roots Rock Symphony with reggae band Roots Vibration, which enjoyed airplay on Austria’s OE3 radio station.
International Success
In 1996, John moved to Los Angeles, where he worked on global projects, including the remix album Dance Party for Big Mountain and a remix of Enrique Iglesias’ hit Rhythm Divine. He collaborated with artists such as Vixenova, Alberto Aspe, and Michael McAuliffe.
Returning to Europe
In 2000, John joined AVID (Digidesign) as a MIDI and audio specialist, which brought him back to Europe. He worked with prominent German artists and bands, including The Scorpions, and co-founded Rubberdog Music with Sven Sorring and Ric Engelhardt. Together, they created the stage play Dog Stories and established their record label.
Diversifying Expertise
Between 2005 and 2016, John worked for top audio brands like WAVES and TC Electronic, holding senior management roles across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Despite his corporate commitments, he continued to produce music, including two albums for the Cowgaroo project: Soul Light (2008) and Dog Stories: The Adventures of Rubberdog (2013).
Transition to Health Consulting
Currently, John has expanded his focus to alternative health through his business EMEG (Effective Measures to Maintain Health), offering comprehensive mind-body health checks and personalized consultations.
DEUTSCHE BIOGRAPHIE
Willkommen zur Biografie von John T. Webster, auch bekannt als Reverend John, Johnsky und Tom Weber.
Die Anfänge
John begann seine musikalische Laufbahn 1985 als Schlagzeuger der Popband Peter Pan mit der Single A Night at the Hippodrome. Nach seinem Ausstieg spielte er in verschiedenen lokalen Bands wie Mens Club, Rapunzel und Jiggie’s Rock Band.
1990 schrieb und produzierte er zusammen mit dem österreichischen Popsänger Erwin Bros den Song Nur vom Frieden zu reden, der für den Eurovision Song Contest nominiert wurde und beim österreichischen Vorentscheid den 3. Platz belegte. Während dieser Zeit gründete er mit Werner Freistaedter und Erwin Geppner sein erstes Musikstudio. Werner und Erwin waren die kreativen Köpfe hinter dem erfolgreichen Dance-Projekt Unique 2.
Aufstieg in der Musikbranche
John etablierte sich durch Remixe und eigene Pop-Produktionen. Besonders hervorstach Unique 2’s Hit Break My Stride(1996), der europaweit Platz 1 erreichte. Er arbeitete mit der Wiener Sängerin Malice zusammen und tourte mit Freddy’s Dance Group aus Bratislava durch Österreich.
Weitere Highlights waren Sana Sun für den Naturkosmetik-Guru Wolfgang Styx und Roots Rock Symphony mit der Reggae-Band Roots Vibration, die regelmäßig im österreichischen Radio OE3 gespielt wurde.
Internationale Erfolge
1996 zog John nach Los Angeles, wo er an internationalen Projekten arbeitete, darunter das Remix-Album Dance Partyfür Big Mountain und ein Remix von Enrique Iglesias’ Hit Rhythm Divine. Er kollaborierte mit Künstlern wie Vixenova, Alberto Aspe und Michael McAuliffe.
Rückkehr nach Europa
2000 trat John bei AVID (Digidesign) als MIDI- und Audio-Spezialist ein, was ihn zurück nach Europa führte. Er arbeitete mit deutschen Top-Künstlern wie den Scorpions zusammen und gründete mit Sven Sorring und Ric Engelhardt das Label Rubberdog Music. Gemeinsam entwickelten sie das Bühnenstück Dog Stories.
Erweiterung der Expertise
Zwischen 2005 und 2016 war John für führende Audio-Marken wie WAVES und TC Electronic in leitenden Positionen tätig. Gleichzeitig produzierte er weiterhin Musik, darunter die Alben Soul Light (2008) und Dog Stories: The Adventures of Rubberdog (2013) für das Cowgaroo-Projekt.
Wechsel in die Gesundheitsberatung
Heute widmet sich John mit seinem Unternehmen EMEG (Effective Measures to Maintain Health) der alternativen Gesundheitsberatung und bietet umfassende Körper-Geist-Checks sowie individuelle Beratungen an.
Equipment List
Equipment List
I will attempt to recall all the equipment I’ve used throughout my production journey.
The Beginnings (1989)
In 1989, I met my long-time music collaborator Werner Freistaetter. He owned an Atari 1040 computer, paired with a Logic MIDI interface, which we used to trigger a Roland 19″ module. This setup marked the start of my first studio experience.
We borrowed additional equipment from local musicians, recording everything on regular audio tape. Later, Werner purchased our first samplers: an EMULATOR E-Max and, subsequently, an AKAI S-1000 Sampler.
When Erwin joined the studio, he brought along Korg M1 and Yamaha DX7II keyboards, enhancing our setup. Our first mixing desk was a borrowed live console, until Werner acquired our first 32-track studio console.
The 1990s
During the ’90s, I accumulated a rack full of essential equipment, including:
- AKAI S-1100 Sampler
- Waldorf Microwave
- Korg Wavestation AD
- Yamaha TG-77
- Roland 2080 Rack
- EMU Rack Synths
- A rack-mounted Minimoog (Studio Electronics)
My console at the time was a 32-track Allen & Heath analog console. For monitoring, I relied on Yamaha NS-10 speakers (which I still use today) and a pair of Tannoy 15″ studio monitors.
As my sequencer, I used Cubase on an Atari 1040 ST, recording audio on two Alesis ADAT Gen. 1 digital machines.
Los Angeles Era
During my time in Los Angeles, I upgraded to a Pro Tools Mix System with 32 inputs, powered by an Apple Power Mac 9500. MIDI sequencing was still handled with Cubase, while audio recording was done in Pro Tools v.4. The two systems were synced using the Mac’s internal IAC bus.
Back in Europe
After joining Avid as a product specialist, I utilized a Pro Tools HD demo system and began incorporating VST instruments running on a separate PC. This setup remains active in Werner’s studio today.
Current Setup
Currently, I work entirely “in the box” on a 2015 MacBook Pro. My arsenal includes a wide range of top-notch plugins for instruments and mixing, from manufacturers such as:
- Waves
- Plugin Alliance
- Native Instruments
- Spectrasonics
- Slate Digital
- Farbfilter
- Keilwert Audio
- Vengeance
- Avid
- Vahalla
- Streaky
- OZONE 11
- Arturia
- and many more
My primary DAW is Pro Tools, although I occasionally use Apple Logic or PreSonus Studio One.
For mixing, I personally find that Pro Tools delivers the best sound. For songwriting, however, other DAWs might offer better workflows.