January 2026’s episode of Join The Future on Noods Radio – the first of season six, fact fans – is a special one. It features a lightly edited conversation with one of electronic music’s true polymaths – a producer who’s deep and dense catalogue is a veritable treasure chest of high-grade futurist techno, IDM, ambient, ambient techno, sun-splashed and Brazilian-inspired workouts, and impressively successful electronic experiments.

In truth, I’ve wanted to get John Beltran on the show for some time. Operative as a releasing artist since 1991, Beltran has been both prolific and impressively reliable in the 35 or so years that have passed since he debuted as Placid Angles. There have been numerous projects and alternative aliases – Sol Set, CNS, Nostalgic – as well as appearances on R&S Records (and its ambient leaning Apollo offshoot), Peacefrog, Delsin, Magicwire and, most recently, Oath Creations.

It’s to the latter label that he’s returned to for his latest album as Placid Angles, a 90s IDM and ambient techno inspired project Beltran relaunched late last decade. The album in question, which hits stores in a few weeks, is called Canada – a widescreen epic whose emotional inspiration came from the people and landscape of Michigan’s close northern neighbour.

It’s great, of course, and leans into many key aspects of Beltran’s musical approach, from his mastery of mood and emotion, and a sonic palette that tends towards the starry and far-sighted, to the frequently unheralded nods to British electronic music culture of the 1990s and beyond. You can hear it for yourself via Oath’s Bandcamp store.

A few weeks back, John joined me via Zoom to discuss Canada (the album and the country), the Placid Angles project, his creative process, the influences he’s long showcased in his work, and much more besides. Below, you can listen to the resultant radio show, which breaks up our conversation via picks from Beltran’s catalogue. There’s so much more music I could have used, but I wanted to share as much of the conversation as possible.

Thanks to John for joining me. A written feature, based on this conversation, can be read now via Juno Daily.

Join The Future: S6E1 – John Beltran in conversation (first transmitted 28 January 2026)

John Beltran – The Warning Storm (outro)
John Beltran interview – part one
Placid Angles – Tides Alternate (featuring Tom VR)
John Beltran interview – part two
Sol Set – Maragogi
John Beltran interview – part three
John Beltran – Flower Power Nuclear Submarine
John Beltran interview – part four
John Beltran – Yangu Miele (Xique-Xique Remix)