Steve 'Flash' JuonI’m relentlessly searching for new experiences. I almost said “new music” or “new artists” but the word “new” doesn’t fit into either of those quotations. Often times the experiences I discover aren’t “new” at all. They can be anywhere from a few years to a few decades old. Relatively speaking they are new to ME but in a chronological sense they are far from newborn. The upside of discovering a new experience for me though is this innate feeling I get that it just might be a new experience for YOU the reader too. It’s that same feeling you get from going to a new restaurant where you really enjoyed the food so you tell your friends about it. It’s possible their tastes aren’t the same as yours and they wouldn’t be into it, but you suspect there’s at least a chance they might like it too if they gave it a try.
Discovering “Zero Billion” by G Mills gave me all of those feelings and more. He’s clearly not new to this because this album is already a couple of years old and only one of many in his catalogue. He’s clearly not brand new to a lot listeners either because I checked the view counts and he’s racked up thousands for each instrumental. The numbers aren’t mind blowing but they’re far from the undiscovered country of the first human settlement on Mars. People have definitely been here before and with good reason. “Mostly Toasted” shows G has a very deft touch composing tracks. Each element is perfectly interwoven with the other. The lightly brushed snare pairs with the piano, the piano compliments the synths, the bass is warm and inviting, and the whole thing makes me want to sip on a cup of chai latte. If that’s not thugged out enough then I’m sorry, this music isn’t for you.
“Razzle Dazzle” gives me Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth vibes. I don’t think I could offer higher praise for the track than that so I won’t even try. If you weren’t around during the era of “Mecca and the Soul Brother” maybe go listen to that and come back. G Mills will still be here waiting. I love it when a producer knows what feels right and hits you straight in the heart with it. The great ones know what elements combine together to make your neck hairs stand up and your toes tingle.
If you’re not already convinced G Mills closes his short presentation with “Honey Buzzard.” It’s an amusingly nonsensical name for a song, but maybe it’s the natural enemy of the honey badger? It’s certainly no enemy of mine. Much like the abstract artwork on the cover of this release, I feel like I’ve just climbed up a ladder through the roof of a house that had no ceiling or walls to begin with. This song makes you float in outer space. It’s a whole ass vibe on top of another vibe.
“Zero Billion” is so good I had to tell everyone about it. Much like that metaphorical good restaurant, I get the feeling that every time I visit G Mills, I’m going to have another experience just as enjoyable as the last one. In fact the mood here is so good that if I even had one mediocre visit down the line, I’d write it off as a fluke and still go back for another one. I’m new to G Mills but I’m about to become much more familiar with Mills’ work from this point on.