He's the sometime producer for Charli XCX , and now he's turned solo artist in his own right
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts.
The lineup: Joseph Zucco.
The background: J£zus Million is a remixer and producer whose remixes and productions have been sufficiently intriguing and inventive that they warranted his stepping out as an artist in his own right. We've been told he was initially seen as a sort of peer of Clams Casino although his sound is less comatose and "cloudy" than Clams', more ebullient and busy, positing him as a US Rustie or Hudson Mohawke, although there are tracks that manage to be both cut-up and frenzied as well as ambient and laidback: not so much chopped and screwed as chopped and chilled.
It is the DJ and beatmaker's sterling work on Charli XCX's debut album True Romance and their joint venture Illusions Of – taken from London label Double Denim's first ever compilation – that have been gaining him most plaudits. She veers between a sultry low moan that is equal parts rap and heavy breathing, a high-pitched entreaty to "fall in love" and Auto-tuned melismas. The music, meanwhile, is fractured electro-funk and slow-motion maximalism that will simultaneously appeal to fans of bass music and appease those attuned to higher frequencies. No wonder J£zus Million is the one grabbing attention, although that could partly be his name, which has a certain rap bravado to it (he loves hip-hop). Then again, he's called Joseph Zucco in real life and that makes him sound like the son of a mafia boss so maybe self-aggrandisement comes naturally.
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His other new release is Cold Shoulder, released today, a maximalist mixtape (try saying that more than once) that has drawn comparisons to everyone from Philip Glass to Gucci Mane – Zucco has admitted he listens to as much classical as he does rap, and that both influenced his music, recorded in the 18-year-old's parents' basement. Certainly there are interludes that would suit a movie soundtrack, others that would work better in a club. Bottles features 21-year-old Chicagoan Sasha Go Hard, who is more Azealia than Aaliyah. She snarls over the melodic electronic R&B – Sasha's fierce – providing a nice contrast between heavenly and harsh. Jump evinces the influence of HudMo and is brim-full of whooshing synths and manic bass, enough to confuse the hell out of listeners. You could plonk the "needle" down at any point on this track and variously imagine it to be a futuristic jazz-funk work-out, an electronica record, even a prog one. Memo is another showcase for a rising frontwoman, this time British singer Yadi, although as ever the star here is the soul-sonic force of J£zus Million's hardware as he gently tortures it down there in mum and dad's basement. Smothered in hiss and crackle, and with its off-kilter strings, final track Plans seems to be based on a sample from a black-and-white thriller from the 1950s, over which a female voice, tweaked high and made to sound desperate and sad, repeats the words "use me". Just call it R&B-movie.
The buzz: "[His] production is really the star here: layered, maximalist, smart, and complex enough that 10 relistens still won't give you the full effect."
The truth: He's not the messiah, he's just a very good new producer.
Most likely to: Rise.
Least likely to: Be given the cold shoulder.
What to buy: Cold Shoulder is available as a free download.
File next to: Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Gold Panda, Bobby Tank.
Links: soundcloud.com/jezusmilli.
Tuesday's new band: Gambles.
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