How to Make Music and Influence People

Jon McMillion should be in marketing. He's managed to engineer himself the best kind of buzz for himself after his debut at last night's Oscillate. Much of the crowd was left confused, not by the music he was performing, but by the fact that very few knew who Jon was. Within Seattle's incredibly insular techno scene, it's hard to pull off that sort of surprise, but Jon executed this social manipulation perfectly (whether that was his intention is beside the point).

Jon McMillion is the producer for the latest release on locally founded and owned Orac Records. His Inner Floor EP has gained high praise from the Stranger's Dave Segal, a stickler if ever there was one, but hasn't generated much local buzz until last night. After an expansive opening set from Randy Jones (co-founder of Orac), Jon McMillion took to the stage. Visibly nervous, he leaned over his laptop and let the music do the talking. Segal's comparison to Bruno Pronsato was immediately brought to mind, and while accurate, McMillion brought enough personal flavor to not come off as a Pronsato clone. His layering, song structure, and overall texture provided fodder for both the chinstroking crowd and the dancefloor. The primary criticism of the set would be that at times there were too many details, too many ideas competing at once for attention, but that's a relatively small issue. Considering this is just the start of Jon McMillion's techno story, that sort of enthusiasm is understood.

If last night is considered the "awkward" beginning, then in not too long Seattle may have yet another lauded producer in its techno ranks. Well played McMillion. Seattle, keep your eyes out for this one.

Jon McMillion - A Trip To / Greyish Swing