Meet Jon Wiilde – a Sacramento-based producer with a style and pedigree that simply screams “breakout artist.”
A beat-making savant with a penchant for penning heart-pounding songs with traces of R&B, soul, and blues reimagined for a new generation, this young solo artist appears poised to connect with a diverse and passionate audience along his search to manifest inspiration. To find out where the Wiilde beats are, kindly take a journey into the forest with one of Sacramento’s most arresting young talents.
With his debut video, “Shot Me,” Jon immediately establishes himself as an idiosyncratic artist capable of effortlessly fusing genres. Establishing shots of a naturalistic forest setting transport us to a world of lush beauty until the camera pans down to reveal a record player laying peacefully on the forest floor. The needle drops and an anticipatory, filtered sample flutters across the stereo spectrum, riding its own rhapsodic groove until it is interrupted by a murderous drum pattern consisting of a fiery hi-hat, kick, and snare flow. Across the remaining two-and-a-half minutes of high-speed compositional fireworks, these drums are incessant, determined and daring; making absolutely no apologies as they tear through the speakers with reckless abandon.
The loving contrast of organic and sampled elements present in the mix demonstrates that this is an exercise in both artistic strength and flexibility, with a soulful Bill Withers sample that runs through the core of this gloriously tricked-out track, paying homage to the likes of production giants such as Kanye West and DJ Premier. The understated quality of the video beautifully captures Jon in his element, with the spotlight placed firmly on the producer’s emphatic performative gestures. For a debut video, “Shot Me” is a beatific vision that is sure to leave viewers clamoring for more. Check out more of Jon Wiilde’s kaleidoscopic sounds here.
Preview by: Dennis Moon