RJD2
Anybody who so much as walked past a television during the 2010s is familiar with Mad Men’s foreboding theme music. What they may not know is that its composer, RJD2, is one of the most versatile and forward thinking producers in independent music. Born Ramble Jon Krohn in Eugene, Oregon, in 1976, but raised in Columbus, Ohio, RJD2 emerged in 2002 with his debut album, Deadringer. While that record’s spine was serrated hip-hop, it showcased his ability to incorporate sounds as disparate as funk and flamenco. Even as his music was catching the attention of commercial producers and Hollywood executives, RJD2 continued to push boundaries. All of RJD2’s experiments and collaborations are threaded together by a unique sense of rolling momentum, the music’s energy crescendoing in unexpected ways.