Curtis Millen – Break Out The Cutters (2025)
Breathing life into funk and jazz sounds of yesteryear, but with a unique twist of modern-day soul slicing through the style, Curtis Millen turns heads with his eclecticism, eccentricity, and intoxicating musical vibes. We came across Millen last year with his debut single, ‘Driver’s Seat’ which kept the groove of Stevie Wonder but with a flash of the singer-songwriter’s unconventionalism. Today, we take a gander at his sophomore single, ‘Break Out The Cutters’.
Following his well-received single ‘Driver’s Seat’, ‘Break Out The Cutters’ retains the Stevie Wonder grooves but with a more stripped-back, barebones-esque vibe – or at least that’s the feeling you get within the kaleidoscopic rush of sound. It doesn’t make much sense, this duality of laid-bare-ness lurking in a multi-coloured bind of horns, bass, drums and keys. The fact is the pulsating vocals seemingly punching at the swirl of instrumentation offer personal intimacy from that part of Millen’s brain where only music makes sense.
Penned, recorded and produced with Niels Jakko Onstenk and Nike Laos, ‘Break Out The Cutters’ has the jazz/funk-defined style of the 1970s and 1980s. A strong leaning toward the horns offers a bit of a cheeky wink, while the guitar and drums keep your toe tapping to the beat. Major shout-out to the saxophone ending the track with jazz-filled flair.
As much as the melody has its complexity with Millen’s warm, rich vocals fleshing out the track, it is the theme that brings further weightiness to ‘Break Out The Cutters’. ‘Driver’s Seat’ explored “taking the lead in the bedroom…” and assuring your partner “…their pleasure is in good hands…”; however, ‘Break Out The Cutters’ sweeps to a less sensual side of our brains tackling the issue of anxiety and panic attacks.
Fighting a panic attack when on a train to a show in Amsterdam, Millen “…found himself fighting off a panic attack… ‘Break Out The Cutters’ [is] a song about breaking old habits and building on self-improvement in the name of motiving towards a purpose…”
Given his unique approach to funk, soul and jazz concoctions, it’s easy to see why Curtis Millen is establishing himself as a pioneer in Rotterdam. I cannot wait to hear more from this highly recommended musician.
Find out more about Curtis Millen on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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