Jason Graves has composed for games, movies, TV (including Dead Space, Until Dawn, Tomb Raider, The Order: 1886, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and a lot more) for decades, and now he’s on CrossFade!

Jason discovered Rush sometime in high school – just the right age to be listening to new, weird stuff. A drummer, he naturally gravitated toward Neil Peart’s meticulous, mathematical rhythms on “2112,” many of which still amaze him today. We spend a good bit of time unpacking the virtuosity and paradoxical openness of Rush’s landmark odyssey.

Matt’s pick, Curtis Mayfield’s film soundtrack record “Super Fly,” is way more about the steady groove than the switch-up, but it’s still full of surprises. And man, just get a load of that fat bass tone! Even when it’s not telling a story, “Super Fly” is on a journey. A hip, funky journey. Come along with us.

Follow Jason on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jgmusic and find his work at https://jasongraves.com/

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

Listen to the CrossFade Community Playlist of our community’s favorite music: 

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

0:00 - Curtis Mayfield vs. Rush (feat. Jason Graves)

1:59 - Jason’s background in music

7:58 - Rush’s “2112”

16:11 - I. Overture

24:20 - II. Temples of Syrinx

28:29 - III. Discovery

32:14 - IV. Presentation

35:12 - V. Oracle: The Dream

38:09 - VII. The Grand Finale

40:09 - A Passage to Bangkok

44:19 - The Twilight Zone

48:00 - Lessons

56:08 - Curtis Mayfield’s “Super Fly”

1:01:28 - Super Fly

1:04:19 - Little Child Runnin’ Wild

1:08:51 - Junkie Chase

1:10:54 - Freddie’s Dead

1:15:07 - Pusherman

1:19:41 - Eddie You Should Know Better

1:22:34 - Community Questions: Abandoning art, songs that make you feel cool & more

1:41:34 - Slipknot - “The Heretic Anthem” (suggested by MinnMax supporter Mike Lynch)