Which Song Changed 96five’s Justin Rouillon?

Off the back of his Easterfest podcast, 96five’s Justin Rouillon was asked to reflect on a song that impacted him for the hit podcast series ‘Songs That Changed You’.

It’s not often that a song hits you right between the eyes and makes you sit up and take notice of a band or artist.

For 96five’s Justin Rouillon, whose huge CD and record collection speak to a lifelong love of music, the standout artists can sometimes feel few and far between.

But just like a grizzled old prospector, panning for gold in an Alaskan river, every now and then you get a Eureka moment.

In late 2004 that happened for Justin when he was handed a copy of Mutemath’s ‘Reset’ EP, the debut release from a then fledgling band formed out of the ashes of Christian band ‘Earthsuit’.

‘Songs That Changed You’ is a podcast about Christian music, where host Aiden Grant is joined by a guest to discuss a song of their choice, that has had a profound impact on their life and their journey with God.

Justin joined Aiden to reflect on that moment of hearing the opening track ‘Control’ for the first time.

“It was a real wow, what is this kind of moment, because Mutemath combined elements of funk, soul, hip-hop, blues along with new wave influences like The Police and early U2. But their music doesn’t just sound like this mish-mash of styles; it’s really cohesive and the thing that struck me was how creative the music was.”

Justin said that unlike some bands and artists in the Christian music sphere, who were content with writing to a formula, Mutemath had really thrown the rule book out of the window.

“They blended their sonic signature which was built on the use of vintage equipment like the Fender Rhodes piano, vintage synthesizers and tape delays, with really great songwriting. I really feel like great artists find their sound, and they find their voice and when their audience discovers them they all go on a journey together.”

You can listen to the full conversation between Justin and Aiden in the latest episode of ‘Songs That Changed You’ in the podcast player at the top of this page. You can also find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the episode you can also find out more about Justin’s podcast ‘The Rise & Fall of Easterfest’, and what drove him to produce the audio documentary.

You can listen to that in the audio player below.

Main Image: 96five’s Justin Rouillon appears on the latest episode of ‘Songs That Changed You’ (supplied).