British-American rapper and singer/songwriter Jason Aaron Mills — who has been performing under the moniker IDK since the mid-2010s — has always aimed to make diverse, multi-faceted music with an immersive blend of organic sounds. And thanks to his favorite instrument, his ability to do that majorly leveled up.
In this episode of It Goes to 11, meet IDK's Nord Electro keyboard, which he says he loves because it helps him achieve an array of different sounds and tones.
"It can mimic a lot of the sounds, like my favorite piano sound is the Rhodes [electric piano]," he explains. "And it can mimic the grand piano really well, the Wurli… a bunch of different sounds can come out of that that sound authentic."
The story of how he acquired the piano isn't particularly memorable: IDK says he found it on one of the online marketplaces. "I think I got this, honestly, on OfferUp or Reverb or something. I met with somebody and just picked it up, or they brought it to my house," he remembers.
But the experience of using the instrument for the first time is one he'll never forget. "When we first started using it, the first reaction was, 'It sounds pretty close to the real deal — especially the organ sounds,'" IDK details.
"I think a lot of my sound is taking an organic base, and then I just build forward-thinking elements and sonics around that," he continues. "So that it comes from a musical place, but then I take it to a place that's a little more contemporary."
Press play on the video above to learn more about how IDK uses his Nord Electro — and how it helps him create the rhythms and vibes that are the first step in his creative process — and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more episodes of It Goes to 11.