One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, this happened:

July 16, 2011 - A Night Out With Sunspot:

Since then, we released The Morning After and now, we're getting ready for the next evolution in G. Jonz production. A new mixtape compilation: Check The Recipe 2.

We're bringing hip-hop. We're bringing R&B. We're bringing pop. We're bringing new material from artists like The Right Hook, Runna, P.O.E.S. and The In$idaz. We're bringing artists that are working with Sunspot for the first time such as Balán Braxton and Mara Bettencourt.
Also, we got surprises... PLENTY OF SURPRISES!!

Tuesday, July 31st is the date - GET READY FOR A HOTTER SUMMER!!

Some Music Insight and Reflection

As I prep the finishing touches to Check The Recipe 2, I was listening to songs from the Morning After album. It's always a fun challenge producing songs. This is especially the case with R&B and pop. The artists, writers and producers must pay attention to differing cadences, levels for all singers, finding the right keys for harmonies and layers... It's a lot to juggle.

Let me be clear, this is NOT me complaining about the song-creation process. As challenging as it is to make all the elements work in a song, it's also one of the best parts. When deciding what to add/not to add to a song, certain thoughts float around:

"Will the audience understand the point I'm making when they hear this line?"

"Ooh! I can't wait until they get to THIS point of the song! They're gonna be ROCKIN to that!"

"When [insert a specific person in your audience] hears this, she's never gonna think about Oreos the same way! Ha!"

Creative juices are pumping from the moment the first kick drum is inserted into a project file to make a beat, to the writing, to the recording, all the way to the final listen of the song. It's an adrenaline rush!

Check The Recipe 2 is going to be amazing. I promise you that! A promo vid will be up shortly, but for now, listen to the song that inspired me to write this blog: "Milky Way" from 2011's The Morning After by Runna & Right Hook.

My Michael Jackson Post

It's October. That means people are into the apple-picking season, hoodies are being worn, and Halloween is coming. Michael Jackson, among many other things, was primarily known as the genius who made "Thriller." It's actually possible to think of Thriller without thinking about Halloween, but this post will be about his other songs that have a "ghostly" theme.



Ghosts "Ghosts," in its entirety, is nearly forty minutes long!!! This short film was released in 1997 and was in select theatres alongside Stephen King's "THINNER." A shortened (about 4 min) video was later released to music video networks. Because of the length of the video, it has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for longest-ever music video. Along with his other accolades, Jackson also (and still) holds the record for most expensive video - "Scream" with his sister Janet, cost $7 million.
These kids are dancing to "Ghosts" on the Michael Jackson Experience game for Nintendo Wii. They are puttin in WORK!

Threatened I always thought that, when this song came out, it was a decade too late. The entire feel of the song just screams "90s classic," which is by no means a bad thing. I just thought it was jarring that it was released on this particular album... On the other side of the coin, the electric bassline fused with a synthesized riff automatically makes this track a top candidate for "most played" on the project. "Threatened" is also the last song on Jackson's final studio album before his death. The 10-year anniversary of that album, "Invincible," is October 30, 2011.

This Is It: The Threatened ending to Jackson's Thriller set.

Life Is Always In The Mak'n

If you're a dancer, or know anyone who's a dancer, tell em to clear their schedules on Sunday, October 2. The ITM Step Squad & Dance Team is holding their annual fall auditions at the Lynn YMCA at 12 PM.

No age limits. No creative limits. If you're in the North of Boston area, bring your sweats and be ready to work! Watch the video for more:

Shout out to BossLadyTee Films for this great video.