VIDEO MUSIC NOT MUSIC VIDEOS
“Pop culture is reflected in the music of the moment, and we can do what other DJs and visual artists can’t, which is bringing it all together in real time.”
In the early 1990s Jonny lived in London and got into sample-based and electronic music. He was a nightclub DJ, “making mashup videos.” He slowly transitioned into remixing movie clips and turning sound effects and talking head interviews into rhyming songs. He worked on the MTV Mash show.
Jonny’s collaborations are the stuff of legend, and his client list is a who’s who of top brands and agencies. Jonny worked with Donald Glover to create the Childish Gambino Mixtape, and with Public Enemy’s Chuck D on Outta Sight. U2, Fatboy Slim, Rick & Morty, Dr. Who, and Phish are among the many to recruit Jonny for official videos. Monty Python added Jonny’s remixes to their YouTube channel and used one of them for their comeback show at the O2 Arena.
Jonny’s entire collection of music, movie, television, and sports remixes have had hundreds of millions of views. Stephen Colbert played one of his videos on The Colbert Report, James Corden aired his Carpool Karaoke remix, and Jonny performed live with Chuck D, Questlove, and Clyde Stubblefield on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
When friends that Jonny knew from hanging out with the “stage tech people and geeks” were getting into crypto art, he sent out a tweet saying that he wanted to try it. He was onboarded and found himself surrounded by “amazing people” like Coldie and XCOPY, who “helped me out a lot.”
At the same time, wanting to use his own artwork in his videos, Jonny learned more about 3D and 4D graphics. “Because I’m hyper-aware of copyright, I’ve always created original music. Now I can do very intricate mixes, and I don’t need copyright clearance. AI is opening new doors into making clips that look as good as big budget movies.”
Jonny’s latest offering, a remake of his brilliant ‘Everybody Wants To Dance’ creation, uses AI-generated images to produce video music featuring wellknown actors from iconic movie scenes.
Jonny is collaborating with NeonGlitch86, who built XCOPY’s Griff Bar. “The whole idea is that the Metaverse needs to be interesting. Instead of just watching a video screen with a DJ on it, you are part of the event; you can control objects that made sounds and change the visuals. You bounce on drum machines and play them with your friends. Pop culture is reflected in the music of the moment, and we can do what other DJs and visual artists can’t, which is bringing it all together in real time.”
Pretty dope!