Quick quiz: Would you rather be affiliated with iconic publishing house BMG or red-hot supernatural television show Stranger Things? Fortunately for Australian electronic musician J Motor, he doesn’t have to choose: He’s managed to sidle himself to both. He has also snagged some sync placements with MTV and Bud Light.
Born Jonathan Vassallo, the black-circle-spinner recently struck a global publishing deal with BMG and just issued a remix version of “Jungle Daze,” the Stranger Things track crafted by producer Luke Million.
If that’s a bit of a mouthful, we can let J Motor distill it for you: “They recognized my strong sense of artistry, someone who could add a really good pop sound to alternative music. Electronic music has been around for a while, but we were more experimental, and they felt like I could contribute to alternative music with my pop melodies.”
J Motor’s relationship with BMG jelled thanks to BMG Australia Managing Director Heath Johns, who the artist claims “saw a gap in the publishing world in Australia.” As luck would have it, J Motor’s manager “was looking around and a few things came up.”
“They felt I could contribute to alternative music with my pop melodies.”
The artist did some research of his own, and he was sold pretty much right away. “When ‘Jungle Daze’ started going viral, I got hit up by Heath ... and said we had to get on this,” J Motor recalls. A party ensued, sealing the deal, and since the success of the “Jungle Daze” remix, J Motor has worked on about 10 more songs. “I’m fussy with my releases— some are for me, a bunch are for other artists,” he reveals. “Now I have all this strong content to showcase.”
For his own part, J Motor has issued an EP, which includes the single “Meet in the Sky.”
“My long-term goal is jump on tour with some longtime friends, [fellow Australians] the Griswolds,” he says. The artist has loftier dreams too: a full-fledged record, hopefully on his dream label: Atlantic.
“I’m a happy independent artist now,” he says, “but they’ve recognized my strong sense of artistry.
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