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Conversations with Douglas “Johnny Badmon” Thomas

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Douglas “Johnny Badmon” Thomas

Hi Douglas “Johnny Badmon”, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I “Johnny Badmon” (Douglas Thomas) fell in love with music production when I was thirteen years old. My mother, of Jamaican descent, fostered a diverse taste of music for me ranging from east coast boom bap to old school dancehall. She also gifted me an ipod touch and the original Beats Studio headphones which I can directly accredit to catalyzing my interest in production and music creation. Not long after we obtained a family computer which I experimented with online production DAWs like Soundation and Audiotool. It was at this time I started releasing electronic and lofi beattapes under the alias “Sneakycobraprod”, “EbonicSunshine”, and “NamedJames”. “MurderValentino” (Jason Delucca) and I started recording together at my mother’s apartment in 2015. We both were apart of the same middle school band class, and our shared interest for music brought us together. At the time I was fond of producing and had already found Murder’s deep love for rapping. This started my love for engineering. Murder and I would record anytime and anywhere we could. Eventually we developed a synergy in the studio and would be able to record entire EP’s in under two hours. Murder always approached tracks with a contagious enthusiasm that motivated me everyday. He is my best friend, brother, and a creative force that I will always enjoy creating with. Fast forward to college and I changed my moniker to “Barry, The Vagabond” and was signed to an independent record label called “White Velvet Records” as a creative manager and artist. This relationship was short lived for only a year, but it provided me multiple opportunities to record and engineer in a more professional capacity. By this time I was in school full time and recording underground artists in studios and at my home studio. The fall out with “White Velvet Records” was due to my underperformance in streams as an artist. After this point I wanted to peruse my creative endeavors in a more authentic capacity. This is when I came across another creative powerhouse Micah Mason. Micah is such a spiritually entuned individual with passions ranging from music, textiles, and herbal remedies. His energy rubbed off on me and led to me furthering a fashion project of mine called //AQUA VITAE//. Under this brand I released a pair of shoes called the “Vitae Classics I”. I sold a decent amount of shoes for an initial launch, and it motivated me to peruse more creative avenues with Micah. His energy is something that is so esoteric and rare. His energy is so special to me and I am so glad to call him my brother as well. By this time, I felt like another alias change was in order to match my change of pace and demeanor. “Johnny Badmon” felt like the perfect change whilst giving homage to my Jamaican roots. From this point I felt the need to professionalize my image and my collaborators projects, so I founded the LLC “Out Of Sight Union”. Out Of Sight Union was made to prioritize creativity over all other factors no matter the medium that is presented. Valuing the artist above all else is our main focus, especially on terms of brand ownership and royalties. Murder, Micah, and I have released multiple products, music, and content under Out Of Sight Union with plenty more on the way every day.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No it was not a smooth road in the slightest. I feel like everyone in the collective struggled one way or another. It ranges from mental stresses, societal pressures, and to financial burdens. I personally struggled with depression since I was in middle school. The struggles made the path hard to walk, but it paved a way with literal blood, sweat, and tears. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a producer first, designer second, artist third, DJ fourth and lastly a manager. I found myself loving to create and curate across all of these mediums and consistently see myself blending the arts together. I specialize in sampling and I would say I’m known for an unorthodox production style. I will use multiple DAWs, analog instruments, international records, and random equipment like a 3ds game for its soundtrack or recording foley with my ipod microphone for ambiance. I’m the most proud of my most recent track with MurderValentino called “Tiger Balm”. I engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered the track. It really showed how far my technical skills have come to synergize with my creative ability.

What’s next?
We at Out Of Sight Union are working on a posse cut album, fashion lines for the summer, and a retail line of soaps and other self care products. I’m looking forward to working with other artists I respect and admire. One of the most creative artists I draw inspiration from is VI$CERAL. He’s such an experimental genius with the way he approaches tracks. We’ve been creating tracks for so many years by this point and whenever I hear something new from him it pushes me to experiment more myself. I am also looking forward to recording/producing more for local bands ranging from all genres like jazz to rock.

Pricing:

  • Mixing: $40 per track (discounts for bundles)
  • Mastering: $45 per track (discounts for bundles)
  • Beats: (email for consultation and information)
  • Management: (email for consultation)
  • Creative Direction: (email for consultation)

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Micah Mason
Deandre Thomas
Maggie Fuchs
Douglas Thomas

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