The man from Sonic State

MANILA, Philippines – A record producer’s competence can be put on display in one stroke of genius. That is so true for Jonathan Ong, the man-on-top delivering superb quality recordings that come off his very own Sonic State Audio which caters to recording, mixing, scoring, jingle and theme-making, and almost everything that has to do with sound recording.

Recalling his session with the band Orange & Lemons for the recording of Pinoy Ako, he remembered bringing in a banduria so that the song’s opening riff would be played on the instrument. His suggestion mattered much as few local songs have had an intro as identifiable as that heard on Pinoy Ako. Needless to say, it helped transform the number into an instant classic.

Through the power of word of mouth, the music community from both the mainstream and underground has found a homey sanctuary in Sonic State, a cozy makeshift of a studio built directly in front of Jonathan’s garage. Literally it is his home located along Guerrero St. in Brgy. Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City. It’s a place where he grew up. And now it’s also the source of audio stuff heard on the popular Eat, Bulaga! and has produced significant recordings in the past 10 or so years, including hits from Gloc-9, Kamikazee, Maja Salvador, ONL, 143 and other famous and upcoming recording acts.

What it somehow lacks in state-of-the-art facilities, Sonic State makes up for high-quality equipment. More importantly, the world standard approach in producing records, from laying in to mastering, to scheduling and mingling with clients. Jonathan shared, “The comeback band Hale hooked up with us recently and mused they didn’t know where to find us.”

For the crisp sound recordings that artists find natural for Sonic State to deliver, he explained, “I guess we have the ability to HD (high-definition) the music. We separate color in music the way Blu-Ray does in images. That is why our recordings ay malinaw, detalyado at maluwag.”

Well, that’s easier said than done. But Jonathan, whose father Joseph collected records that musically influenced him in his youth, had the training to back that up. In fact, before creating Sonic State, he spent a dozen years abroad, mostly in New York, to work in various studios in the US and learn from foreign recording masters. To stress the point, he produced records for Motown and was managed by Gerry Griffith whose track record included discovering a singer named Whitney Houston.

Apart from knowing the technicalities of recording through a globally competent approach, Jonathan is likewise a true blue musician, something many of our veterans in the recording booths aren’t. Thus, he understands the psyche of artists more as he knows how to play instruments himself; add the fact he’s a psychology graduate.

He used to be in a band playing drummer and at a time when analog recording was the only thing around, he produced the first Youth album using a drum machine. In the process, he became longtime friends with the band’s bassist Robert Javier who also produces sound for Eat, Bulaga! and later led the noontime show to hearing what Jonathan could offer.

“I had the dream,” he expressed, “I wanted to produce cutting-edge music and compete on equal ground with the world’s best. My training made me see the digital revolution coming.”

Jonathan’s first big break here after New York came by accident as Robert inadvertently exposed his kind of sound to the bosses in Eat, Bulaga! who in turn immediately saw that his work is of premium quality. In no time he was hired to produce the audio side of the show. Thus, he’s been with the 37-year-old program since December of 2004. Amusingly, he’s the very voice behind the “Magbayanihan tayo” line usually heard prior to or after commercial breaks.

Versatility and openness are part of Sonic State’s competitive nature. He won around 18 Awit Awards for recordings he orchestrated. He even got Anvil Awards in New York for themes he created for the recent national Elections, including one that speaks about “bilog na hugis itlog.”

Jonathan employs two sound engineers in Chrisanthony “Not” Vinzons and Brian Lotho, both band players coming from Letter Day Story and Join The Club, respectively. This writer has recently worked in the studio with both and safe to say they are highly skilled, polite, and cool. It takes one to experience that homey feeling being inside Sonic State and working with these well-trained dudes.

One time, The STAR witnessed Jonathan coming in and giving his two cents’ worth in style for a material being recorded. Excitedly he asked if he could contribute something; then played a guitar riff impromptu that fitted well.

Asked to explain more about his approach in recording, Jonathan pointed out, “It’s garbage in, garbage out. Sketch pa lang ng gagawin mo dapat maayos na. If this is a salon, I’m the stylist and the artist is the model.”

At present, Sonic State, with its 12-year run certainly a proof of its effective service and great contribution to improving recording quality in the Philippines, stretches its arm through artist management with the aim of penetrating the international market. Jonathan asked his sister Jinky, whom he fondly calls boss, to act as the manager.

The journey has already begun after newcomer Leanne and Naara’s digital debut Again charted atop the Spotify’s Viral 50 in the Philippines and hit No. 12 globally. It was well-received by Singapore and Malaysia, too. After the song’s release last August, it managed to enjoy 85,000 unique listeners on Spotify in just three days. Sonic State and Warner teamed up to push the girl duo and by all indication it is an act to watch for.

Jonathan argued, “We’re setting our sights on the international market now that we are developing artists who have the ability to cross over in foreign territories.”

With him at the helm, the studio has always been in the forefront of change in the musical landscape. It was this place that produced Kamikazee’s Narda during the band surge of mid-2000s. Then when it was time for hip-hop and rap, it cuddled Gloc-9 to churning out strong cuts. In fact, Upuan is one of Jonathan’s pet tracks, which he describes as “an epic nationalist song na di baduy,” its intro arrangement still poignantly haunting him each time he hears it.

Recently, Sonic State acknowledged that celebrity singers have stolen some of the spotlight. Hence, it welcomed the likes of Maja and Jennylyn Mercado. Among bands, it is supporting acts like Hale, its sound expected to take a different route from The Day You Said Goodnight, and Silent Sanctuary, a band that for Jonathan gets the airplay because it veers away from the usual alternative gang set-up and “doesn’t like distortions.”

Also delving into audio forensics, Sonic State, which affordably charges per studio hour or by packaged deals, is treading along as a one-stop music center with Jonathan opening up to sharing what he knows either through some school curriculum or special seminars. He further pointed out, “I’m interested to teach. Learning the tricks has a lot to do with reading. I read all the time, especially topics like geo-political trends. Besides, people in the recording biz or passion has to realize that it’s not the car, but the driver.”

True enough, Jonathan’s magic touch (as Ivory Music’s Jon Daza likes to call it) is actually just a cool real trick crafted out of long rigid training, burning passion for music, love for home, camaraderie and the desire to be world-class.