Sebastian Arocha Morton
{{short description|American music producer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sebastian Arocha Morton
{{small|(Sebastian Morton)}}
| image = Sebastian Morton BW.jpg
| birth_date =
| birth_place = United States
| origin =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Producer
- composer
- songwriter
}}
| genre = {{flatlist|
- Electronic
- cinematic
- soul
- others
}}
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = 2000s–present
| website = {{url|http://www.rocasound.com/}}
}}
Sebastian Arocha Morton is a Grammy-nominated American record producer and composer based in Los Angeles, California. Throughout his career as a record producer and songwriter, Morton has worked with many notable artists, including Seal, Sting, Santana, Donna Summer,{{cite web|url=http://www.soulinterviews.com/rocasound-2013/|title=ROCAsound|date=August 26, 2013|work=Soul Interviews|accessdate=2019-10-15}} Fischerspooner, Vikter Duplaix, Common, and Mary J. Blige. Morton was also a composer and producer for the films Little Miss Sunshine, Iron Man 2, Houdini,{{cite web|url=http://www.asturscore.com/lakeshore-records-editara-houdini-volume-1-y-2-de-john-debney-y-sebastian-arocha-morton/|title=Houdini Volume 1 & 2, Detalles|last=Con|first=Eduardo|date=17 August 2014|work=Asturscore|accessdate=2019-10-15}} RoboCop, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, League of Gods, Mr. Robot, and Young Sheldon.
Morton composes and fuses a wide variety of musical genres, ranging from dance to hip hop, soul and ambient, among various other genres.{{cite web|url=https://www.eventideaudio.com/community/artist-gallery/sebastian-arocha-morton|title=Sebastian Arocha Morton: Composer, Producer, Remixer|accessdate=2019-10-15}} His approach to film scoring bridges the worlds of modern electronic production and more traditional melodic orchestral composing.{{cite web|work=Recording Magazine|date=May 2009|title=Sebastian Arocha Morton: From songwriter to producer to remixer|last=Rychner|first=Lorenz|url=http://www.rocasound.com/assets/roca_press_recording_mag_0509.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
Education and career
File:Sebastian Morton studio.jpg
Morton graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied film scoring and production/engineering.{{cite web|url=https://www.sequential.com/sebastian-arocha-morton/|title=Sebastian Arocha Morton|work=Sequential|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1021111/|title=Sebastian Arocha Morton|last=Kaiser|first=Uli|work=IMDb|accessdate=2019-10-15}} Afterwards, he moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in the film and music industries as a staff writer for Universal Music.{{cite web|work=Audiopro International Magazine|date=June 2010|title=Roca steady|url=http://www.rocasound.com/assets/roca_press_audiopro_intl_0610.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
Morton then began producing electronic music in the early 2000s under the artist name ROCAsound. After several Billboard #1 singles and platinum albums, he started his own production company and opened a recording facility under the same name.{{cite web|url=http://www.rocasound.com/press|title=Press|work=ROCAsound|accessdate=2019-10-15}} As ROCAsound, he has remixed and produced tracks for the soundtrack to Iron Man 2, as well as songs and remixes for Donna Summer,{{cite web|work=Club World Magazine|date=2008|title=The Queen Is Back|url=http://www.rocasound.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Club-World-Donna-Summer-Interview.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}} Sting, Chaka Khan, Seal, The Dandy Warhols, Counting Crows, Jody Watley, The Killers, Kaskade, Ricky Martin, Yuridia, and Fischerspooner, among various other artists.
After much success as ROCAsound, Morton discovered and signed Billboard #1 electronic artist Samantha James,{{cite web|url=https://5mag.net/features/samantha-james/|title=Samantha James: The 5 Magazine Interview|last=Matthew|first=Terry|date=January 13, 2011|work=5Mag|location=Chicago|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|work=Billboard Magazine|date=August 2007|title=Dance-PopDivas|url=http://www.rocasound.com/assets/roca_press_billboard_mag_feature_0807.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|work=Recording Magazine|date=March 2011|title=An Interview with Sebastian Arocha Morton|last=Rychner|first=Lorenz|url=http://www.rocasound.com/assets/roca_press_recording_mag_0311.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}} and went on to write and produce the albums Subconscious and Rise for San Francisco label OM Records.{{cite web|work=About.com|date=October 2007|title=Interview with Samantha James|url=http://www.rocasound.com/assets/roca_press_about_1007.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|url=http://www.malemodelmusicproject.com/2010_08_01_archive.html|title=Get 'Subconscious' with Samantha James|last=Guerrero|first=Ivan|date=August 18, 2010|work=Male Model Music Project|accessdate=2019-10-15}} Morton later worked on Donna Summer's final studio album Crayons,
where he was credited among producers such as Greg Kurstin and J.R. Rotem.{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/donna-summer-crayons/|title=Donna Summer: Crayons|last=Wilkane|first=Christian John|date=14 July 2008|work=Pop Matters|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|url=http://thedonnasummerfanclub.com/donnas-final-studio-album-crayons-reissued-driven-musiccrimson/|title=Exciting News! Donna's final studio album, 'CRAYONS', is to be reissued by Driven By The Music/Crimson|date=April 1, 2016|work=The Donna Summer fan club|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/top-dance-songs-of-2009-1012674|title=Top Dance Songs of 2009|last=Slomowicz|first=Ron|date=April 28, 2019|work=LiveAbout|accessdate=2019-10-15}} The first single for that record, "I'm a Fire" (produced and co-written by Morton), went to #1 on the charts and set a record for her as the only female artist in history with a #1 Billboard dance hit in every decade since the 1970s. Also, as a songwriter, Morton has worked closely with hit writers Claudia Brant{{cite web|url=http://dbaronmedia.com/?biography=latin-songwriters-hall-of-fame|title=Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame: Claudia Brant|work=d.baron|accessdate=2019-10-15}} and Bruce Sudano.{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/post/131219-bruce-sudano/|title=Sudano 360: An Interview with Bruce Sudano |last=Wikane|first=Christian John|date=28 Sep 2010|work=Pop Matters|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
- "One of These Days" (with Santana and Ozomatli)
- "Never Coming Home" for the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy soundtrack (with Sting){{cite web|work=Pro Sound News|date=June 2007|title=Pushing Audio to the Extreme|url=http://www.rocasound.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/seb_morton_PSNJune.jpg|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
- "Not in Love" (with Enrique Iglesias and Floetry)
- "Scent of Magnolia" (with David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto)
- Alex Cross (film collaboration with composer John Debney){{cite web|url=http://www.filmmusicmag.com/?p=14175|title=Interview with John Debney|last=Schweiger|first=Daniel|date=February 4, 2015|work=Film Music Magazine|accessdate=2019-10-15}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2012/12/10/104-original-scores-in-2012-oscar-race/|title=104 original songs in 2012 OSCAR race|date=Dec 10, 2012|work=Hollywood News|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
- Disney Parks: World of Color and Iron Man Experience (collaboration with composer John Debney)
- "Whenever I Say Your Name" (BBC Radio version) with Sting feat. Mary J. Blige
- "Superfreak" (ROCAsound Revamp) with Rick James
Discography
{{main|Sebastian Arocha Morton production discography}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Title !! Director(s) !! Notes |
| 1999
|Mike Milligan |Composer |
| 2000
|Los Beltrán (Season 2) |Carlos Bermudez |Theme Song |
| rowspan="2"| 2001
|Song: “The Hacker” |
| La Segunda Noche
|Alejandro Gamboa |Executive Music Producer |
| rowspan="2"| 2002
|With W.G. Snuffy Walden |
| Anna's Dream
|Songwriter |
| rowspan="3"| 2003
|Composer |
| Knock First
|Composer |
| Miss Match
|Music Producer, Songwriter |
| rowspan="3"| 2005
|Composer |
| Cold Case
|Music Programmer, Sound Designer |
| Queer Eye for the Straight Girl
|Composer |
| rowspan="7"| 2006
|Musical Director, Producer |
| Windfall
|Main Theme Composer |
| What About Brian
|Music Programmer, Sound Designer |
| Peaceful Warrior
|Additional Music with composer Bennett Salvay |
| Little Miss Sunshine
|Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris |Music Producer, Remixer |
| Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
|Composer |
| Starting Over
|Guest Music Producer |
| rowspan="3"| 2007
|with composer Marcelo Zarvos |
| The Unit
|Score Producer |
| CSI: New York
|Electronic Music Producer |
| rowspan="4"| 2008
|with composer Marcelo Zarvos |
| CSI: Miami
|Source Music |
| Life with Derek
|Songwriter |
| Shark
|Songwriter |
| rowspan="3"| 2010
|Electronic Music Programmer, Sound Designer |
| Terriers
|with Robert Duncan |
| The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice
|Music Programmer, Sound Designer |
| rowspan="2"| 2011
|Carjacked |with Bennett Salvay |
| Disney World of Color
|with John Debney |
| rowspan="5"| 2012
|Music Producer |
| Alex Cross
|with John Debney |
| Mario Frangoulis: Live with the Boston Pops
|Composer: “Rojo Violento” |
| Cybergeddon
|Music Programmer, Sound Designer |
| Fringe
|Song: “Angel Love” |
| 2013
|King John |Composer |
| rowspan="6"| 2014
|with Pedro Bromfman |
| Draft Day
|with John Debney |
| Houdini
|Composer |
| Matador
|Soundtrack Producer |
| Partners
|Music Programmer |
| The After
|Composer |
| rowspan="4"| 2015
|The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water |with John Debney |
| Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
|Sam Levine |Music Remixer |
| American Odyssey
|Composer |
| Minions: Paradise
|Video Game |
| rowspan="5"| 2016
|Co-Composer with John Debney, Soundtrack Producer |
| Fuller House
|Electronic Music Producer |
| Game of Silence
|Composer |
| Mr. Robot
|with Bennet Salvay |
| The Grand Tour
|Composer |
| rowspan="3"| 2017
|Deep |Music Producer |
| Young Sheldon
|Composer, Additional Music |
| Linda from HR
|Composer |
| rowspan="4"| 2018
|Augie |Composer |
| Evidence of Innocence
|Composer |
| Reasonable Doubt
|Songwriter |
| The Orville (Season 1)
|Music Producer, Additional Music |
| rowspan="3"| 2019
|The Orville (Season 2) |Music Producer, Additional Music |
| Madden NFL 19
|with John Debney |
| Marvel Land: Summer of Superheroes
|Music Producer, Additional Music |
Selected awards
Some of Morton's Grammy Award nominations include:
- 2006 Grammy nominee: Little Miss Sunshine (Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media)
- 2007 Grammy nominee (with Vikter Duplaix): "Make A Baby" (Best Urban/Alternative Category){{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.org/grammy-foundation/news/national-grammy-career-day|title=National GRAMMY Career Day|date=Dec 2, 2014|work=Grammy Awards|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
Billboard #1 Singles and Albums include:
- 2004 Billboard Electronic Albums Chart: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy soundtrack (Never Coming Home feat. Sting)
- 2005 Dance Singles Chart: Jody Watley - "Looking for a New Love" (remixes)
- 2007 Dance Singles Chart: Samantha James - "Rise"
- 2008 Dance Singles Chart: Donna Summer - "I'm a Fire"
- 2009 Latin Albums Chart: Luis Miguel - No Culpes a La Noche{{cite web|work=Recording Magazine (NAMM Edition 2012)|title=The Singer and The Song: Going for the Perfect Match|date=2012|url=http://www.rocasound.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/AMorton_REC0212_lrs1.pdf|accessdate=2019-10-15}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.rocasound.com/ ROCAsound official website]
- [https://www.discogs.com/artist/656884-Sebastian-Arocha-Morton Discogs profile]
- [https://instagram.com/rocasound Instagram profile]
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sebastian-arocha-morton-mn0000316955 AllMusic profile]
{{Samantha James}}
{{Donna Summer}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, Sebastian}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American film score composers