Hip-Hop/Metal Producer, Composer & Engineer William J. Sullivan Re-emerges with Chapter I: Transition EP (Wreckin' Joint Productions)
To be completely honest and transparent, our first ever brush with William J. Sullivan was very recently while we were assembling our comprehensive track-by-track breakdown for Zilla Rocca's POW Recordings debut, Future Former Rapper. Sullivan produced FFR stand-out "Make The Sickness, Sell The Cure" Feat. Curly Castro and graciously revealed the story behind making the track, as well as his long-standing relationship with Zilla. I have since learned, through a series of detailed email conversations, that, in addition to being a skilled Hip-Hop/R&B beat-maker, William J. Sullivan is, in fact, a Los Angeles-based composer, engineer, producer, and label owner. Over the years, he has worked on a series of projects including film and TV scores, as well as engineering and producing a slew of LA/Philly Metal albums. Wreckin' Joint Productions' credits include Kanye West Presents: G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer, American Pickers, BELDINA, 070 Shake, ScHoolboy Q's Blank Face LP, Kanye's The Life of Pablo, YE & Kids See Ghosts with Kid Cudi, and many, many more. William J. Sullivan either is or has been part of Heavy/Death/Thrash Metal-minded projects such as Architects of A Broken Design, Closed Casket, Priesticide, and Upon Creation, as well as his now-retired nom de plume, Memo.
Wreckin' Joint/Memo has now decided to exclusively release his own original music as simply, William J. Sullivan; over the course of the next few months, Sullivan plans to slowly unleash a 4-part EP series under his given name—Chapter I: Transition, Chapter II: Other People, Chapter III: They Always Think... There's More Time, and Chapter IV: Memo. Chapters I-IV will be released on Bandcamp and like-minded digital streaming platforms on December 28th (Merry Christmas!) January 25th, March 1st, and March 22nd, 2019, respectively. Chapter I: Transition is a 7-track display of what William J. Sullivan has to offer recorded between 2012-14; chock-full of glitchy, Boom-Bap-leaning Electro/Industrial-indebted Instrumental Hip-Hop beats, which perfectly represent his wide array of talents. In addition to Chapter I: Transition, one track from each of Chapters II-IV is currently streaming on William J. Sullivan's Bandcamp page. However, it appears as though a special "Cure Mix" of Zilla Rocca & Curly Castro's "Make The Sickness, Sell The Cure," will be re-appearing on Chapter IV: Memo this upcoming March 22, 2019. Below, you'll see a recent THREAD on Chapters I-IV @Wreckinjoint Tweeted out while on a flight from Philly back to LAX, explaining his inspirations behind each separate installment.
"I'm on a flight back to LA and thought I'd break down Chapter I: Transition, as well as the next two EP's that are coming out in the next few months. The first 3/4 EP's are all instrumental. They started as either placements for film and TV or tracks for other artists. Once I decided to move to California, I made a conscious decision to collect my favorites and release them in some form. After years of shelving them because of commitments to other people's projects, I took 2 months off this summer and started organizing and creating the artwork. I thought it would be cool to see what happens to these songs, once they're out. A lot of the material has a sentimental value to me because it was written during challenging moments in my life.
The second EP, Other People, was written specifically for other people—the titles are very literal! I intended to release everything in the summer, but again, life stepped in; hence, the title for the third EP, They Always Think There's More Time. I got the name for the third EP from @TheWalkingDead Season 1, when they're in The [Centers for Disease Control & Prevention]. I thought it was an interesting quote and very universal. I had to release all of these songs because I felt they were good bodies of work. Moody, cinematic and at points, angry. The fourth EP, Memo, is the closest to me, as I got to voice my feelings on some issues and events I always felt a certain way about. Check our the first EP, Chapter I: Transition, and join me on my journey."
- @Wreckinjoint (William J. Sullivan)