My Other Life is a new NDA column that steps outside the day job. In each column, we ask someone from across the digital media space about the hobby, passion project or side hustle they pursue when they’re not in the office.
Jonny Erazo, former Head of Marketing at Casio has launched his own consultancy business.
What is your day job?
Up until recently I was Head of Marketing at Casio, leading brand marketing across G-SHOCK, Casio watches and its music business – EMI. I’m now moving into independent consultancy and training, drawing on 16 years of agency and in-house experience with companies and clients including AKQA, Havas, New Era Cap, Nike and American Express.
I’ve been fortunate to work on campaigns including Nothing Beats A Londoner and, most recently, led the award-winning Central Cee campaign for G-SHOCK.
My consultancy sits between those worlds – helping companies bridge the gaps between culture and commerce, agency and in-house, drawing on the different perspectives I’ve gained across my career.
What’s the “other life” you lead outside the industry?
I DJ and produce electronic music under the name J Erazo.
I make mostly garage and underground dance music, with releases across vinyl, dubplate and digital. I’ve played clubs in London, Berlin and Amsterdam, appeared several times on Rinse FM and various underground stations.
Music’s been a passion of mine since I was a teenager and I love that I’m now contributing to the scene as an active participant rather than simply consuming it.
How did you get into it, and how long have you been doing it?
Growing up in London in the 90s, I was surrounded by UK garage, jungle, graffiti and all these different youth cultures. London was such a mix of people, backgrounds and influences and there was a real DIY spirit to it all.
I met one of my favourite producers about 10 years ago during my time at New Era, through gifting him product. He encouraged me to start producing and I taught myself Ableton.
I started releasing music in 2023 after one of my early productions picked up support on Rinse FM. I approached it from the ground up – teaching myself how to produce, sending demos, putting records out on independent labels and playing intimate venues such as Planet Wax in South London.
Three years later I’ve released 20+ records, had music pressed to vinyl and played in places I’d never have imagined. There’s something satisfying about being a beginner again and starting from a clean slate, seeing what you can build purely through passion.
How much time does it take up in a typical week?
I’ll spend a few hours digging for new releases every week or two, downloading promos people send me or pulling together playlists for sets. Bookings have come in organically and fairly regularly since I began releasing – often several times a month.
I continue to run a bi-monthly residency on G-SHOCK Radio, where I curate a lineup of DJs from across the scene. I produce music when inspiration hits and I have time.
It varies, and I can easily lose track of hours, usually on an evening or weekend. It’s a rare space where I’m totally autonomous and free.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about it?
Probably that DJs are showmen or party animals. For me, especially nowadays, it’s all about the music – less about performance. After a night of gigging I’ll usually balance it out with something more relaxing!
On paper, being in a senior corporate world and navigating an underground scene might seem like two very different lives. But moving between the two has made me more adaptable and open-minded – able to walk into any room and take inspiration from so many places.
Has it taught you anything that’s actually useful in your day job?
Cultural perspective is critical to marketing, especially in the worlds I’ve operated in, which have often leaned into fashion or youth culture.
Brands increasingly recognise that they need to play a meaningful part in culture to stay relevant, while many already have rich cultural histories and relationships they can draw from. But people who speak the language of culture can sometimes struggle to translate that into a boardroom, while those deep in the commercial side can often be removed from the worlds of their consumers.
Lived experience within subcultures gives you layers of perspective and nuance that theory and data alone can’t.
It’s also been interesting being on the other side of the creative process, making music that’s been commissioned for sync with brands such as Reebok and Tommy Hilfiger. It gives me another perspective I’d otherwise miss if I were simply the person on the other side commissioning the work.
What’s the proudest moment you’ve had doing it?
When I started producing, I just wanted to get one track signed and hear it played in a club. Once that happened though, I caught the bug.
It’s been great hearing my tracks played in venues such as Ministry of Sound, or having a student tell me they’d discovered one of my tracks after Shazamming it at OffSonar festival in Barcelona. I even had a friend find one of my records in a random record store in Japan.
Music has this amazing ability to reach places you’d never expect – even the relatively niche, underground music I make. Those unexpected moments are the best!
Does anyone at work know about it – and what was their reaction when they found out?
At Casio, I was able to combine the worlds to a degree through G-SHOCK Radio, which I got involved in as soon as I joined. When people asked what I was doing at the weekend, there’d sometimes be a surprised look if I told them I was guesting on a radio show or playing a club, rather than the usual Sunday roast or Netflix binge.
I’ve never wanted to simply be an observer though. I’ve always been a participant, in one way or another. Whether that’s through music, art or fashion – it’s followed me throughout my life.
It balances my life and engages different parts of my brain. It’s cathartic, but it also opens up completely different points of reference and inspiration.
Authenticity is important to me and I’m sensitive to campaigns within music and culture that miss the mark. To me, real culture doesn’t live in air-conditioned offices. It starts on streets, in clubs, micro-communities and – today – online.
That’s probably the thread connecting my two lives. I’m interested in the point where culture and commerce meet – and I’ve been fortunate enough to experience it from both directions.
