I was talking about the Das Dhoom album with my buddy/musical cohort Shree D the other day. I asked him, “Do you think people will realize how well produced this album is and how much work went into it? He replied, “No, people won’t realize unless we tell them.” I’ve had much the same conversation with Sebastian Lange on several occasions.

So, OK, consider yourself are put on notice, there are insane amounts of work in the mixing and production of this album. Incredible attention to detail has and will continue to be paid until it is done. Super-tankers of love and passion have been sunk into the creative crucible of this project and the volatile stew has been carefully been simmered and reduced into ten brightly shining tracks which clock in at 50 plus minutes.

I hesitate to use the complimentary word we were bandying about yesterday to describe the production quality, but suffice it to say the production is pretty friggin’ awesome if I don’t say so myself and better than probably 95% of the albums out there. Not that other producers don’t have better technology and are not smart or capable enough to produce good quality music. It’s just that us Das Dhoom guys are extra devoted! to this album. No slack. No lazy half-soul. Every part has been weighed and considered. We are going the extra mile for every single track. There is no filler whatsoever. That’s why it is taking extra time, but it will be worth it you shall see. And don’t get me started on how many times I have rewritten the lyrics and vocal melodies to a track called “Six Tiger Dhoom” . . . probably at least ten times. This one is driving me a little crazy–friggin “Six Tiger Dhoom”–started working on the vocals/lyrics in November of 2009. . .

James Whetzel, June 30, 2010, Seattle, WA USA.

Si, I have new DJ mix playing in the background of the Center House and in the International Fountain at Seattle Center, when the big show water display music is not playing.  The big show runs on the half hour and hour, the rest of the time you will hear this mix with music by various artists including:

Symbion Project, Ludovico Einaudi, Bonobo, Cocteau Twins, Manu Dibango, The Album Leaf, Groove Armada, Windsor For The Derby, Weathertunes, The Daktaris, Explosions in The Sky, Incredible Bongo Band, & Sigur Ros.

Here are two tunes in the mix as it’s a sunny day in Seattle, the occurence of said solar phenomenon always being a moment to be marked with celebration:

Manu Dibango “Moving Waves”

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Manu+Dibango/track/Moving+Waves?src=onebox

Sigur Rós “Svefn-G-Englar”

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Sigur+R%C3%B3s/track/Svefn-g-englar

Best musical and sunshine regards,

James Whetzel

Hey there good and nefarious people of the Interwebs.

Here’s a free rough mix download to put some spring in the end of your June.

You can dowload it at iLike:

http://www.ilike.com/artist/James+Whetzel/track/Theme+to+The+Rhythm+%28June+21%2C+rough+unmastered+mix%29

& Sound Cloud:

http://soundcloud.com/jameswhetzel/theme-to-the-rhythm-june-21-rough-unmastered-mix

Best musical wishes to you!

James Whetzel

Yes! I’ve got two mixes running at the Seattle Center this week. These mixes play in the background of the Center House and in the International Fountain when the big show water display is not running.  The big shows are set pieces to which the fountain shoots out big blasts of water.

The first is a special Iranian Festival mix that will play when the Iranian Festival is happening on June 19th and features music by:

Ali Reza Iftekhari, Ehsan Khajeh Amiri, Salar Aghili & Ensemble Dastan, Hossein Omoumi & Madjij Khaladj.

The second mix played a couple months ago and returns to grace the sunshine.  It features music by:

Iz, Ghislain Poirier, Toumani Diabate, Keletigui Diabate & Basekou Kouyate, Prince Jammy, Carol Thompson, Pete Rock, Dusk, Melvin Sparks, Fun Da Mental, Ngawalau Michel & Orchestre, Pucho, Yann Tiersen, MC Solaar, and Fila Brazilia.

Here’s a link to a video of one of the tracks in the this mix:  “Don’t Smile It’s Post Modern” By Ghislain Poirier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0VVRaMO3oY

Best musical regards,

James Whetzel

Yes good people I have a special mix for Festival Sundiata.  It will be playing in the background in the Center House and in the International Fountain when the Big Show music isn’t running.  The Big Show runs at the top of the hour and half hour every hour for 5- 8 minutes.  This mix will play the rest of the time.

There’s a big hip hop focus this year with 206 Zulu Nation doing a showcase so my mix likewise is hip hop centric.

Artist in the mix include:

Afrika Bambaataa, Butch Harrison, Orbitron, Amar Khalil, plus beats and instrumentals by 2Pac, The Notorious BIG, Lil’ Wayne, Young Jeezy, & TI.

Butch Harrison, Orbitron, and Amar Khalil (of Tony Toni Tone) are performing at the festival.

Here’s one of the tracks in the mix: “Dedicated” by Seattle based  Orbitron.

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Orbitron/track/Dedicated

And here’s a link to the schedule for the festival:  http://www.festivalsundiata.org/Schedule.htm

Best musical regards,

James Whetzel

It’s a sunny day in Seatte and I have a new mix playing in the background of the Center House and in the International Fountain at Seatttle Center.  In the International Fountain this mix plays when the “big show” music is not playing.  The big show music is the music to which the fountain fires off large jets of water, and big shows programming runs on the half hour and at the top of the hour and goes from 5 - 8 minutes.  The rest of the time this mix will be playing.

Artists in the new mix include:

Little People, J Dilla, Project Skyward, RJD2, Múm, Manu Dibango, Ratatat, Chico Mann, and Ahmad Jamal Trio.

Here’s a link to one of the tracks on ilike:  “Into The Orion Nebula” by Project Skyward.

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Project+Skyward/track/Into+The+Orion+Nebula

The mix will play June 8 - 11th, and then June 14 - 15th.  The Festival Sundiata mix will play June 12 & 13th.

Best musical regards,

James Whetzel

Live performance of sarod, violin, beats and vox at the Sea Tac International Festival, Saturday, June 26, 2010, 3 - 4pm at Angle Lake Park, 19408 International Blvd. Sea Tac, WA