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Gyp Hop – Gypsy influenced Hip Hop Music
Once upon a time I was on tour with my band Fishtank Ensemble through the Mid-west when I met a rapper, SBZ, who inspired me to start this project. We jammed for several hours that night and I recorded it on my phone. When I would listen to the improvised music we made that night, my blood would start racing with excitement because the music was so interesting and vital. I loved the combination of real music mixed with hip hop. He could rap over anything that I threw at him . . . Flamenco, Gypsy music, Odd-time grooves . . . and all with very intelligent and meaningful lyrics. So that’s one of the main ideas of this project: Organic hip hop played on real instruments (mostly) inspired by gypsy music. That’s where ‘Gyp Hop’ comes from. That won’t however be the final name of the project, it’s just a working title. After playing music for the last 20 years, I have a large network of incredible musicians at my fingertips to pull this off. I started writing these songs while on tour in Europe in the summer of 2010. In December of that year, I brought SBZ out to Los Angeles for a week to record 15 songs. It was a very ambitious schedule but we managed to finish the vocals on all the songs. Now it was left up to myself and engineer/ co-producer Jason Schimmel (formerly of Estradasphere) to turn these sketches into catchy hit songs. Don’t take my word for it. Take a listen to the first 4 songs that we completed for yourself. That way, there’s no mystery. You can hear exactly what you are supporting and how it is turning out. My goal with this project is to produce super catchy hit songs that cross genres. Is it hip hop, pop, world, gypsy music? . . . It’s all of them. I’ve been working non-stop on this music since the summer of 2010, putting thousands of dollars of my own money and countless hundreds of hours of work into this project I love so much. If you would consider helping me finish album, I would be truly and eternally grateful. I want this CD to sound as good as possible and the money I’m trying to raise will pay for the clear and beautiful mixing and mastering of the 15 plus songs we have started. There are many talented collaborators on this album and I promise by the time I’m done, you are going to flip out when you hear this new music!! I expect to be finished with everything by the fall/winter of 2011. It would be sooner except I have a very busy summer touring schedule with Fishtank Ensemble. I am offering a lot of great incentives with this campaign and I would be honored if you would help see this vision to completion. As an artist, it’s always very important for me to have complete artistic control. That’s why I am appealing to you, the fans, to make this possible. Without your help I could not do it. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything and am very excited for you to finally hear the album! On behalf of SBZ and myself . . . peace and thanks for checking us out, from your DIY guitarist, composer and producer, ‘douje’.
Posted in el douje news Updated ‘el douje’ Bio
Douglas ‘douje’ Smolens is a guitarist, writer, producer and comedian living in Los Angeles, CA. Currently, the project that occupies most of his time and energy is performing, writing and producing with the gypsy music band, Fishtank Ensemble, of which he is a founding member. With the release of their 3rd album, ‘Woman in Sin’ in the summer of 2010, the band is usually on tour in the United States or in Europe. (Check out the full Fishtank Ensemble discography here) When not on tour, Douglas devotes much of his time to writing and performing sketch, stand-up and musical comedy with his creative partner, Joshua Murphy with the ‘Doug and Josh Explosion’. His musical journey began when he was 14 years old with a drum lesson from a friend. After about an hour, he managed to get a rudimentary drumbeat going. As he recalls, “I can still remember the feeling now. It’s like the first time you ride a bike or catch a wave. It’s something you never forget. I’m sure it sounded awful to the neighbors, but to me, it was pure magic.” The inspiration to start playing the drums came when his younger brother Tim, at age 10 picked up the guitar and quickly started ‘shredding’. Together with Tim’s middle school friend, Jason Schimmel, they would go on to make music together for the next several decades. (Tim and Jason would become the main forces in the Metal/Gypsy/Fusion band Estradasphere) And so, like many bands before them, they started playing in their parents’ garage. In these developing years, the young musicians were fortunate to become friends with many older, professional musicians from whom they gained much insight and experience. For about a year, a friend of the family and musician in the all star cover band ‘Rat Salad’, Roger Summers, would come to their house on the weekends and put them through a veritable ‘School of Rock’. Roger would show each band member how to play their part. Then, more importantly, he would teach them how to play together as a band, and keep the groove moving, all the while making it look like fun. These were invaluable lessons that few people get the benefit of learning from a seasoned pro. Doug went into college as a biology major thinking he would follow in the footsteps of his father and become doctor. However, fate had different plans. It was at this time that he had the revelation that music was what he was truly passionate about and what he wanted to do with his life. And so almost every weekend he would travel home from UCLA to play music with Tim and Jason. It was during these years, heavily influenced by Mr. Bungle and all the great music they could get their ears on, that they started the project that would culminate in the band ‘Don Salsa’ with the album ‘Kool-aide Mustache in Jonestown’. The idea behind this album was to make the most extreme musical statement possible. The young trailblazers knew they had to the rest of their lives to make more accessible music, but for this first album, they wanted it to be unprecedented. And by all accounts they succeeded. The first song is 33 minutes long and never repeats. Following the completion of this album, Doug and the boys moved up to Santa Cruz CA where they would live for the next 10 years in a kind of musical incubation period. Santa Cruz is a fertile artistic environment and this is where Doug really went to work teaching himself to play Flamenco and Gypsy Jazz Guitar and was ultimately re-christened with the Flamenco name, ‘douje’. Having come from California, worlds away from the flamenco homeland of Andalucia, it was only natural that el douje’s interpretation of this music would have a decidedly different feel. Early experiments in combining flamenco guitar with more modern electronic music elements such as drum and bass and techno proved quite successful and would lay the ground for what would later culminate in the album, ‘Worlds Collide’. Though the album was written, produced and performed by el douje as a solo artist, it contains a wealth of collaborations with artists such as Dave Weckl, bassist Tom Kennedy and members of Fishtank Ensemble as well as the gypsy/metal fusion band, Estradasphere. In early 2004, as the album was coming to a close, a chance meeting at the Oakland California performance warehouse, The Fishtank, would spawn the creation of gypsy/folk/flamenco super-group, Fishtank Ensemble. After only three weeks together as a band, they recorded their debut album, ‘Super Raoul’. Fishtank Ensemble is made of gypsy fiddler extraordinaire Fabrice Martinez, sublime singer and musical saw player Ursula Knudson, the worlds best slap bass player Djordje Stijepovic and of course the one and only ‘el douje’. The band combines the strengths of the individual members to forge a unique and innovative approach to the folk music of the gypsies or Romani people. The second album from Fishtank Ensemble, ‘Samurai Over Serbia’ came out in early 2008, and the band is currently touring extensively to support their newest album, ‘Woman in Sin’.
Posted in el douje news Fishtank Ensemble on tour for “Woman in Sin”
The brand new Fishtank Ensemble CD, ‘Woman in Sin‘ has been out for about 3 weeks now. We just finished up 2 weeks of shows around California as part of our never-ending tour to celebrate the release of this new album . . . into which so much blood, sweet and tears were poured.  The 3rd CD from Fishtank Ensemble This album turned out particularly well, I think, because we we’re on the road for 3 months non-stop immediately before recording it. Almost every album that ever gets recorded, happens before the band has a chance to play the songs for a long time . . to try out lots of different parts and arrangements. As a record producer, this was a luxury I had dreamed for a long time, but this was the first time in all my experience that i’ve gotten a chance to make a record this way. But, after making about 7 or 8 records myself, I have discovered a hidden law of recording: Make your best guess for how long you think it will take to record, mix and master everything . . . . . . then multiply by 3. That’s a much closer approximation to how long it will actually take to complete. Here’s a video of us playing on KOCT in Oceanside: Here’s a video of Fishtank Ensemble playing at Sebastopol right after Tribal Fest.
Posted in el douje news New Fishtank CD, “Woman in Sin” . . . Male Companions Controversy Brewing . . .
After many long months in the making, the brand spanking new, 3rd CD from Fishtank Ensemble, “Woman in Sin” is finally available. . . along with stickers, 45s, T-shirts, posters, etc. We are also embarking on a 2 week tour of CA to promote the release of this CD. Check out the tour dates at the bottom of this post. The 3rd CD from Fishtank Ensemble There is a major controversy brewing in the world of Male Companions, the ground breaking sketch comedy show by the folks who brought such timeless classics as “Unicorns and Rainbows” and “Here Comes the Night“. We recently released episode 7 (and 6 for that matter) to great controversy. Our legions of fans (as evidenced by the 26,877 views that episode 6 has as of 12:38 am on tuesday, May 11, 2010) have been almost unanimous in their disdain for episode 7 “Shannan and the Flying Turd“. With a name like that, I can’t understand how they couldn’t like it. Suffice it to say that we will be addressing everyones comments and concerns in a new directors cut/commentary edition of Episode 7 coming to youtube and theater near you soon. But for now you can judge for yourselves. . . Tour dates for the May Fishtank Ensemble tour of CA: May 12 – Berkeley, CA – Freight and Salvage May 13 – Arcata CA – Arcata Playhouse May 14 – Nevada City – North Columbia Schoolhouse May 15 – Point Arena, CA – Arena Theatre May 16 – Sebastopol, CA – Hopmonk Tavern May 18 – Sacramento, CA – Firehouse 5 May 19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moes Alley May 21 – Briceland – Octagon at Beginnings May 23 – San Louis Obispo – Cal Poly Performing Arts Center May 29 – Claremont, CA – Folk Music Center May 30 – Irvine, CA – Lightning in a Bottle Festival
Posted in el douje news Tia Carrere introduces ‘The Fishtank Ensemble’
Fishtank Ensemble has finished up a month of touring on the East Coast and in California and Nevada. These have been some of the best shows we’ve ever had. I’ve truly been blow away by the support and enthusiasm of everyone who has come out to a show, bought our CDs or pre-ordered our upcoming CD and/or hosted us at their house. A couple venues even threw us a pre-party and an after-party. . . how cool is that? Fishtank Ensemble is putting the touches on our 3rd CD which should be available sometime in march with lots touring through the rest of the year to support it. I’m getting ready to do a long weekend of shows with the lovely and talented Jessica Fichot. We’ll be playing in Reno and several spots around Tahoe and Truckee from Feb 4-7. We’ve become regulars at Northstar at Tahoe playing the ice skating rink and two great restaurants Moody’s and Baxters. Maybe it’s the free lift tickets that keeps us coming back? Remember that show we played at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the LA County Holiday Celebration . . . that Djordje flew back from Serbia for to play for 5 minutes . . . we’ll here’s the video . . . complete with million dollar camera angles and introduction by Tia Carrere. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SW2OCUJrKg&feature=player_embedded
Posted in el douje news East Coast Tour in January? Really??
So I’m waiting to catch a flight to Portland, Maine to start a 2 and 1/2 week tour of the east coast with Fishtank Ensemble. We’ll be doing a whole bunch of shows in and around New York City and showcases for a big industry conference, The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, or APAP. We’re trying to crack into a more lucrative level of concerts and we hear this is the way. I guess we’ll see. By the way, check out the new design for the Fishtank Ensemble website, thank you Mark Thornton. The Doug and Josh Comedy Explosion at the Downtown Comedy Club on Jan 1 & 2 was a great success. Thanks so much to everyone who came out. I think it’s safe to say that those shows launched our stand up comedy career. We’ll have more shows coming up in Feb so stay tuned. (you can subscribe to the RSS feed or copy and paste the URL into a ‘reader’ like google reader). By the way, the Downtown Comedy Club is a great club both for comedians and the audience. They are very supportive and nurturing to comedians, and there’s no B.S. drink minimum so you should really check it out. They have shows every weekend. Last, but definitely not least, check out this awesome video I made of my niece Prisca. Whenever the music starts playing (which is often), she starts dancing. It’s too cute.
Posted in el douje news Christmas Eve Show and a Comedic New Year
I recently finished a tour playing guitar with Italian singer Gerardo Balestrieri all over California. We had a great time playing his music (which i highly recommend checking out) and staying with the friends we’ve made all over the state. Years of touring for Fishtank Ensemble have finally paid off in that we have friends with jacuzzis all over the state that love hanging out and partying with a gypsy band. And for this we are very grateful. You too can bring the band home with you, just get a jacuzzi, come to one of our shows and come talk to us after the show! Anyway, Fishtank Ensemble has one more show for 2009! It’s a 5 minute spot in the ‘Holiday Celebration‘ at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Christmas Eve. Djordje is even flying back from Serbia just for this show, then going right back for 2 more weeks. The show will be live on PBS and streaming on the web on KCET. In even bigger news, January 1 & 2 the ‘Doug and Josh Comedy Explosion‘ will be headlining a weekend of comedy shows at the illustrious Downtown Comedy Club. We are extremely excited about this and are preparing a show that you will never forget. These shows will essentially launch our stand up comedy career. If you’re an old friend and have been telling me for years that you have to come out to see a show, and you never have (almost everybody i know), now is the time. And finally, here is the 2nd installment of our sketch comedy series ‘Male Companions‘.
Posted in el douje news On tour with Gerardo Balestrieri
At this moment i find myself sitting on a deck at the top of the mountain in beautiful Big Sur. We are a couple of days into the a three week tour with Italian singer Gerardo Balestrieri. The songs are mix of originals, turkish, greek, gypsy and mediterranean music. Also on tour with us is Fabrice Martinez of Fishtank Ensemble, his brother Roland on bass and clarinet who came in from France for the shows and our good friend Sean Tergis, on percussion. Check out our list of shows below.
The Doug and Josh Comedy Explosion has 3 shows coming up. Dec 10 at the Tribal Cafe in LA with Chiparus and Tim Smolens. We’ll also be playing 2 shows at the Downtown Comedy Club on January 1 & 2 to kick off the new year. Here is a somewhat older video Josh and I did as audition for a TV Show that in retrospect, is really funny (and very true)
Posted in el douje news
Well, Fishtank Ensemble has just finished up 3 months of touring all over the US and recording our 3rd album, as of yet, still untitled. The reactions we have gotten from people have been really encouraging. We we’re in a lot of places for the first time and we had great, enthusiastic crowds almost everywhere. I heard music and entertainment do well in depressions, that’s cool. Here is a great looking video that was taken at the Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival. . . In comedy related news, we have officially changed our name to ‘The Doug and Josh Comedy Explosion’ in an attempt to market ourselves better. (A lot of people didn’t like the name Foxycock for some reason, I don’t know why). We’ll have more episodes of Male Companions coming real soon and well as some comedy shows. The next one will be Friday, Nov 6 at the Downtown Comedy Club in Los Angeles.
Posted in el douje news September 2009 Update – Here Comes the Night
I am on tour with Fishtank Ensemble for this whole month. We are playing throughout the Southwest and Midwest. Check out our schedule here. We’re working on a bunch of new songs because we’ll be going into the studio at the beginning of October to record our third album. This album is shaping up to be our best yet. I am especially excited about a pop/gypsy song I wrote (with the rest of the band) called ‘Woman in Sin’. We except to have the album ready by early of 2010. In other news, we just posted a new video for our song ‘Here Comes the Night‘. This song actually goes back to the days of Don Salsa (mid 90′s) so it has been waiting for about 14 years to see the light of day. We’ll also have the second episode of our sketch comedy show, Male Companions, out very soon. Without further ado, here is the brand new video:
Posted in el douje news |
