Xtreme Music: When did you begin learning Flamenco guitar
and start performing under the pseudonym El Douje?

El Douje: Shortly after completing the Don
Salsa record “Koolaide Moustache In Jonestown”, I had
what would turn out to be long separation from the other guys in the
band. Up until that point, I had been a drummer for the last six years,
always noodling on the guitar, and always closely watching our excellent
guitarist Jason Schimmel. Soon after finishing the album, I was left
bandless when Tim and Jason started playing with John Whooley and Dave
Murray, and went on to form Estradasphere.
So I didn’t quite know what to do with myself, but I knew I really
loved playing guitar. At that time, I happened to check out, and not
return, a 3 CD Flamenco compilation from the UCLA library, where I was
going the school. Suffice it to say that this was the best thing I did
while there. I had heard Flamenco before this and loved it, but the
way I heard it now, I just knew instantly that my life was changed forever.
It was a difficult decision at first to completely reroute my life’s
direction, but ultimately I feel I didn’t really have a choice.
This music grabbed me by the heart and pulled me into it’s world. So
from then on, I played, practiced, and listened to as much Flamenco
as I could. Gradually I absorbed the styles, techniques, and even emotions
of the gypsies who made this music. More than a style of music, dance,
or singing, Flamenco is more accurately, a way of feeling and experiencing
life more than anything. The profound depth of the existential essence
of life is reflected most passionately in Flamenco. Several years into
the journey, in a moment of inspiration, I realized in an instant, that
I was to be, El Douje. You can’t be a Flamenco guitartist with
the name Doug, it just doesn’t work, and the Spanish can’t pronounce
it anyway. It wasn’t until several years later that this revelation
would bear its fruit in the album “Worlds Collide”.

Xtreme Music: Please tell us about the writing processes
involved in producing your debut album “Worlds Collide”.

El Douje: Over the years of learning to play in the Flamenco style,
I gradually accumulated lots of original falsetas. A falseta is just
a short musical statement or phrase. Flamenco songs are made up of lots,
maybe hundreds of individual falsetas. They’re each like a single
piece of a puzzle. So basically the Flamenco guitarist practices these
falsetas individually and maybe finds some that go well together. Now
the thing that I really love about Flamenco is that songs are largely
improvised by spontaneously combining falsetas based upon your particular
feeling at the moment. Around this same time I got my first real computer
and some music software, Reason
to make beats. Let me tell you, its much more fun to practice to something
with a groove than a click track. So I essentially used these programs
that make techno music, as a glorified click track with a groove to
practice to. Eventually, I put together some of my own techno beats
and started to figure out that Flamenco and techno have some stuff in
common rhythmically. With some small adjustments, I could combine them
quite interestingly. It’s actually a pretty natural fusion I think.
So the songs on the album are a combination of planned and spontaneous
material. To me it’s important to leave that window of spontaneity
open. It encourages you constantly keep reaching for something new and
interesting.

Xtreme Music: What innovative production techniques do you
incorporate into your recorded music?

El Douje: For Flamenco, you must listen to the works of Camaron
De La Isla and Paco
De Lucia. When they were young they completely changed the direction
of the music. Up until then everyone still played the old songs that
had been played for who knows how long. They wrote boatloads of new
material and infused the music with an urgent sense of improvisation.
They simply are the greatest. Other Flamenco artists to explore are:
Vicente
Amigo, Tomatito,
Moraíto,
Enrique
Morente, Duquende,
Sabicas,
Ketama,
Gerardo
Nuñez, Paco
Cepero, Terremoto
De Jerez, and Niña
De Las Pines. I could go on for a long time but that’s enough
to get started. As for other music, I’m influenced by people and
bands with something unique and original to say. In no particular order:
Farmers Market,
Django
Reinhardt, Mr.
Bungle, Taraf
De Haidouks, Jimmy
Rosenberg, Estradasphere,
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
and Ivo
Papasov.

Xtreme Music: What are your reflections from working in
the studio together with Shamisen master Kevin Kmetz?

El Douje: My first reflection is that everyone should be as open minded
and fun loving as the God
Of Shamisen, Kevin Kmetz. He approaches music with a sense of enthusiasm
and reckless virtuosity lacking in most experienced and jaded musicians.
His mind is pure and untainted, like a child’s, so he is perhaps
is the most instinctive and inspiring collaborator I have worked with.
The basic day went something like this, “Hey Kev, want to come
over and record some Shamisen on my record”, and he would say
“Hell yes my Voodoo brother, let’s rock it”. I would play
him the song once, hit record and he would indeed rock it. So we basically
just had a lot of fun doing it, which is something it seems that people
sometimes forget. Our collaboration has continued into the recent projects
of Fishtank
and Foxycock.

Xtreme Music: What can you tell us about the cover artwork
and additional photography included within this album.

El Douje: The album artwork was done by Samantha Fisher, a good friend
and excellent graphic artist. We coincidentally had a very similar idea
for the cover. We wanted to combine the shape of a guitar with a women’s
curves to create a sort of, archetypal image of “women as mountain
and source of creative instinct”. The actual image on the cover
itself is a bit of a mystery that I’ll leave up to the imagination.
But suffice it to say that I am very pleased how it turned out and I
can’t wait to see the poster version.

Xtreme Music: Tell us about the music that you’re currently
working on with Fishtank and Foxycock.

El Douje: I am really excited about these two projects. With both of
them, I’ve had more fun, and been more artistically satisfied
than ever before. Fishtank
came together very quickly. Our old friend from Santa Cruz, Aaron Seaman
[Accordion player in Fishtank]
called us one day saying we had to come to his warehouse in Oakland
to check out this phenomenal violinist, Fabrice Martinez. He wasn’t
kidding. That night, myself, Kevin, and my brother Tim sat mesmerized
as Aaron, Fabrice, and Ursula Knudson [Vocals, Saw, and Violin in Fishtank]
played the most beautiful rendition of Kurt
Weill’s song “Youkali” I had ever heard. I knew
instantly that I wanted to play music with these people. After jamming
a little bit we happened to book a lone show, just for fun in Santa
Cruz. As fate would have it, Trey
Spruance [of Secret
Chiefs 3 and Mr.
Bungle] was there and saw the potential in the band. He made it
possible to bring Fabrice back to the states to do a record. And the
record we made was done live over three nights in Santa Cruz and Oakland.
At the time of the recording we had only played together for about three
weeks. But the chemistry between everybody is just amazing. I would
swear that we’ve all been playing together for years. Fabrice,
who traveled through Romania in a mule drawn caravan for seven years,
brought many wonderful and seldom heard gypsy folk songs to the group.
He is definitely our musical leader and that’s usually how gypsy
music goes. You have a virtuosic and somewhat flamboyant violinist who
leads the group. But what makes Fishtank so unique is the combination
of instruments and personalities. Ursula plays the saw, violin and sings
more beautifully than anyone I have heard. Aaron brings a sense a reckless,
punk rock virtuosity to the accordion and well as three original songs.
He can write songs that sound like perfect avant-garde gypsy folk classics.
Kevin Kmetz, well he is the God
Of Shamisen, and he can keep up with Fabrice on all those melodies.
Tim Smolens, producer and bass player extraordinaire was kind enough
to lend his immense talents and impeccable sense of feel. Adam Stacey
[of Secret Chiefs
3 and Estradasphere]
makes his debut on percussion and sounds like he’s been playing
it all his life. I bring my specialty of Flamenco guitar to the band.
Together, this combination of instruments and personalities has turned
out to create a very unique and surprising interpretation of gypsy music.

Foxycock
is a whole different thing. It started with the chance reconnection
with my college friend and band mate Josh Murphy. We played a lot of
music and had a great time in college but then lost touch for almost
ten years. When we finally reconnected, the inevitable outcome was Foxycock.
This thing literally happened by itself. Most of the songs were written
in ten minutes, start to finish in an unusual burst of inspiration and
improvisation. Many songs on the record are in fact the original, rough
demo of the song that just happened to turn out so good, that we had
to use it on the record. To quote from our record release statement:
“Foxycock
(n) – Truly extreme pop/rock satire/political bossa nova, filtered through
Unicorn influenced space rainbow jazz.” If you’ve ever wondered
what it would sound like if an atomic bomb the size of a black hole
exploded backwards inside the bowels of the universe… well get ready
to find out with the smooth sounds of Foxycock.
On their debut album, “Black Music For White People” released
in summer 2005, Foxycock
embark on a trans-galactic musical journey of comedic catharsis to bring
the lost power chord back to earth, destroy the powers that be through
peaceful means, and score some space weed. The music of Foxycock
projects the listener through a one-hour sonic wormhole of infinite
awkward possibilities into a universe on the brink of destruction. Both
juvenal and sophisticated, inspiring and offending, the New York Times
says: “Foxycock answers the ultimate question of life!”
Taking on such timely and controversial subjects as trans-racial eroticism,
9/11 nostalgia, 80’s music obsession, internet porn addiction,
gay children’s songs and reptilian/humanoid government leaders,
Foxycock’s
music, though not for the weak of heart, is sure to provoke, offend
and/or entertain you. More information is available at: Foxycock.com.
You really just have to hear it to understand it. If you have a sense
of humor about music and life in general, and aren’t easily offended,
I’d say you are sure to enjoy Foxycock.

Xtreme Music: How have El Douje live performances been going
and what has the crowd reaction been like?

El Douje: Unfortunately, up till now my recording and work schedule
has prevented me from performing live very often, but I am in the process
of correcting that now. When I do get a chance to play live for people,
the reaction is very visceral. Flamenco is something that hits you in
the gut. It affects you on a level that is very primal and emotional,
before the psyche has a chance to over analyze things. So I’m
starting to play much more frequently in my hometown of Santa Cruz while
beginning to play sporadic performances up and down the west coast.

Xtreme Music: What are your plans for musical projects in
the near future?