James Whetzel

Music, Seattle Center International Fountain playlists, & the rest of life.

[jameswhetzel]

July 17 - 31, 2018 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

The new mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center. Artists in the mix include: Sphyramid, Monty & The Cyclones, Herbie Mann, Caribou, Pigbag, Jammy's Studio Band, Man Parrish, Perez Prado, Giyo, MFSB, Tezeta Band, Sly and the Family Stone, Daedelus, Camarão, AkaléWube, Brownout, Black Star Liner, Rosinha De Valença, The Sound Defects, DJ Premier, Gorillaz, Baba Brooks & His Recording Band, The Skatalites, Timbaland, Ahmed Malek, Kalyanji Anandji, Anne-Mari Kivimäki, No BS Brass, DJ Jigüe & Will LV & +

The Number 1 Instrumental Mix in the world on Mixcloud! Thanks everyone for listening and sharing! :)

[jameswhetzel]

July 2 - 16, 2018 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

The new mix playing in the Seattle Center International Fountain July 2nd - 16th, 2018. Upbeat summertime vibes. :) Artists in the mix include: Roland Alphonso, Ananda Shankar, Tunde Mabadu, BT Express, Skatalites, Ahmed Malek, Ambros Seelos, Pete Rock, J. Trombey, James Brown and the JBs, Rachid Taha, The Observers, AM & Shawn Lee, Salah Ragab, J. Dilla, Butch, Scuba, The Polish Ambassador, RJD2, Geraldo Pino, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Champs, RZA, Lounge Lizards, Brass Construction, The Spy from Cairo, Black Joy, Fugazi & +

Cool Summertime vibes. :)

[jameswhetzel]

June 15 - July 1, 2018 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

The new mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center. Artists in the mix include: Pete Rock, Rudy Ray Moore, Jaribu Afrobeat Arkestra, Chico O’Farrill / All Stars Cubano, Billy Preston, Dennis Coffey, Deltron 3030, Dan The Automator, Rupaul, Shantel, Señor Coconut, Edwin Starr, Ananda Shankar, DJ Shadow, Scntfc, Quantic, Roberto Conrado, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Yuri Yunakov, Curtis Mayfield, The Spy from Cairo, Mighty Sparrow, The Rapture, The Prodigy, 3 Mustaphas 3, Queen Samantha, RZA, KSA, Kyerematen Stars, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Kurtis Blow & +

This is a good mix, if I don’t say so myself! Upbeat danceable music designed for dancing around a fountain, but good for dancing around a house, apartment, or office, or in the streets...

[jameswhetzel]

Charlie Beats, by Whetzel

6 track album

I made this album to celebrate the birth of my son Charlie! It’s a pay what you will download on Bandcamp until the end of June, and is also up iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, etc.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5ZDyhVnP0xXIY6OVn2DJSI

iTunes/Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/charlie-beats-ep/1387337493 #iTunes https://

Deezer: http://www.deezer.com/album/64179652?utm_source=deezer&utm_content=album-64179652&utm_term=1857883142_1527190279&utm_medium=web

[jameswhetzel]

Sept. 22 - Oct. 6, 2017 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

The new mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center. The mix went in September 22nd and will play through October 6th. Artists in the mix include: Unspeak, Menahan Street Band, Sam Butera, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Ramon Morris, Prince Jammy and the Aggrovators, AM & Shawn Lee, Tony Allen, Ennio Morricone, dj mitsu the beats, Notables, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Jamo Thomas, Black Flower, Alessandro Alessandroni, Ruben Wilson, Soheil Rana, Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul, Maceo and All The Kings Men & +

[jameswhetzel]

July 31 - August 11, 2017 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

The new mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center, replete with upbeat summertime vibes. Artists in the mix include: LL Cool J, Johnny Pate, Quantic, Beginning of the End, Mexican Institute of Sound, No Luck Club, The Skatalites, Kashmere Stage Band, The Upsetters. Conjunto Don Pelegrín, The Budos Band, Tommy McCook, Dan The Automator, AM & Shawn Lee, JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra, Speedometer, Ananda Shankar, Séamus Egan, Timbaland, Calibro 35, Duke Reid, Manu Dibango, KSA, Los Hermanos Aparicios & +

New mix that I made that’s now playing in the Seattle Center International Fountain. It’s replete with fine summertime vibes.

[jameswhetzel]

As of today, the new album by French poet/rapper Yas and yours truly is now up on Bandcamp https://jameswhetzel.bandcamp.com/album/life-is-raining :)

[utrippy]

[jamikaajalon]

ThINGS to avoid when fighting the “revolutionary” fight to keep from repeating the SAMOSAMO

ThINGS to avoid when fighting the “revolutionary” fight to keep from repeating the SAMOSAMO  #dont’supportthesamepowerstructureswhichwishtokeepusprisoner

Don’t inundate your self with social media television media news paper media showing black bodies dying— take a break from it..  Remember that the major thing that has changed between now and 50 years ago is that we now have cameras.  Important to question the paradigm: is  reality feeding media /media feeding reality?   While it’s important to  be aware and document, its good to balance it out.  Though it may be hard to see now, there is and has been many great strides forward and positivity across “race” lines.  To feed only on consumerist culture even within the land of the “political” is to end up malnourished and deflated—  take care and keep faith-  as Audre Lorde said “we were never meant to survive”.  Understanding this we take away the power away from the structures that wish to keep us prisoner.

Black lives matter means Black LIVES,  regardless of gender identification.    Always speak inclusively instead of simply quoting the death toll of black men —use black people— do not fall into the trap of making this a dick against dick thing, contributing to the erasure of women, and otherwise identified people, supporting patriarchal hierarchies which are complicit to racist structures .  To speak and think otherwise is to give more power to those structures.

Don’t be quick to call some one an ‘uncle tom’ because they don’t agree with your “conscious black” rhetoric.    Remember it’s all about divide and conquer.   Yes there are some folks of colour who are not politicised -who live perhaps- in a bubble where they can pretend to be untouched.  However,  just because someone has a difference of opinion, challenges your polemics, or has a different world view doesn’t necessarily make them a traitor.  Remember that not so long ago, and still today among many of our ‘own’, so called radical black power folks held and still hold the belief that homosexuality is a white mans disease.  Remember that not so long ago simply listening to or playing rock/punk made you less black.  Happily, these ideas are being challenged on a more massive level than they were 20 years ago, but  they still do exist.  We are a diverse and ever changing people, to set up codes up blackness is a form of imprisonment that only gives power to the structures we wish to destroy.

Don’t spend too much time with the “white man” on your eyeball. Let’s take responsibility for our own actions. take care of yourself.  Don’t give too much energy to the folks who say stupid things in order to protect their privilege.  It’s wasted energy.  Better to use that same energy to  bring out the positivity and the force we have in our inter-connected and diverse communities.  Also its important to realise that there is an interconnected-ness between all of us— despite the constructions of “race”.    To act without this understanding  is to support the very power structures we are trying to dismantle.

Don’t acquiesce to hate.  Anger and rage are healthy when it becomes a tool for creativity and positive change.   Anger can come from a place of love.  Rage can come from a place of love.  When it does,  it’s more powerful.  When you acquiesces to hate it can only eat you a live, and again  give power to the very structures you are against .

[jameswhetzel]

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A sneak peek behind the scenes of my mix making process. I am working on finishing up the almost 4 hour long Seattle Center Winterfest Mix. It's a lot of tracks and I run an EQ, compressor or multi-band compressor on almost all of them. #WhatIAmUpToToday #Djlife #winterfest #SeattleCenter #InternationalFountain #DJMix #mylife

[jameswhetzel]

#MuslimHeroMonday Ali Akbar Khan: without this great musician, a Muslim immigrant to the USA, I wouldn't be the musician I am. He founded a music school in California in 1967--and it's still going today! I took group lessons that he led there, and learned from his students. #Music #Sarod #Maestro #immigrant #GreatMusicians #AliAkbarKhan #aliakbarcollegeofmusic #AACM

[jameswhetzel]

November 8-23, 2016 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

New mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center Nov 8-23, 2016. Artists in the mix include: DJ Quien -MKTLW- , The xx, Christian Kleine, Roland Alphonso, Moderat, Ali Akbar Khan & John Handy , Battles, Aphex Twin, RZA, Scntfc, Kazi Arindam & Kazi Aniruddha, Hess is More, Múm, Harlem Underground Band Feat. Willis Jackson, Bobbi Humphrey, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, & Mike Marshall, Augustus Pablo & the Upsetters, Ohio Players, Télépopmusik, loscil, K?mf, Patricio Pozo & Ernesto Cavou & +

New chill instrumental mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center November 8-23, 2016.

[jameswhetzel]

Oct. 25 - Nov. 7, 2016 Seattle Center International Fountain Mix

New mix playing in the International Fountain at Seattle Center. Mix includes music in honor of the Día de Muertos festival, happening at Seattle Center Oct 29-30 http://seattlecenter.com/festal/detail.aspx?id=19, as well as music in honor of Halloween. Artists include: Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Bauhaus, Los Macuanos, Mike Oldfield, Omaar, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Leonard Charles, Casino Versus Japan, Lao, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán, Tangerine Dream, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Cianni, Amral's Trinidad Cavaliers Steel Drum Orchestra, Elegante & La Imperial, Nguzunguzu, Am-Boy, Taller de Música Tradicional, Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm, The Avalanches, Superbus (feat. NS), Arca, Whetzel, FCS North, Flying Lotus, Yann Tiersen, Ticklah, Augustus Pablo, 1000names, Robot Koch , Mix Master Mike, Yo La Tengo, Battles, Drexon Field & +

This is my Stranger Things meets Día de Muertos mix. A good mix for a rainy Halloween... :)

[jameswhetzel]

Beatology. Volume 1., by Whetzel

9 track album

Beatology Volume 1 is up. :) The full album is released. Enjoy it! --Bandcamp: http://jameswhetzel.bandcamp.com/album/beatology-volume-1 --ITunes: https://itun.es/i6hn5vb --Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/4fkDqjw0pEIwAMPXTDJsEI

[jameswhetzel]

Bidding a fond farewell to Tyler and Devan as they prepare to head out to Hawaii and Vietnam. #BonVoyage #SafeTravels

[jameswhetzel]

Hey blue sky! #Seattle #October #2016 #RareSighting #nofilter #blueSky #clouds #trees

[jameswhetzel]

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Seattle fireplace video.