Post #485292 by Robb Hamel on Sat, Sep 26, 2009 8:14 PM

Koolau asked me about my participation in this album on my velvet painting thread and I thought it would be cool to post the info here.

Lloyd Kandell, who is one of the two founders/producers of Don Tiki contacted me in April about using one of my pieces for the new album. I could tell immediately that he was an absolutely terrific guy, so much so that I trusted him enough to send him the image he wanted before we had finished hammering out a deal, without being asked to! I'm still surprised at how nice it was to work with him. He even sent me an early cut of one of the songs, before the title was finalized, I think.

Lloyd sent me an email that I didn't see for a few days requesting some other images they were considering. These needed to be shown at a specific time to the albums designer, Craig Okino. I checked the date and time he needed the new pics, looked up the Honolulu time, and realized he needed them in about 40 minutes!! I'm very slow at doing emails, so I went into Insane Desperate Slowpoke Artist In High Gear mode and got him the files a few minutes before he walked out the door.

These are the uncropped images of the paintings that were chosen:

I'm very happy that the reproduction of my paintings and how they were used in the packaging is surprisingly good... better than my own Tiki Magazine Ad, which I created! Thank you Craig Okino.

Lloyd sent me copies of the album a little while before it was released, and I've been submerged in it since then. The first thing I noticed is that it is unmistakably Don Tiki. Which means that it has a distinctly theatrical quality - when I listen to it I can't help but get mental images of live performers standing in spotlights, scenery flats being moved for each song, colored lights, and curtains opening and closing.

The second thing is the album seems like a kind of self-contained universe that you enter slowly. This is because it is so carefully crafted and unique that you need to get used to these familiar-yet-not-familiar sounds. Like you, Koolau, this is how most of my all-time favorite albums grew on me. Great art should be this way: a unique artistic vision, not the last album with new titles and lyrics.

The third thing is the album needs to be listened to on a decent audio system to come alive, not cheap-ass computer speakers or tinny base model car speakers. I'm listening to it right now on my halfway decent living room system and the super, super silky sound is absolutely seductive. In fact, I get the feeling the nearly every track is trying to get the listener stimulated (yes, in THAT way)!

Thank you Lloyd and company for a great and happy experience working with you and for giving us a new and hot-blooded piece of art.

Big thanks Koolau for asking about my tiny part.