Album Notes

Mean Deep is Shri Deepayan & James Whetzel.

Their first CD, eponymously named "Mean Deep," is an amped up high-energy affair which mixes cutting edge electronica with Indian classical and folk music, and blends sarod, tabla, and throat singing, with rock, West African drumming, and awesome beats. The rhythms of some tracks reference hip hop and rock while others are so fresh and unique that is no name yet exists in either Western or Eastern vernacular to describe them.


The CD features a collaboration with the Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble on the track "Lindjo Remix," which is an explosive club rocking remix of the raw and heavy traditional Croatian dance known as lindjo. Also featured is a collaboration with French rappeuse YAS who bring her slam poetry energy to the track "Goodabbad (les ecolos)." Also African percussionist Yaw Amponsah brings his fantastic drumming skills to the track "Gotham City."


Beautifully mastered to audiophilic quality by Jake Perrine at RFI.



"Electronica/Indian/etc mashup – but probably not like what you’re thinking. First outing from a pair of guys (Shri Deepayan and James Whetzel), and tending towards the rave rather than trance end of club. Lots of energy and beats with layers of musical ideas from all over, although India is the strongest identifiable element. Most of the vocals are a bit goofy, but the music is killer."

Review by Sadie O at KZSU

http://zookeeper.stanford.edu/index.php?s=byAlbumKey&n=882299&action=search&session=

Charts:

Mean Deep was #7 on the top ten electronic charts of Burnaby/Vancouver, British Columbia's radio station CJSF for the week of November 25, 2008.

Mean Deep was #3 on the top ten electronic charts of Burnaby/Vancouver, British Columbia's radio station CJSF for the week of December 2, 2008.

Mean Deep was #30 on the top 30 ARC charts for Asheville, North Carolina Radio Station WNCW for January 21, 2009.