#ArtistTalk: A Dolphin’s Tale

Brennen Jones: Why the name Dolphin? Dolphin: Around the time I decided to start pushing my own music, I was running around New York with folks like Ge-ology and in Baltimore with Spankrock and had put in some work with the camps of Jam Master Jay and Teddy Riley. After releasing a few records in Belgium, I found myself in the studio and on the road more and more and I realized I needed a name that would represent the music and define the intentions behind it. While in Atlantic City with the Temptations, I’d asked Melvin why they chose the name the Temptations. He answered point-blank, “We knew that name would define us even when we wanted to just be ourselves. That name would define us even when we didn’t have the strength to. It’s about the legacy.” I thought about what he’d said and after much prayer and meditation the name Dolphin came to me in a dream. It felt strange at first but as I studied it the name, it started to make sense. As self-taught musicians dolphins flood the sea with harmony seeking to create order and peace. There is a fearlessness about them and they willingly fend off sharks. They are healers and nurturers and some believe they can read minds. They are as ancient as they are futuristic and beam with energy and elation. They are intelligent and even with all their interaction with man and nature remain a mystery as to what inspires them. Dolphin's "Ovni" Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea4tovWjsT4 Brennen Jones: That's one of the most insightful answers ever given to me when I ask someone that question. (Both Laugh) So when did you know that you wanted to become a performer? Dolphin: I grew up on the stage. At around age 9 I started dancing professionally, serving as my own booking agent arranging gigs around town. My mother would drive me to the venues and after a while I started getting noticed by newspapers and TV. I even got the chance to perform for the USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. By 13, my musical interests were expanding and I formed three bands– a power trio that would perform anywhere we could get a gig (namely in nightclubs), a full 10 piece band complete with a horn section for larger gigs like proms and dances, and a rock ensemble that covered a lot of popular music and heavy metal/punk. BJ: You were a busy young man. Dolphin: I tried. (laughs) BJ: What's your thought process when crafting out your songs? Dolphin: I write a lot so it varies. Songs can be directly inspired by a quote or a film. Sometimes a person. Sometimes I just have a need to create. Though I have been called ‘prolific’ I think I am fortunate because writing to me is just fun really. And therapeutic. I guess I’m making my therapy sessions public. One thing that does always seems to inspire me is emotion. What’s beautiful about writing music is that it introduces you to feelings you didn’t know you had. Creating music unlocks that. Sometimes fully composed songs just fall in my head. Often times I can write, produce, play all the instruments, and do all the lead and backing vocals in one night. For some reason my mind is constantly pulling from a belief system that there is very little time if any time at all – so that being said I try not to sleep or eat as much as possible just to continue creating. Sometimes I go at it for days. I also write and release under various names depending on the music style which allows me the opportunity to do whatever I want. Generally Dolphin covers R&B/Soul/ElectroFunk etc. There is an underground Hip-hop series of international releases under Ocean Aquanaut, in addition to some harder electro rock music I have floating under the name Black Seka. It depends really, the best part is I can be as free as I like. When I’m producing an artist or guest appearing on someone’s record there is a different approach. For me it’s never about me on the record as much as it is about getting the best out of the record. You want to make sure that you exist within the borders of the artist’s palate, while at the same time supporting their vision as you bring your talents to the table. For example, when invited to play on The Anti Pop Consortium’s last album Flourescent Black, I was a bit apprehensive since they are global electronic underground legends. It was a great experience and it ended up working very well I think because they knew what they wanted and were able to clearly relate that information to me both sonically and lyrically. As a result I opened up the album with Death Metal speed guitar solo on lead and bass. Ended up playing on a few records on the album and it worked. The critics dug it – but it took seeing and feeling their vision to make that happen and for me to believe it. BJ: How many instruments do you play? Dolphin: To be honest I hope to never have an answer for this question. I hope that I will always be a student and learning new instruments. Generally I find that most instruments are cousins and just merely vary in technique and approach. With that as my focus I’m always open to learning and opening myself up to new things. Generally on all my records you will find me playing electric lead guitar, electric bass, acoustic guitar, piano, organs, synths, drums, harmonica, and percussion and so on. I would say 90 percent of these albums are all live instrumentation – only a few with me making beats as I make beats as well. BJ: How long did it take for you to learn how to play with those instruments? Dolphin: It’s a lifelong process really. Just like with words or human interaction – you learn more and more as life goes on. That being said I’ll find a tape of me performing when I was in high school that may completely trump something I’m doing today. I honestly don’t feel as if I have ever really learned anything, I imagine it’s always been there… in my DNA… I just needed to have the courage to tap in and unlock it and I find as I learn more about myself I learn more about music. As I learn more about music I learn more about myself. Dolphin's "War Outside Our Bedroom" Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm3AzdTqP-A BJ: Word on the street is that you've actually recorded 50 albums.

Dolphin: Yes, I did. BJ: How does someone record 50 albums? I don't think Prince even recorded 20 albums and you recorded 50. How does someone pull that off? Dolphin: I have sacrificed so much personally as an artist and it was always for the art. O ver a ten-year period, there have been a lot of sleepless nights, failed relationships, and living like Howard Hughes. (laughs) It’s not samples and loops. It took a lot of work, but I just felt it was necessary for me personally to go that route. It’s never been for fame or material wealth. I’ve done it so I could always create freely. For me this isn’t popular music – it’s more or less my life soundtrack made available for anyone willing to follow. That’s how I view it and as a result, I have never felt a need to be part of the industry machine or conform to or be confined by its regulations. To me only the artist owns his art and that’s how I plan to live. That being said I think the intention of creating music for me came from a much different place than some artists – and that may account for why I write so much. I give the credit to the Universe for the music; I’m merely just a vessel. I can recall so many nights my friends went out to a party, dinner, or just to interact socially. I would stay home because I’d just gotten a new Chic Corea album on vinyl and I wanted to ‘study’ the record all night or I had a song in my head or a new guitar. It definitely has not been easy as now my circle of friends is a lot smaller than it used to be. (Laughs) When I went to Africa for the first time I was about mid way through this process. While there I met the late Dick Griffey, founder and president of the legendary Solar Label. Listening to him talk about spending time in close confidence with Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, and Marvin Gaye inspired and taught me a lot. He hosted me at his compound - he would die shortly after so for me just being able to build with him on music, intention... the system.. was so powerful man. When I told him how many albums I’d recorded he told me, “Keep going, you could make history… at the very least you’ll be the only man I ever met to get it all off his chest.” (laughs). When I got back to the states I was so inspired I recorded an entire album in a week; 17 songs to be exact. BJ: Since I mentioned Prince a little earlier, when listening to your music I can see that Prince may have been an inspiration for a lot of your music. I can also sense a little bit of D'Angelo in there as well. What music acts have you heard people try to compare you to? Also who would you say would be your biggest influence with your music? Dolphin: Thank you...those comparisons are humbling. When I was younger my parents were heavy into soul and blues – Al Green, ZZ Hill, Denise LaSalle, James Brown, Otis Redding, Fats Domino, and even Little Richard. Beyond their personal record collection I had to find out about funk, punk, rock, metal, and folk on my own. All these things had influence. I clearly remember spending hours just looking at the album covers. However, it wasn’t until I started meeting other musicians, artists, and people who thought like me that I learned about Coltrane, Hendrix, George Benson, Joy Division, the Beatles, Taj Mahal, Miles Davis etc. I’m also a visual artist, painting and drawing, etc. Experiencing various forms in color and texture really inspired me to learn and try to create in various ways. I have always been more into older musicians like Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly, Nick Drake, and Joni Mitchell – so I don’t draw much inspiration from most modern musicians, but Prince, QTip, Terence Trent Darby, David Bowie and Jay Dee aka Dilla were some of the biggest influences on me in terms of modern musicianship. I think many of the same older musicians have inspired us in common like Sly, Marvin, and James Brown and so on. Dolphin's "Electric Horsemen" Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOCZICmzKck What’s interesting is that my biggest influences actually aren’t musical at all. Bruce Lee and his discipline made an impression on me at a very young age. I read his Art of Kung Fu and it changed my life. The same can be said about the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Two very early direct influences were Mr. Fields, a local numbers runner in our hood. He would take me along on his pick ups and one day he asked me “what do you want to do with your life” and I replied “music”. The next day he gave me my first instrument, a keyboard belonging to his son who had just passed. The other would be Dr. MacMillan, the band director for the jazz orchestra and marching band in high school. He allowed me to play bass for the ensemble despite the fact I couldn’t read music. He hired a bass player to play the parts with me. She would play with the Orchestra and I would sit in the back of the room and just listen., memorize the sections of the songs and then play them back. He turned me on to jazz, Be Bop, classical, etc. He would critique the songs I would record at home on a four track. Because of this arrangement he allowed me to use his practice rooms for most of my high school years, practicing piano, guitar, drums, and using it as rehearsal space for my bands. He was the first professional musician who ever took me seriously. Dr. MacMillan was arguably the first person who believed in me as an artist besides Mr. Fields. Talk about massive influence. BJ: What's next on your horizon? Dolphin: My EP entitled Sunrooms is out now and can be found at Bamalovessoul.com . It will also be available at my website and blog – wardolphin.com . From there I have another 3 song release coming through FreshSelects.net. I was just featured on a new album by the electro-rock band Koala out of Antwerp/Brussels, Belgium which just came out in November and we are planning to record together again for their fourth release. Last year there were 5 one hour radio specials featuring my work on the BBC, CBC, and various internet radio shows and I plan to do a few more. I will also be releasing several albums on vinyl exclusively through my website at wardolphin.com. Most of my followers are in Europe and Canada but hopefully I will introduce some of this work here in the states. I’ll be filming more this year various videos and a few films. I just finished a six song video set called “The Love War: 30 Mins of Light” and a short documentary to support my acoustic albums. The performances are live, shot in 16 mm supershot at the now defunct Punk Rock club The Hexagon. Both can be found at my website wardolphin.com/blogspot . So far this year I’m wrapping up 4 new album projects which should be ready for release in just a few weeks. I have made over 20 albums available for free at wardolphin.com and album sales at my site have been good the last two years so this year who knows? Dolphin has decided to give us an exclusive mix that we can share with all our readers. Click here to turn the page and listen to and then download some of his music for free.

TRACK LIST 1. Light St. Intro 2. Optimum High (Optimum High EP) 3. Ascension (Ionysus LP) 4. Math of Us (We Have Magik Eyes EP) 5. Enter The Heart (The Orion Album) 6. Nightlife (We Have Magik Minds EP) 7. Superhero (The Invisible Album) 8. Invisible (Sunrooms EP) 9. Ovni (Quiet Science EP) 10. War Outside Our Bedroom* (Dolphin & The Airmath Live @ The Peabody) If you like what you hear, download Dolphin's Ultimate Sampler here for free . You can also purchase Dolphin's music through his blog .

Music Credits: All Music Written, Arranged, Produced and Performed by Dolphin. All Instruments Played by Dolphin and 4th Dr. Publishing for Wardolphin.com.

*Written by Dolphin and performed by Dolphin & The Airmath (The Peabody Sessions) *Interview Soundbite - Marili Kateri/Dolphin Photo credits: All photography done by Creighton Higgins