Biography
Whitey on the Moon was founded by Jamie Osborne, whose first exposure to mainstream sounds came through Detroit, Michigan broadcaster the Electrifying Mojo and that figure's role in popularizing techno. Drawing from Mojo's wide-ranging selections, Osborne collaborated on hip-hop material with a high-school acquaintance in an effort to capture the buoyant styles he had encountered on air. Eager to pursue music professionally, he joined a friend in trying out for engineering intern positions at Juan Atkins' Metroplex studio, yet the session proved discouraging when Osborne sensed he was reprimanded and dismissed for insufficient background.
Resentful of the Metroplex encounter, Osborne abandoned composition and redirected his energies toward college radio. While pursuing electrical engineering studies at Georgia Tech, he oversaw public-affairs content at WREK Atlanta and presented the weekly program A Toast to the Boogie, which spotlighted classic soul, Motown, and pre-disco funk. In the early '90s climate of WREK playlists and Atlanta performance spaces, independent rock gained traction, and immersion in acts such as Sonic Youth, Slint, and Fugazi supplied fresh impetus for Osborne to generate his own work.
Osborne originated Whitey on the Moon during the spring of 1999 from a compact studio apartment in Denver, where he simultaneously worked late-night shifts at KUVO, the city's public jazz outlet, serving as host, writer, producer, and assistant live-performance engineer. The station ultimately terminated him after he aired material by Amon Tobin, Derek Bailey, DJ Cam, and Albert Ayler rather than conforming to the Wynton Marsalis-oriented format it required. Valuable experience accrued from supporting recording dates involving Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Bob Dorough, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and a collection of Denver free-jazz players that included Ron Miles, Fred Hess, and Joe Bonner. That studio and community access proved instrumental when Osborne assembled his first album.
Special New Band appeared in 2000 after a week-long tracking schedule conducted in the middle of the night. Osborne completed the project with contributions from jazz associates and acquaintances based in Denver, Atlanta, Detroit, and Oakland; initial mixing was handled by engineer Bob Burnham with direct two-track recording, after which further mixing and mastering took place at Tree House studios in Oakland.
Relocation to the Bay Area in 2001 led Osborne to create and present pieces for theater, film, and video projects. In 2002 he connected with drummer and percussionist Greg Marasso of Go National/Fulcrum Break. The pair performed at BART stations, street corners, and house parties before bassist and multi-instrumentalist Amir Djaveranian joined them in spring 2004. The resulting trio developed fresh material and continued appearing in living rooms, neighborhood bars, and street festivals throughout summer 2004. Assisted by AJ Wilhelm of Filibuster, Whitey on the Moon tracked and mixed its second album, Discolandia, across three intensive days at Hangar Studios in Sacramento, California; the record came out in fall 2004 via Vela Para Todo Records.
Resentful of the Metroplex encounter, Osborne abandoned composition and redirected his energies toward college radio. While pursuing electrical engineering studies at Georgia Tech, he oversaw public-affairs content at WREK Atlanta and presented the weekly program A Toast to the Boogie, which spotlighted classic soul, Motown, and pre-disco funk. In the early '90s climate of WREK playlists and Atlanta performance spaces, independent rock gained traction, and immersion in acts such as Sonic Youth, Slint, and Fugazi supplied fresh impetus for Osborne to generate his own work.
Osborne originated Whitey on the Moon during the spring of 1999 from a compact studio apartment in Denver, where he simultaneously worked late-night shifts at KUVO, the city's public jazz outlet, serving as host, writer, producer, and assistant live-performance engineer. The station ultimately terminated him after he aired material by Amon Tobin, Derek Bailey, DJ Cam, and Albert Ayler rather than conforming to the Wynton Marsalis-oriented format it required. Valuable experience accrued from supporting recording dates involving Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Bob Dorough, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and a collection of Denver free-jazz players that included Ron Miles, Fred Hess, and Joe Bonner. That studio and community access proved instrumental when Osborne assembled his first album.
Special New Band appeared in 2000 after a week-long tracking schedule conducted in the middle of the night. Osborne completed the project with contributions from jazz associates and acquaintances based in Denver, Atlanta, Detroit, and Oakland; initial mixing was handled by engineer Bob Burnham with direct two-track recording, after which further mixing and mastering took place at Tree House studios in Oakland.
Relocation to the Bay Area in 2001 led Osborne to create and present pieces for theater, film, and video projects. In 2002 he connected with drummer and percussionist Greg Marasso of Go National/Fulcrum Break. The pair performed at BART stations, street corners, and house parties before bassist and multi-instrumentalist Amir Djaveranian joined them in spring 2004. The resulting trio developed fresh material and continued appearing in living rooms, neighborhood bars, and street festivals throughout summer 2004. Assisted by AJ Wilhelm of Filibuster, Whitey on the Moon tracked and mixed its second album, Discolandia, across three intensive days at Hangar Studios in Sacramento, California; the record came out in fall 2004 via Vela Para Todo Records.
Albums
