ALLAN JAMISEN - "Gotta Do"
Composer and painter Allan Jamisen balances personal introspection and dazzling
electro-pop infectiousness on “Gotta Do,” a new single that transforms a simple phrase
into a hypnotic reflection on survival, self-preservation, and collective spirit. Written
during one of the most difficult chapters of his life, the track merges emotional rawness
with a climactic electronic charm -- all while thematically examining interpersonal
relations in modern society.
A musical composer and painter; an outsider artist / recording artist defying easy definition; the ever expanding variety of musical and cultural influences include Burt Bacharach, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, Bee Gees, Leonard Cohen, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Iggy Pop (The Stooges), Lee Hazelwood, Motown, Stax, The Wrecking Crew and way too many others.
As a child, he was a member of the district honor choir in Phoenix, Arizona. At eighteen, he was the lead singer and co-songwriter in a Los Angeles band performing in local clubs with guitarist and future producer Danny Saber, who later worked with artists like The Rolling Stones, Michael Hutchence (INXS), and many others. As a young adult, he was a walk-on member (and a featured performer) in a university gospel choir in California. He also wrote and produced his own music with a Tascam Porta One 4-Track cassette recorder.
A family friend, Gaynel Hodge, who wrote the 50’s smash hit “Earth Angel,” was a founding member of The Platters, and an early supporter of Allan’s songwriting skills. He introduced him to other music producers, like Kim Fowley, who opened an opportunity to submit demo recordings to SST Records in Los Angeles.
After relocating to Copenhagen, Denmark in 1991, he began a collaboration with Claes Cornelius, a music executive with Mega Records. Claes was working with international hit groups like Ace of Base(“The Sign”, “All That She Wants”) and Laid Back ("White Horse") at the time. They recorded several songs at Cornelius’ studio in a Copenhagen art gallery, Galleri Projekt, where Allan also exhibited artwork and paintings. The creative momentum from those sessions led to other opportunities in the Danish arts community in the 90s, including producing and recording electronic music with Frederik Birket-Smith, an influential DJ (2000 F), music promoter (Bas Under Buen), club owner (Jolene Bar) and the director of Strøm Music Festival - an annual electronic music event in Copenhagen.
John X Volaitis, a friend from the 80s in Los Angeles, and Saber’s former production partner, became a vital collaborator around 2005 - 2006, when Allan returned to the US. Volaitis is a veteran recording engineer/producer who’s worked with major recording artists including Whitesnake, The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman and many others. A CD of original songs they produced together (which included a cover version of the Ace of Base classic “All That She Wants” produced with Claes), had a limited release in 2006, but remains under the radar and is largely unknown.