Ahead of the upcoming GRAMMY® Awards, holstering an “Album of the Year” nomination for his engineering efforts on Jon Batiste’s latest album (2023’s World Music Radio), Marc Whitmore releases his sophomore album, mirages, today.
Click here to stream mirages.
Whitmore has long established himself as a sought-after engineer, producer, and mixer due to his fervent dedication to musicality. Within his unique Santa Fe, New Mexico studio the fragrance of burning incense fills the air as lava lamps cast a warm glow on his GRAMMY® perched atop a vintage amplifier. Musicians, drawn from both near and far, experience a studio session characterized by the relaxed, amiable, and knowledgeable demeanor of Whitmore.
He is eager to give the world mirages, a 13-track experimental instrumental album that draws inspiration from the expansive beauty of the New Mexico wilderness. Leveraging his proficiency in multiple instruments, Whitmore crafts an immersive auditory journey. Percussion echoes the sounds of distant rattlesnakes, and the raspy guitar propels the listener’s adventurous spirit into uncharted territories, guiding them through a stunning, sun-drenched landscape.
Recently, Whitmore secured his second GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Album of the Year” for his engineering work on Jon Batiste’s latest album, World Music Radio (2023) — an accolade he previously won in 2022 for his contributions to Batiste’s WE ARE (2021). Continuing to showcase his talents, Whitmore engineered the track “Jon Batiste Interlude” on Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd album, which has also received a nomination for “Album of the Year” GRAMMY® this year.
“mirages, draws the listener into a series of previously unexplored sonic territories. The listener, thrust into this hazy, fuzzed-out desert dreamland, will experience experimental and unconventional soundscapes,” Whitmore elaborates. “This guitar-driven concept album not only explores a vast array of genres and production styles, but is an experiment in the fidelity, harmony, and space of recorded music. I intend for the mirages to escape one’s stereo and fill the room with an undeniable intensity and strength.”
mirages TRACKLISTING:
“heat hazer”
“flora fatale”
“lost in ojito”
“sundown wind”
“bandits”
“string beans”
“yellowsunshine”
“coyotes”
“hopper”
“serpents”
“khat!”
“diablo canyon”
“cosmonauts”
Inspired by the straightforward recording techniques of the early 1970s, Whitmore favors the hands-on feel of operating a mixing console over working with a screen. This preference is reflected in his contribution to Jon Batiste’s WE ARE (2021). In a limited timeframe, Whitmore harnessed the ambiance of the transformed historic church, now Esplanade Studios in New Orleans, to infuse the album’s title track, “We Are,” with creativity, particularly during the chorus and outro recording sessions.
Describing his and Batiste’s collaborative process, Whitmore reflects, “Even though we have worked together a lot, each time was a bit of a mystery as to why or what we were there to do, but that’s how we work best together. We typically show up with a very vague idea of what we’re going to do, with the intent to capture whatever emerges from the space.”
Whitmore prefers to capture live takes in unusual locations, recording using analog tapes and mixing on vintage consoles. For his work on World Music Radio, Whitmore aimed to capture Batiste’s ability to jam in a traditional live band setting, resulting in the recording of approximately 40 songs in just one week, a seemingly unorthodox process for modern times. Moreover, Whitmore played a pivotal role in bringing Jon Batiste’s inaugural solo project, Hollywood Africans, to fruition in 2016, overseeing the entire engineering process.
“Every time I’ve worked with Jon, it has been very intense, in a good way,” Whitmore continues. “The pace, focus, and intention in the way he conducts himself around music is very unique. He is able to create an energy in the room where everyone is performing as their truest self with no fear of experimentation. It is often a very spiritual experience to create music with Jon.”
