Jim “Kimo” West, well known as the versatile guitarist for “Weird Al” Yankovic, is also recognized as a Grammy-winner who brings his own unique musical perspective to world music, nominated for the 2026 Global Album “Sounds of Kumbha.”
“Sounds of Kumbha” is an historic 12 track / 12 video “sonic memoir” that celebrates this year’s Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest-ever spiritual gathering, and features seven producers and over fifty world-class artists. “Being there in India at the Kumbh was truly an unforgettable experience,” says West. “As a co-producer and featured artist I’m really proud of this — both the sonics and the cinematography are top notch.”
West utilized his TELEFUNKEN ELA M 260 Stereo Set, which features two small diahragm matched condenser mics and a custom dual power supply. “I’ve been doing all my own recording as long as I’ve played guitar,” says West. And the instrument, the player and the microphones are equally important. I’ve always loved great mics and especially Telefunken.”
Sounds of Kumbha is a 12-song and 12 music video living memoir of the Mahakumbha, the world’s largest gathering of humanity devoted to peace, prayer, and spiritual unity, led by Indian classical singer, composer and producer, Siddhant Bhatia. With seven creative producers, Jim “Kimo” West, Ron Korb, Madi Das, Charu Suri, Raghav Mehta, Siddhant Bhatia, Devraj Sanyal; and over 50+ global artists, “Sounds of Kumbha” is an unforgettable immersive experience.
“Acoustic guitar is a complex instrument and you have to be very careful of boominess, and sometimes it can just be too big sounding,” West explains. “So mic placement is really important. You want to make sure you stay away from the sound hole. There’s something about small diaphragm condenser mics that makes them really responsive. I like all the little nuances, and things really pop out with a small diameter condenser. With the shape of the 260 plus the tube there’s a richness there. These mics just sound really natural.”
Looking back, West remembers, “I was at a Weird Al session a few years ago and the engineer was using a pair of these Telefunken M 260 mics on different instruments and I really thought they sounded great. I’ve always loved the idea of tubes in the chain somewhere, especially for acoustic guitar, because it adds a really nice harmonic richness. When I redesigned my studio I thought it was time to get a pair of new mics. These 260s were my first choice, and they are really spectacular sounding.”
“Sounds of Kumbha” is entered in the Best Global Album category. Learn more: https://soultraxstudios.com/sokfyc/ https://youtu.be/MHfpf49hyTA
