Another track from lockdown in Aotearoa.  A very common progression. Hints of Floyd, Collins and Gangster Paradise perhaps.
Work'n on my chops on Cubase and playing gat after many years not regularly doing so.
Bflat here just for a change......
Enjoying the journey.....and playing.

Lockdown Muse In Aotearoa

Last day of lockdown, back to school tomorrow. A very common and familiar chord sequence for an easy bit of fun. I don't play to charts so here I learned how to use a marker track to write the chord changes in for playing bass and organ to and sounding reasonably on the button. Excuse the few pops and clicks, imperfection is okay with me for so I am..........and maybe you are too. It's a philosophical choice to leave....hand made and all that. I love the Japanese pottery philosophy that welcomes cracks and imperfections as the hand of God........sometimes we control things so much and have stuff so perfect we leave no room for random or the divine.....

A Common Theme For The Common Human

A composition with the sadness and the beauty of great spirits passing into the West. Lives lived and the loss of those left behind, but the wonder of the new journey crossing over to sleep with loved ones already resting from toil in the earth. Experimenting with instruments I dont often use but need to get to know.......so much potential. I love writing like this.

The Passing Of Arwen Evenstar Into The West

Encouraged by my simple recording of The Road To Coromandel last night, I plugged in another condenser mic to the board, mounted simply on the desk...and had a wee freeform session....maybe a minutes worth. And it turned into a wee something. 3 banjo tracks, mandolin , bass and accordion. Lotsa fun....short and sweet.

This tune relies for momentum on the upright bass.....you dont hear it on laptop or cell phone.....headphones will get it.

A Wee Dram of Banjo

I (in a totally non narcissistic way.....truly...it was like a research experince, an experiment almost) travelled home yesterday from a trip listening to my Soundcloud My Composition's playlist(being over 100 now). 
What I was listening to formed a soundtrack for the whenua and vista I was travelling thru and seeing all around me on a beautiful autumn day. Doing this with earbuds in place allows me to see what works and what doesn't and most importantly what I can learn from the experience and change....with the big question being...Does it work?????  Pleased to say much works and even if only to me....I think I have soundtrack potential. There is much that I thought I could trash now, and much that was worthy of a remix. With that in mind I worked on a piece I wrote the basics of ages ago this morning and in the light of new knowledge, ears and skills I completed it....well to this point. I like what I do, and I like that I have life and can grow thru reflection and wisdom albiet a speck of the latter.  I am so fortunate to add this to the tapestry of life by being alive where I am with the humble means I have .....which I acknowledge is huge wealth in the light of whats happening in the world and any moment in time, and this moment especially thinking of Ukraine. 
Rather than shrinking from living and life I wonder if we/I owe it to them and the lost/losses that we live to our maximum in the light of the gift we have ....life and being and ability no matter how simple..... the ones and lives/life that was stolen from them by all parties caught up in Putins coat tails and I do not absolve the west from their complicity here..........His Dark Matters. Fuck you Putin and co.

His Dark Matters

Learning learning learning. While working on recording acoustic guitar soundz it accidentally turned into a wee song. Not about anyone in particular, but ya gotta have some words right?
Channeling that angst we have all maybe felt at sometime in our lives. And lucky you if you haven't been thru that.
Not a great voice but a whole lotta fun (it's the only one I have got :-). Recorded with Edwina and Sparky.......
Got a sore as throat but the good drugs are keeping me creating.....
Again mastered in CuBase as opposed to my usual WavLab shenanigans...

My Baby Don't Care

Haven't written anything for a while, here is a brief swaree into meaninglessness. Just fun, and winter has passed..... Again mastered in Cubase. Not using WavLab anymore.......

The Rambling Boy

Winter Is Passing

Havent written or recorded anything in a while so changed that before I forgot to much....here's some clawhammer . Banjo clawhammer stylz is the instrument of my life.....
This piece is evocative to me of being on a cold sea, fog horns, ships propellors, the rhythms of motors, icebergs and the warm cup in your hands heading home......
Double C tuning. Capo 2nd fret. D major.

The Whaler's Crossing

Another track from a laptop session with Garage Band and Knifonium by Brainworkx. Lofi, recording stylez but love that synth. I really love that synth in fact.

The Bee Keepers Dream

Another soundtrack using only Knifonium synth and Garage Band. LoFi stylez. Lush dark.....soundscape, tense and in your face. Working out how bouncing works in Garage Band. I am a Cubase person usually, but trying to work within limitations so I  can hang out in Cafe type places and do this kind of writing (living the dream :-)........hence limiting myself instrumentally and software wise. Happy with my journey so far.

After 4 mix versions its tamed and not quite so in ya face....less is more....so true.

The Searching Of Sector 5

The last of my deliberately limited soundtracks using Garage Band on my laptop, Knifonium, Halion and all my skills. I love the concept and the joy somewhat reminding me of whales having a good time......I am looking forward to sitting in odd places and writing more music this year in a deliberately lofi way. I have to say that I love Knifonium as a plugin and slowly coming to grips with Garage Band for these lofi projects.

The Ecstacy Of The Whale

A composition using Knifonium in Komplete Kontrol, Spitfire Audio and created in Cubase 12 Pro. I am really enjoying Knifonium even if I have already said that. This is me honing skills and enjoying it very much.....

7 tracks here....

The Drug Runner's Dream

The remaster. Working on my mastering skills with the help of my guru and good mate. This here is the 16 bit mastered file exported as  my usual soundcloud styles. I won't bore you with details but this is all a longer process but much better than my original...admittedly with some new game changing plugins and me understanding the process more and what they do.....I like this tune....the interplay of gat, mando and banjo and my 1st playaround using the Nord Drum 3. Happy learner. Thanks Ryan.

The Gumdiggers Lament (remastered)

A grungy apocalytic soundtrack inspired by some ultra dramatic south american Netflix series I have been watching lately. 
Some new Komplete 14 instruments. (I upgraded from 12)
Cubase Pro 12
Haven't written anything for a while. Feeling inspired and good to be back in the saddle again.

Apocalyse In Sector 5

Getting back into writing again. Dreaming of Latin Americana fun.
South America really captivates me. The beauty of the language and culture with all its vibrancy and complications. Once I thought the Irish were the most irrepressible nation on earth as it has emerged from English raping and pillaging. Now I am aware of the Latin Americano nations emerging from the raping and pilaging of Spain into vibrant, colourful and creative cultures. This music is composed under that kind of emerging awareness. Created with Native Instruments, Cubase

Tijuana Taxi Dreaming

I have a good friend whose oldest brother is dying. 
I started writing this earlier this week as I redownloaded some of my libraries that I lost on a drive that wont read.
To me there is something about voices (says one who cant sing LOL), so I love singing thru these libraries....I also after 3 years...have started adding FX in Komplete Control and Maschine..............sheesh I can miss so much of whats possible.
Now when I listen to this it fits the anguish of loss and life gone somewhere, and also if possible the beauty of it even if that involves rescuing the good and coming to terms with anothers choices. Life is life, eat the bread drink the wine..........we must look for the beauty. Hopefully some can be found amidst memories.............amidst the utter tragedy of loss.
Composed in Cubase 12 Pro. using Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol

Song For A Friend

Getting back into it after a lot of time sitting and thinking and welding.
Xploring many of the lovely instruments I usually skim over. Diving deeper..
In the aftermath of Iowa.

Waikanae Blue

Another track from my CuBase journey. I found this lovely accordion sound that immediately became evocative of what it may have been like sitting around at Anzac Cove amidst this hellish cock up of a mission, and in the hell of all that the human spirit tries to find beauty.
I can't ever begin to imagine what it was like there, and my very naming of this might be romantic and naive, but I do know what it is to be human....and in moments of pain and horror try to find some small beautiful thing that would remind you of home or being alive..........here I imagine its making music in your dugout, but it could be the song of a bird (if any were in that hell forsaken place). Anzac Cove has been said to be the making of our nation, it was the 1st time we kiwi's from the bottom of the earth played with the big guys on the world stage, same can be said for Australia (not that the bond seems to be strong anymore).
Really Anzac Cove or Gallipoli was a prize cock up of the arrogant British command (Churchill was part of that) and how once again the small guys were sent in as canon fodder. Yes we played this first game on the world stage...........but some of us know better now. It wasn't about sacrifice, love of country or freedom, it was about adventure and doing our bit. Nearly every family in NZ lost someone in that craziness. 
I don't glorify war, or do something that deifies these people on Anzac Day commemorations. They are not forgotten and we have learned nothing from their sacrifice. This is my remembering them, those young men and boys on both sides.

AnzacCove

A re master of a banjo session looking at different mastering styles. This is the same as The Long Road Home......not quite as in your face but now I don't know which I like most........both very different........but both I like a lot. Must record more banjo.

Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting

I have always loved the concept of the mountains in the transitional seasons. Where I live it iS too warm but once I experienced living in the rockies during the snow melt. A bit Copeland, and a lot me. Playing with some cheap Behringer valve mic pre-amps...especially to drive my ribbon mic hard. really pleased. recorded the banjo and mandolin as a muck around with 2 mics....and turned it into something. A humble something that evokes stuff for me. 1st audio I have recorded in ages. Bring on the summer of music at our house.

My Side Of The Mountain

We have watched, and that's a royal we I think, we the world, have watched the fiasco in the Senate where so called representatives........oh yess and you Mitch Mc.....judge as 'not' guilty the orange man...who really is a pig of a man....and perhaps some men as myself would not like to be named as sharing that same gender of 'man'. We have watched and we are sad and gutted, and not in awe....of a day when 'right' could have been done.....but it wasn't except by the brave 7. The rest of you could be ashamed because too many you are now  blind and nothing perhaps..........we wonder how long you will be something to the voters you are afraid of. We are sad but laughing at you. You know the emperor, ex emperor has no clothes on but you won't say.................you are all too afraid to say. 

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light, 

Written in CuBase using NativeInstruments Kontakt, Spitfire Audio and SoundIron libraries.

Bye Bye American Pie / The Day American Democracy Endorsed A Pig

I have always been a dreamer and a creative. My music is more atmosheric and dripping with evocative tendencies. Ideally the music will work better with eyes closed in a mindful kind of way....or attached to images of my own creation. In 2022 I hope to move in the more visual way of presenting the music I create. In a hiphop saturated world, I know my music has potential. On SoundCloud I am hoping to somehow connect with people that will be interested in my music and maybe collaborate on some projects. I would love to hear from you.

BrothaHawkz

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