Original composition by Stefan Verstraete (©)

Still thinking of you

Cover of the French song ‘C’est si bon’. Based on the version of French jazz guitarist Biréli Lagrène.   

C’est si bon

Taken from the 'Beyond the Veiled Horizon' series of tracks

https://soundcloud.com/mrbouzouki/sets/beyond-the-veiled-horizon-series

Dee Zee and Mr B YouTube Channel 

https://www.youtube.com/@DeeZeeandMrB
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This track is is part of an ongoing  SoundCloud collaboration with accomplished keyboard player and Prog Rock enthusiast Dave Zeitlin.

Be sure to check out more of his music here :- @dee-zee

Dave had worked on an outline track for this with fairly ominous chords building into the actual storm section. It did sound quite stately rhythmically and in my head I could hear more of a driving pulse to reflect an oncoming storm and the storm itself.  The addition of more of an Eastern pulse utilising Darbuka and Rik in the early part and Davul in the ending added the feeling I was looking for. 

Some orchestral brass was added to the start of the storm section which gave it a bit of majesty and I also added a bit of string ensemble too.  I've often used the 'Eduardo Tarilonte', Shevannai vocal VST library in my music. The pure tones of 'Lara Ausensi' are perfect to add an element of mystery to a piece like this. 

Oud (a Middle Eastern short-neck lute) and Ney ( Persian End Blown Flute) add melodic interest and colour to the early part of this track. Use is also made of a Kanun (Qanun) a Middle Eastern stringed instrument, a type of zither.  This appears just before the storm hits. 

Dave had already supplied a solo section and I added some early electric guitar that morphed into more of a supporting riff when his solo started. It worked well that I could bring together electric and synth at the end of the storm alongside a final slightly dissonant chord on the brass. 

The overall piece is very much a weird hybrid of Eastern influences, Prog Rock and Orchestral instrumentation. I think we managed to capture some energy in this piece ... I  hope others think we did too. :-)  

Instrumentation

End Chords - Dee Zee
Lead  Synth - Dee Zee
Main String | Brass Chords - Dee Zee
Echo Chords - Dee Zee
Early Fx - Dee Zee
Piano Chords - Dee Zee
Block - Dee Zee
Timpani Pattern - Dee Zee 

Chris Hein French Horn Ensemble - MrBouzouki
Chris Hein Low Brass Ensemble - MrBouzouki
VSL Epic Horns - MrBouzouki
Chris Hein String Ensemble - MrBouzouki
Shevannai Vocal Library - MrBouzouki
Darbuka - Percussion - MrBouzouki
Rik - Percussion - MrBouzouki
Electric Guitar - MrBouzouki
Oud - MrBouzouki
Ney - End-blown Flute - MrBouzouki
Kanun - MrBouzouki
VSL Timpani - MrBouzouki
Albion Orchestra (Phasing Octadrone) - MrBouzouki

Into the Sandstorm - in collaboration with D Zeitlin

Original composition by Stefan Verstraete (©) 
All instruments recorded and performed at my home studio. 

Ten Miles From Sundown

Artwork by Eugenia Loli - used with kind permission
http://eugenialoli.tumblr.com

Written and recorded 27th/28th February 2016

i wish i understood
why love does no good
i know she ain't the one
when i kiss somebody i'm told
it's just a crush it's all fun
i don't believe it...

but love isn't rational
it never was
love is irrational to me

i do wonder though
how i keep on keepin' on

but love isn't rational
it never was
love is irrational to me

Art by Eugenia Loli

Love Isn't Rational

Into The Light

Pointless Point

Originally about Bolsonaro's destruction of the Amazon rainforest, it now also serves as a metaphor for the US and Brazilian response to Covid-19.

Single take with improv guitar, with harmony vocal overdubs added

#staysafe

This Murder

Written and recorded 15/16th August 2020

My first post-lockdown 'one-weekend' song...

The lyric is based on my experience of visiting the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto in 2018, a magical day that I will never forget.

Photography by Chris Syme

Lyrics:
At the foot of the mountain
I contemplate the journey I'll make
To be enlightened
To be enlightened

I never doubted
That this would be the fate that I'd face
Gateway to Heaven
Now and forever

At the foot of the mountain
I find I'm in a dream-like state
Tranquil and silent
Into the silence

Foot Of The Mountain

Written and recorded 1st December 2020

This week I only just learned of the passing of one of my favourite musicians on Soundcloud, Jim Horbett. Jim originally went under the monicker 'Local Man' and posted many wonderful songs, some of which are available on Bandcamp, but some are (as far as I know) only available here on SC.

Jim joined the Seattle Colonels of Truth a few years ago, but it was with his pals Daniel Ullom and Forrest Marowitz that he formed the Rain City Ramblers, a stunning 3-piece playing a mixture of their own material and traditional American roots music, including some of Jim's own pieces that he debuted here, such as Holiday and Suburban Hellfire. 

Jim's music was a great source of inspiration and one of his last posts on SC was an experimental piece called 'There's No Constant', a haunting and brilliantly imaginative piece that I took as inspiration for one of my most recent songs, 'On The Waterfront'... indeed, the original working title of my tune was 'Jim's song'. Sadly, by the time I messaged Jim to let him know about the song, he had already tragically passed away from cancer, aged just 31.

RIP James, 1987-2019

Please check out his wonderful music here:

https://soundcloud.com/jameshorbett
https://raincityramblers.bandcamp.com/releases

Lyrics:
Jim was "Local Man"
A Rain City Rambler
Once a Colonel of Truth
Not long ago

Bluegrass fingerpicker
Buffalo troubadour
"Scuz King" magic maker
Not long ago

I'm torn by feelings of loss
I'm torn by feelings of love
Goodbye Ramblin' Man
We'll miss you oh so very much

That square neck resonator
On "Queen of Revelry"
Rang like strains of heaven
Not so long ago

Bad News (Blues) came calling
like Suburban Hellfire
Too long for the season
Not long ago...

I'm torn by feelings of loss
I'm torn by feelings of love
Goodbye Local Man
We'll miss you oh so very much

Local Man (Song For Jim Horbett)

Undertow

These tracks are basically solo acoustic or electric fingerstyle guitar. All of the songs are my compositions.

Pointless Point

Carl Kalwaitis

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