This is a collection of old tracks from around 2008. Super Glue and Didn't Want to Miss It are newer. Robot Revolution is recently remixed (you can tell from the reference to 'blue screen of death' it was written some time ago). I have finally got around to putting them online...a silver lining to lockdown.

A few of the tracks use drum samples but most are entirely synthesisers and drum machines. Didn't Want to Miss It, Waiting for the Moment and Fred Hampton all use samples from the great documentary Berkeley in the Sixties. Fred Hampton also uses a longer speech taken from Youtube. Robot Revolution & All Robots to the Barricades use samples from online text to speech converters. All Robots to the Barricades, Fred Hampton and Rviers of Our Need all use drum samples from Computer Music Magazine. Unable to Comply uses voice samples from Computer Music Magazine.

All tracks written, produced, recorded and mastered by Chris Breen 
© Chris Breen 2022

Unable To Comply

Fred Hampton

This album is called No Words...because the tracks are all instrumental. Some of theses tracks do actually have words written for them, but I'm not a singer(as you may be able to tell from the few songs I attempt vocals on the Robot Revolution album) so they are recorded without vocals here. These songs were mostly written between 2019 and 2022, Likes to Dance is older, but rerecorded here. 

The tracks are almost entirely created by synthesisers and drum machines, but Like to Dance uses a drum sample from Future Bass & RNB 5841 Loopmasters sample pack.

All tracks written, produced, recorded and mastered by Chris Breen 
© Chris Breen 2022

Refugee

No Words

This is a collection of old tracks from around 2008. Super Glue and Didn't Want to Miss It are newer. Robot Revolution is recently remixed (you can tell from the reference to 'blue screen of death' it was written some time ago). I have finally got around to putting them online...a silver lining to lockdown.

A few of the tracks use drum samples but most are entirely synthesisers and drum machines. Didn't Want to Miss It, Waiting for the Moment and Fred Hampton all use samples from the great documentary Berkeley in the Sixties. Fred Hampton also uses a longer speech taken from YouTube. Robot Revolution & All Robots to the Barricades use samples from online text to speech converters. All Robots to the Barricades, Fred Hampton and Rivers of Our Need all use drum samples from Computer Music Magazine. Unable to Comply uses voice samples from Computer Music Magazine.

All tracks written, produced, recorded and mastered by Chris Breen. Artwork created by Chris Breen.
© Chris Breen 2022

Robot Revolution

The first track has taken audio from the wonderful poem of Rafeef Ziadah, read in London in 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKucPh9xHtM

The second track has taken audio from Mario Savio's inspiring speech in 1964 at The University of California at Berkeley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz7KLSOJaTE

Do I do justice to the poem and the speech? I think they are better in their original forms without music, but if they find one more person who hasn't heard them before that's great. In any case this is a hobby, I'm not making money from my music.

From the River to the Sea has two versions, the second takes chants from rallies for Palestine, I as much as I like the sentiment, I think the version without words works better.

The rest of the tracks are electronic music without words.

This is dedicated to the people of Gaza, and to everyone around the globe opposing the genocide taking place in Gaza.

And also to my wonderful wife Geetha Sridher, who is very considerate of all the time I spend on political activism and making music.

From The River To The Sea (words)

Children Play Amidst The Bombs

Palestine Will Be Free

From The River To The Sea

We Teach Life

No it's not a cover.

The main chords are one I think of as ones from the band The Pixies, though have likely been used in 1000s of songs. There is also a snippet of the Ode to Joy, like a musical quote, over those Pixies chords. But there is no orchestra, and no guitars, this is all synths.

Beethoven Meets the Pixies

Beethoven Meets The Pixies & Some Synths

This song is for my daughter, it means a lot to me, it has lyrics, which I'm working on trying to make sound good enough. I will release it as a stand alone track when finished. This is just an instrumental version.

© Chris Breen 2024

For Priya

This song is mostly a bit of fun...but of course serious too, capitalism does need to be smashed :)

Oh & once again I'm not a singer, but I think the vocoder makes this work.

Lyrics

Smash capitalism
Smash it in the head
Smash capitalism
Smash it till its dead

Smash capitalism
Put workers in control
Smash capitalism
Before it eats your soul 

Smash capitalism
Before it smashes us
Smash capitalism
Get on board the bus

Smash capitalism
We're going to have a ball
Smash capitalism
Before it kills us all

There's genocide in Gaza
More climate change ahead
They want to work us harder
Work us till we're dead 

They're stockpiling their weapons
For another major war
To win at making profit
Is what it all is for

Tell the truth, stand your ground
Is what we can all do
We need a different system
Something completely new

Understand the politics
and you'll see the solution 
Join a protest, go on strike
Make a revolution 

Oh and

Smash capitalism
Smash it in the head
Smash capitalism
Smash it till its dead


© Chris Breen 2024

Smash Capitalism

This song, is for Priya, my daughter. Her mother Geetha also sings on it. Geetha loves Priya so much, and the song is also a tribute to her love for Priya.

Priya was born at 24 weeks gestation; she died in our arms 42 days later due to a condition that wasn’t directly related to her prematurity.

Driving home from the hospital that night, Geetha turned to me in the car and said she could feel Priya with us, and that she was coming home for the first time. I am an atheist and don’t believe in life after death, but I still found that heartbreakingly beautiful.

The song is based around that idea. There are some ideas (eating ice cream on a sunny day) taken from a book “My Mummy Loves Me” that we used to read to Priya.

This song is the same as the electronic version “Priya” which is also on my Soundcloud, but it sounds very different (better and more emotional) with just piano.

The lyrics are below:

Born at 24 weeks gestation 
You held our fingers with such determination 

And we held you in intensive care each day
You were doing so damn well, they say

But six weeks later our little one, you were …
Driving home my wife she turned and said

I can feel her in the car with us
Priya's coming home for the first time
Priya's coming home for the first time
(My) Priya's coming home for the first time

It breaks my heart all the things you'll never do
You won't say, “mummy, I love you”

You won't sing or laugh or dance or play
You won't eat ice cream on a sunny day

And you won't jump the waves or splash the foam
And you aren’t ever, ever coming...

Priya's coming home for the first time
Priya's coming home for the first time
(My) Priya's coming home for the first time


Priya's Coming Home

This is very short piece, based off the rhythms of Mario Savio's 1964 speech. I've used the speech twice in music. Its a great speech. 

You can hear the speech along here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsO_SlA7E8k

Here's To You Mr Savio

Five to the floor, could perhaps be called five and a third to the floor, its in 4/4 time but uses dotted eights notes. For a chunk of it, the drums play those dotted eighth notes, though never actually five kick drums to a bar.

If you like the song please listen to the other version also, which is mastered to be slightly less bright, with a touch more bass (I think I like it more) -here:
https://soundcloud.com/chris-breen-511956595/five-to-the-floor-1

Five to the Floor

I'm not a singer, but had something to say. It took a lot of wizardry to get the vocal to sound OK. This song is a tribute to all Jewish people speaking up for Palestine. It was written as if speaking to Australian Labor politicians Anthony Albanese or Chris Minns, but fill in your own versions of politicians who claim to want peace, whilst practically and politically defending Israel's genocide.

Jewish Bloc for Palestine lyrics:

We've all seen the children murdered
We've all seen them die
Tell me that their lives don't matter
Go on look me in the eye

We've all seen the children starving
Shattered skinless raw
We've all seen that the West
Is rotten to the core

Don't dare call this self defence
Don't you turn away
The stain of genocide is heavy
It won't be erased

Tell me that its complicated
Tell another lie
Tell me that you want peace
While you arm genocide
Anti-semitism,
Like a crocodile you cry
To try and halt the calls
For universal human rights

But if you really want to see, anti-racism shine
Come and march beside the Jewish Bloc for Palestine

All universities destroyed
Almost every single school
Hospitals invaded
No water, food, or fuel

Thousands amputated
Without anaesthetic balm
Flows from the intent to do
All of Gaza harm

Students watch it on their phones (smart phones)
But there's silence in our schools
And punishments and threats (come thick and fast)
For those who tell the truth

To hide this racist murder
You conflate Zionists with Jews
But the racist right backs Israel
And this is hardly news

Trump, Le Pen & Orban back
This world historic crime
If you join them in the sewer
Then you ain't no friend of mine

If you really want to see anti-racism shine
Come and march beside the Jewish block for Palestine

© Chris Breen 2024

The line in the song "anti-Semitism like a crocodile you cry" doesn't mean I don't think anti-Semitism is real. It means politicians like Albanese, Dutton & Minns in Australia (who the song is aimed at) are crying crocodile tears over anti-Semitism, as a way of trying to defend Israel's genocide in Gaza and undermine the movement for Palestine. They have opportunistically tried to smear the Palestine movement over the recent spate of anti-Semitic attacks by paid petty crooks in Sydney (this song was written before them), when there is no connection at all. There are Jewish speakers at the Palestine rallies & as the song points out Jewish people at the Palestine rallies.

Albanese Dutton & Minns are completely silent on Trump's recent call to ethnically cleanse Gaza, nor do they oppose the actual genocide in Gaza, because they are opportunists, not consistent anti-racists. All three are responsible for increasing Islamophobia. Dutton in particular has a long history of racism. They have also been silent about the real anti-Semites - for instance they genuflect before Trump but are silent about Elon Musk's Nazi salute at Trumps inauguration & speech to the Nazi AFD in Germany telling their conference that in Germany "There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that". Anti-Semitism today & historically primarily comes from the far right, who draw sustance from Dutton & Trump, and the political opportunism of Albanese & Minns.

Jewish Bloc For Palestine Vocoder Mix

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Lyrics:

She really likes to dance
She really likes to groove
She's a spinning top
She likes to stir things up
You could say she really likes to move

She really likes to funk
She likes to shake her shoes
You can't stop her
She's a real hip hopper
You could say she likes to break the rules

She's gonna tear it up
She likes to twist and twirl
She's the working class
She'll kick the bosses arse
You could say sh'es going to change the world

She's gonna shake it up
And when the tables turn
We're gonna dance all night
We're gonna shine so bright
As empires fall, and new stars burn

If you like this version, please listen to the instrumental version as well.
https://soundcloud.com/chris-breen-511956595/she-really-likes-to-dance-1


She Really Likes to Dance

If you like this track please listen to the version with lyrics
https://soundcloud.com/chris-breen-511956595/she-really-likes-to-dance?

She Really Likes to Dance Instrumental

Orchestral, cinematic, dance music with a sci fi flavour.

1000 Moons Away


This is the third attempt I have had at doing justice to Mario Savio's famous 1964 Bodies Upon the Gears speech, it's by far my favourite effort so far.  It uses a sample from his 1964 speech. Much of the drums are made from parts of his speech, the synth in left channel that sounds a little cello like is made from his voice, some of the rhythms and melodies come from his speech. If anything the speech is more relevant now, than when it was first given. Please listen.

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Bodies Upon The Gears

The Suez Canal and new found oil
The British tried to claim it all
The Arabs told them "go to hell
We'll resist and we'll rebel"

Then the Zionists came and the Zionists said
"We'll keep the natives all in check"
The British said, "well that sounds fine,
for that we'll give you Palestine"

The British waxed and the British waned
So the US came to keep the region chained
They armed the Israelis to the teeth
Then let their watchdog off the leash,

Then they bombed Gaza into mud
And bathed in Palestinian blood
And Western rulers simply lied
They won't draw a line at genocide

Israeli troops get the f**k out now
Get the f**k, get the f**k, f**k out now
US troops get the f**k out now
Get the fuck, get the f**k, f**k out now

Israeli bombs get the f**k out now
Get the fuck, get the f**k, f**k out now
US bombs get the f**k out now
Get the f**k, get the f**k, f**k out now

Israeli troops get the f**k out now
Out of Gaza, out of the West Bank
Out of Syria, out of Yemen
Out of Lebanon, out of Iran
Get the f**k out of Palestine

History Lesson

The Suez Canal and new found oil
The British tried to claim it all
The Arabs told them go to hell
We'll resist and we'll rebel

Then the Zionists came and the Zionists said
We'll keep the natives all in check
The British said, "well that sounds fine
for that we'll give you Palestine"

The British waxed and the British waned
So the US came to keep the region chained
They armed the Israelis to the teeth
Then let their watchdog off the leash

Then they bombed Gaza into mud
And bathed in Palestinian blood
And Western rulers simply lied
They won't draw a line at genocide

Israeli troops get the fuck out now
Get the fuck, get the fuck, fuck out now
US troops get the fuck out now
Get the fuck, get the fuck, fuck out now

Israeli bombs get the fuck out now
Get the fuck, get the fuck, fuck out now
US bombs get the fuck out now
Get the fuck, get the fuck, fuck out now

Israeli troops get the fuck out now
Out of Gaza, out of the West Bank
Out of Syria, out of Yemen
Out of Lebanon, out of Iran
Get the fuck out of Palestine

Chris Breen

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