Life is short, and the universe is absurd. Embrace the absurd, and embrace life.

Camus defines the absurd as “the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the human inability to find any meaning in a purposeless, meaningless, and irrational universe, with the ‘unreasonable silence’ of the universe in response.” 

“Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.” 
― Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism

https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/the-meaning-of-life-albert-camus-on-faith-suicide-and-absurdity/

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Image cropped from here:
https://picryl.com/media/franz-von-stuck-sisyphus-43335d

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My first track using Logic Pro for iPad.

Life Is Absurd

I found myself hiking through these otherworldly sounds...

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Created using Blocs Wave and a handful of Alchemy synths, and GB FX.
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Artwork by Mrs_Mahsa1995 cropped by me from here:

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-man-pathway-forest-7882981/

Walk A Strange Path

The second track in my "Walk Your Own Path" E.P. One more to come....

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Backing track created by me using Blocs Wave, with four Alchemy synths and one hard rock guitar track (mixed/edited to four separate tracks, with different pan, echo, and resonance).
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Art (cropped by me) from Dark Fantasy Ruins II by JJcanvas on DeviantArt:

https://www.deviantart.com/jjcanvas/art/Dark-Fantasy-Ruins-II-w-process-time-lapse-603987489

Walk A Hard Path

This is the third of three (planned) tracks from my E.P. "Walk Your Own Path". Who knows, I may feel inspired to add more!
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Art cropped from here:
https://pixabay.com/photos/dark-portal-fire-portal-man-night-5975248/
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Background track created in Blocs Wave, plus a few Alchemy synths, a hard rock guitar (with heavy resonance and echo) and a 'cavernous' amp metal guitar.

Walk A Cursed Path

A dark wave steampunk track to get your heart going...

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Art cropped by me from here:

https://pixabay.com/photos/steampunk-mechanical-heart-stars-5253577/

The Slow Windup Of Your Clockwork Heart

This is a track created for a very specific audience...you like dark fantasy, and dark ambient music, and RPGs. Or some such combination.

In my mind I imagined my RPG adventurer dying alone in the dark at the bottom of a long forgotten dungeon...as many dungeon delving adventurers would...

Then there's the long forgotten individuals to consider who actually DID die in such circumstances...

I haven't posted this track on FB, Twitter, Apple Music, Spotify etc...cos, if it dies alone in the dark then that's rather fitting...

All synths played by me.
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Art cropped by me from here:

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/skull-red-gothic-halloween-dark-2938770/

Dying Alone In The Dark, at the Bottom of a Long Forgotten Dungeon

A follow up track to my 'Aubrey's Surprise' track.

https://soundcloud.com/dacca/aubreys-surprise

One of my Apple loop creations, using Logic Pro on iPad Pro and final mix and production on my MacBook Pro.
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Artwork cropped and given sepia treatment (by me) from this original photograph of the HMS Surprise replica ship.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HMS_Surprise2%28c%29Ted_Rufus_Ross.JPG

The Captain and The Surgeon

Sometimes relationships decay, even when you don't want them to. I was going to try a vocal on this, but I couldn't find the words...

This is a Novation Launchpad, ThumbJam (distant guitar), GarageBand (heavy rock guitar with reverb/echo - the 'dacca' sound) track, created October 2023, published after a few weeks (and a few tweaks) in November 2023.

Relationship Entropy

Inspired by Warhammer 40k, and Grimdark Metal!

Art from SanjayBlack, DeviantArt:

https://www.deviantart.com/sanjayblack/art/Chaos-Space-Marine-khorne-berserker-804043546

The Forces Of Chaos Are Here

Sometimes love can corrupt, and sometimes even love can be corrupted...
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Artwork 'Corruption' by minties (cropped by me):
https://www.deviantart.com/minties/art/Corruption-98384945

Corruption

I started work on this one before Christmas 2023, got distracted by life, and only just came back to it (mid Feb) when I added vocal loops. Enjoy, and get clubbing!

Deep, Dark and Dirty

Loosely based on the 'Duelling Banjos' scene from the film Deliverance. I thought it would be fun to make a track where a banjo has to duel a rock guitar.

In my track the banjo starts out dominated by the electric guitar. After some frantic banjo playing in the first half I felt that the banjo just took over and...for me at least....it's the banjo that tells the story and the rock guitar that ends up as the backing track.

Of course, there's always another day...

Donate

The Duel (Banjo Vs Electric Guitar)

In this track you hear a brave band of adventurers delving deep into a dungeon. I recreate their struggles through three separate rooms / encounters, but the adventure continues beyond this.

In the first scene imagine a view of the outside of the dungeon - let's call it Devil's Deep (I just made that up) - with an imposing black obsidian skull as the entrance, where you have to step into the mouth to continue...

The scene changes to a long dark passage, deep in the dungeon. We hear our adventurers approach a short stairwell which they climb and open the creaky door (someone should oil these doors...).

In the first encounter it's hand to hand melee with a mixed bunch of humanoid enemies...goblin, hobgoblin and kobold. Our heroes prevail, and break a few necks to finish off their foes.

In the next encounter we lose a member of the party to a hidden pit trap, soon followed a giant pendulum swinging through the dark as the party crosses a narrow bridge over a wide bottomless chasm. At least one member of the party doesn't see it coming in time...

Still in this tomb of horrors, after the chasm bridge, another kobold trap is sprung and a falling block of stones crushes another unfortunate adventurer. Later, a member of the party falls into a concealed pool of acid...ugh, what a way to go!

In the final encounter the remaining heroes battle assorted beasts such as a wereboar and a dire wolf. Two party members are gored and driven over the edge of a deep open pit. The party's wizard decides it's time to use his major spell and a huge magic fireball ends the battle.

Our few heroes quietly continue, and ahead they hear the creaking of a coffin lid opening...


Dungeon Delve

Milana Zilnik https://soundcloud.com/milanazilnik offered up a wonderful open collaboration piano piece called Darkness Awaits:

https://soundcloud.com/milanazilnik/darkness-awaits-milana-open-collaboration

 It is quite, quite beautiful. Dark, haunting.

Being me, I added my signature guitar sound, some subdued drumkit drumming and a delicate touch of glockenspiel.

Darkness Awaits (dacca rock guitar, Milana Zilnik piano)

Thanks Polly.

(For Polly The Parrot's follow-up hit (ha!) single you must listen to your inner parrot:

https://soundcloud.com/dacca/listen-to-your-inner-parrot )
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Photograph taken at Melbourne Zoo by my daughter Antonia.

Polly The Parrot Explains That It IS Possible To Rock Out On The Dance Floor

There are two main influences for this track. The first and most dominant are the many ancient burial mounds and barrows in the English county of Wiltshire where I lived for much of my childhood and early adulthood. Some date back as much as 3,000 to 5,000 years.

wiltshireweb.co.uk/barrows/barrows-wiltshire

A secondary influence is one of my favourite scenes ( which I strongly associate with the local landscape that I grew up in) in the Lord Of The Rings book, when soon after leaving the Shire the hobbits encounter a barrow wight and nearly perish. This scene never made it into The Fellowship Of The Ring film, probably because of the strange fey character Tom Bombadil who rescues the hobbits.

In my track the ancient barrow wight is disturbed by a small group of graverobbers seeking treasure in the wight's barrow. It's a wet and windy night as they locate and dig out the entrance. A short stony passage leads to the inner chambers, but is blocked by a ceiling collapse, which they dig through. At this point the wight is alerted to their presence, though they suspect nothing. 

Then the graverobbers push aside the stone door to the wight's own chamber, and from that moment their doom is certain.

The Barrow Wight

I'd watched the recent "Theory Of Everything" film about Hawking, and felt inspired.

Hawking Radiation

Ok, so I was thinking about a "corridor moment"  in the late 70s involving a punk (a friend) in tartan bondage trousers and Doc Martins walking down a corridor ahead of me, and for a second I locked eyes with our mutual boss (of whom I was NOT a fan)...and it was just priceless. 

Then I added some jazz to that memory.

Jazz Punk Corridor Moment

Inspired by the great American science-fiction author Isaac Asimov, and the Foundation series that has meant so much to me since my teenage years. The title of the track is from the second book of the original trilogy.

Created using Novation LaunchPad pads and two Novation Launchkey synth tracks. I've used the pads before, on the first two tracks of my https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/star-nomads playlist (I just love these pads). Unlike my previous uses of these pads, there are no guitar tracks in this one (just some subtle guitar pads)!

Definitely my longest piece to date, so I'll be happy if ANYONE listens to the end!
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Here's a link to an earlier Asimov tribute that I created:
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/the-caves-of-steel-tribute-to
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Jan 2019 - I've since created a track for Foundation (the first book in the Foundation Trilogy) - https://soundcloud.com/dacca/foundation

and also the third book in the trilogy - Second Foundation - https://soundcloud.com/dacca/second-foundation

Foundation And Empire

"Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." 

Charles Darwin
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12th February is Darwin Day, named after Charles Darwin born on 12th February 1809. It is a day to celebrate science and reason.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful

A somewhat creepy ambient/drone electronic piece - I hope you like it.

Art: Underground City by PonPonXu, DeviantArt
http://ponponxu.deviantart.com/art/Underground-City-163759046

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Here's a collaboration version with my friend Smitty aka Odin's Ghost:
https://soundcloud.com/user-smitjam/city-of-ghosts-dacca-and-smitty

City Of Ghosts

Following on from my recent https://soundcloud.com/dacca/city-of-ghosts, more very dark music for film or gaming use. Or, just because you like it!

Four Addictive Synth tracks (including two voice synths), two timpani tracks and some late low-volume metal guitar.

Enjoy!
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Art: Black Portal by nzo7 on DeviantArt.

Portal To The Abyss

This started out with Orcus, Prince Of Undead (from D&D) in mind, but in the end I felt it could fit any scenario where an evil cult lead by a powerful sorcerer (or other villain) gathers diabolical and undead dark forces for nefarious reasons.

Let your imagination take over! Happy listening and/or gaming!
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Artwork: Disturbed "Hell" album cover modified by TheHashSlasher on DeviantArt.

Dark Forces Gather In The Depths

I set out to create a desolate musical depiction of a frozen hell, adding several cinematic tracks from Logic Pro X. Chilling of a different kind!

And here's a version with added ethereal guitar from my friend Smitty:

https://soundcloud.com/user-smitjam/froze-hell-dacca-and-smitty

You Tube video here:

https://youtu.be/ebW2ZkmqI-8
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Artwork from "Frozen Hell" by Wagner19, DeviantArt.

Frozen Hell

Like many people, I'm a big Game Of Thrones fan. I once met George R. R. Martin and have a signed copy of the first book. I couldn't wait for Season 6, so I turned to Logic Pro X to see what I could create. 

There are a couple of drone tracks, a celestial voices track, a couple of synths and two organs.

Normally I'd pick out some cool public domain artwork from DeviantArt, but instead had a bit of fun with kaleidoscope and other photographic effects to depict myself as one of the faces in the Hall Of Faces whilst evoking the Many-Faced God.

Enjoy!

The Many-Faced God

I've wanted to do a track on the Dead Men Of Dunharrow (from The Lord Of The Rings) for some time. I'm really pleased with this one, and I rarely say that, so I'm hoping other fans will enjoy it too!

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If you liked this you might enjoy another track of mine with a similar sound, and a similar theme!

https://soundcloud.com/dacca/into-the-necropolis

The Way Is Shut (It Was Made By Those Who Are Dead)

I especially love the scenes inside the Krell underground complex - The Great Machine - which was being studied by Morbius.

Forbidden Planet - The Krell Finale

Saw Rogue One today and loved it. This my metal tribute to Rogue One.

This track marked my 160,000 plays milestone!

My only other Star Wars inspired track is...quite different....

https://soundcloud.com/dacca/jabba-the-hutt-got-some-moves

Death Star (Jedhu Test Fire)

Ice-nine is the name of an unusual water molecule in the "funny" doomsday story "Cat's Cradle" by American Humanist and science-fiction author Kurt Vonnegut.

"If one molecule of this unusual water came in contact with a regular molecule of water, the regular molecule would turn to ice-9. This happened over and over again, in geometric progression." James Rickards.

If one molecule of ice-nine escapes its vial, ALL water on Earth would turn to ice-nine...Earth would be frozen, and so would all life. Doomsday.

Rickards goes on to explain how this concept will apply (metaphorically) to your money:

https://dailyreckoning.com/ice-nine-plan/

I recommend JR's books, especially "The Road To Ruin". Follow the breadcrumbs, read...unless you don't care about your own money...
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Art: AndYaDontStop White out...305/365 | by AndYaDontStop, Flickr

Ice-Nine

I searched for 'deep stillness'....gotta go there...reasons to keep living # 498,301

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Photograph: Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Louise,_Alberta,_Canada.jpg

We All Gotta Go Someday (But Let's Party First)

Chimes and bit crushers - what could be more natural?
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For Matt.

Kathmandu Chime Krusher #8

Mostly Japanese instruments available on my iPad, plus some light acoustic guitar touches and round sine synth.

Koto In Kyoto

This is my version of my friend Smitty's  truly excellent open collaboration track (formerly as Pagans Pentacles and a Dragon). You can find Smitty here - https://soundcloud.com/user-smitjam

In my version I added three different guitar tracks via Logic Pro X.
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Telefan https://soundcloud.com/telefan also did a fantastic version here:

https://soundcloud.com/telefan/rateotw-jam-with-smitty

Reaper At The End Of Time - with Smitty

A fun mix of Middle Eastern traditional instruments and Western clubbing sounds.

One of my Apple loop compositions, with a couple of manually played synths.

The Pharaoh Goes Clubbing

There's a touch of regret, but also warmth, in this rock instrumental of mine. I hope you like it.

When I Close My Eyes

I've been creating music since March 2014.  Check out my https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/milestones playlist for key moments for me along the way since then.

Thank you for visiting my page - I hope you find a track or two that you like. Check out my playlists for different genres. 

I do enjoy musical collaborations, and here are my collaborations playlists:
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/collaborations
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/collaborations-2015
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/collaborations-2016
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/collaborations-2017
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/open-all-hours-open playlist 
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If you'd like to listen to my early "hits" try listening to my One Year On playlist from March 2015:
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/hits

Or you can try my 50,000 plays Playlist from early Sept 2015:
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/50-000-plays-this-week

80,000 plays as I approach two years creating music and sharing on SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/soundcloud-toddler

Or try this "one stop shop" for a dacca marathon 124 track playlist of the most popular tracks on my stream in 2016 (shuffle play recommended) to celebrate my 100,000 plays:

https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/best-of-dacca-100-000-plays

And when I reached 200,000 plays I celebrated with this playlist which focusses on my collaborations over the years:

https://soundcloud.com/dacca/sets/dacca-and-friends-200-000
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When I got to 250k plays I created a 4 "Personal Best" albums for different genres (Rock/metal, space ambient/dark ambient, electronica). You can find them if search for them.

I'm a rocker, always will be. 

I'm also one half of Poleaxed:

https://soundcloud.com/poleaxed-1

My younger brother Pete was in a few punk-goth bands in the 90s, check out them on Strange Tall Songs on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/strangetallsongs

My older brother Gordon's son is also on SoundCloud under the name Idle John, and even has an album out on iTunes.

https://soundcloud.com/idle_john

dacca

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