very nice.  Beautiful sounds. 🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

PS Perkins: Guitars, bass, lyre, vocals
Ron Thomas: Autoharps, Drums

Production notes:
---------------------------------------------
Very early on we wanted to use autoharps on this song to create a sort of swirling backdrop, reminiscent of the harps in Indian/Bollywood soundtrack songs of the seventies.

Right away there were challenges because the song is in B flat and is not wholly diatonic to begin with, utilizing a chord built on the augmented lydian scale in the choruses. So rather than transpose the song to a more amenable key (since the chromatic bits weren't going to work no matter what key we used) we instead re-tuned the autoharp. Moving through the strings one by one we tuned them either up or down a half step where applicable to bring them into key. Where the augmented chord hit in the choruses, we excluded those notes so that the autoharp was filling the diatonic parts of the chords and omitting the accidentals. It took us several tries to get it right. In the end we arrived at a chord progression that could be strummed on the autoharp and the modified chords could be played with existing dampers.

We also tuned the lyre so that the top half of the strings included the chromatic augmented notes while the lower register of the lyre was tuned using the diatonic, so the lyre could play the melody all the way through both parts of the song.

The inspiration for this song was essentially fourfold:
--------------------------------------------------------
First, H.P. Lovecraft's terrifying necromancer Joseph Curwen (from "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward") who masked his true identity in order to thwart suspicion from his fellow townsfolk. He has many secrets lurking in his underground catacombs where he performs acts of necromancy most foul, extracting the "salts" of the dead in order to raise them at will and learn the secrets of ancient eldritch deities.

Second, a poem by Rudyard Kipling titled "En-Dor" which was a warning against the rise of spiritualism and the cost of communion with the dead in the early 20th century.

Third, the biblical Saul who traveled in disguise to visit a witch at the city of Endor in order to summon Samuel from the dead and garner advice on defeating the Philistines, but who only prophesies doom for Saul. Saul dies later the next day in the battle of Gilboa.

Lastly, the story of Odysseus communing with the underworld where he enlists the help of Tiresias to have a chat with the dead and secure for himself a safe journey home.

They all seek communion with the dead for one purpose: to gain knowledge which only those who have crossed over between realms might possess. 

Lyrics:
-------------------------------------
A mask may reveal what it’s meant to conceal
From those who are standing beside us
Armor of pride, so we learn to abide
By the monsters which hide deep inside us
The monsters which lurk deep inside us
Oh, how they scratch and they bite us
The monsters which lurk deep inside us

Only to know what the professor knows

Eating black bread, wearing clothes of the dead
The soil soaked in honey around us
For fear if we failed, leave the ogre unveiled
And it’s back in the grave where they found us
Back in the grave where they found us
Freed from the ties which had bound us
Back in the grave where they found us

Only to know what the professor knows

In the catacomb vaults, we extracted the salts
From cadavers to lengthen our youth
Chanting the names at the edge of the flames
And a mirror to show us the truth
A mirror which speaks only truth
See how it seeks not to soothe
A mirror which speaks only truth

Only to know what the professor knows

In the underworld maze, in the night of no days
Concocting the plan we’re devising
Much to endure on the road to En-Dor
And to snatch from Elohim arising
To snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising

BARDS:Of The Shimmering Seraphs

The Professor

THE BOY - NOISE MAN
EVERYTHING BY THE BOY
OUT NOW ON EVERYWHERE!!!
LINK IN BIO!!!
SPREAD THE WORD!!!

NOISE MAN

Cruisin

I've had the plan to write a lullaby for many years. After missing the timing for my own kids the idea has been a "that would be nice to do" thought ...until recently when our backyard deck came into the story.

For those that don't know, our deck overlooks our community and has just enough elevation so that we see over many of the rooftops and trees and the surrounding hills make a wonderful evening setting. There have been many evenings watching the sunset with Dee and the family. 

Not only do we have an amazing view, we also have one of the most incredible auditory experiences as well. From where we are at we can hear much of the neighborhood sounds, and more often than not, the sounds of the Norman Creek kids playing.  The sounds of kids playing together outside is something that was so foreign after so many years in California, it's been wonderful to experience it from the deck.

So what does all this have to do with a lullaby? 

For years I've known that the lullaby would be based upon the love, joy, and safety that Dee showed our kids while growing up. I think those things are the cornerstones for kids growing up strong and confident. The sounds of the Norman Creek kids, and the sheer joy of sitting and watching amazing sunsets with Dee, reignited the thoughts of kids being put to bed by their mothers. With the memories of Dee with our kids, and the thoughts of the Norman Creek moms with their kids in my head, the words and music of "As You Sleep" flowed out a few weekends ago. 

Although my writing partner Chris Meola and I are not quite done with the final instrument arrangements, I wanted to share what we have with you as we work to dot the I's and cross the T's. 

As always, many thanks to Dee for being the inspiration and indulging my creative whims and I'd also like to dedicate this one to the Kids and Moms of Norman Creek. Thanks for sharing your joy with the neighborhood!

As You Sleep (DEMO - OCT 2024)

travel diary 1 part

method: three devices and voice. polyend tracker mini, ingpartner y8, zoom r12. that's it.
narration: heraclitus is one of those 
movers of mental furniture we keep referring to despite knowing next to nothing ..... in the book publication, the poem on him was paired with the one on verdandi, Listen to Verdandi by jo richter on #SoundCloud
https://on.soundcloud.com/c5qCz , see  DIE KINETISCHE KUNST DER LIEBE UNTERSUCHTEN DIE ALTEN AN KÄFERLARVEN UND DUNKLEM GETIER in : CHI
image: the tracker creates crossword grids, copyright jo richter

poem / copyright jo richter:

Galen fand die Säfte innen, Kneipp
aussen und Schauberger liess sie
wirbeln, Hahnemann schütteln: Blut und
Lymphe, Laune und Gemüt. Aus

der inneren Umwelt, der äusseren
Inwelt strömt und färbt sich das
Geschick in den Wassern: Zu deuten
aus Treibgut und gelösten Erden,


die als Schicksal verwirklicht ein
Leben sind. Das war es, was ihnen
zwischen den Fingern zerrann: Ach,
Heraklit wusste um kein Ende
des einzigen Stroms, der in jedem
Dasein mündet - und aus ihm quillt.


[An interlinear translation might be made available in the future]

heraklit

Constructed with Soundpaint's Alto Flute, Spitfire Audio's Crystal Bowls, Chamber Strings Essentials and BBCSO.

Image by Rakicevic Nenad from pexels.com

More Than Just Any Day

HEAVEN HELP THE FOOL - HUNGRY GIZMO scs…ALWAYS MOVING SONG AND OF REFLECTION AND THE REAL UNCONDITIONAL REDEMPTIONS OF OUR LIFES AS WE ARE ALL HIT AND MISS AS LIFE IS COMING OVER THE SIDES OF FLOATATION DEVICES AND ITS ALL YOU DO IN THIS JOURNEY AS A FOOL IS TO LAND ON YOUR OWN AND CONTINUE. 

HEAVEN HELP THE FOOL +^circle be unbroken 
BY HUNGRY GIZMO scs 

+^LOOP S.  W.

HEAVEN HELP THE FOOL **HUNGRY GIZMO scs

With many thanks to Don, who made the most, I just added some instruments

Variation of Concerto in F Major by Johann Sebastian Bach

136 - Before the Fall

Dive into a world teetering on the brink with "Outbreak Origins," a compelling collection of 10 meticulously crafted music tracks designed for survival video games. Each composition within this anthology encapsulates the haunting echoes of desolation, the unwavering pulse of hope, and the relentless grit necessary to endure against all odds.

"Outbreak Origins" carries players through the chilling breeze of abandoned ruins, the eerie silence of forsaken cities, and the heart-pounding dread of unseen dangers lurking in the shadows. Each track is a high-quality audio narrative, embodying the essence of survival amidst relentless adversity.

Crafted with a fine-tuned sense of atmosphere and emotive resonance, the music within "Outbreak Origins" is more than just a background score; it's the unseen companion of every survivor, the rhythmic heartbeat of persistence that propels players forward through each challenge thrown their way. With a blend of orchestral richness, ambient textures, and modern synth elements, this collection traverses a wide sonic spectrum, ensuring a deeply immersive experience for players.

Tailored for game developers and content creators, "Outbreak Origins" is a royalty-free treasure trove, ready to be seamlessly integrated into your projects. Its thematic resonance and auditory depth are engineered to enrich the narrative and atmospheric essence of your game, ensuring a harmonious marriage between visual and auditory storytelling.

Whether your game narrates a post-apocalyptic struggle, a harrowing journey through uncharted lands, or the desperate fight against an unseen menace, "Outbreak Origins" provides the sonic canvas to paint your narrative with shades of fear, hope, and the indomitable spirit of survival. Let the haunting melodies and resilient harmonies of "Plagued Bastion" escort your players through the harrowing yet exhilarating journey of survival that defines your game.

2 - Phat Phrog Studios - Outbreak Origins - Zombie Zest

Music is humanity’s attempt to capture and share emotion at its purest.

More Than Just Any Day

David Sinclair

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