This song was inspired by "The Cold Heart" (German: Das kalte Herz), a fairy tale written by Wilhelm Hauff. It was published in 1827 in a collection of fairy tales that take place within the narrative of The Spessart Inn.
Although written almost 200 years ago, the described conflicts of mankind are still up-to-date, maybe even more than before. Preferring status und prosperity over humanity is something which has become socially acceptable.

Special thanks for prelistening and precious ideas to my dear friend Gary Reeves!

Lyrics
Peter was in the charcoal business
never in peace with the live he was living
made a deal with the forest spirit
Three wishes and a new life given

Descending to the darkest corners of humanity
what was it you were thinking of when you lost your pity
 
Inside your stone cold heart
You‘ve built a world of disregard

It did not play out like you were whishing for
glassworks went down and you needed much more
sold your heart to Dutch Mike to keep living
a heart of stone and the fortune you were given

Descending to the darkest corners of humanity
what was it you were thinking of when you lost your pity

Inside your stone cold heart
You‘ve built a world of disregard

Flourishing business kept you going
but your smile was eternally frozen
when your drivers faded and you had murdered love
nothing left there but an empty heart

Descending to the darkest corners of humanity
what was it you were thinking of when you lost your pity

Inside your stone cold heart
You‘ve built a world of disregard

Stone Cold Heart

This song was written eight years ago as the darkness of the first Trump presidency was making itself known. And now once again we have the unthinkable -- this disastrous human being with power at his fingers.  And he's already busy spreading lies, fear, and hate.

Liisa Pentti https://soundcloud.com/liisapentti did guest vocals on this 2019 version, and it's the definitive one -- I love what she did.

Ever Since the Rainbow

ever since the rainbow left the evening sky
waiting and hoping seem such a waste of time
into the air we fly into the seams we dive
as if the dust of a broken down dream
could start the engine fire

the passage of time this endless ennui
rivers and threads between you and me
sleep and dream again and again
an old man's finger tapping on a window pane
we dream and breath we love and grieve
remember that we share the same blood and air

the innocent sunrise the whispering day
dark clouds rising that will pass away
I know that these things that bind you to the common marrow
will rise up in your veins to remind you
remember that we share the same blood and air

Spotify Link

Ever Since the Rainbow

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." - Albert Einstein.

Mix & Mastering by @bahram-dashtii 🙌


Somewhere not Here

There was a country, there was a city, and there was a people, who were widely known for their wealth and powerful gods. But they angered their gods with their bad behavior, so the gods decided to wipe them off the face of the earth.
Yes, the story of Atlantis has many interpretations, just like this musical interpretation of what happened on that fateful day. To this day, there are many who believe that Atlantis actually existed in our world, but no one has been able to prove it with certainty.

What do you think? Did it really exist, or is it just a moral tale?
Regardless, the fairy tale is a story that gets the imagination flowing, and we hope this little piece gets your imagination flowing too.

We suffer no shortage of terrible and terrifying events for humanity, whether it is our earth that produces them, or that human souls have created and continue to create them in their dismal imperfection.

We who have pondered, talked and created are;

Strings, Piano, Flute etc - Dan-DT: https://soundcloud.com/dan-t-3
Lovely acoustic guitars - David D: https://soundcloud.com/david-dunhamuser589535203
Music, Mix & Production & track picture - Seagull: https://soundcloud.com/farout-music-studio

Atlantis - Dan-DT, David D & Seagull

"John Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf Junior at Roswell, New Mexico, the son of an air force pilot. As such, he led a peripatetic life from an early age, but would say later that for him, moving to Colorado was like coming home. He and his first wife Annie - the love of his life - bought some land at Starwood in Aspen
The Denver's moved to Starwood at Christmas 1970, at which time the area had been developed only minimally. They built a five bedroom eco-friendly house and a guest house on the 7.6 acre plot. This mushy, sentimental composition is John Denver's coming home song.
After his tragic death in a plane crash in October 1997, fans wanted to convert the Starwood property into a museum, but it was put on the market and sold for $3.68 million. "                   Songfacts

Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Image: Sergey Guk 

Starwood in Aspen-John Denver (Cover)

Lyrical wrote from my thoughts about the run up to the last general election. Thinking the last clowns made a complete hash of it and the next clowns will do exactly the same.
So who the bloody hell do I vote for. If I don’t vote then I can’t complain if I do vote I fear it will be the wrong choice. Someone told me if I write on the ballot paper none of the above then that still registers as a vote, so at least I tried. 
The idiom "pressure makes diamonds" suggests that adversity and challenges can lead to remarkable outcomes. It implies that difficult situations or intense pressure can bring out a person's best qualities, potential, and resilience, ultimately resulting in something valuable or brilliant, just as diamonds are formed under immense pressure. 
But these idiots under pressure only make dust !
So Conscience Of Kings gives you 
Pressure makes diamonds …..


V1
In plain sight I can see the  red flag’s flying 
So fire away again with compulsive lying 
As I’m high up  here in the middle England 
Rubbing doc leaves on for the stinging

Chorus 
Pressure makes diamonds 
And you just make dust
Pressure makes diamonds x3
Not something we can trust 

V2 
This country make’s stupid people famous 
Then tries to make out that they are somehow blameless 
I have no idea we’re I would put my stupid x 
They will be just as bad as the last I suspect

Break 

Middle8 
There’s a saying in Europe 
And You can look it up
It’s really quite unusual 
Something they don’t trust 

Chorus to finish

Pressure Makes Diamonds ~Conscience Of Kings

The Beautiful Dark's Open Collab with Llanpsych guitars and mix
Catch the collab offer here
https://on.soundcloud.com/xTKmoK5ZNhk5nzkGD4

Thankful Treasures - with The Beautiful Dark

I did not use AI support at any stage in the creation of this piece.

When I started composing this piece in December, after buying Spitfire Originals Intimate Strings on sale, I had these thoughts: If this is what the future is going to look like, I didn't sign up for it. Although in my youth I read and watched a lot of SF films presenting both utopia and dystopia, I always preferred the bright future. However, what I see on TV, on YouTube and outside my window is starting to resemble the latter...

Despite this, I hope you like the piece at least a little bit

To make this track I used:
Ableton Live 11 Standard
Spitfire Originals Intimate Strings
Spitfire Originals Cinematic Percussion
Spitfire BBC SO Discover (free)
Soundpaint 1928 Vintage Steinway Grand Piano (free)
Arturia Augmented Voices
Arturia Augmented Mallets Play (free)
Strezov Sampling Afflatus Minimalist Violins Legato Freebie (free for Kontakt Player)

Beside plug-ins I used 3 samples:
Two from BBC Sample Library:
- Rioting - Riot in Belfast - with breaking glass, rubber bullets, distant cries and chants
- Chatter - Club atmosphere, busy mixed chatter at mealtime (mid-distance) - 1981 (1C25,reprocessed)
and from Freesample.org
Real War - Marines in Firefight Gunbattle (Raw audio) by qubodup

Picture in cover: Freepik

Future Perfect?

The long anticipated;) follow up has arrived.  I begin the song with a brief reprise of "Two Faced" to set the stage.  After the cold and bluster of March, the gentleness of spring and early summer is felt with a walk in the park.
Thank you all for the overwhelming response to my ode to March and especially the interest shown in the little teaser, epilogue now a more complete thought.  As they say, "take time to smell the flowers":)

A Walk In The Park (David, acoustic guitars)

try as i might.m4a

This is an arrangement for several guitars of Gaudete, a sixteenth century sacred carol, made famous as an unlikely top 10 hit for Steeleye Span in 1972.

Gaudete for Five Guitars

I am a finger-style guitarist living on the Texas high plains.  At the core of my music is melody that is inspired and informed by my Christian faith, family, friends, and countless influences through the years from the great composers, to jazz, folk, rock, Latin, Celtic, and the many fine musicians I have come to love on the Cloud, some I have been privileged to collaborate with.  Thanks for stopping by to have a listen. Comments are always welcome. Feel free to click on the picture of any track to learn more about it.

A Walk In The Park (David, acoustic guitars)

David Dunham