Have you ever had a good night's sleep disturbed by a persistent mosquito? If so you'll know how frustrating it can be.
With thanks to the author Verna Aardema (writer of the book 'Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears') for the inspiration.

Mosquitoes

Hanging on

For many years, an amateur theatre group from my hometown, in which a friend of mine also performs, has been putting on a fairy tale every Christmas season.
This year’s play is “Hans im Glück” (Hans in Luck), and I was asked to compose and produce the title song for it.
Since this is a charity project, with all proceeds going to support children’s causes, it was an easy and heartfelt “yes” for me. ❤️
Together with MiLu Lotus, I created a danceable, clap-along song that’s feelgood, fun, and child-friendly, yet carries a meaningful message inspired by the story of Hans im Glück. I am very grateful that she sang this song with me. Thank you so much, MiLu! 💜
I hope you enjoy this slightly different song from me, sung in German.
You can find the English translation of the lyrics below. 🎶

Here is the video:

https://youtu.be/_1PbBcEgqwE?si=UDO8Vb6EcFfp947q



Es ist nicht alles Gold

Er ging mit Gold, doch ohne Lächeln,
der Weg war weit, der Schritt war schwer.
Was glänzt, blieb fremd in seinen Händen –
als ob da noch was andres wär.

Er tauschte Gold für etwas Ruhe,
für Schritte ohne Druck und Ziel.
Er nahm nur mit, was leicht geworden,
und ließ zurück, was ihm zu viel.

Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt,
nicht alles wahr, was du erkennst.
Was du verlierst, kann dich befreien,
der Weg wird leichter ohne Stein.

Kein Zögern, keine großen Fragen,
kein Rechnen, was ihm bleiben muss.
Er nahm das Leichte in den Tagen
und ließ das Schwere einfach los.

Er kam nach Haus mit leeren Händen,
doch niemand nahm, was er gewann.
Was andre suchten, ließ er liegen –
und ging mit leichtem Herzen dann.

Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt,
nicht alles wahr, was du erkennst.
Was du verlierst, kann dich befreien,
der Weg wird leichter ohne Stein.

Und du – was trägst du durch dein Leben?
Was hält dich fest, was macht dich klein?
Vielleicht ist Loslassen kein Fehlen,
vielleicht kann frei sein einfach sein.

Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt,
nicht alles wahr, was du erkennst.
Was du verlierst, kann dich befreien,
der Weg wird leichter ohne Stein.

____________________________________

Not Everything That Glitters Is Gold


He walked with gold but without a smile,
the road was long, his steps were slow.
What shone felt foreign in his hands –
as if there was something more to know.

He traded gold for a bit of peace,
for steps without a goal or strain.
He only kept what had grown lighter,
and left behind what brought him pain.

Not everything that glitters is gold,
not everything you see is true.
What you lose might set you free,
the road feels lighter without the stone you threw.

No hesitation, no great questions,
no counting what he had to keep.
He took the lightness of his days
and let the heavy things just sleep.

He came back home with empty hands,
but no one took what he had found.
What others sought, he left behind 
and walked with heart unbound.

Not everything that glitters is gold,
not everything you see is true.
What you lose might set you free,
the road feels lighter without the stone you threw.

And you – what do you carry through your life?
What holds you down, what makes you small?
Perhaps letting go is not a loss –
perhaps to be free is all.

Not everything that glitters is gold,
not everything you see is true.
What you lose might set you free,
the road feels lighter without the stone you threw.

Es ist nicht alles Gold

Hilma, oh Hilma

This is something I've had in mind for a while, and was planning to put it out for Halloween, but I'm really slow.  It's a macabre spoken word thing about a travelling circus that's a little 'off' in dark and unsettling ways that you can't quite put your finger on. Originally I thought it would sound good as an old timey Delta Blues with acoustic guitar accompaniment. But since I can't play, I enlisted the help of a fellow Soundcloud artist whose music I admire, Remnant60 (@remnant60). It just so happened Bill had previously posted a guitar track that he left open for collaboration. I downloaded his track, but it was left on the shelf for a while, until this came along, and I thought it was a perfect fit. 
It kind of borders on the edge of creepy cool and just hokey. But it's a fun bit of storytelling, and I'm grateful to Remnant60 for letting me tinker with his wicked slide guitar track. 
I strongly recommend listening to this with headphones for the full effect. 
Hope you dig it!

ARTISTS
Remnant60 - acoustic slide guitar
Mistermark - vocals, lyrics, evil laugh!, sound effects, all other instruments 
                      (played on keyboard): cathedral organ, pump organ, toy piano, 
                       worn tape piano, mellotron, percussion, musical saw

image designed with ChatGPT and Photoshop

LYRICS
A travelling circus creaked into our little town
They set up in Duggart’s field by the old burying ground
A ramshackle lot ‘neath the moonlight’s glare
With their trinkets and their theatre, put on an evening affair

Chorus
From village to village and from town to town
When the circus came they put their stakes deep in the ground
They promised spectacle, laughter and mirth
The travelling circus, the greatest show on Earth

Inside the big top it was crowded and hot
Everyone was kept waiting whether they wanted or not
Something in the tent corner was circled by flies
And I noticed a bruise under the flower girl’s eye

(Chorus)

The horses were skittish when they caught sight of a whip
And a big toothy grin was painted over the clown’s lips
The ringmaster never looks you quite straight in the eye
From the moment you enter he starts waving goodbye

(Chorus)

Travelling Circus (collab with Remnant60)

Surfers like Us … composition, all guitar parts, arrangement, mix and cover picture 

Hi Everyone!
This is a brand new performance based on my previous song called „FULL MOON RIDER” 🌕
This new version is something like a reprise with a longer guitar solo in the second part of the track! 😎🎸
I hope you enjoy the vibe!
Thanks for your time and support!
  Artur

Full Moon Rider 2 (reprise)

Words and Music Dave Rose
Dedicated to Harry Rose

Lyrics
Harry parked the van and stepped out of the rain
Sat in his chair and lit up a woodbine
A little tight in the chest
A little short of breath
And just like that he was gone

Where were his days in the sun
Away from all this toil and trouble

I hope he knew we loved him so much
He was a legend to us

Where were his days in the sun
away from all this toil and trouble

Harry

Soft & Wild (Cypher Edit)
moves like breath that learned to dance.

Built from my original spoken-word recording,
from the raw pulse beneath the words,
from the tones I played before the beat existed.
Nothing posed, just truth set in motion.

The city bends around the cadence.
Hip-hop edges thread through an electronic spine,
beats that stay steady even when the voice drifts,
bass carrying what the text can’t say out loud.

It’s soft.
It’s wild.
It’s the quiet fire turned kinetic.
A cypher between what I speak,
what I feel,
and what the night lets me become.

Soft & Wild (Cypher Edit)

Echoes in the rain

Inspired by Sergei Rachmaninoff's 10 Preludes Op.23 No.4 in D Major - Andante Cantabile.
Moving from mortality to a fully celestialized sphere in a blink of an eye.

Cyber Monday Dub

David Levinson

Related tracks