excellent work feeling traveling to the east,, very good advice from carlos vivanco, the drums are better than the metronome, a base rhythm of drums frees you and gives infinite creative paths, greetings brother

Feeling this completely. Dynamite bass. Excellent.

Emotional people create the best art! Also, receiving musical lessons from Carlos Vivanco is truly an honour! Excelent track!

So wonderfully atmospheric sonic delivery with a beautiful Oriental timbre and extraordinary beats. Very elegant variety of the sounds... :)

This sets such a wonderful mood, with its Oriental dynamic and deceptive groove.  Great description as always, Justin.  I always enjoy reading your thoughts on any subject...

great use of layering with such simple phrases - very effective

This is frightingly good.  I mean it.  I was just kinda listening -didn't know who it was- and thought it

A song in which we channel our inner Portishead........

I guess it was just my own world
After all
Having you as the other part
Was nothing more
And nothing less than illusion

Oh you really fooled me good
Oh so good
Good, as in pleasantly 
And good as in sublimely
Good as in nothing wanting
As in I thought you were just too good to be true

CHORUS
Who was the one
Who always said forever and ever
Don’t forget
Who was the one who always said
We were a perfect fit
Who was the one 
Who had no doubt 
The future lay right ahead of us
Who was the one who said
That we were all that we needed
Don’t forget (x3)
It was I all along

Having you as the other part
Was nothing more
And nothing less than illusion

Oh you really fooled me good
Oh so good
Good, as in completely
And good as in oh so very cleverly
And good as in I was good and gone for you 
As in you had me hook line and sinker good

Repeat CHORUS

Oh you fooled me good
Oh so good
As in your disguise was crafted with care
But I had no idea 
They made those costumes
In such a slim fit

9000 Things To See

Keep Me Forever

Slim Fit

I was a bit late to this wonderful party but thankfully the wonderful Hell Feeder team let me in the door. Please check out all the great re-mixes by artists via the Hell Feeder page.

hellfeeder.com/mabon

Heres the background......
The celebration of the Autumnal Equinox, Harvest Home, Mabon, the Feast of the Ingathering, is a modern Pagan ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and the God during the coming winter months. The name Mabon was coined by Aidan Kelly around 1970 as a reference to Mabon ap Modron, a character from Welsh mythology. Among the Sabbats, it is the second of the three Pagan harvest festivals, preceded by Lammas / Lughnasadh and followed by Samhain. (Source Wikipedia)

Hell Feeder shared our track Mabon to remix with a number of invited artists from Soundcloud.
These artists were handpicked simply because we were big fans of their creative output.

Below are artist links to those who contributed towards what has proved to be an exciting and eclectic aural project. Thanks to everyone that got involved.

Order Of Thee Octopi @jameshootman
Drown / Backstab @drown-dub @backstabmusic
Blink Twice @blink-twice-archivale
Tuonela @tuonela-1
Negative Headphone @negative-headphone
Grim Heka @grimheka
Insatiable Void @insatiable-void
Lady Of Fire Poetry @ladyofire
Boson Spin @boson_spin
Wayfarer DG @user-996383829
taRka @myrhyum
Enigma Curry @enigmacurry

Hell Feeder - Mabon (No Mates Ensemble Remix)

Christian let me sing on his original track i always try to stay true to the feel of the moment and this had such an experimental vibe ,i stayed loose with the form we do hope you enjoy. - https://soundcloud.com/user-872366230
It has been brought to my attention that dear Christian has fallen very ill as i write this and i really hope all his friends can send healing energy and well wishes to him for a speedy recovery , I thank you all 
Kind Regards , Clive.

growing now

Growing Now - Christian Levitan Ft. winkandwoo

(Free WAV Download available here under '••• More'; and eventually as part of my BandCamp Vox Populi album)

[REVISED] Happy Sunday, my dear SC friends. I have an exciting new song to share with you. But first, a little reality check (brought to you by the makers of Common Sense; the fragrance we all crave right now). :) 

As you may have read in my previous liner notes, a huge part of my musical slow-down has nothing to do with music. I love creating this stuff, and I love interacting with this community. This is a very happy place for me. 

The problem lies in how I’m using my brain when I’m not involved in my musical life. And I need to take responsibility for that. 

But here’s the issue. I can’t seem to shut off the conduit between how much suffering I perceive in the world, and how heavily that weighs on my own emotional state. I hear stories of other people’s misery, and I adopt it as my own; as if living through some of that lightens the load for the other person. It only takes writing that out, to see the flaws in my thinking.

I’ve been told more than a few times that I’m thin skinned; that I'm too sensitive to other people’s emotions, and the overall energy I pick up from the space I’m in. Truth be told, if being an empath exists, I’m probably one of them… at least to a minor degree. I’m starting to entertain a lot of these more esoteric ideas. I also love the idea of human interaction being as much telepathic as verbal; and I feel like I experience that directly when I approach a conversation with love and gratitude, and I witness the other person adopt that energy during the conversation. It’s as if the words don’t matter as much as the energy I’m projecting. So yea, I’m definitely enjoying playing with these reality bending ideas.

Here’s what I now realize. Whether it's empathy (which I still think is very important), sympathy (also important), or even pity (very unimportant); it’s probably a misuse of my energy. For example, if someone feels sorry for you, does that make you feel empowered? Or does it make you feel weak or incapable? Alternately, if someone expresses confidence in you, how does that effect your resolve? I definitely know which tanks my mood, and which bolsters me.

Clearly, I need a shift in focus. And I’m going to commit to practicing that new focus daily. For starters, I reactivated a cute little app I discovered, called Habitica. It’s a daily activities check-list, cleverly disguised as an 8-bit video game. And it motivates me to stay focused, In a very playful way. For example, my dailies include (at a minimum): 1 hour making music, 1 hour listening to other SC musicians, 20 minutes exercise (including 20 minutes reading), and the one I’m really excited about… 30 minutes piano practice.

I began this last week. And it was the best week I’ve had in a long time!!

Now… the really exciting part. This song contains some of what I learned from my piano practice; the minor pentatonic scales. And my piano practice was inspired by one of the nicest people I’ve met on Soundcloud; our dear friend Carlos Vivanco (https://soundcloud.com/carlosvivanco-1). 

Carlos has offered me a few music lessons, as well as some wonderful practice routines and suggestions (my favorite so far… don’t practice to a metronome. Practice to a drum loop. A serious game changer for me. Now I feel like I’m playing along with another musician, which is a blast). 

There is an old saying I truly believe; when the student is ready, the teacher appears. I’m grateful to call Carlos one of my teachers. I’m confident your teachers (person or otherwise) are out there too. You just need to be open to possibilities; and embrace them with all your heart, when they arrive. I hope you enjoy ‘Renewing My Artistic License’ as much as I enjoyed creating it. And I hope these words inspire you to more deeply pursue something you really love. :)

Credits: The cover art evolved from a piece first created in the amazing iPad app, WOMBO Dream.

Vox Populi

Renewing My Artistic License

SPECIAL CECILIA's INVITATION TO COLLAB

We are one - Special Cecilia

lyrics & vocals: Special Cecilia
1-sound/vocalshredder/arrangement: electroHippie

https://soundcloud.com/user-883466627/we-are-one-vocal-special-cecilia

https://soundcloud.com/specialececilia

oneoneone (Special Cecilia & electroHippie 1 - collab)

Little Red Harmonica
Music and Lyrics by Mike Krath

Many years ago,
When one of our sons was born,
The doctor told us your boy is very sick,
He’d live three to four years at most,
And when he turned five, we were so happy,
Maybe there was a chance after all,
And on that birthday I gave him a little red harmonica,
You may be weak, I told him, not able to do much but lie around, but with this you can play anywhere you are. 
Now go ahead, make something of yourself. 
Let’s hear some sweet music. 
And he smiled and took the little red harmonica in his hands. 
I’m gonna learn how to play this, daddy,
I’m gonna learn how to make a heavenly sound. 
I laughed. I bet you will, son. I bet you will. 

And for the next year,
He played the best he could,
Here and there, to anyone who’d listen,
To his brothers and sisters, to the neighbors, the cats, the dogs, even the pigs.
He loved that harmonica,
It never left his little hand all day, 
Not even to eat (to an extent)
And he had it with him by his side until he went to bed,
But on his sixth birthday, the music stopped. And we had to take him to the hospital. 
And there he begged me in a weak voice, daddy, please don’t let them take away my harmonica. I want to practice, I want to keep practicing. If I’m gonna die and be buried, don’t let me buried without it. 
And I promised. 
And when his 6-year-old body was lying in the coffin, the little red harmonica lay in his hands. 

Now the years have passed,
And we’ve moved on with our lives,
And I try not to think too much of my son,
But from time to time 
I have someone from our old town
Tell me that when they visited the graveyard. 
They swore they could hear a muffled sound
Of someone practicing a harmonica. 
And I start to think again of my little boy.  
I start to think of him day and night. 

In the great redemption story,
I know I’ll see him again,
I know I’ll see him and we’ll be standing side by side. 
And in my mind I see him with his little red harmonica,
And him saying,
You want to see me play it, daddy, you wanna?
And I say, of course, Let’s hear what you’ve learned all these many years. 

And I see him lift it and play a heavenly sound,
A sound that lights up my heart,
And I can’t believe it,
And I grab and squeeze him tight,
What joy is this? What joy are you giving?
And he laughs. 
Do you like it, daddy, do you?
Do I like it? I love it!
And I hug him again,
And then weep on his shoulder,
I’ve missed him so much. 
And I hear him say, don’t cry, daddy, this is heaven now. There are no tears. 
I know. But I’m crying tears of joy. 
And I hug him like I’ve never hugged him before. 
I hug my little boy with his little red harmonica like I’ve never have before.


Set-Up:
DAW: Reason 12

Analog Instrument:
C-Harmonica

Keyboard Instruments:
Folk Fiddle - Keyswitch - Insanity Samples
Appassionata Strings - Spitfire
Hanz Zimmer Strings - Spitfire
Voices - Barbary Solo Glide AH TF - Soundpaint
Solo Boy Legacy and Legato Sections - VOXOS
Originals - Felt Piano - Spitfire

Little Red Harmonica

Space elevator

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE tuned B F♯ B E G♯ B
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
In the cool of the Arizona morning
There are no words to say
The sun lights up
The eastern sky
At the dawn…….
Of a brand new day

The tumbleweed is turning
Looking to put down some roots
Maybe it’s just my calling
To have dust ……
All over my boots 

I don’t see all there is to see
I don’t hear all there is to hear
There’s light and there’s shade and something in-between
And the distance …………drawing near

I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust  …………. all over my boots

The slow and steady beat
Of these hooves upon the ground
Horse and rider as one
And at peace ………
With that sound

I don’t see all there is to see
I don’t hear all there is to hear
There’s light and there’s shade and something in-between
And the distance …………drawing near 

I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust  …………. all over my boots

Dust All Over My Boots

I recently renovated this one. An instrumental, with moments where you can tap along, and slower reflective moments. It signifies the ebb and flow of a workday. So I named it Working Day!

Working Day

The ghosts
Inspired by the bygone era of the 60s-70s-80s and popular art music, especially from the UK! All those little melodies that you tap with your fingertips or whistle...memories...
Artists, dying shadows on the walls, sometimes dazzling light, but their desire to be the best often led them down the road to perdition...
Many artists have never seen the light of the day of glory, these young chrysalises have not had the time to blossom on the big stages and yet some would have largely deserved it as the quality and beauty of their work was sparkling..... 
Doors open and close at great speed in this world. But they are still here, even if they have become ghosts, let us thank them for they have inspired us, shaped us and they continue - Thank you.

The ghosts
Inspiré de l'époque révolue des années 60-70-80 et de la musique artistique populaire, notamment britannique ! Toutes ces petites mélodies que l'on tape du bout des doigts ou que l'on siffle... des souvenirs...
Artistes, ombres mourantes sur les murs, lumière parfois éblouissante, mais leur désir d'être les meilleurs les a souvent conduits sur le chemin de la perdition...
De nombreux artistes n'ont jamais vu la lumière du jour de gloire, ces jeunes chrysalides n'ont pas eu le temps de s'épanouir sur les grandes scènes et pourtant certains l'auraient largement mérité tant la qualité et la beauté de leur travail étaient étincelantes...... 
Les portes s'ouvrent et se ferment à grande vitesse dans ce monde. Mais ils sont toujours là, même s'ils sont devenus des fantômes, remercions-les car ils nous ont inspirés, façonnés et ils continuent - Merci.

Ghost

Powder Snow World(Niseko Winter Scenery)

The last twelve months have been intense, but also profoundly positive (1 year sober as of August 26th); and these two latest albums are an intriguing encapsulation of that experience. Please help yourselves to free downloads on Bandcamp… and don’t hesitate to spread the love around. :)

Here's the link to the album launching today: https://grevusanjl.bandcamp.com/album/foul-weather-friends-album-09-2024

And here's my list of Guest Artists (a huge thanks to all of you):
Carlos Vivanco (soundcloud.com/carlosvivanco-1)
Stone Catcherye (soundcloud.com/stonecatcherye)
Lady of Fire Poetry (soundcloud.com/ladyofire)
noxpox (soundcloud.com/noxpox15)
Belial Pelegrim (soundcloud.com/belial-pelegrim)
Minimal_Drone*GRL (soundcloud.com/minimal_drone_grl)

_________________
Earlier Message: I admit, my neurodivergent brain is struggling with the world lately. I'm all about people taking the high road; and treating each other with love and compassion. I also assumed our various leaders adhered to some form of moral ethics. 

Needless to say, a disappointingly large part of the world and I aren't seeing eye to eye lately. So initially, I decided to stop doing things that mess with my mental well being (like supporting businesses that don't function properly, and don't support their customers). 

But let's face it... this weirdness is happening pretty much everywhere. And hermiting my way through the rest of my life is not a healthy or productive option. I'm a creator... I feel my greatest sense of purpose when I'm creating... and I enjoy being able to share those creations. 

It also feels good knowing my music and writings may be doing some good in the world (a huge thanks to my SC friends for messaging me your thoughts. You inspired me to rethink my choices).

So long story short, I decided to keep my SC subscription going. Granted, I still need some time to reimagine how I can connect with this community. But for now, I think I'll at least keep things were they are. :)

-Justin (aka GrevusAnjl)

Renewing My Artistic License

GrevusAnjl

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