A collection of recordings featuring my guitar work.  Some tracks are originals, others are from the 12 piece Latin band, Sonido, and from the "Roots" CD by  the Silas Meredith Band.

Guitar Work

Original compositions that either possess specific fractal characteristics or are algorithmically generated based on number theory.

Here's an animation of Brecker 8:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vewF_bVH-6w

For more information on fractal music, see:
http://www.brotherstechnology.com/math/fractal-music.html

Musical Fractals & Mathematical Music

All Music, Lyrics, and Arrangements by Harlan J. Brothers

An eclectic selection of jazz.

Original Jazz

A growing collection of Pop and Dance music.

Pop & Dance

La-laiala!  Brazilian music makes the world a happier place!

Sabor do Brasil (Flavor of Brazil)

A musical interpretation of pi.  All pitches, durations, and note velocities are based on the digits of pi.  Watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNpab2PDquw

This composition was recently featured on NPR's "Engines of Our Ingenuity" from the University of Houston, Episode 3030: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi3030.htm

100 Seconds of Pi

Ooh Ooh

Music, Lyrics, and Arrangement by Harlan J. Brothers

Vocal by Michael at Studio Pros.

Lyrics (updated):

There’re so many places we could see
But I know of one where life’s a dream
When you hold me near, oh suddenly it’s clear to me
There is no place I’d rather be

So clap your hands and tell me where

Where is the place, where’s the place?
Where is that magic land we know?
Where is the place, where’s the place?
Where is the place we love to go?

Where is the place where the water is wine?
Where is the sunlight sure to shine?
Where is the place I long to be?
Where is the place called you and me?

There’s so much to do, so much to see
But being with you it sets me free
When you’re by my side I know that love will guide the way
And show us where we love to play

So clap your hands and tell me where

Where is the place, where’s the place?
Where is that magic land we know?
Where is the place, where’s the place?
Where is the place we love to go?

Where is the place where the water is wine?
Where is the sunlight sure to shine?
Where is the place I long to be?
Where is the place called you and me?

Where are the sands of time at rest?
Where is the lovin’ always best?
Where is the place where the skies are blue?
Where is the place called me and you?

Where is my home away from home?
Where is my spirit free to roam?
Where is the place where dreams come true?
Where is the place called me and you?

[Break]

[Chorus]


Where is the Place?

Musicians have been composing a form of fractal music for at least five centuries. Motivic scaling was familiar to many of the great Flemish composers such a Johannes Ockeghem and Josquin des Prez who developed the art of the mensuration or prolation canon.

This excerpt from the Agnus Dei of his first Missa l'homme armé is one of the earliest examples of fractal music.

For details see: https://medium.com/@harlan.j.brothers/the-dawn-of-fractal-music-b7be801477a9

Josquin des Prez - Agnus Dei (Full)

Musicians have been composing a form of fractal music for at least five centuries. Motivic scaling was familiar to many of the great Flemish composers such a Johannes Ockeghem and Josquin des Prez who developed the art of the mensuration or prolation canon.

This is Voice 3 from the excerpt below.

For details see: https://medium.com/@harlan.j.brothers/the-dawn-of-fractal-music-b7be801477a9

Josquin des Prez - Agnus Dei (Voice 3)

Musicians have been composing a form of fractal music for at least five centuries. Motivic scaling was familiar to many of the great Flemish composers such a Johannes Ockeghem and Josquin des Prez who developed the art of the mensuration or prolation canon.

This is Voice 2 from the excerpt below.

For details see: https://medium.com/@harlan.j.brothers/the-dawn-of-fractal-music-b7be801477a9

Josquin des Prez - Agnus Dei (Voice 2)

Musicians have been composing a form of fractal music for at least five centuries. Motivic scaling was familiar to many of the great Flemish composers such a Johannes Ockeghem and Josquin des Prez who developed the art of the mensuration or prolation canon.

This Voice 1 from the excerpt below.

For details see: https://medium.com/@harlan.j.brothers/the-dawn-of-fractal-music-b7be801477a9

Josquin des Prez - Agnus Dei (Voice 1)

Music, Lyrics, Arrangement, and Production by Harlan J. Brothers

Lyrics:

What would I do
If I had an hour
To brighten the darkness we see?
How would I act
If I had the power
To change the powers that be?

If I were a magician
The first thing I’d do is stop the race
I’d wave my little finger and
Sweet smiles would appear on sour faces
If I were a magician
Each day we’d have to try on something new
We’d bounce out of bed each morning and
Snap on a brand new point of view
If I were a magician
I'd change all the rules of the game
The good guys would finish sooner and
The tortoise and hare would share the fame

What charm could I say
That would burst with flowers
And set every broken heart free?
What could I do
If I had the power
To change the powers that be?

If I were a magician
We’d never have to spend another dime
‘Cause everything would be paid for with
A song or a dance or a silly rhyme
If I were a magician
A nap would feel just like a full night’s rest
And we wouldn’t need to save stuff ‘cause
The first and the last would both be best
If I were a magician
We’d have nothing to lose and all to gain
We’d visit exotic places and
Fly ‘round the world without an airplane
If only I were a magician
There'd never be another lonely night
‘Cause I’d mix moonlight and stardust and
A prince would appear to hold you tight
If I were a magician
We’d stay young and never need the Doc
‘Cause I’d conjure-up a potion and
Just one single sip would stop the clock

© 2007 Harlan J. Brothers

If I Were a Magician (Instrumental Version)

White noise has a spectral density distribution 1/fᵝ where β = 0. There is no correlation between its values at different times. Frequency bands of equal size have equal power.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part I":

https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/the-nature-of-fractal-music-part-i-af9bc15d4681

White Noise

Pink noise, also known as "1/f noise" or "flicker noise," has a spectral density distribution 1/fᵝ where β = 1. Values are more correlated than in the case of white noise and less correlated than brown noise. It has equal power in frequency bands that are proportional. That is to say, the band from 50Hz to 100Hz contains the same power as the band from 500Hz to 1000Hz.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part I":

https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/the-nature-of-fractal-music-part-i-af9bc15d4681

Pink Noise (1/f Noise)

Brown noise, associated with Brownian motion, has a spectral density distribution 1/fᵝ where β = 2. There is a strong correlation between its values. Its sound is weighted toward the low end of the spectrum.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part I":

https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/the-nature-of-fractal-music-part-i-af9bc15d4681

Brown Noise (Brownian Noise)

A diatonic sequence of notes generated a uniform random distribution.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part I":

https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/the-nature-of-fractal-music-part-i-af9bc15d4681

White Sequence of Notes

A diatonic sequence of notes generated using a 1/f scaling algorithm.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part I":

https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/the-nature-of-fractal-music-part-i-af9bc15d4681

Pink Sequence of Notes (1/f)

A diatonic sequence of notes generated using a Brownian scaling algorithm.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part I":

https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/the-nature-of-fractal-music-part-i-af9bc15d4681

Brownian Sequence of Notes

Music by Harlan J. Brothers

Fractal duration scaling.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part II":

https://medium.com/p/163a15abf448

Go For Baroque

Music by Harlan Brothers

A simple example of pitch scaling.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part II":

https://medium.com/p/163a15abf448

Pitch Scaling Example 1

Music by Harlan Brothers

An example of both motivic scaling and duration scaling.

From the article "The Nature of Fractal Music Part II":

https://medium.com/p/163a15abf448

Wanderlust Fractal

Music by Harlan Brothers

Performance by Eric Meridiano

Introducing Eric Meridiano

Sarah's Song (feat. Eric Meridiano)

Composed, Arranged, and Produced by Harlan J. Brothers.

This is an experimental, math-based dance groove based on Robert Schneider's non-pythagorean scales and an algorithm of mine that draws on primes numbers.

Check out the video at: youtu.be/edu5rjgGy8o

Log-a-Rhythmic

Music, Lyrics, and Arrangement by Harlan J. Brothers

Lyrics:

What would I do
If I had an hour
To brighten the darkness we see?
How would I act
If I had the power
To change the powers that be?

If I were a magician
The first thing I’d do is stop the race
I’d wave my little finger and
Sweet smiles would appear on sour faces

If I were a magician
Each day we’d have to try on something new
We’d bounce out of bed each morning and
Snap on a brand new point of view

If I were a magician
I'd change all the rules of the game
The good guys would finish sooner and
The tortoise and hare would share the fame

What charm could I say
That would burst with flowers
And set every broken heart free?
What could I do
If I had the power
To change the powers that be?

If I were a magician
We’d never have to spend another dime
‘Cause everything would be paid for with
A song or a dance or a silly rhyme

If I were a magician
A nap would feel just like a full night’s rest
And we wouldn’t need to save stuff ‘cause
The first and the last would both be best

If I were a magician
We’d have nothing to lose and all to gain
We’d visit exotic places and
Fly ‘round the world without an airplane

If only I were a magician
There'd never be another lonely night
‘Cause I’d mix moonlight and stardust and
A prince would appear to hold you tight

If I were a magician
We’d stay young and never need the Doc
‘Cause I’d conjure-up a potion and
Just one single sip would stop the clock

© 2007 Harlan J. Brothers


If I Were a Magician (Vocal Version)

Art Tatum's arrangement of Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" shows evidence fractal structure in it's collection of note durations.

Art Tatum - Don't Get Around Much Anymore

This track appears in the article "If Escher Made Music" on Medium:
https://medium.com/cantors-paradise/if-escher-made-music-3bc3d335a224?sk=c5f6d7c280521bedbedbd0bfa4393b40

Shepard Tones

Written, Arranged, and Produced by Harlan J. Brothers
Lead Vocal by Chris Hodges
Background Vocals and BGV Arrangement by Andrew Capra

Lyrics:

Riding on the subway
Walking down the street
Funny all the eyes that stare
But never really meet

And every single moment
In every heart that beats
The promise of a soulful spark
Is all we really seek

Frozen in a moment
Tingle down my spine
By chance your glance
Entranced me
…It does it every time

Rob me of my reason
Steal my sense of time
Spin, spin, spin me any ol’ direction
Still it’s you I’m gonna find

Burn out all my memory
Bust all my screens in two
Fry my Wi-Fi, crash the cloud and hack me dry      
And still I’ll connect with you


Casual conversation
In the store or by the beach
Funny how you never know
How far your heart can reach

And every single moment
In every heart that beats
The promise of a soulful spark
Can make the world complete

Poetry in motion
A never-ending rhyme
To watch you dance
Enchants me
…Happens every time

Rob me of my reason
Steal my sense of time
Spin, spin, spin me any ol’ direction
Still it’s you I’ll always find

Burn out all my memory
Bust all my screens in two
Fry my Wi-Fi, crash the cloud and hack me dry      
And still I’ll connect with you
Still I’ll connect with…   

[INSTRUMENTAL]

Wrap me with a blindfold
On a dark, cold moonless night
Spin, spin, spin me any ol’ direction
…You’ll still be in my sight

Drown me in your ocean
Scorch me with your flames
Freeze me, rake me, shatter me, and shake me
You’re my thunder, I’m your rain
It’s our storm of joy and pain
A human hurricane
Hear the wind howl our names
So different, so the same
Every night and every day
Our connection is here to stay
 
Our connection’s here to stay
Our connection is here to stay
Our connection’s here to stay
Our connection is here to stay 
Our connection’s here to stay
Our connection is here to stay
Our connection’s here to stay


© 2014 Harlan J. Brothers


Connect With You (Feat. Chris Hodges & Andrew Capra)

Music,  Lyrics, and Arrangement by Harlan Brothers

August in Rio

Harlan J. Brothers: Guitar
Asher Delerme: Percussion
David Keith: Drums
Silas Meredith: Bass
Tim Walsh: Vocals

Lyrics:

She walks alone
In a crowded port by the sea
Shopping for a gift for me

Across the bay
A steeple bell starts to sway
It chimes three times to mark midday

She hears, she turns
She moves with grace
So clear for all to see

Ebbing, flowing
There’s no way of knowing
Which direction
This crazy love is going

She turns around
Heads back through town
Humming quietly
What has she gotten for me?

The moon arises
Lapa comes alive
A sea of souls and samba floods the night

Against the tide
We work our way inside
To drink and dance and hold each other tight

She bends, she turns
She moves with grace
So clear for all to see

Ebbing, flowing
There’s no way of knowing
Which direction
This crazy love is going

Teresa’s heights
Mountain lights
Silent, flickering
She whispers delicately
The present is waiting for me

© 2007 Harlan J. Brothers

Agosto no Rio (Vocal Version)

Music, Lyrics, & Arrangement by Harlan Brothers (Lyrics below)

Brazilian / World...  A song for travelers!

Harlan J. Brothers: Guitar and programming
Doron Flake: Vocals
David Keith: Drums
Silas Meredith: Bass
Eric Nathan: Trumpet

Lyrics:

Sundown
Underground
Dreams hold sway
Like quicksand
Distant lands
Can whisk your heart away

Gamelan bells ring where ancient Salsal towered
Oh would that I could softly sit where he stood.
Gossamer lights do their dance through northern nights
Above a frozen sea, I’ll go where they can do
Their dance
For me

Snowflakes
Morning breaks
Thoughts won’t stay
Like gold dust
Wanderlust
Can whisk a soul away

Kilimanjaro and Krakatoa rise so
Alone, so sky high, peak to peak just clouds fly.
Sailing to Bali or Bora Bora, seems like there is so much more
Around the great wide world
For me
To see

(Instrumental)

Roaming on foot through the ancient steppes I’ll wander
With Scythians riding, the Sun King rising.
Will I fly down to Rio or Angkor Wat?  I know not
If the Marianas or the Mirtoon Sea
Might call
To me

©2007 Harlan Brothers

Wanderlust

Music and lyrics by Harlan Brothers

Harlan J. Brothers: Guitar
David Keith: Drums
Silas Meredith: Bass
Vanessa Soto: Vocals
Timmy Walsh: Vocals

Lyrics

That distant spot
Where the dreamer’s wont to gaze
That shot in the dark
In a giant empty space
A trusting step, a leap of faith

Just land on the tip of the top
And teeter though you may
The point is just to point the way

We’ll go
We’ll follow, we’ll lead
We’ll dance along the way
Two steps at a time

A secret song, a silent verse
The words are hard to find
Its twisting turning melody
Winds the wheels of time...

A trip, a trap
A treat for all to see
The bull in the shop
A ship up in a tree
A marble floats across a starry sea

So land on the edge of the ledge
And stumble though you may
The waxing moon can point the way

We’ll go
We’ll go extra slow
And then we’ll zoom away
Humming along to a

A secret song, a long lost verse
The words are hard to find
Its twisting turning melody
Winds the wheels of time...


Secret Song (Vocal Version)

Written, Arranged, and Produced by Harlan J. Brothers
Vocals and BGV Arrangement by Andrew Capra

Lyrics:

I don’t mind, let’s play along 
I got no place to be
If you feel it’s good for you
I know it works for me
  
I see you here, you see me there
So simple feeling free
And if it lasts, we’ll celebrate
With only you and me      

I’ll grab your hook, come grab my line
We’ll sink into the
Sea of desire
Rain, ice, and fire
Waves rising higher and higher
All the time    

A squeeze, a tease, a photograph
A text at 2:00 or 3:00
If benefits are what you want
It’s sure OK with me
  
So much to do, so much to see
We love to get around
And if love goes lost we’ll find it in
Our private Lost and Found

Grab my hook, I’ll grab your line
We’ll sink into a
Sea of surprise
With wide open eyes
Passion rising
Right on time

[Banjo Solo]

Grab my hook, I’ll grab your line
We’ll sink into a
Sea of desire
Rain, ice, and fire
Waves rising higher and higher
All the time

I don’t mind, let’s play along
I got no place to be
If you feel it’s good for you
I know it works for me
  
I see you here, you see me there
So simple feeling free
And if it lasts, we’ll celebrate
With only you and me      

© 2015 Harlan J. Brothers

Play Along (Feat. Andrew Capra)

Music and Arrangement by Harlan Brothers

Welcome to the jungle!

For more details see:
http://www.brotherstechnology.com/math/fractal-music.html

Monkey Run

Music & Arrangement by Harlan Brothers

Instrumental version.

Harlan J. Brothers: Guitars, Vocal
David Keith: Drums
Silas Meredith: Bass and Melodica



Secret Song (Instrumental Version)

Music and Arrangement by Harlan Brothers

Hybrid rock alternative... instrumental version. Check-out the guitar solo.  Cool lyrics - looking for a singer!

Harlan J. Brothers: Guitars
Elina Flit: Keyboard
David Keith: Drums
Silas Meredith: Bass




Not The Same (Vibes)

Music and sequencing by Harlan Brothers

For more details see:
http://www.brotherstechnology.com/math/fractal-music.html

Stretch

Music, Lyrics and Arrangement by Harlan Brothers

A trip to Rio - via trumpet!

Harlan J. Brothers: Guitar
Asher Delerme: Percussion
David Keith: Drums
Silas Meredith: Bass
Olivia Malin: Trumpet


Agosto no Rio (Trumpet Version)

Fractal jazz, in memory of Michael Brecker.  Music by Harlan J. Brothers.

Featured on IBM's website on "Fractals in Culture and Society."http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/fractal/impacts/

See the new animation at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vewF_bVH-6w

For more details see:
http://www.brotherstechnology.com/math/fractal-music.html

Brecker 8

Music by Harlan Brothers

Fractal pitch scaling.

For more details see:
http://www.brotherstechnology.com/math/fractal-music.html

Country Dance

Music by Silas Meredith
Lyrics by Mario Mena

Written and performed in memory of our dear brother and great bongocero, Jose Rivera.

Performed by Sonido :

Guitar: Harlan Brothers 
Saxophone: Adam Cushner 
Congas: Jenaro Garcia 
Timables:Jose David Garcia
Trumpet: Olivia Kelpin
Trumpet: Eizabeth Meeker
Vocals: Marcello Mena
Vocals: Mario Mena
Bass: Silas Meredith 
Piano: Eric Meridiano
Trombone: Matt Pickett

Ultimo Adios  (Original)

Music by  Dizzy Gillespie

Performed by Sonido:

Piano: Drew Alt
Guitar: Harlan Brothers
Saxophone: Adam Cushner
Trumpet: Craig King
Congas: Jenaro Garcia
Timables:Jose David Garcia
Xavier Marmelejos: Percussion
Trumpet: Eiizabeth Meeker
Bass: Silas Meredith
Bongos: Jose Rivera

A Night in Tunisia

Music, Arrangement, Guitar, Keyboards, and MIDI programming by Harlan Brothers.

Funky-Pop-Jazz, cool guitar.

Kool Love

Music by Henry Mancini

Solo Guitar: Harlan Brothers

Days of Wine and Roses

Welcome friends!  You'll find many styles of original music here.  Please check out the "Playlists" page.

¡Bienvenido!  Hay muchos tipos de música original aquí.

Bem-vindo!  Existem muitos tipos de música original aqui.

Bienvenue !  Il existe plusieurs types de musique originale ici.

ようこそ！オリジナルの音楽には多くの種類がここにあります。

About me:

I grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Raised on classic rock 'n' roll, I was exposed to symphonic music, opera, and show music at an early age. I learned about world music as a teenager while traveling and performing in Senegal.

I began composing in high school and majored in composition at the Berklee College of Music.  I quickly fell in love with Bossa Nova.  After leaving Berklee, I studied jazz guitar with Jimmy Ponder, worked doing transcriptions for Emile Charlap, and writing jingles. I later took guitar lessons with Jack Wilkins, Peter Leitch, and Joshua Breakstone.

For 6 years, I performed and recorded with Sonido, the 12-piece Latin jazz & salsa group I co-founded with conguero Jeff Albert. I also performed with Elizabeth Meeker's 6-piece Latin combo, Dulcerito, and recorded the CD "Roots" with the Silas Meredith Band.

I compose and arrange, and am well versed in many styles including jazz, rock, pop, dance, Brazilian, classical, and world music. I also compose algorithmic and fractal music.

The songs showcased here are primarily demos for artists interested in performing or recording them and for those seeking original music for film and television.

Harlan Brothers

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