Deep South

Rodolfo https://soundcloud.com/rplanes first shared this beautiful piece with me 2 years ago, which has had a gradual development since I first wrote the lyrics back then. More recently Ce Mastro https://soundcloud.com/cemastro added some exciting backing vocals which transformed the chorus and then even more recently we invited Dave McKeown https://soundcloud.com/dave-mckeown to contribute some lovely sax that we believed was just what the song needed. Rodolfo's song has such a feeling of romantic innocence yet with a wonderful rhythmic flow, that I hoped the words might feel from a simpler time. We hope you all enjoy our song of innocence (and inexperience) which thankfully is a work of fiction. Thanks again to Rodolfo for sharing this magical piece and his great skills as well as Ce and Dave's unique gifts to make this one happen. 
We thank you all for taking the time to listen.

Rodolfo Planes - Music composition, instrumentation, arrangement, production and mix.
Ce Mastro - Backing vocals
Me - Lead vocals and lyrics
Dave McKeown - Sax solo and fills

https://continentalcollision.bandcamp.com/track/almost-lovers

Almost Lovers (by Rodolfo Planes / Mark Bennett)

Once we were almost lovers, without a care.
We weren’t like all the others, somehow we just didn’t dare.
We never faced the fact,
What we had wasn’t real,
Didn’t have to deal,
With the truth while we were putting on an act
We’d have to pay,
And quite how that would feel.

The moment when I discovered, not wanting to share,
You with any of the others, that I just couldn’t bear.
But when my back was turned,
You made out with a guy,
I thought was my friend.
Then I knew that my world had been overturned,
Put out to dry,
And what a way to end.

It’s not the way that I’d hoped this scene would play out,
Leaving the stage in the first act. 
It was cruel but at least I was left in no doubt.
C’est la vie, as a matter of fact.

Were never really lovers, just make believe.
Like sister and brother, with only ourselves to deceive.
I should have known right then,
I’d be out on my ear 
Instead of in love.
Waiting for the finale, not knowing when,
I’d disappear,
When the push comes to shove.

It’s not the way that I’d hoped this scene would play out,
Leaving the stage in the first act. 
It was cruel but at least I was left in no doubt.
C’est la vie, as a matter of fact.

Almost Lovers - Continental Collision (featuring Ce Mastro & Dave McKeown) Now Available on Bandcamp

Too Much Fun

From VANITAS' first of two demo tapes "Holy Lies", recorded in Eckersdorf/Bayreuth, 1996.
All songs by VANITAS
All lyrics by VANITAS
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Steffen Martin

VANITAS - Black Kingdom (1996)

Cast of Characters:
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – bass, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell – electric piano and original composition

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-guitar  


 artwork is a painting entitled "Dogpack" by artist Margaryta Yermolayeva
Please check out her other works at margaryta-yermolayeva.pixels.com

This one started off nearly a year ago, when the Eclectic Collective was just coagulating, and is the first one to feature Tez, Ken, JJ, and me on a song. JJ came up with it, drawing from his deep well of creativity, on the electric piano and bass, and shared it with the rest of the us. Starting with Ken, who added a phenomenal drum track to work with. I then added my guitar in a way that tried to emulate Miles Davis, albeit just an impression. Then we asked Tez to mix it for us, which he did ably as ever, and we released it early last spring. 
  However, Tez, being the always tinkering producer that he is, decided to dust it off and give it a new bass line to match the ferocity of Ken's drums. He then remixed it and added some production effects, making the song it was meant to be. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

In a Quiet Way Redeux (Eclectic Collective)

3 - 4 - 2024

Mozart , Symphony No.38

Third version of this tune with great Ethereal vocals from Judith,
adding deeper meaning to the song.

Heavens Way V3 [2009] Judith vocals

Dreaming Without Sleeping (2017) Anthology CD1 Track 03

The end of days for all humankind in the advent of global war.

Video version: https://youtu.be/f7U3ic-XWwo

Deep South

J.M. INC.