I wrote this song the first time I was living in Australia. I'm singing lead and an accompanied by my bandmates from my bluegrass band Cornbread. 

Sugarcane

This song started as Polish friend Kuba's stem of his guitar and bass. I added mandolin, organ, and slide. I almost added vocals, as I came up with a prayer to Poseidon (I figure who better fit a surfer to pray to?), but I decided to let the melody just come through on the various instruments. Kuba just changed his name on here from 380 Librarians to Dr Stavros Magic Band, and again to My Name it is Noting. But if you haven't checked him out yet, he has tons of really cool music on his page. I'm very lucky he decided to share this one with me. We hope you enjoy it.

Surfers Prayer (with Kuba aka Modern Sound Orchestra)

This is a song that Chris wrote and shared with Ken and me. We all used BandLab to work on the song together. it started with Chris' badass bass line and arrangement. Ken added some killer drums, in a very odd time. then I add some guitar over the top. I really like how this sounds like we're in room jamming together. Also, Chris produced and mixed this one, and another excellent job he did! We all hope you enjoy it!

Over Easy (with cgmaness and K2 and the Three)

This song was written by Tez (Llanpsych)some years ago, I believe. he wrote it about a Loki-like trickster character. Little did he realize at the time that it applies perfectly to AI, too. So, with that in mind, we added the high harmonies to my vocals to give them a robotic quality. 
  Tez is also playing that ripping guitar you hear throughout. Ken (K2 and the Three, K2 and the Four) came up with perfect rocking drums for it, too, as always. He also arranged and helped me sing the oohs and aahs throughout, too. You'll hear me on the bass, organ, and vocals on this one. This is really Tez's song, though. We hope you like it.

Hello World (The Transatlantic Trio)

Cast of characters:
Steve's Planet--@steve-vervaet—Steve—acustic guitar, vocals, lyrics, composition/arrangement

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

Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–production and mix 

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–four string fretless bass, mandolin, organ, and strings orchestration 

This is a song that Steve wrote, and has released on his page. He sings it brilliantly, and plays guitar, too. He sent it to Josh to work on with him. Josh added the bass, strings, and organ. But it needed drums. And luckily he knows a great drummer named Ken, who added exactly what it needed. Then we sent it to Tez for a bit of his production and mixing wizardry. It's a totally different sound than we're all used to, but it was a lot of fun to put together. We hope you enjoy it, too.

Crazy About Ya (Steve's Planet with Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Surfers Like Us–@user-411502040–Artur–songwriting, foundational rhythm guitar

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman–Stephen–sitar, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell–electric piano, vocals

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

Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–lead guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–four string fretless bass guitar, vocals

  This song started with Artur composing a brilliant, open piece on his guitar, and sending it to Josh. Josh put the bass down on top of Ken's banging drums, but it took him a while to be able to get this one for some reason. Once he and Ken were locked in, though, they knew they had it. JJ then sprinkled his electric keyboard magic, followed by Tez, who lights up the whole thing with his electric guitar wizardry. 
  At Artur's request, Ken, JJ, and Josh added the big harmony vocals, "See you soon, in a better world." Artur wanted this song to be about the need for peace in the world. Last, but certainly not least, Stephen added the sitar intro. He also accomplished the herculean task of mixing and producing the whole thing for us.
  This is another true team effort by the Eclectic Collective. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

See You Soon (In a Better World) (Surfers Like Us with Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics and primary vocals

Steve's Planet-- @steve-vervaet --Steve--vocals

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– sitar

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

Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–guitar solo and fills, production, mix

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- Electric Piano, four string fretless bass guitar

  This is a song that Josh wrote on the piano during JJ's hiatus back in August. He got Ken to play the drums, very competently, as always. After Josh had a solid beat, he added the bass. Then he asked Stephen to play some sitar, and add his magic to the brew. Then, we asked MD to come up with some vocals, which he did in his very original, unique style. Finally, after MD had added his vocals, Tez put on the finishing touches with his flaming guitar. Tez also mixed and produced this one for us, expertly. 

  Josh didn't know what to do with this one because Steve gave it a shot, but we couldn't get the idea to gel together. We thought it would be relegated to the shelf, until Miller agreed to give it a whirl. If you're not a lyric reader, I suggest you start with his songs, mainly on his page, but here, as well. However, we did keep Steve's intro vocals, which you hear at the very beginning. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did making it. 

Lyrics:

Get High!

Just listen to the sound of it all
Here's your wake up call
Jolting the receptors as
They parade the dance hall

Here's a treat for you
A little green nug to get you through

Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
no miss
Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
No miss

So You can sit there on planet earth
While I'll be head first in Saturn's girth
Still Trying to get to the point of rebirth

So sing me a song
A song that sails away
To the shores of the green
Where there's nothing in between

I'll Flick the lighter
When everything is black
Things might get brighter
Or I'll just observe the plaque

Maybe I'll cut me some slack
And melt on the couch with the big Mac
Or maybe even the Mighty Taco pack
With my Feet to the sky, I'm laying back!

Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
No miss

Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
No miss

Smoke it
numb this!

All hit 
No miss!

All Hit No Miss (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell --composition, piano, and strings
Ross Smithe-- @ross-smithe --lyrics, vocals, mix, mastering, and production
Josh Clary-- @josh-clary-1 --bass and mandolin
This is a song written on the piano by JJ, who wanted to share the creative process with two of his esteemed colleagues. He asked Ross to come up with some vocals and lyrics, which Ross did in a profoundly deep way. His experience with both life and singing is really evident in this. Then JJ asked me to add my multi-instrumental skills to the mix. So, I added bass and mandolin, with the great direction of JJ and Ross. Then JJ added some synth strings to the mix, too. Finally, Ross mixed, produced, and mastered it. 
  This is the first time, hopefully of many, that this trio has worked together. JJ and I, of course, are in the Eclectic Collective together, but this was our first time working with Ross. We were both really impressed with his work, and found him a real pleasure with whom to create. 
  We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did recording it. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lyrics:Here, here in this moment, I'm free, I'm free 
And here, here in this moment, I see, I see 
Here is a moment, a beautiful moment, to be, just to be 
Here, here in this moment, I live, I live And here, here is a moment, to give, oh to give 
To give what I can't keep, to gain what I can't lose 
To lay it down, and find a better way Oh, lay it down 
Give it away 

Here in this moment in time (here in this moment in time) 
Cherish this gift of life (cherish this gift of life) 
This beautiful moment in time (this beautiful moment in time) 
Cherish this gift of life (cherish this gift of life) 
Cherish this gift of life 

And always be caring, loving, and sharing 
It is the way, it is the way 
To give up all you are, to gain what you will be 
To lay it down, and find a better way Oh, lay it down 
Give it away

Here in This Moment (with J.J. Terrell and Ross Smithe)

Cast of Characters:
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen–guitar, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –electric piano, organ, and arrangement

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

Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–four string fretless bass, guitar, arrangement

  This is a song that began as a drum track that Ken came up initially as a beat for The Gat(s), who respectfully declined it. Instead of letting a solid go to waste, Ken set it loose with JJ and Josh, who came up with an arrangement for the music over top of what they felt was a very killer beat. What was originally a jam, turned into a showcase of the entire Eclectic Collective. Josh also did some guitar work in this one, and with Stephen's brilliant harmony, came up with the opening theme that reoccurs about halfway through. His guitar can also be heard briefly right after the opening theme. Along with Stephen's other half of the theme, he is also responsible for the dynamic, climactic leads through most of it. Tez added his incendiary guitar to the final section, when all else was said and done, as a cherry on top. After all the tracks were in the digital can, we were lucky enough to have Stephen produce and mix it for us. 
  We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the winter holidays. We also hope you enjoy this ride as much as we enjoyed assembling the vehicle.

Helium Weights (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark—piano, composition

Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics and primary vocals

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric guitar

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –organ, synth

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

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass guitar, lap steel 

This was brought to us by Mark, who had written it a while back, but wanted to dust it off and give the Eclectic Collective a shot at it. He recorded it with a keen eye toward collaboration with an electric piano synth with heavy stereo tremolo. We just recently found Mark, and he has proven to be a very creative, passionate, and easy to work with collaborator—all the good things. 
  Mark set it loose to me first, and I, of course, got Ken in on the act before anything else could transpire. After Ken added his wildly creative, very skillful drum beat, I was able to come up with a suitable bass line. I also came up with the lap slide part you hear with the heavy tremolo. Then we turned it over to Stephen, who added a very psychedelic, electrifying solo at the end. Also, JJ set upon it with a very hooky organ. 
  Last, but certainly not least, MD came up with the lyrics, which are a metaphor for trying to break into the business of music, and delivered them with his fiery vocals, too. Then, we all realized that the song wasn't long enough for our ambitions, so Ken came up with an idea for the arrangement, and lengthened the song to suit our needs. He also very ably mixed and produced this one for us. We had a lot of fun working on Mark's tune. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it. 

Lyrics (by The Mysterious Decibel):
 
Sometimes when we shout they can't hear us under the flow
Of the rapids

I'm screaming from the other side of the river
A shot to try
can you hear me?
I'm jumping in and swimming straight to you

All I can say is I tried
I tried and I met my own waterfall
A short way down
Did I try hard enough?
Cuz I hit the rocks below just hard enough
To hibernate me without a care
It's all just business and never fair

Away with the Rapids (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
Karin-Maria Brunner-- @user-53145152-479345033 -- Saxaphone virtual wind instrument
K2 and the Three (and the Four)-- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara --Ken—drums     
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)-- @josh-clary-1 --bass, piano, composition
  This song began with a request to me made by Karin-Maria about contributing an original song as a collaboration for her new jazz album called Jazztastic. After fleshing out a song on the piano, I had to get my right-hand man Ken involved to add the drums, because of course I did. 
  After we had worked it out on bass, piano, and drums, we sent it to Karin-Maria, who added the sax solo. She had it professionally mixed and mastered, primarily because the album is now available to stream on all the major platforms. So, please give the whole thing a listen. It has a bunch of collaborators on it, many of whom you will probably recognize. 
 Here is a link to the entire album, which has 21 tracks.  youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5…si=LO_jtztHGxUAUiBp
   We hope you enjoy this song as much as we enjoyed creating it. A side note, this is my first jazz song that I've ever written, and I really enjoyed doing it.

Cooks Needed (with Karin-Maria Brunner and K2 and the Three)

Cast of Eclectic Collective Characters:
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth, and composition
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark—synth effects, synth strings and flute, lyrics, and vocals
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric and acoustic guitars, production, and mix
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four-string Fender P bass

  This is a song that JJ created late one Saturday night on the piano, drums, bass, and guitar. You can hear his Grateful Dead influence if you're familiar with the band. He then presented it to the rest of the Eclectic Collective so we could do our thing with it. I replaced JJ's rough bass with my interpretation of the line as soon as Ken replaced the drums with his interpretation of the beat. Interestingly, Ravel's Bolero had a lot to do with the inspiration for the second part of the song. After the rhythm section was done, we turned it over to Stephen, who came up with some really subtle, yet very necessary guitar lines. 
  We then turned it over to our relatively new collaborator, Mark, who came up with the lyrics and vocals. He was also instrumental in getting the arrangement to fit right with the vocals. This is a lyrical and vocal songwriting debut for Mark, who was inspired by his very first listen to JJ's rough draft. Thus, this song is extra special for him.  
  We all hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did creating it.
  Mark's lyrics are about our Earthly relatives in the far distant future. At that point life on earth would have just about reached its limits, and so mankind embarks on a journey through space to find another place to call home.
Lyrics:
Part 1:
All you know, all you love is here today
Feel the sun, see the flowers embrace her rays
And you know, all we have must fade away
And now its time to go… away…

Part 2:
Here we are, flying high, flying high above the moons of Mars
And beyond another sunrise greets a world once again,
a million miles from where we are
To embrace the flowers of Jupiter, once again…

On and on we sail away, searching for another day,
the universe an endless sea
And you know that somewhere out there,
a brand new world, for you and me….

Flowers of Jupiter (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
cgmaness-- @user-419254289-15129531 –- Chris-- acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums, composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)-- @josh-clary-1: – piano, lap slide
                                       
 This song began by Chris writing it with his acoustic guitar at the beginning of last summer. He passed it along to me, who added the piano and slide parts. Then Chris got it back and added the rhythm section of bass and drums, along with some electric accents. It's been a few months since we've released a collaboration together, not by choice, but because of our busy lives. We have been working on this one for about half a year, trying to add and cut other elements into it. We ended up deciding to put out a simpler version, which is what you hear here. It's been a long time coming, and is our final offering of 2023. It's been a great year of sharing music with all of you out there in SoundCloud land. I appreciate all of your ears, support, and sharing of your talents. We hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we enjoyed making it. Happy new year 2024!
P.s. Everyone should check out Chris's slightly different version on his page. It features him singing, and is a very cool treat indeed! Chris is in my top three creators on the whole Cloud. If you're not familiar with him, do yourself a favor and check out what he has on offer.

Between Stations (with cgmaness)

Cast of Characters:

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen–acoustic and electric guitars, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth, composition, vocals, and lyrics

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

Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–electric guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass and lap steel


  This song began its life as a composition that JJ wrote one evening on the piano and synth. He also wrote the lyrics and sings this one. He was very excited to share it with us, so he invited me, Ken, Stephen and Tez into the project immediately after finishing. However, we couldn't make the thing work at first, so JJ went back and retooled it, streamlined it, and gave it back to us. We all really liked the Floydiness of the groove, and his signature psychedelic coda ending. 
  After Ken had laid down his inspired, foundational  drums, I laid down my bass part with my big monster five-string bass, which is good for really low tones. Then it was Tez's turn. He came up with something very Gilmore-esque, with his always exciting leads throughout the first section. Stephen then added some brilliant, filling acoustic guitar to the first section. He, along with Tez, also added some trippy electric guitar to the coda. Finally, Josh just thought it needed something to push the coda over the edge, so he added the slide at the end, too.
  Then, of course, we asked Stephen to produce and mix it for us, which he did in his always expert way. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it. Also, we wish a very happy New Year to everyone! 
JJ's lyrics:

PUSHED AND PULLED AND SWUNG THE CLEAVER
MY TIME IT RAN AWAY.
FOOLISH HEART AND SOME DECEIVIN’
DIE TRYIN’ TO STAY AFRAID

DESERT CHILL IS WHERE IM SLEEPIN’
HARD NIGHT TURNED INTO DAYS
BETTER GO AND FEED THIS FEVER
TWICE BLINDED BY THIS FAITH

SHOULD’VE KNOWN WHILST IN THE SEASON
BEHIND BLIND BRAVEITY
TRUTH COMES HOME TO ROOST THE RAVEN
FIVE STEINS MADE OF JADE

TREASURED HILL THE SUNS RETREATIN’
CARD PLAYED YOUR HANDS AN ACE
LET IT GO THIS BIRD IS DREAMIN’
DICE LANDED AT THE TRAIN

COULD’VE SHOWN MY HEART’S REATREATIN’
BLIND SIDED BY THE SEA
PLEASURED TONE OF THE BALLADEER
FIND A HIGH AND LONELEY PLACE

SEED IS SOWN THIS HEART’S STILL BEATIN’
FIVE LIONS IN THE DEN
GETTIN’ COLD THE BEAST IS LEAVING
SOUTH BOUND IT ALL THE WAY

Red Sun (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
RIch O'Brien-- @rich-obrien -- composition, intro guitar solo
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– third guitar solo  
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell -- Clave and organ
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, production, and mix
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–final guitar solo
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–four-string fretless bass and second guitar solo
This song started as a full composition on all instruments by Rich. He asked me if I'd be interested in a collaboration with it. I jumped at the chance to share it with the Eclectic Collective. So, I invited the gang to join in, replacing most of the original instrumentation, and adding some new. After Ken had added his driving, foundational drums, I added my bass to match. JJ soon after cranked up the funk-o-meter by adding his clave and screaming organ. Then, I added a guitar solo, which comes in right after Rich's intro. Stephen was up next with his badass licks in the third solo. Then Tez got a hold of it, and ripped a hole in the ether with his guitar in the last solo.
  Ken was generous enough to produce and mix this for us. And what an outstanding job he did, too. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed making it.

Bottled Lightning (Rich O'Brien and the Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–Elecrtic guitar, mix, and prodcution
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– acoustic and electric guitar  
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell -- Piano, synth, and organ
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass and lap steel
  This is a remix that Tez did of a song JJ wrote, and we released a couple weeks ago. He extracted the coda, expanded it, and mixed an ambient groove into it. Basically, he took the sweetest part of the fruit and made a salad with it. Everyone is doing the same thing they were a couple weeks ago, except this time what you're hearing has gone through the filter of Tez's brain. It sounds like almost a completely different song now, and a really fun ride at that. Tez is into ambient music, so this touches on that proclivity, too. When all heard it on Christmas day, we decided immediately that we wanted to share it with all of you. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it, and Tez enjoyed crafting it into something new.

Red Sun 2--Llanpsych's Dream (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Tea R. Sea @tea_are_sea -- Terry – Synthesizers, beats, composition, production, and mix
The Mysterious Decibel -- @themysteriousdecibel – MD – First vocals and lyrics 
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–Electric guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Electric guitar, mix, and production 
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, lyrics, and vocals at the end
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass

This song began with Terry sharing an intriguing Eastern sounding synth and minimal beat with Ken, who added a really solid beat to bring out the strong rhythm of the song. Once they had a solid foundation and skeleton, they shared it with the rest of the Eclectic Collective. I added my five string fretless bass in a dubby line that was inspired by Tez's hot skank part. Then JJ poured his magic into it, too. Stephen came up with the shocking dynamic lift towards the end, and Tez piled on to light it up. 
  Then MD got a hold of it and wrote and sang some of his trademark, fun lyrics and vocals in the first part of the song. Ken, not to be left out of the melodic experience, added the vocals at the end. 
  After we all had everything in the can, the Texas Tea combo of Stephen and Terry produced and mixed the whole thing down. This wasn't their first rodeo mixing a project together, and it really shows in the end quality. They also have several duo projects up on both of their pages that are worth checking out.  
  We think the end result is reminiscent of Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation, two big influences on a few of us. We all hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Lyrics by MD:
Time again and on, and on, and on, we fall in slumber
Dreams never wait
Ashes to ashes we all fall down 
Ooooo Circles break
Ashes to ashes we all fall down
When we wake
When we wake
Is this a new Simulation?
When I wake
When I wake

Lyrics by Ken:
Feed the flame or the fire flames out

Coherent Fire (Eclectic Collective with Tea R. Sea)

Thank you for checking out this Highlight reel of Eclectic Collective's greatest moments in the year 2023. JJ made this compilation of a bunch of our music from the past almost year. He asked us to ask a question and then answer it. Jeff kinda disregarded our questions and asked his own. So, the answers don't really match up. We thought that gives it a bit of a Spinal Tap effect. But we are all talking about things relevant to the music and the group. So, if you want to hear from us directly, this is the place to do it. The Eclectic Collective is a band of musicians who collaborate over the internet and communicate via email.
Not interviewed in this piece, but a big thank you from all of us goes to Artur of Surfers Like Us, Steve of Steve's Planet, and Chris of @cgmaness fame for their contributions to the group in 2023! Also a huge shout out to The Mysterious Decibel for adding all the great vocals our songs need.
Cast of characters:

Hosted by: StonerJazz on.soundcloud.com/6qwFQ

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary) - Bass, Lap Slide, Guitar, mandolin, synth, piano, organ @josh-clary-1
K2 and the Three - Drums, Percussion @k2andthe3
Llanpsych - Guitar, Effects @llanpsych 
TexMex Shaman - Guitar, Effects @texmex-shaman
J.J. Terrell - Keys, Synth, Organ, production on.soundcloud.com/ivM1E
MisterMark - Lyrics, Vocals, keys, drums, mix editing
on.soundcloud.com/qMWgp

The Eclectic Collective Rockumentary--Bits of Hits

Cast of Characters:
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark--sax (VST), organ, tremolo guitar chords (synth), harmonica, composition, production, mix
Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics and primary vocals

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– second electric guitar solo, and mastering

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

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

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass, first electric guitar solo, rhythm guitar comping 



This is a song started when Mark came up with its architecture, recorded in a  slower, more laid back version on his own. However, he wanted a more souped up version with solos in turns. So, he turned to The Eclectic Collective to fill in the pieces. He originally had solos in all the parts which he laid down on the keys, and he had some lyrics, too. However, once he heard The Mysterious Decibel's excellent lyrics and vocals, the song totally changed the direction and the vibe, for the stellar. 
  But MD didn't start the whole thing. As happens sometimes, even without Tez on this one, we still needed to clear out some space to let everyone have their say. So, Mark went in and lengthened the song mechanically. Once we had a final form, Ken, as always, came up with the foundation for the song, allowing Josh to add his version of Mark's bass line. Then, after MD gave us the vocals to form the song, we got down to adding the solos. JJ first added his thrilling opening piano solo, as well as the electric piano solo right after the first verse, which Mark is also playing a VST sax solo in, as well. Then I added my guitar solo, which is the first of the two, with a very clean tone. Right after that, Stephen added his fiery solo, which follows right after with a more overdriven tone. Finally, Mark stepped back in and added his killer harp solo at the end. Of course, it needed to be mixed and mastered well, too, so we turned to both Mark and Stephen for those important roles, once again, which they fulfilled expertly.  
  This past Tuesday, we released a fun little series of interviews over a compilation of some of our favorite musical moments. If you want to hear our voices and some of our thoughts about music, check it out. I realize it's a big ask at twenty minutes, but you might really enjoy it, especially if you follow us, and have been for a while. It's a celebration of all of our work over the past almost year together in various forms. This song was supposed to be a showcase of all of our skills, except Tez isn't in on this one. He'll be on the next one, though, for sure.
  We hope you enjoy this jazzier side of the EC as much as we enjoyed making it. MD's lyrics are about a psycho killer artist who hides clues about his murders in his paintings. 
Original Lyrics by The Mysterious Decibel:

Some might say he's crafty and planned.

With a shade of black and a brush in his hand
Some might say the world is his oyster
But no Pearl lays inside just a conjuring blur

He'll paint you a murderous scene
With the blending of  sin all between pigments of green
He's a shady fella Who hides behind the canvas!
I spy something with my little eye
This art might show just where he died

Will you find it?
The secret
Some freak shit
are you so sure you'll really wanna Keep it ?
The secret
Are you so sure you'll really wanna keep it?
Ahhh a little secret
Are you so sure you'll really wanna keep it?
It'll haunt your mind like it does him too
He's a swifty one he'll come for you!
The secret
The secret
The secret
Are you so sure you'll really wanna keep it?

I spy something with my little eye
This art might show just where he died

His art might show
might show
might show
just where he died

A Brush With Death (The Eclectic Collective with The Mysterious Decibel)

Cast of Characters:
cgmaness-- @user-419254289-15129531 – Chris – acoustic guitar, bass, acoustic slide guitar, drums, vocals, lyrics, mix, production, and composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –-mandolin, vocal harmony

This is a song that Chris wrote and shared with me last spring. We worked on it for several months. Originally, it was just Chris's acoustic guitar and some vocals. To that, I added some mandolin, thinking it would stay that way. However, he was pleasantly surprised when Chris added the entire rhythm section after the fact. I also came up with the high harmony towards the end, too. We always have a lot of fun playing together as our tastes and references are very much aligned. We have been making music together almost since we both joined SoundCloud and found each other there about two years ago. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed making it. 
Lyrics by Chris Maness:

In Time don't you think it might be time for you to rise?
In Time lost and found sleeping soundly by her side.
I know you by now, and it's not too late to come around.
In Time thinking, missing, drinking, wishing you were here.
In Time aging, watching, turning pages yester-year.
Well, I know you by now and it's not too late to come on out.
In Time don't you think it might be time for you to fly?
In Time don't you think it might be time for you to try?
In Time lost and found sleeping soundly by her side.

In Time (with cgmaness)

Cast of Characters:
~Mark F-- @mark_fosella -- bass guitar, composition

Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – first screaming electric guitar

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– second psychedelic electric guitar, production, and mix

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –electric piano 

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

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



This song is the first The Eclectic Collective has done with Mark, and we all had a great time making it with him. This song started with Mark, who is a bass player's bass player, giving his raw bass track to Ken, who brought it to the group. Ken laid down his exciting drums to match Mark's bass line before anything else happened, though. Once we had a rhythm section, JJ laid down his dancing electric piano. Once that was in place, I laid down the organ. Then it was time for the guitars, played electrifyingly by both Tez and Stephen. Tez plays throughout most of the song, and Stephen added his part towards the end. Stephen also mixed this for us expertly, as always. If you have a beverage in your hands, you might want to set it down. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Esophagus Metamorphosis (The Eclectic Collective with ~Mark F)

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 (The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
John_Anthony-- @john-anthony-871225464 --guitar, mandolin
The Mysterious Decibel-- @themysteriousdecibel – vocals
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and high harmony in the end vocals, mastering
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– production and mix
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass, melody and third harmony on the end vocals

This song actually began more than a year ago, when Ken and I were just sniffing each other out. We'd been working on Zeppelin's Night Flight, for those of you who remember that long ago, and I was having trouble with latency in my recording. Out of frustration, I recorded a really rough version of this, to which Ken put really amazingly perfect drums. Shortly after, I got my recording issues settled and we continued on with Night Flight, shelving this half baked creature for more than a year. But it wasn't forgotten. 
  In the meantime, I'd been following John Anthony on both YouTube (https://youtube.com/@johnanthony5720?si=-ooQcUUQaemrk-NH) and on the Cloud. If you were ever curious about how Jimmy Page's fingers looked in the studio, do yourself a favor and check him out on there, too. Since he can play literally every Zep song note for note, I figured I'd ask him if he would replace my pitiful by comparison guitar part with his own. He not only did that in numerous sections, as Page would've, but played the mandolin for it, too. Now, we had a song that was almost ready, but of course we needed someone to fill Plant's part. So, of course we asked The Mysterious Decibel if he'd do the honors, which he came through with in grand fashion. 
  Now that the song was done, we needed it to be mixed, too. So, we tapped our resident mixing expert, Stephen to do that for us. It was a surprisingly difficult mix to get everyone to agree on. And there were philosophical questions that arose during the mixing process, too. We're very lucky, though, that Stephen is not only an expert producer, but a great teammate as well, with the patience of your favorite high school teacher. 
  You can even watch a video of us all adding our parts on John's page right here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mdeT8ySZow&ab_channel=LowTechniqueCovers
  Our hope is that we honored the almighty Led Zeppelin with this one. We hope you all enjoy our reverent tribute to one of our collective favorites as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Hey Hey What Can I Do (The Eclectic Collective with John Anthony)

Cast of Characters:

mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Lead and harmony vocals, synth guitar intro, auxiliary percussion, mix, arrangement, and production

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– guitar, banjo, and mastering

Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – mix and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano 

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

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass, mandolin, and lap steel



This song began when I asked the rest of the guys if they'd be willing to put together a couple of songs for my father as a Christmas present. My dad is from West Virginia, and I was born there, too. The original version featured my son, Marshall, singing the lead with me. Hearing his grandson sing a song about West Virginia really meant a lot to my dad. Of course, everyone was enthusiastically generous in giving their time, effort, and skill to my family for the holiday. This song also has special meaning for JJ and Ken in relation to their fathers, as well. JJ's dad has had a rough year with his health. He also is a musician who inspired and encouraged JJ to play music. His dad also likes this song, so it was fun for him to present it to him, as well. Ken, who's father never really supported his decision to be a rock-and-roller, loves this version of the song we did, and made Ken know how proud of him he is in regard to it, which really meant a lot to Ken, too. Another cool connection Ken has to this song is that whilest attending elementary school, he was in the same school choral cohort with the legendary Maria Carey. He actually sang this song with her when they were kids. Also, we feel like we should acknowledge Artur's dog, even though Artur isn't in on this one, his dog, Waldek, loves country music and responded enthusiastically to this one.

  The story of the song itself is a little convoluted. After I asked for everyone's help, Ken laid down a rudimentary beat, to which I started the tonal part with the bass. Stephen added the guitar and banjo soon after, and I added the mandolin shortly after that. JJ inserted his piano around this time, too. We pretty much had it working enough for me and my son to sing it for my dad. Tez mixed that version perfectly suited to the occasion. 

  After presenting my dad with the present, it sat for about a month, until we asked Mark if he'd get in on it, too. Mark not only sang it better than Mr. Denver, but also arranged it so there is an instrumental break now. He also added the guitar lick at the very beginning and the auxiliary percussion throughout. Ken took the opportunity of having Mark's great vocals to sing against to add his cunning harmony to Mark's cunning harmonies. Then Mark, being the perfectionist that he is, noticed that the slide part was missing from the second verse. So, I added it. Mark also mixed this version, with Stephen doing some mastering at the end. 

  We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed putting this personally meaningful piece together.

Take Me Home Country Roads (The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

Computart – @computart – guitar, vocals/whistling, composition

Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – mix and production 

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

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass and mandolin

This song started as a recording of Computart playing the guitar and singing/whistling to a metronome, which you can find raw on his page. Having worked together before on a song called The Shining, the Frenchman reached across the pond again and asked me, the Yank, if I would like to add anything to this. This style of music being one of my favorites, I jumped at the chance. Of course, I got Ken involved right away because every great song needs a great drummer. I came up with a bass line, to which Ken added drums, to which I in turn redid my bass line, as is our usual process. I then added the mandolin. Then, Ken added the hand drums to put the icing on the cake. Tez was generous enough to produce and mix this for us, and we feel like he got it to sound like we were all playing in the same room together. 
  We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Plaisir (The Eclectic Collective with Computart)

Cast of Characters:
The Mysterious Decibel-- @themysteriousdecibel –MD-- vocals and lyrics in the choruses

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– guitar, production, and mix

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth sax 

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums, acoustic guitar intro, and vocalized tones at the end, verse lyrics and melody, composition

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass, vocals on the verses



This is a song that originated with Ken several months ago. He wrote the whole thing on piano, guitar, and drums and presented it to the rest of the band. Of course, everyone was very excited to add their spin to it. I added my bass part first, as the foundation. Ken also left his catchy original guitar intro as it was. Then JJ added his dynamic piano part, which ended up being both foundational and stylistic, along with the sax that you hear in there, too. Stephen added his solid foundational guitar to it, too, soon after. Then it sat, stalled out for need of some vocals. Of course, we asked TMD to add some, which he did in grand fashion for the choruses. All that was left were the verses. Ken wrote lyrics, and gave me an idea for the melody, so I sang the verses to wrap it up. Of course, we asked Stephen to produce and mix it for us, which he did so well, as always.

  We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed making it.

Homeboy (The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
xian3-- @xian3 – vocals, lyrics, and beat programming
Holger Engel—bass
Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- guitar, mix, and production
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)-- @josh-clary-1 – lead guitar, organ, and synth
 
This song started when Xian and Holger came up with the rhythm section. Xian reached out to me about adding some guitar and keys. I happily accepted and added some electric guitar, organ, and synth. Once I was done, I sent it back to Xian, who added his excellent vocals. Tez also added some subtle, yet thrilling psychedelic guitar to it, too, before producing and mixing it for us. 
  During a little odyssey Xian recently undertook, he came across this snippet of text, from which the lyrics were drawn, in the Museum of Literature in Dublin. It's from "Ulysses" (1923) by James Joyce (1882-1941) and he liked it immediately. The passage can be found in the episode "Cyclops", in which the novel's hero, Bloom, opposes division and prejudice.
  This is the first time Xian has collaborated with Tez and me, but we hope it won't be the last. Xian is everything we could ask for in a collaborator. He presented me with a really solid, but very open song, let me do my thing, and added more greatness to finish it off. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.
Lyrics to Alf And Bloom:

(But it’s no use) …

(- What? says Alf) …     

But it’s no use says he
Force, hatred, history
All that
That’s not life 
For men and women,

(- What? says Alf) …

Insult and hatred
And everybody knows that
It’s the very opposite of that
That is really life.

- What? says Alf
- Love, says Bloom

(- What? says Alf)
(- Love, says Bloom)

(- Love)

Alf and Bloom (with Xian3, Llanpsych, and Holger Engel)

Cast of characters:
Surfers Like Us– @user-411502040 –Artur–composition and foundational rhythm guitar
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen–guitar solos choruses, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell –electric piano, synth, and intro composition
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–Guitar solo in the verses
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –four string fretless bass guitar
 
This song began with Artur composing the entire skeleton, and recording it against a mechanical beat. He presented it to me, and I immediately shared it with The Eclectic Collective. Ken first replaced the metronomic beat with a real, rocking drum sound. I promptly added my four string fretless bass to it, to complete the rhythm section. Soon after, JJ added his electric piano magic, including a short solo, to the stew. Once the rhythmic framework was laid down, Stephen got to work on the choruses, coming up with solid, melodic lines for them. Then, it was Tez's turn to light up the verses with his monster guitar. When we had it mostly completed, Artur asked JJ if he'd do an intro to it. JJ came up with the whole psychedelic intro in response. 
  When it was finished, we asked Stephen if he would mix it for us, which he did with his typical mastery and attention to detail. We all really enjoy making music with Artur, and have been fans of and collaborators with him for almost a year now. If you like the sound of this song, you would do well to go check out his page, too, as he has a bunch of gems on there. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Tell Me the Truth (The Eclectic Collective with Surfers Like Us)

Cast of Characters:
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–bass, composition, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell –electric piano, synth
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –synth
Beats by YonkomoFlaction123 via Looperman
This is really a creation of Tez, who put it together from a mix of JJ's and my parts on the high end. He was kind enough to share it with JJ and me, and have us be a part of this psychedelic whirlwind. Tez gave JJ and me a bass line attached to a house beat. We both came up with parts that were wildly different than what you hear. But that's just one example of Tez's magic. He can bend sounds and parts to his will and create something totally different from the original, new and exciting. We all hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Replicant Boogie (The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell –electric piano, synth and original seed 
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen–guitar, mix, and production
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez– Guitar
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –five-string fretless bass guitar
The Eclectic Collective – composition

This song began with JJ, as many of our songs do, who composed the outline on the keys, drums, and bass. He then let everyone else in on it immediately. Ken was first up to bat by laying his always cunning drums in there. After he had a beat to work with, Josh used his tree trunk of a five-string fretless bass to complete the rhythm section. Soon after, Tez and Stephen both laid their magical guitars in there. Once we had it all in the can, Stephen used his powers of production to give us a great mix.
  This one came together relatively quickly, which is a good sign that we're all enthusiastic about what we're creating. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Mellow Travels (The Eclectic Collective)

I'm a lifelong, multi-instrumentalist musician who records prolifically and joyfully. You'll hear me play guitar, bass (regular four string, and four and five string fretless), mandolin, banjo, keys (piano, organ, synth), lap slide, sitar and sing on my recordings here. I've been in a few dozen bands in my life, playing everything from bluegrass, jazz, rock, jam band, reggae, funk, afrobeat, Middle Eastern, traditional Irish, singer/songwriter, pop/covers, to experimental/avant garde. 
  Since I found SoundCloud a couple years ago, I've found many talented, creative people with whom to create music. However, last summer ('23) I formed a band called The Eclectic Collective with some of my favorite musicians I've met through here. It started as a loose collective of musicians and coalesced into a core group of musicians who find other musicians with whom we'd like to make music, then run their songs through our process, and in effect add a full band. That core of The Eclectic Collective includes Tez (Llanpsych), J.J. Terrel, Ken (K2 and the Three), and Stephen (Texmex Shaman), although we have also added Mark (mistermark) and The Mysterious Decibel to the mix this fall. A couple of other musicians are frequent collaborators, as well, including Artur of Surfers Like Us, and Steve Vervaet of Steve's World. The magic of music is amplified exponentially by each person adding to it. So, we really try to add our sorcery all kinds of music from all kinds of artists. Sometimes, we keep it within the group, but a lot of what we do is collaboration with other artists. In fact, 100% of what I do is collaboration, within the group or with other amazing artists like Chris Maness (@cgmaness).
  I, and we, are also available for hire if you have a song and you really want to add bigger instrumentation or a band and good production to it. 
  A small sampling of the artists whom I consider primary influences, and whom you will hear coming through my fingers include Phish, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Rye Cooder, Steve Earle, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, Arcade Fire, Mikey Dread, Yellowman, Purpleman, The Grateful Dead, The Meditations, Michigan and Smiley, Lee Perry, Dillinger, Django Reinhardt, Impossible Recording Machine, The Allman Bros Band, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Bela Fleck, Les Claypool, Sam Bush, David Grissman, John Prine, Talking Heads, Beastie Boys, MMW, Moe., Morphine, Ween, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, John Scofield, Victor Wooten,  Cannonball Adderly, Thelonious Monk, Flea, Parliament Funkadelic,  Frank Zappa, Prince Paul, Pete Rock, Thievery Corporation, Amon Tobin, Chet Baker, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto, Carol Kaye, Tame Impala, Mumford and Sons, Japanese Breakfast, LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, and Sean Lennon, but of course there are many more. I also really like and am influenced by traditional Iranian, Palestinian, Indian, Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Mauritian, Somalian, Egyptian, West African, and Syrian music.
 I'm overjoyed to have found my community on SoundCloud. This is a truly unique forum where everyone is sincerely trying to build each other up. The profoundly supportive and positive SoundCloud community has really opened up an exciting new world of collaboration for me. That is the main reason I'm in the Cloud, actually, to connect with other musicians and make music that I enjoy listening to, and hopefully some others do, as well. I am ALWAYS looking to collaborate with interesting musicians, mostly though BandLab, which is where I record almost exclusively. It's a solid, free digital audio workstation hub where you can share recordings, even if it's not where you make your recordings.
  Everything I do is live instrumental, not programmed, and using no computer beyond my phone. That's not to say that I would be opposed to using that kind of tool, I just don't have access to it. If you like my music, please share it. If you want to collaborate, my BandLab handle is @bingo_pajama. Feel free to contact me at cornbreadband@hotmail.com, as well, even if you aren't on BandLab.
  Recently, over the summer of '23, I formed a collective of my fellow SoundCloud musicians into a loose band called the Eclectic Collective. We have core members, but the lineup changes weekly. I basically found my favorite musicians on here, and asked them if they wanted to collaborate. It keeps growing strong. If you have some music that you think a band could bring to life, please hit me up and we'll see if we can add you, too. 
Here's a link to music I've recorded with a group of musicians here in Pittsburgh called The Northumberland Street Ramblers.
Check out The Northumberland Street Ramblers on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/fU4Me

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