Viridian waltz

Cosmos Menacant

live perf : here

⤵️

https://youtu.be/dKJuys9mGbs?si=Nd17VLGano3iswPG


Stairway to heaven 🎹 - Led Zeppelin cover (piano)

São Thomé das Letras is a tribute to the mystical town of São Thomé das Letras, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A place filled with cosmic energies, mysteries, and unlikely encounters — where love, friendship, and freedom call home. Long live São Thomé das Letras.

São Thomé das Letras

Last night I left from work beneath the starlit skies,
Saw the moon up there aglow,
São Thomé began to show,
Red or white wine flows,
Down the hill it goes,
I’ll be on the road,
Forget me, São Paulo,
I can’t take it anymore — thank God it’s Friday, love, I swore.

Wanna see the werewolf and Brigitte Bardot,
'Neath this crazy, lovely moon,
Wanna find you soon,
Give you all you crave,
'Til there’s none to save,
This hunger to behave —
Like lovers do, oh please…
I can’t take this burning need that cuts like knives, my love, release.

Tigers and deer, all walking side by side,
Everyone the same inside —
Rich or poor in stride,
Tall or thin with pride,
Black, albino, wide-eyed,
Even strange is dignified —
‘Cause I can’t take this anymore,
These small-souled people I abhor, my love, I swore…

By day my eyes embrace the goddess, Nature bright,
But when night descends in fire,
That's when hearts conspire,
I will climb that stone,
Burn my herb alone,
With my mind full-blown,
Watch the sunrise in complete awareness;
‘Cause I can’t take this world of violence, my love, such madness…

We are children, craving just to live,
Animals with lost instinct,
If I don’t die, I blink —
Kill or waste in sync,
Like cats and dogs on the brink —
I’m out, I want to breathe again and give.
For in this crazy life, what stays behind…
Is only what you’ve learned while still alive.

++++++++++PORTUGUES

São Thome das Letras é uma homenagem a cidade mística de São Thome das Letras, em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Uma cidade cheia de energias cósmicas, mistérios e encontros pouco prováveis, onde o amor, a amizade e a liberdade fazem morada. Viva São Thomé das Letras.

São Thomé das Letras
Ontem eu sai do trampo, sob a luz das estrelas;
Vi a lua lá brilhando;
São Thomé esperando;
Vinho tinto ou branco
Vai cair, barranco;
Vou sair andando;
São Paulo me esqueça;
Porque já não aguento mais, ainda bem que hoje sexta feira, meu amor.
Quero ver o lobisomem e a Brigitte Bardot;
Nessa lua louca e linda;
Encontrar você;
E te satisfazer;
Até não mais poder;
Essa necessidade de fazer, amor...Por favor...
Porque já não aguento mais, esse desejo que corrói a veia, meu amor...
Tigres e veados, todos caminhando em paz;
Todo mundo é parecido;
Seja pobre ou rico;
Alto, baixo ou fino;
Negro ou albino;
Ou até esquisito, tudo vale a pena;
Porque já não aguento mais, essa gente de alma tão pequena, meu amor...
De dia meus olhos contemplam a deusa Natureza;
De noite é que o bicho pega;
Vou subir na pedra;
Vou queimar minha erva;
Com a mente aberta;
Ver o sol nascer com toda consciência;
Porque já não aguento mais, pra que no mundo tanta violência, meu amor...
Somos crianças carentes de viver;
Somos animais sem faro;
Se eu não morro, mato;
Vivo no marasmo;
Feito cão e gato;
To caindo fora, quero mais viver;
Porque dessa vida louca, o que se leva realmente é o que se pode aprender...

São Thomé das Letras

Words and music written by Bartley Charles Mastin
Performance and production by Bartley Charles Mastin - All instruments and vocals.
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

Tuning: Standard
Instruments: Acoustic guitar, Bass, Harmonica, Desktop, Cabasa, Tambourine.

Lyrics:
Ever since I met you
I feel like I’ve understood
Everything that’s happened this far’s
Happened as it should

I’m not gonna rush you 
Tell you I love you today
I know that it’s better 
With all the stops along the way

Cause you know I have sometimes played the fool
When I thought I could break all the rules

When you say you love me
I will take you at your work
But if that word is broken
From me you will not be heard

Cause you know I have sometimes played the fool
When I thought I could break all the rules

Ever since I met you
I feel like I’ve understood
Everything that’s happened this far’s
Happened as it should

I’m not gonna rush you 
Tell you I love you today
I know that it’s better 
With all the stops along the way

Cause you know I have sometimes played the fool
When I thought I could break all the rules

Rules

09/07/2025

Aint Broke

Cast of Characters:

Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST Middle Eastern instruments (Duf Drum, Daire drum, Darbuka, Riq, Qanun, Zurna horn, Ney flute, strings), female vocal sample, 'ululation' (high pitch yodel), and composition

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Custom fretless 5-string bass 

Llanpsych - Fluffer for the keyboardist and keygrip

The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals and lyrics

J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – saz, shakuhachi, and synth

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

TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — traditional gourd-body sitar and mastering.

  Josh had the idea for doing a traditional Palestinian song, as he is an avid fan of their music. He wanted to raise awareness of this music and tie it to the idea it may cease to exist as a living musical tradition sooner than later. Everyone in the band was immediately on board with this idea, and set about to make it happen. 

  Mark, who is an expert percussionist, learned a basic traditional Palestinian drum pattern, in a very authentic fashion. He laid it down, along with an Arabic sounding modal melody line portrayed by the quanun, which is a kind of zither. Josh found this pattern fascinating, and added his five string fretless bass to the it shortly after. Carl jumped in very shortly thereafter, and came up with some really amazing vocal melodies, as well as wonderfully prescient lyrics. He even learned more than several phrases in Arabic, which he sang in there, too. We were all very impressed by this, of course.

  JJ was next up, adding his magical, melodic, and exotic saz, shakuhachi, and synth to the mix. Ken threw in next, adding his perfectly timed brass and Chinese percussion to the mix, too. Last, but certainly not least, Stephen recorded his subtle, exotic, traditional sitar to the piece. 

  Once we had it all recorded, we turned it over to Mark for a mix, as the whole thing is really his baby. Stephen mastered it, though, as he is our resident professional producer.

  Our hope is that this song inspires you to dig into Palestinian music, and through that, you recognize the magic and the humanity of millions of Palestinian people who are suffering unimaginably right now. But most of all, we hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Sisters and brothers
Daughters and Sons
We would give you food
But the road is blocked to sun
Proud Palestine
Brave brethren
Our hearts are with you
Our souls are weeping

Inhumane blockade of bread
Pains collective minds 
We want gone this dread
Let's find our kind
Please be strong
As we right this wrong
Hope prays that day will not be long

We pine with your God
To find a normal truth
Where your kids can grow and learn good youth
Sisters and Brothers
Daughters and Sons
We are with you Palestine
Sending love through song

The eye sees but the arm is short ( العين ترى والذراع قصيرة )

We are in the same boat ( نحن في نفس القارب )

Winds do not blow as the ships wish ( لا تهب الرياح كما تشاء السفن )

Being alone is better then being with someone bad (أن تكون وحيدا أفضل من أن تكون مع شخص سيء )

What is hidden is more then what has happened ( ما هو مخفي أكثر مما حدث )

Every problem has a solution ( لكل مشكلة حل )

Good intentions count for as much as good actions ( النوايا الحسنة لها نفس أهمية الأفعال الحسنة )

All is well that ends well ( كل شيء على ما يرام إذا انتهى بشكل جيد )

Oh My Darlin' Palestine - Eclectic Collective

Cast of Characters:
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – acoustic guitar, synth, and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- vocals, lyrics, mix, and production
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 – four string fretless Warwick bass
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano, B3 synth voice, synth sax, and JJ's angels (voice synth)
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– master and production

This song started as a project that was begun on his guitar and synth, then shelved by our master songwriter, Chris. He always gives us magic to work with, and as soon as he shared this one with the rest of Eclectic Collective, we all jumped on it.
  Mark heard his part first, and set about writing some great lyrics to sing with his solid, inimitable voice. His lyrics are about a hypothetical future where we've turned to technology in search of human connection, only to realize that it has only isolated us more, and that we really already had that connection to begin with. The narration is from a future perspective, like all this has already happened, and its speaking to us from the future, almost like a warning. 
  The rhythm section was still absent, though, but not for long. Ken added his groovy, perfectly in the vibe drums to it next. Josh, of course followed soon after, now that he had drums to work with, by adding his fretless four string bass to the song. Now that it was sounding like a well rounded piece, Tez came through with some thrilling guitar solos that you hear throughout. JJ first added some piano, B3, and sax to the song, then later completed it with his psychedelic synth and divine voice synth that provides the "choir" you hear in there.
  Now that it was all in the bag, Mark spent considerable time and effort mixing it, then turned it over to our resident pro Stephen for the mastering.
  This is one of our favorite songs we've ever done, and it reminds us all of both Pink Floyd and King Crimson. This is a great example of what the team is able to do with a really solid, yet open musical seed, provided by a master composer. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.
Original lyrics by Mistermark:
The wind by the seashore, the wash of the waves

the sand on your skin and the glance that you gave

the sounds of the carnival we left it all behind 

there were words left unsaid at the back of your mind

how could I have been so blind?

 

It was so long ago now it’s just you and me 

it seems I've forgotten the way you like your tea

the house becomes quiet as the guests head for home 

the garden’s been gathered and the kids are all grown 

on their own


“The robots will help” they said “it’s better this way”
“there’s no need to work and there’s more time to play” 

our leaders assured us we’d never go poor

and nobody questions the truth anymore 

but what did we do it all for?

 

Our science sustains us like fine works of art

but are we closer together or farther apart?

we’re each on an island alone on the sea

the ocean between us expands rapidly

is this where we wanted to be?

 

It was so long ago now it’s just you and me 

it seems we’ve forgotten the way it used to be

machines tried to help us but something went wrong

the future we wanted was here all along

 

The wind by the seashore, the wash of the waves

the sand on your skin and the glance that you gave

the sounds of the carnival we left it all behind 

there were words left unsaid…

Faded Fortunes (Eclectic Collective)

this came from the first drum take recorded in my new downsized studio. kids needed larger rooms and my partner, Monika Jean, moved in, so sacrifices had to be made. most of the drums are gone. what you hear on this track are odds and ends i could squeeze into a corner. floor tom as a kick, broken hi hat that wont open, etc etc. surprisingly i tend to enjoy frankenstein drum sets more than full ones. the whole "making something out of nothing" spirit tends to inspire me most. 

the soul is one

No Moonlight Tonight

Instrumental cover of Bitty McLean's Real Thing.
Alto saxophone: Andrew McLean
Bass, Drums and Keyboards: Andrew McLean

The Real Thing

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones, EWI.
Thanks for passing by! Appreciate you taking your precious time to listen, comment and share.
High resolution audio of my new album "Interstellar" featuring the fantastic musicians I have collaborated with, is now available on my Bandcamp site!

Musical Youth band member, saxophones

The Real Thing

Andy McLean