My Wonderful Dream
Music and Lyrics by Mike Krath

I once had a dream,
A dream, you know,
Where we held each other close,
And never let one another go
I had a dream 
Where we’d be side by side
And maybe, by chance,
One day you’d be my bride.

Some dreams,
they just come and go,
big ones, small ones,
Even the ones we hold on to so
They grow old, they become trivial, 
but some can’t let go. 

From something mundane
To something glorious. 
That’s what those dreams are for,
That’s what those dreams are for,
The dreams we had when young
When were both reaching for the stars,
Those were wonderful dreams,
Those were wonderful dreams,

And then the day came,
When you let your dreams be mine,
And you stood and held my hand,
And you said I’ll never leave you behind.

And if there are dreams,
you can’t seem to impress,
I’ll take those dreams,
And I’ll give them my best. 

Dreams come and go 
But one dream was meant to be so,
You never left that dream behind,
You never let that dream to die,
When you promised to follow me to the earth and back,
You became my dream,
My only dream I’d never lack,

You are, you always will be, the embodiment of that dream,
You are my dream,
You’re the only dream I’ve ever had,
My dream. My dream
My wonderful dream. 
Dreams come and go 
But you’re that dream that was to be so,
My dream. My dream
My wonderful dream.  


So here’s to you my dream woman,
May I never find a dream without your dreams at my side,
My dream girl, my dream woman,
My dream. My dream
My wonderful dream. 
Dreams come and go 
But you’re that dream that was to be so,
My dream. My dream
My wonderful dream. 

I love you my dream woman,

May we keep dreaming for many more years to come.

My Wonderful Dream

Come with me,
Like you did before,
But this time,
When you take my hand,
I’ll never let it go.
I won’t promise you we'll be rich,
But I’ll promise we'll never be poor.

Brief Music and Suggested Lyrics: Mike Krath

I'll Never Let It Go

CALL ME
Music and Lyrics by Mike Krath

Call me
Call me,
Any time
Any place,
I’ll always take your call. 

Call me
Call me,
When you need help
When you need friends
When you need someone
To take time to hear you out

Call me
Call me
As your friend,
I’ll be there 
Waiting for your call. 

I’ll take your call,
When no one’s around
And there’s still hours left before dawn,
I’ll be your help
When there’s no help left for you at all. 

I’ll take your call
When your dreams are cold,
And your life has taken a bad fall,
I’ll be your friend,
A friend that won’t leave you on your own. 

I’ll take your call,
When your watch has stopped,
And your chance to rewind is gone,
I’ll be your time,
The time you need when time has passed on.

Call Me

I asked Xian3 if he'd like to add his input to a previous dance song instrumental.  IMHO, his vocals give it an 80's on-the-dance-floor feel.

Music and Lyrics: Mike Krath
Vocals: Xian3

Lyrics:
There are chords D, A, C, E, 
But no N. 
where’s N?
On the dance floor,

Again,
These chords D, A, C, E, 
But no N. 
where’s N?
On the dance floor.

There’s E as a solitary chord,
But where’s L, O, V?
Where’s its companions? Huh?
On the dance floor,
On the dance floor. 

D, A, C, E,
L, O, V,
N side,
The dance floor. 

N, R, Y,
with E and G,
And B and T
With E and A,
Where?
WHERE?
On the dance floor,
On the dance floor.

D, A, C, E,
L, O, V,
N side,
N side,
N side,
The dance floor.

D, A, C, E.

If you don’t like?
Then you can…
L, O, V it,
Or L, V it. 
If you don't like, 
then you can,
L, O, V it
Or L, V it,
On the dance floor 
On the dance floor.

On The Dance Floor (collab with Xian3)

Started playing around with Bm this week.  Why strings? There's no secret. They help to hide piano playing imperfections. :)

DAW: Reason
Piano: Kawai CP-115 (about twenty years old with notes that stick)
Strings: HZStrings (Spitfire) and SE-STRIIIINGS (UJam)
Master: Ozone 10

Banging On The Keys With Strings

Music: Mike Krath
Lyrics and Vocals: Xian3

Brief Background: Bunker was a granite-fist of the early nineties in Berlin's techno-underground.

Bunker

Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’ (2)
wo die Sonne sich rückwärts dreht
Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’
wo die anderen sind
Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’
wo all die anderen sind…
Du kannst schon mal…
Ich komme später nach…
Da lang, da lang, na da lang…
Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’
Wo all die anderen sind
Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’
Ich hab’ noch was zu erledigen, aber Du,
Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’,
Da lang, da lang, na da lang, Du kennst den Weg.
Du kannst schon mal zum Bunker gehn’
Bitte sei nicht traurig,
Wir werden uns da wiedersehn’


This is more than less an adequate translation by machine... :

Bunker

You can already go to the bunker (2)
where the sun turns backwards
You can already go to the bunker
where the others are
You can already go to the bunker
where all the others are...
You can already...
I'll catch up with you later...
That way, that way, that way...
You can already go to the bunker...
Where all the others are
You can already go to the bunker...
I've got things to do, but you..,
You can already go to the bunker..,
That way, that way, you know the way.
You can already go to the bunker...
Please don't be sad,
We'll meet there again

Bunker (collab with Xian3)

Moments of Reflection on a Lazy Day

I Got That Swag

Dance, Baby, Dance

Music: Mike Krath
Lyrics and Vocals: Xian3
DAWS: Reason 12 and Cubase Pro 13
VSTs: Nexus, Omnisphere, VPS Vengeance and Dune 3

Inspired by the "Prophet Song" by Paul Lynch and "This can't happen here" by Sinclair Lewis, 1936.

Tribal Reflex

Lyrics:

17
You tried to resist ?
You’re put on a list

26
You will be dismissed
You will be pissed

43
You loose your access
Declared a noxious beast
Your life gets a mess
You will be the least

1:05
It’s a tribal reflex… (2)

1:23
You’re on this list
´cause you got off the track
One day they come and get you
Then you never come back…

1:49
You’re on this list
´cause you got off the track
One day they come and get you
Then you never come back

You’re permanently on a screen
And though will never been seen again

2:15
It’s the tribal reflex
Nothing personal…

2:32
it is only the icy coldness
in the logic of the extremists
a "gentle cruelty",
some "parts of the people"
shall become history

2:54
It’s nothing personal…
Just a tribal reflex,
Nothing personal,
Just the tribal reflex…

Tribal Reflex (collab with Xian3)

DAW: Reason
VST: Nexus
Hans Zimmer Strings (Spitfire)
East West Opus
Vocal Loops: Splice

Can We Press Rewind?

Years ago, I made my youngest son listen to I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home by Grand Funk Railroad.  The ending is continuous repetition that goes on for like seven minutes (if my mind correctly remembers). My son thought it was the most boring thing he had ever heard.  I had to explain that the ending is enjoyed by hearing the newly introduced instruments in each refrain.  Kinda of like Ravel's Bolero where the enjoyment is hearing each section of the orchestra play the motif until finally all all the instruments play at the end.  He was still bored. I told him my generation used to sit and listen to albums for hours on end, playing a song over and over and over. We never grew tired of listening.   He was out the door. 

Anyway, this song is for my son.  It's repetitious with successive layering until the end. It'll drive him crazy. Come to think of it, I should've made it 15 minutes with a 10-minute drum solo.

Back to My Roots

DAW: Reason
VST: Nexus
Hans Zimmer Strings (Spitfire)
Vocal Loops: Splice

This came about by sitting my son down and showing him how to use a DAW in Windows, how to layer, add instrumentals, loops, etc.

Without You Beside Me

DAW: Reason
VSTs: Nexus., Omnisphere, and a few other synths.
Vocals: Splice

Closer

I confess that I don't understand a word the woman is singing in the vocals. But I like how whatever she's saying goes with the beat.

DAW: Reason
VST: Nexus, Falcon, Go, Hans Zimmer Strings and others.
Vocals: Splice

Make A Deep Sound

DAW: Reason
VST: Hans Zimmer Strings, Omnisphere and others.
Loops: Splice

And Finally Had A Good Time

DAW: Reason
Assorted VSTs for atmosphere
Loops: Splice

Oh, Look What You've Done To Me

DAW: Reason
VST: Hans Zimmer Strings, Nexus and others.
Loops: Splice

Getting Older

I'm rediscovering Ableton Live on this track.

DAW: Ableton Live 12 and Reason 12
VST: Omnisphere and Hans Zimmer Strings
Loops: Splice

Ever Don't You Want To Get Down?

DAW: Reason 12
VST: Nexus and Hans Zimmer Strings
Loops: Splice
Effects: Soundtoys EchoBoy, kHs Trance Gate
Mix: iZotope Ozone 9 (I do use Ozone 10 and 11, but somehow I keep going back to Ozone 9 for its simplilcity.)

Slow Dance

DAW: Reason 12
Music: Various layered VSTs
 Vocal Loops and fillers: Splice

Going In

I'M DANCING ON TV
Music and Lyrics: Mike Krath
DAW: Reason 12
VSTs: Falcon, Nexus, HZStrings, Omnisphere, et al.
Vocal Loops: Splice

Lyrics

I'm dancing on TV,
Can you see me?
I'm dancing in front of the camera,
You can't miss me.
I'm dancing,
Showing off my steps,
Let's see you do this...

I'm dancing all over the dance floor,
In and out of the shadows,
In front of all the mirrors,
Everyone has stopped talking,
They are staring,
And some are shouting,
Look at that man,
Look at him dancing,
Dancing on TV.

Won't you join me,
Jumping up and down,
Showing off all my steps,
On the TV.

I'm dancing on TV,
Can you see me?
I'm dancing in front of the camera,
So you can't miss me.
Showing off all my steps,
on the TV,
Look at me,
I'm dancing,
Dancing on TV.

I'm dancing,
Dancing on TV,
Dancing,
Dancing,
Look at me, dancing.

Dancing,
Dancing on TV.  (x4)

Dancing on TV

Your Love Never Grows Old
Music and Lyrics: Mike Krath
DAW: Reason 12
VSTs: Falcon, Nexus, HZStrings, Omnisphere, et al.
Various Loops: Splice

Lyrics:

I'm singing old love songs,
cause I'm old, old,
About our love,
that really wasn't that long ago,
About the birds and the bees,
That are really the same so,
Not much has changed,
but the reflection of our faces, oh.

I'm singing old love songs,
About our love so,
It's gone on so long,
It's still new, oh,
I'm singing about you,
About the love we had when young,
It still is true, so,
The love,
that we have between us,
Still is young,
I'm singing old love songs,
that really don't feel so old.

I'm singing old love songs,
cause I'm old, old,
about the love we dreamed when young,
that came true, so,
But the love,
The love you gave me so,
still is young,
never grows old,
I'm singing old love songs,
that really don't feel so old.

Your love never grows old.

Your Love Never Grows Old

Took my old dance tune "Dance, Baby, Dance" and sent it to Xian3 to see what he would do with it.  He came through (as always in my opinion) with these nice dark vocals and lyrics.  I then mixed it in a semi-dub mode to give it an edgy feel.

Music: Mike Krath
Lyrics and Vocals: Xian3
DAW: Reason 12
VSTs: Nexus, Omnisphere, and other Synths.
Dub loops and off-beats: Splice

The Same

1.
This same complacant attitude
The same intrusive looks
The same clucking of the tongues
Those same obscene gestures
The same superior habit

Simply disgusting
Who taught you that? (rep)
How disgusting

2.
The same aggressive smell of greed
And derogatory words
So mean and vile
The same hateful comments
Bring out only the worst truth (social)

Simply disgusting
Who taught you that?

ref 1
Brows may crease in sorrow
If it only were tomorrow
That you were to decide again

Brows may crease in sorrow
If it only were tomorrow
That you would have to decide again

Huh,
That would never be the same

ref 2
Eyes narrowed in sorrow
If it only were tomorrow
That you were to decide again

Eyes narrowed in sorrow
If it only were tomorrow
That you would have to decide again

Huh,
Or would it just be the same ?

The Same (collab with Xian3)

I have a beef with this track.  Here's why.  This is constructed only with loops from Splice. In fact, the title is from Splice when it constructs a stack of loops for you to use.  I used those loops and added extra vocal loops. Then, in Ableton Live, I just turned on and off loops as I was recording.  There. Complete. You have a dance tune.  So what's my beef?  It's too easy.  And zero originality except for adding additional loops.  Personally, I enjoy creating from scratch, and I will focus more on doing that in the future.  Until then, get up and dance. :)

DAW: Ableton Live 12
Loops: Splice

Sweet Cowboy

DAW: Reason 12
VSTs: Omnisphere, Nexus, HZStrings, Avenger 2
Vocal Loops: Splice

Can I Have Your Number?

DAW: Reason 12
VSTs: Omnisphere, Nexus, Avenger 2
Loops: Splice

I Don't Depend On You

Music and Lyrics: Mike Krath
DAW: Reason 12
VST: Varies
Loops: Reason

Lyrics:

Walking in the park
With you on a sunlit day,
Everything’s okay  
Heading towards the new place
At the corner of first and main
Going to get a burger and coke,
And talk the time away
Sitting on a bench,
Watching the sun go down over the bay.

When I’m with you
Everything is…

Walking in the park
With you on an easy day,
Eating a dog or two
From the vendor along on the way. 
Standing in line for tickets,
For a show that’s off-Broadway,
Together applauding the actors until the curtains 
Hides them away.

When I’m with you
Everything is…

Walking in the park
With you at the end of the day,
Grabbing a bite to eat,
Before heading home on the train.
Watching TV until we fall asleep
And that at half past ten. 
Looking forward to tomorrow 
Where we can do it all over again. 

When I’m with you,
Everything is..
Okay

Walking in the Park

Lyrics derived from Antonio de Guevara (1480-1545). The text was written around 1539 in Latin. De Guevara had already had his experiences at the court of Charles the Fifth. The section from which the text is taken was a treatise on the government court, a critique.

Music: Mike Krath
Lyrics and Vocals: Xian3
DAW: Reason 12
VSTs: Nexus, Omnisphere, and other Synths.

Lyrics:

Farewell world, 
`Cos you are not to be trusted
Still nothing to hope from you
In your house the past has already vanished,
The present disappears under our hands,

The future has never begun,
The most enduring falls,
The strongest thing breaks,
And the most eternal thing comes to an end; thus,
That you are a dead man among the dead,
And in a hundred years you will, not for an hour, 
Let us live 

Farewell world,
`Cos you will take us captive,
And will not let us go again,
You bind us and do not dissolve us again;
You afflict and do not comfort,
You steal and give nothing back,
You accuse us and have no cause,
You condemn and hear no party;
So you kill us without judgment,
And bury us without dying! 

With You there is 
No joy without sorrow,				
No quietness without discord,
No love without suspicion,
No peace without fear,
No abundance without shortcomings,
No honor without blemish,
No good without evil conscience,
No status without complaint,
And no friendship without falsehood,
(Farewell World)

(Farewell World)
...

God bless you world,
`Cos in your house the great lords and favorites will be overthrown,
The unworthy brought forth,
The traitors with mercy regarded,
The faithful placed in corners,
The wicked left alone,
And the innocent condemned,

The wise and qualified are given leave,
And to the unskillful great pay,
The obstinate are believed,
And the honest and upright have no credit,
Everyone does what he wants,
And no one what he should do

(God bless you World)
…
for no one is content or satisfied with you, 
if he is poor, he wants to have; 
if he is rich, he wants to count for much; 
if he is despised, he wants to rise high;
if he is wronged, he wants revenge; 
if he is in favor, he wants to command; 
if he is vicious, he only wants to be of good courage.
(Farewell World)
(Farewell World)

Farewell World (collab with Xian3)

DAWs: Reason 12, Studio One
VSTs: Omnisphere, Vengeance, Nexus, Falcon, HZStrings
Vocals: Splice

We Still Kiss Goodnight

One city I'm not fond of driving through is Louisville, Kentucky.  The only way I survive the drive is to play ambient music while going through the city.  In my next trip through Louisville, I'll take this track out for a test-drive. :)


Daw: Reason 12
VSTs: Radical Piano, HZStrings, Padshop

Driving Through Louisville

I'm a keyboardist with a love for layering sounds to create ambient, ethereal atmospheres and composing simple piano pieces to embellish. I love all genres of music, and find myself composing different types depending on my mood of the day.

I’ve never had formal training. As a teen, my parents wouldn’t let a piano in our house in Egypt, so I studied piece-meal at friends’ homes. When I got to college, I learned by going to university piano practice rooms. In my 40’s, I met my birth-mom who turned out to be a child prodigy, winning a Van Cliburn competition by playing Rachmaninoff at age 11. Most of what I play today, I learned from the techniques she taught me. 

I’m an American who has lived abroad for a good part of my life in Egypt, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Taiwan, and now back to Texas.

Mike Krath

Pinned to spotlight

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