Exquisite composition Ottfried! Loved it! 👍😎✌🏼

Breathe

sonic and rhythmic exploration of my noisy electric guitar solo.
visual: extract of one of my recent abstract painting in colors.

DANS L'OMBRE DE MA GUITARE  PATRICK PICAULT

Music by Kontra Sz & Val Akey.
- Kontra Sz: plays rythm guitars, lead guitars;
- Val Akey: drums-, bass- and keys programming (mixing and mastering) + cover art.
Many thanks Kontra Sz for the fantastic guitar play! https://soundcloud.com/kontra-sz

Release date:
12 January 2024

Captive Of Time (Kontra Sz & Val Akey collab)

PS Perkins: Guitars, bass, lyre, vocals
Ron Thomas: Autoharps, Drums

Production notes:
---------------------------------------------
Very early on we wanted to use autoharps on this song to create a sort of swirling backdrop, reminiscent of the harps in Indian/Bollywood soundtrack songs of the seventies.

Right away there were challenges because the song is in B flat and is not wholly diatonic to begin with, utilizing a chord built on the augmented lydian scale in the choruses. So rather than transpose the song to a more amenable key (since the chromatic bits weren't going to work no matter what key we used) we instead re-tuned the autoharp. Moving through the strings one by one we tuned them either up or down a half step where applicable to bring them into key. Where the augmented chord hit in the choruses, we excluded those notes so that the autoharp was filling the diatonic parts of the chords and omitting the accidentals. It took us several tries to get it right. In the end we arrived at a chord progression that could be strummed on the autoharp and the modified chords could be played with existing dampers.

We also tuned the lyre so that the top half of the strings included the chromatic augmented notes while the lower register of the lyre was tuned using the diatonic, so the lyre could play the melody all the way through both parts of the song.

The inspiration for this song was essentially fourfold:
--------------------------------------------------------
First, H.P. Lovecraft's terrifying necromancer Joseph Curwen (from "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward") who masked his true identity in order to thwart suspicion from his fellow townsfolk. He has many secrets lurking in his underground catacombs where he performs acts of necromancy most foul, extracting the "salts" of the dead in order to raise them at will and learn the secrets of ancient eldritch deities.

Second, a poem by Rudyard Kipling titled "En-Dor" which was a warning against the rise of spiritualism and the cost of communion with the dead in the early 20th century.

Third, the biblical Saul who traveled in disguise to visit a witch at the city of Endor in order to summon Samuel from the dead and garner advice on defeating the Philistines, but who only prophesies doom for Saul. Saul dies later the next day in the battle of Gilboa.

Lastly, the story of Odysseus communing with the underworld where he enlists the help of Tiresias to have a chat with the dead and secure for himself a safe journey home.

They all seek communion with the dead for one purpose: to gain knowledge which only those who have crossed over between realms might possess. 

Lyrics:
-------------------------------------
A mask may reveal what it’s meant to conceal
From those who are standing beside us
Armor of pride, so we learn to abide
By the monsters which hide deep inside us
The monsters which lurk deep inside us
Oh, how they scratch and they bite us
The monsters which lurk deep inside us

Only to know what the professor knows

Eating black bread, wearing clothes of the dead
The soil soaked in honey around us
For fear if we failed, leave the ogre unveiled
And it’s back in the grave where they found us
Back in the grave where they found us
Freed from the ties which had bound us
Back in the grave where they found us

Only to know what the professor knows

In the catacomb vaults, we extracted the salts
From cadavers to lengthen our youth
Chanting the names at the edge of the flames
And a mirror to show us the truth
A mirror which speaks only truth
See how it seeks not to soothe
A mirror which speaks only truth

Only to know what the professor knows

In the underworld maze, in the night of no days
Concocting the plan we’re devising
Much to endure on the road to En-Dor
And to snatch from Elohim arising
To snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising

BARDS: Of the Shimmering Seraphs

The Professor

Well this is another with Greg Willis from Wales on Sax , it's got a Northern Soul sort of sound , hope you like it ! On a similar theme , on the 5th of March me and Charlotte ( Charlie and the Fox ) have a 60s Wall of Sound song out , I tried to get the Spector sound , we'll see whether I succeeded or not ! Greg is on this one too , I can't seem to leave him alone Ha ! Renowned Lyricist Tony Harris ( from Alabama ) and I got together for a lovely song which is out on the 15th of March . After that a new one from me and Gaz Brownie . Thank you so much for giving us your time !

No Album

Different Melody ( feat. Greg Willis )

Different Melody ( Fox and Willis )

I'm sorry y'all--this is another downer of a song with preachy lyrics but it's an idea that came up and demanded to be completed. 

The only side I take is the human one, but I couldn't have more contempt for the ostensible leaders of both Gaza and Israel who seek their own interests at the cost of so much suffering among innocents. Nothing good comes out of "Let's go kill some people."



You Let This Happen

have you understood that this is the final warning call
abandon hope all those that linger here

you lived the diamond life and could not lend your ears
and now the sand is wet with blood beyond our wildest fears 
how could you let this happen here

we plant the seeds of death beside the seeds of life 
so they can pay the price and have the will to fight

the bloodied face that no one could identify
now here's the news that was a mother's precious baby
how could you let this happen here

so how do you think this story ends
when it begins with the death of innocents
another thousand years of war is in the cards
another generation with daggers in their hearts

and you let it happen

You Let This Happen

MAY from SPRING A Symphonic Poem

Greg Hurley: Composition / Arrangement, Lyrics, Vocals, Slide guitar, Guitar, B3, Rhodes, Bass and Drum programming, mix and mastering.
If you have the time.... Please repost!

 Title: Silver Linings

In the pocket, in the groove
Chasing shadows, trying to prove
life's a struggle, but we'll find
The silver linings left behind

In the city, in the heat
Searching for a taste so sweet
Threads of sorrow, threads of hope
Tangled in the twisted rope

Hold on tight, don't let go
There's a light where the river flows

In the mirror, what do you see
Is there anyone you'd rather be
Keep the faith, don't lose sight
Silver linings shining bright

And the struggle, it's in the past
All the shadows, they won't last
Silver linings in the end
Worth it all, my  dear friend

Hold on tight, don't let go
There's a light where the river flows

SOLO

And the struggle, it's in the past
All the shadows, they won't last
Silver linings in the end
Worth it all, my  dear friend

Hold on tight, don't let go
There's a light where the river flows
Hold on tight, don't let go
There's a light where the river flows

Silver Lining

I Need love

His eyes crossed my eyes
Like a laser ray
I've been projected somewhere
Else than on the Earth
Help
I need love
Help
I need love
 
With him I feel like dancing
Barefoot in the light
I feel like walking on the sea
Planing in the air
Help
I need love
Help
I need love
 
Like the Earth needs the Sun
(I need love)
 
Like the stars need the stars
(I need love)
Like the sky needs the sea
(I need love)
Like the summer needs the winter
(I need love)
I need love (x7)
 
As i need music
As I need light
As i need water
As i need air
Just a little love
I need love
Just a little love
I need love
Like the bird needs wings to fly
(I need love)
Like the moon needs the night to shine
(I need love)
I need love

Besoin d’amour - France Gall cover

Horn live

(French cover) Version française de la chanson  ♥ Lava ♥
Vidéo sous-titrée en anglais (Eng subtitle video) :
http://xanylovem.free.fr/vidos/lava-reprise.html

Arrangement guitare et scie: XanyloveM
Voix: XanyloveM et FaDe https://soundcloud.com/fa-d-1

LAVA Cover French (original Pixar vidéo link with Eng Subtitle)

OTTFRIED MIETZKE-Composer,orchestral arranger,guitar and bass player,keyboarder from Hannover,Germany.

MAY from SPRING A Symphonic Poem

Ottfried Mietzke / Composer

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Wayfarer DG

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