"The Tower" is an explosive and emotionally charged track from Xak Stahl’s Major Arcana album, embodying the raw energy of upheaval, destruction, and transformation. Inspired by the Tarot card of the same name, this song captures the moment when everything falls apart—only to be rebuilt stronger than before.

With thunderous drums, crashing guitars, and haunting synths, "The Tower" mirrors the chaos of sudden change. The lyrics dive into the reckoning of illusions shattering and the struggle to rise from the wreckage. It's a powerful reminder that even in destruction, there is rebirth.

Let "The Tower" shake your foundations and guide you through the fire. Sometimes, the only way forward is through the storm. ⚡🔥

Lyrics:

A crack in the sky, a fire in the air,
The walls come down, but no one’s prepared.
Everything I built, everything I knew,
Gone in a flash—what do I do?

Lightning strikes without a sound,
No way back, no solid ground.
Through the wreckage, through the fall,
Will I rise or lose it all?

I am The Tower, the storm, the break,
The chaos that comes when illusions fade.
Tear it down, let the fire burn,
Through destruction, we return.

Every comfort, every lie,
Crumbles beneath a shattered sky.
No warning, no safe escape,
Only ashes in my wake.

Lightning strikes without a sound,
No way back, no solid ground.
Through the wreckage, through the fall,
Will I rise or lose it all?

I am The Tower, the storm, the break,
The chaos that comes when illusions fade.
Tear it down, let the fire burn,
Through destruction, we return.

What’s left standing, what remains?
From the ruin, I’ll rebuild again.
Through the fire, through the pain,
From the ashes, I’ll rise unchained.

I am The Tower, the storm, the break,
The chaos that comes when illusions fade.
Tear it down, let the fire burn,
Through destruction, we return.

The sky is clear, the night is still,
A world undone, a test of will.
From the wreckage, I have learned,
The Tower falls, but I return.

Major Arcana

The Tower

An original song dedicated to my parents. I grew up in a small town in the Allegheny mountains of western Pennsylvania. This tune is a remixed version of the original.

Lyrics:

Sam and Rose, from the Allegheny Mountains
Their love was as deep as the river streams
Lived In the old red house on George Street
With their three sons they dreamed

Through the seasons, they weathered the years
Their bond unbreakable, crystal clear
In the quiet of the night, under starlit skies
Until the end their love shined bright

Mountain love, strong and true
In the heart of those two
Through the storms and the rain
Their love in eternity remains

In the western hills of Pennsylvania
Their love was like a melody
Sung by the wind and the trees
Together forever and free

Mom and Dad, in the big old red house
Their love a beacon in the night
In the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania
Their story of eternal love forever bright

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024
Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea 2025
Image: Copilot

Sam and Rose

What was that man dreaming of, the one who played the saxophone the other night? When he finally wakes up, we’ll ask him – though it’s unlikely he’ll ever reply. And if by any chance he were willing to answer, he might say: "Nothing that I can remember, because nothing ever happens in my dreams."

This is the second in a series of eight easy, acoustic, rather short, and deliberately inconclusive tracks, assembled by combining new ideas with reworked older material, adding parts and sounds along the way. 

Part 1 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-1-night
Part 3 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-3-noon
Part 4 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-4-late-afternoon

Composed by Michele Ansani (2025) (a partial remake of this: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/johans-aceleration-check-the-description).
Female vocals courtesy of Function Loops.
Ambient and radio sound effects sourced from Pixabay.
Posted on SoundCloud: August 2, 2025.

In case nothing happens - part 2 (dawn)*

A song I wrote back in early 2021 and probably one of the first after learning the guitar after a 20 year hiatus from any music, live or recording.
The wife brought me a lovely fender acoustic after I said on holiday in Santo Tomas that  I really wished I had learnt to play the guitar so the following Christmas the present arrived.
Another poignant moment was when my younger lad set up a soundcloud account in lockdown for my band This Elegant Chaos and loaded the albums and singles we had done. It had been such a long time since I had listened to the tracks it lite a fire in me to do it again. 
My family house was surrounded with guitars as my dad was a guitarist and my older brother who still is and still plays live & records with his original band The Bleeding Hearts. I just wanted to sing not showing any interest in learning which really annoys me now as it would have gave me a better understanding of the writing process. Instead of singing my vocal melodies to my band members expecting them to find the cords to match . 
This song explains the moment I reconnected with my past and was now my future again. 
I sent the original sketch from four years ago to Mike and he loved it.
I was such a novice to home recording back then that I always wanted to hear a well produced version.
I didn’t really give Mike any musical guidance on this just left it in his capable hands. 
I think it’s good to be brave at times and let the people who know what they are doing to just get on with it. 
Well another top mark from Magic Mike Fox as always.
So thank  you Mike for believing in the ideas and making them happen
With such passion and skill.
This Sound Society gives you…..

Reconnected (Brownie & Fox) 

V1
Reconnect me I forgot I still cared 
This feels strange after 20 years 
Lost my love for this and I was full of doubt
There were moments when I was missing this
Santo Tomàs was sent to reclaim me
And brought me back to where I was lost
 
Chorus 
So let’s reconnect 
To the days when we were at our best
So let’s reconnect 
When we felt so invincible 
We’re our diminishing youth was incredible 
So let’s reconnect 

V2
Now when I listen I listen with pride
A little biased but I think thats my right
It stands up and stands the test of time
My sons voices sound  just  like mine 
I hope a little of me came out in both of you 
We laughed cried and became inseparable 

Middle 8
Ive now got old and feel less pressure 
Different things brings new found pleasure
Do I wanna be young like Peter Pan forever
I’m not old really just unclaimed treasure 

Chorus to finish 

Front cover : original photo took by Rebecca Tolley at live rehearsals.

Reconnected -This Sound Society

💥"Selfie" raconte l’arrivée des smartphones dans nos vies, étroitement liée à celle des réseaux sociaux. 🎶Chacun et chacune s’y dévoile sous différentes facettes, dans l’espoir d’obtenir la reconnaissance de ses pairs, et parfois bien au-delà. C’est aussi, pour certain·e·s, un moyen de renforcer la confiance en soi. J’espère que vous prendrez autant de plaisir à l’écouter que j’en ai eu à le créer.⋆｡°✩
💥"Selfie" tells the story of how smartphones entered our lives, hand in hand with social media. 🎶 Each of us reveals different sides of ourselves, hoping to gain recognition from our peers and sometimes from a much wider audience. For some, it’s also a way to build self-confidence. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed creating it.⋆｡°✩

Petit extrait :
[Couplet 1]
Selfie, l’important c’n’est pas qui tu es, Pixels éphémères, reflet d’une starlette.
Posture d’un jour, l’important est d’exister. Balayer tes doutes, faire place nette.
Miroir sociétal, dis-moi est-ce qu’j’ suis belle ? Cliché plaqué, un sourire sous la pluie ?
Cherche ton âme dans le creux des filtres, recueillir des followers, oublier ton ennui.
Tu es plutôt grande et élancée, Une robe cintrée, des courbes proportionnées.
Tu vis en Asie, en Europe ou au state, c’est le même Game, inonder d’images le net.
Postures suggestives, c’est fou comme ta singularité est d’une rare banalité.
On s’en prend plein la vue, mais dis-moi, j’en retiens quoi ? Qui est la vedette ?
 
[Couplet 2]
Culture de l'apparence, danse du regard, désir en silence, un corps qui se déclare.
Tu sculptes ton image comme une statue, pour masquer tes failles, tu dépeins tes vertus.
Déguisé tes vérités, vêtements d'illusions, ton reflet joue la séduction et la confusion.
Un clic, une pose, t'immortalise l'instant, Que reste-t-il lorsque s'éteignent les écrans ?
Retour à une réalité, bien moins idéalisée, sans fioriture, l’ordinaire de ta vie.
Sortie de la virtualité, se réapproprier, le mental est-il plus fort que l’image ? (fin du beat)
Des sourires pour masquer tes peines, un écran pour changer d’esprit.
Retrouver durant un moment, l’illusion de cette vie, nourrir ce mirage.
 
[Ritournelle]
Selfie, selfie, capture ma vie, un flash, un buzz, et j'existe aussi.
Selfie, selfie, reflet d'envies, je colore mon corps et tu es éblouis.
Selfie, selfie, capture ma vie, un flash, un buzz, l’image voit du pays.
Selfie, selfie, reflet d'envies, je te séduis, tu cherches ma compagnie.

Selfie

"Sea Fever" is a song for piano and voice written bei John Ireland in 1913, with lyrics by John Masefield.

Piano by Helen Roberts

We hope you'll enjoy, and spend some time by the sea, if you can :)


artwork by Joaquín Sorolla

Sea Fever (John Ireland - a reprise with Helen Roberts)

I'll cut through the nonsense and offer a 3-minute song, canonical pop, based on an ancient formula from the birth of the genre. I'm deluding myself that it's in the vein of, say, Nick Lowe. I hope so.

In the Subway, you, in the Highway, I

Tom's piano melodies are so inspirational, not just to me (Mark) but also to Jussi, Georg and Boon. The energy of this piece carried us all off on a wonderful journey. We hope you enjoy the joyful enthusiasm that Tom initiated. Tom also gave me the key line, 'My Way Through' and I had to run with it as it made so much sense with this uplifting and hopeful music. Thanks for listening.

Tom Regnier -  @tom-r-gnier Music composition, piano and other instrumentation
Jussi Welin - @juswel First guitar and guitar arrangement
Georg Boehme - @georg-boehme Horns and horn arrangement
Boon Suzuki - @boon-suzuki Final guitar and guitar arrangement
Mark Bennett - Vocals and lyrics

Wherever you’re bound you know I’ll, 
Make my way through 
Sure may take a little while
 But I’ll make my way through

Wherever I’m bound I know I’ll,
 Make my way through
 It may take a longer while 
Till I make my way through

Wherever you’re bound,
…You’re bound
I know that I’m bound, yeah!

When I get there you know I’ll
Make my way through
Sure may need a broader smile
But I’ll make my way through.

My Way Through - Tom Régnier & Friends

when i walked away that night
i never really came back
did i

veins froze
skin glow
eyes low
still broke

face look clean but the vibe say ghost
eyes like tombs why i hide don’t post
old connect stares like i owe em closure
but i’m fresh from the flame still smell like coma

mama said you cold baby where’s your heat
told her i’m still here just minus the beat
pops won’t speak just stares at the fork
like he seen me walk in straight out the morgue

my boy in the kitchen said you don’t eat
i said only count what drip off the weak
tried nights at the thrift quiet worn
but the clerk said you walk like you came back from war

took shifts in silence
kept my coat on
they clocked my iris
said the vibe’s wrong
now i’m cashin out in a field full of doubts
and every sigh tastes like blood in my mouth

still bleedin can’t clock in
no pulse but i glide like sin
no sleep just a thick black tint
say i’m here but i feel worn thin

still breathin nah that’s cap
i float through smoke like a vinyl scratch
friends all look with a question mark
like who that man in your skin in the dark

still bleedin no call back
nothin real just pale contacts
eyes on fire but the tears won’t crash
and the girl in black still ain’t come back

this ain’t life
it’s a rhythm with no light
it’s a hunger with no fight
it’s a coffin with wi-fi

still bleedin can’t clock in
yo you good nah i bin sinnin
heart flatlined but the wrist still glisten
fangs out smirkin while the reaper listens

still breathin nah that’s cap
real g’s die but don’t come back
i’m huntin in the same streets i lived strapped
damn she fed me fate
now i’m stuck in the trap

"All rights to this track, including composition, lyrics, and production, are owned by Cindered Heart. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or remixing is prohibited. For licensing or collaboration, contact:
📩 cinderedheartpromo@gmail.com
© 2024–2025 All rights reserved."

Came and Went  - Unplugged

New Version of a song that I wrote in 2015

WELL, THE POSSUM, HE IS GONE
THE MAN IN BLACK, IS GONE TO
OLD NUMBER ONE IS GONE
THE HAG IS GONE TO

SHOTGUN WILLIE IS STILL AROUND
HE'S MISSIN' OLD NUMBER ONE
COUNTRY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
WHO'S GONNA TAKE THE BLAME

WISH I COULD GO BACK IN TIME
WHEN COUNTRY WAS MIGHTY FINE
DOWN HOME STORYTELLIN'
AND FINE FIDDLE PLAYIN'
THEM DAY'S ARE LONG GONE
YEA, THEM DAY'S ARE LONG GONE

MY DADDY LISTENED TO OLD HANK
PLAYED HIS TUNES ON HIS HARP
I CAN STILL HEAR HIM PLAYIN'
HEY GOOD LOOKIN' WHAT'S YOU GOT COOKIN'

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
OLD COUNTRY WILL BE BACK AROUND
NEW GENERATIONS WILL WONDER WHY
IF WE LET TRADITIONAL COUNTRY DIE

WISH I COULD GO BACK IN TIME
WHEN COUNTRY WAS MIGHTY FINE
DOWN HOME STORYTELLIN'
AND FINE FIDDLE PLAYIN'
THEM DAY'S ARE LONG GONE
YEA, THEM DAY'S ARE LONG GONE

(REPEAT VERSE 3, 4 AND CHORUS)


2015 © Lyrics by Tony Harris

Them Days Are Long Gone (New Version) - Lyrics by Tony Harris

I am not ok

Xak Stahl: Alchemist of Sound, Architect of Emotion

Xak Stahl is a genre-blurring music artist, sonic storyteller, and relentless experimenter. Every track he creates is a new world—a kaleidoscope of indie folk, alt-pop, electronica, and global flavors—infused with raw emotion and boundless curiosity. Xak’s music isn’t just heard; it’s felt.

From Shadow to Spotlight

For Xak, music is metamorphosis. His journey began in the shadows, transmuting heartbreak and struggle into songs that glow with hope. Early anthems like “Neon Dreams” and “Rising Through the Darkness” invite listeners to find their own light. His newest project, Major Arcana, channels the mysteries of the Tarot—each song an archetype, each lyric a step along the path from the Fool’s first leap to the wisdom of The World.

More Than Music: A Multisensory Universe

But Xak isn’t confined to sound. As a visual artist and writer, he crafts immersive stories that spill across genres and languages—sometimes haunting, sometimes playful, always honest. Whether he’s conjuring lush soundscapes, weaving bilingual lyrics, or creating striking visuals, Xak’s art dares you to feel deeper and dream wilder.

An Invitation to Transformation

Join Xak Stahl on a sonic odyssey that blurs borders—between genres, between artforms, between you and the music. Each release is an invitation to explore, to heal, to become. For Xak, every song is a spell, every album a universe. The only question is: are you ready to step inside?

The Tower

XAK STAHL