Because the Spotlight itself only has 5 positions, this playlist is used as "honorable mentions" - Tracks are not exactly ranked, but higher up this list means I recommend you listen to first.

I do update this list regularly - this includes track orders.

Spotlight Alumni (recommended listens!)

Hi, my name is Tom, and I enjoy making music.

One of my greater inspirations is Dead Can Dance. To learn how to use some new gear I recently acquired, I thought it fun to mimic that typical DCD style.

Did it work?

There are no lyrics, so I won't post them here.

Scarab

❤️ @Bandcamp

Daedalus

Presenting a new entry for the myth-wave catalog.

Hope you enjoy!

file v2.2

video: https://youtu.be/zc6GFrI11tw

Arachne

edit: this now has a video https://youtu.be/V9NKpMOOLNQ

Got a new toy, had to play with it,
but also wanted to build something of a song, because repertoire;
and I was inspired by many things I have listened to over the past weeks.

I have to come to the point of happy uplifting music yet, so you will have to do with this:


It's a song about some dark places a mind can be in... The protagonist may not be of this world, in fact. Or he never fit in...


lyrics

look for me in the shadows
look for me in the rain
cannot find in the mirror
cannot run down the drain

hold it up for a cover
give me something to taste
I need to see you tomorrow
everything else is a waste

looking out of the window
shattered worlds made out of glass
here I am set out to wander
if we only had something to last

I get it
I loved it
and wanted too much


mix v3.0

Unrequited

2023-08-23 made public on Soundcloud, it was here all along, private, for distribution purposes.

This track is part of a remix/rework spree which was distributed in November 2021.

album on Bandcamp

Smoke And Mirrors (2021 remix)

Track consisting of 1 bass, 1 guitar, 1 drum and heavily processed vocals, this is arguably a bit of an album filler. Started out jamming and it turned into this, didn't really go ahead and polish it (like, making the drums more interesting, and so)

I remixed it in a functional/minimal style this year to be included on the Overland album, and now making it public here on the Cloud as well to bridge the time until I can actively work on new material again.

I like the lyrics, mostly:

grinding out the foresight
moon is up and fullbright
feeding back on the insight
burning taste of the mind

final words are spoken
prayers of dead and omen
giving hell a token
of passing by, unbroken

save for skies on fire
narrowing the wire
slowly fade the choir
angels too expire

Angels Too Expire (2021 remix)

Ugh, brraaggghhh
But it has a lyric video now: https://youtu.be/UIBq3FcJVRU
(especially fun if you're into Daria, that MTV cartoon from the 1990s)


lyrics:

Enter the fire
Eternal purging
The veil torn down
Humanity burning

Blood for the altar
The void agape
Oblivion calling
Forever awake!

forever awake...

Invasion X

I made a Vampire Movie in a glitchy moviemaker program. This is the soundtrack. The thing from the thing can be viewed here:

https://youtu.be/Y_uC-Q5CQdI

"Professor Von Diggelen receives a vision of an active Vampire Lord. He proceeds to hunt him down."

🎥 watch the movie

Vampire Movie Soundtrack

For the occasion, I reworked this thing a little. It's a track from the archives but I always enjoy this one for the energy. Nothing too serious though :)

lyrics:

ah hear the phone rings
time for a night out
fragile hearts await to break like glass on
classy smiles and
aerosol touch of plastic warmth
enthusiastic spasms of a lovelife on the thresh
of lifting off

she paints her face down with red and sticky glue
wrapped around her eyes it looks like
wings of butterflies
look at all the flesh displayed
all this ecstasy unveiled
"run away with me," her body screams,
"you will be pleased to please, please me"

she's a happy valentine
such a happy valentine

kisses, hugs and funny talk
electrifies the air
look at her attention span,
"what with who and why and where?"
a gazillion pretty friends to give her
all the love she needs
in the centre of the universe she says:
"it's just ol' silly little
ME"

it's a happy valentine
such a happy valentine

Happy Valentine redux

Having to create distraction from current world affairs...

If for myself then also maybe for others.

To carry a message of peace, and love... 

Be more human - be more than this, world.

https://youtu.be/TxRLNbsb0Tg

lyrics:

love will only care for
the freedom tasting of more
the peaceful offering
removes all suffering

human senses rated
never thought it faded
don't believe it's wasted
or till the end it waited

ancient retrospects
forward lead the tracks
in honest interaction
and spirits that will last...

never thought it faded
don't believe it's wasted
or till the end it waited

RE: Solve

Hi, 
While my studio room is being rebuilt, I only have limited access to my equipment and not nearly enough time to create lots of new stuff.

I did find the time to go through my archives and thought to remix this little piece.
It's an original 4-track cassette recording from 1997 (I think), I retreated the individual tracks with fancy VST's and ran the guitar through an impulse response of my VS100 amp. It sounds much better now.

The studio room is really getting together, a couple more weeks and I'll have it up and running again. 

For now:


lyrics:

goodbye said the dreamer
my life is over here
in my own fantasies
my mind I cannot steer

I've been over the rainbow
travelled seven seas
seen black and white haired women
my mind thus now at ease

these thoughts they are a given
from depths within the stars
people all were watching
thoughts went into war

goodbye little dreamer
is crushing on the crowd
you see you have it all
this has just broken down your wall

these thoughts they are a given
from depths within the stars
people all were watching
thoughts went into war

I've been over the rainbow,
travelled seven sees
seen black and white haired women
my mind thus now at ease

goodbye little dreamer,
is crushing on the crowd
you see you have it all
this has just broken down your wall

goodbye said the dreamer
my life is over here
in my own fantasies
my mind I cannot steer

my mind is over here
my mind I cannot steer

goodbye little dreamer
startling the crowd
you see you have it all
let's break down the wall
break down the wall
broke down your wall

more From the Vaults

Dreamer's Goodbye

From Lebo's very final drum session, as it sadly turned out -
Taken from live session 2021-11-05 at Tjarda, room 5

Tom - guitar and voice
Peter Paul - bass
Lebo - drums

free download 🌹

Laybow - House of Spirits

Encountering persona for linguistic reprogramming...

BandCamp link

Progress

Toying with the Maschine+ again, loads of fun!

The Exalted

A very early track, in complete remake. There is an earlier remake on my profile too and a remix of that remake, but I never uploaded the original.

"redux" as in, rethunk and cut out some redundant verses.

closing track of the "Fall" EP
https://open.spotify.com/album/4UTItNTWHhAL0ASu6cm8rB

lyrics:

Manyman the missionary
his holy cross in hand
holding up his sacred book
he is fighting for his land

He passes the threshold of his thoughts
darkness conquering his mind
this confusion has only brought
a glance upon the other side

Manyman and his smiling mask
answering his divine task
could he conquer all that's ill?
Manyman's a man of will

and the missionary stumbles
and he's grabbing for a hold
all the words that once had built him
now make him choke upon his throat

Manyman projects away
cannot stand the light of day
reflects upon this failing grace
put Manyman back in his place

Manyman the world is open
Manyman it's there for you
do you know it's all you hoped for
there is nothing you can't do

Fall

over here ✨

Manyman (redux)

Fall sessions demanded to do remakes of a bunch of tracks that just ask for it.. again.

lyrics:

all the devils and the beasts now have gathered for the feast
behold the naked human meat - surely they won't eat the least
but the angel's left outside though this hell is opened wide
to her mercy long has died, escape the darkness she has tried
now she sees her dying moon - see her dancing in the gloom
through the mist and through this room
watch the angel's flower bloom

where the streets are shades, where the demon waits
the angel turns out to be strong, she embraces the angel song
and the calling from afar, see the rationale at war
feelings that were, feelings that are - bound together in a star

she is here for you to see, she is here for you to be
she holds the love that we all seek beneath the black, beneath the bleak

she is breaking through the glass - follow the footprints on the grass
float with the smoke through the sky - a-where the angel hides
and right here, up above, she's still crying out for love
she is sick of all the lies, she is sick not knowing why

and no, I can't believe - all the visions I receive
but the truth it must be real, I taught the angel to feel

here it is and here's it plain, now the angel's not the same
she knows now that she can see, I taught the angel to feel

the angel - feel

The Fall EP @BandCamp

Angel (fall session)

mix version 2, this might be adjusted

Sacrifice
All the time
Never lie
Head up high

Visions unfolding
Pathways reopen
Neural control
Break through the wall

Demonized
Inner child
Let it out
For a while

Passions rekindled
Never it dwindled
Spiraling flight
Transformative light

✴️ free download here

Bear No More

From the Laybow demo recording sessions

Lebo - drums
P. P. - bass, backing vocals
Tom - guitars, vocals

Laybow - Resolve

Lebo - drums
P. P. - bass, backing vocals
Tom: guitars, vocals

Laybow - Chaotic Disorder

House of Spirits from the Laybow demo recording sessions.

A new entry for the Myth Wave collection.

now has a video: https://youtu.be/OgFfGesONrA

check out the entire collection here:
https://alicedeeper.bandcamp.com/album/myth-wave-the-ever-growing-collection

edit: I realize that Dead Can Dance have a track with the exact same name. This is not a cover, though - DCD is an absolute inspiration and I can only recommend checking out their work to the fullest.

Myth Wave here

Dance Of The Bacchantes

I had this tune in my head for quite a while, and now I finally recorded it. It's always fun to take new approaches to the recording process. It's certainly not as clean and polished as it could be, but there is another version in the works with the Laybow-legacy studio project. 

lyrics:

look, it's the sun that's coming back to shine
even the rain has never felt this fine

and the trees turn back to green
all the colours that you haven't seen for a long time
this past time, fading
to make place for a new day
a new scent is calling
and I will be falling in love again

look, there's a new bird in the sky
circling upward like it never got that high before

and the flowers in the street
so many faces new to meet
all our paths that intertwine
like the bees back to the hive
build another piece of life
like the bird that got so high
it's the only way to fly

always in springtime
a new scent is calling
I will surely be falling
in love again

v2; some vocal corrections

A Song For Springtime

Another one for the Myth Wave collection. I got me some African djembes on the local flea market today, completely unplanned and by surprise, and some African shakers too, and my housekeeper had brought me a souvenir from her hometown earlier this week - a mouth harp. So I went ahead and recorded some music today.

It turned a bit darkly, as I filled in the openness with a ghostly synth, so I named the track after the illusive greek goddess of night - Nyx.

The Myth Wave collection can be found here: https://alicedeeper.bandcamp.com/album/myth-wave-the-ever-growing-collection (for free)

Myth wave collection

Children of Nyx

Another track for the Laybow legacies demo, finally ready for release:

Tom - guitars, vocals
Peter Paul - bass
Lebo - drums

Alan Watts samples

Laybow - Decry

Slipping into dream...

Arin is my new singer. She does a hell of a Lisa Gerrard impression --- !!!

Pasithea

Lebo: drums
Peter Paul: bass, backing vocals
Tom: vocals, guitars

finally finished mixing this (or is it truly finished yet?)
This will be included on the legacy vinyl we intend to release.

Laybow - Bug

This was the first track of the demo sessions that we mixed, and as such turned out very different from the later efforts. So we decided to re-do it, and properly this time around.

Lebo - drums
PP - bass
Tom - vocals, guitars

Laybow - Polaroid (2024 mix)

An instrumental rock ditty that we enjoyed playing a lot.

Lebo - drums
PP - bass
Tom - guitars

Laybow - AC Cheesy

A song about the shifting of seasons... and life

gothic wave version is here: https://soundcloud.com/puppetxeno/welcome-the-fall-goth-fashion

original music and lyrics,
AI vocal performer "Cassandra Rekkt"

lyrics:

Welcome the fall
The falling leaves
The wind is blowing
All the dreams away

We welcome the fade
Wish it was over soon
Wrapped up in shadows
Under the harvest moon

Days are getting colder
Crimson skies above
Seasons turning over
Changing what we love

The colors burn bright
Then they drift away
Trees stand naked
In the cold of day

Life keeps on spinning
Round and round again
Cycles never ending
Gotta face the end

Days are getting colder
Crimson skies above
Seasons turning over
Changing what we love

BandCamp

Welcome The Fall (the fade version)

A song about shifting seasons, and life;

The typical goth version of https://soundcloud.com/puppetxeno/welcome-the-fall-the-fade-version

original music and lyrics;
AI vocal performer "Cassandra Rekkt"

lyrics:

Welcome the fall
The falling leaves
The wind is blowing
All the dreams away

We welcome the fade
Wish it was over soon
Wrapped up in shadows
Under the harvest moon

Days are getting colder
Crimson skies above
Seasons turning over
Changing what we love

The colors burn bright
Then they drift away
Trees stand naked
In the cold of day

Life keeps on spinning
Round and round again
Cycles never ending
Gotta face the end

Days are getting colder
Crimson skies above
Seasons turning over
Changing what we love

Welcome The Fall (Goth fashion)

Reworked version of "Glitchout", 

lyrics:

Were you someone, I have to be asking
grew up serene, away from the struggle
and strife now presented that never did touch you
but words of deception that make you believe
that the world was on fire, injustice abound
right at your doorstep to take all your freedom?
but just close your eyes, there was never a real threat
other than the ones of split tongues and venom!

wired up, side on break the violence
fired up, ride on, hear the silence

tell me again who you were once ago
when the future was open and dreams were allowed
think of exactly who told you the difference
between cats and dogs and the hits that were misses?

the tales that were spun on a landfill of gaps:
all cognitive bias we need to unlearn!
projection, reflections, deflections, the point is
we all want our freedom and peace with the world

wired up, side on break the violence
fired up, ride on, hear the silence

Glitchout (wokey wokey version)

Experimental rework of early track "Patterns"

"all these patterns in my head, so much as if they never end
I see flashing in my head through the patterns green, black and red"

Patterns (trace and cut version)

O boy has life become a hectic mess, squeezing in moments to create music seems to become more difficult by the day. But: sometimes things can get done, so here we are!

also, video: https://youtu.be/oXXYIJsPLuA?si=LWkD9HFfspzw08YA

Work Up, Wake Up

re-imagining of Iced/Mantra in neo-classical celtic style
the original is here: https://on.soundcloud.com/Fu7WQ9GS6dw4nILnaB

This is one for my funeral.


lyrics:

Even when the rain comes down
Even with the skies torn open
I will still be here tomorrow

Even when things falling down
Or when every heart is broken
I will still remain tomorrow

I'll be there for your best side
Hurtling up the open wide
Nothing here was meant to mourn for

Though your life was blown away
And the right words you couldn't say
You did never pass unnoticed

Though the skies keep falling down
and reality lies underground
there is so much yet to learn for now
its the thunder, its the same
too much trouble, too much pain
at least all this is taken all away

When The Rain Comes Down

When The Rain Comes Down (aka Iced/Mantra) (Wyche version)

Love is endless, timeless.

The title of this song is quite odd, but it has a background - don't let it bother you. Let the music speak for itself :)

Add to collection

Iced (Mantra)

https://youtu.be/SMniW7K2wzE

First experiment with new 808-tribute machine (RD8) and throwing in SY300 custom patches, having some nonlinear lyrics scrambled through.

Enjoy!


lyrics:

the world that shook it all
turned life into statistics
policies of flawed heuristics
laid waste to old control
laid waste to confidence
a strange dream that never ends
oblivious to evidence

asymptomatic pandemic
in a fraction of a second
and the world that shook it all
went up in the flames of a new arrival
enlightened to survival

now we sit and watch the stars circling the sky
the road is open
the path is bright

we sit and watch the stars circling the sky

New Arrival

Tom "Puppet Xeno", core member of the Alice Deeper music project.
Grungegoth, Myth Wave, Eclectic experimentalist -

Alice Deeper is on Spotify, Bandcamp and Youtube. Check the links below to connect. We aim to make it worth your while 😸

PuppetXeno

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