Worse Days

“The wheel” is form my new album “136Hz” with Tom Hohenester. Check it out on Bandcamp: https://steptom.bandcamp.com/releases
And watch the video for the song "The Wheel": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWU5wPrHxYc

After a long musical break, I started a new project with Tom, my brother from another mother. This was about 15 months ago. It was strange and challenging to start something in a pandemic. But it gave us this positive energy we were looking for and was a lot of fun. So this first album is just the starting point of a new musical journey. Have a listen and enjoy.

136Hz

The wheel

StepTom - The Wheel

Evidence Of A Broken Mind

Practice What You Preach

Sweets and Bones feat. Markus Jelle

a song about the layers of meaning... what IS normal?  And the rage that is never discussed, so did it ever happen?   The picture is drawn with pastel and charcoal on a paper plate, which seemed kinda appropriate in some obscure way.  

Normality        

the mother she lives in fear
children they keep on keeping on with 
all the things that children do

father he lives in fear
of a strange red tide that blinds his eyes
makes him do the crazy things he do
(or so they say)

Emily has a broken arm 
fell down the stairs and broke her arm
Mama’s very quiet but then there’s
 nothing much to say

living in a loving family, trying to hang on to normality
don’t discuss the things that threaten to blow us all apart
keep on saying ‘normality’, the affirmation will set you free
normal, normality

Alexandra wets the bed
 fourteen years and she just can’t quit
Josh has nightmares 
screaming in his sleep

************************
Written made sung and played by Emma.

normality

The project is a collaboration with Jan Exner @exner from 2016. We divided the poem "Aufbruch" into six parts. With music and sounds Jan created a fascinating acoustic imagery. Lets go ⇢

Jan Exner : Guitar / Synths / Mix / Production
Karin Tarabochia: Text / Voice / Image

Aufbruch
1 
Aufbruch! Was war, fällt ab. Knöpf’ meinen Kragen auf.
 Zieh’ die Weste aus, an der noch Land hängt. Warte ab.  
Was klammert, saugt, in Zaum hält, bröckelt und springt. 
Mein Schneckenloch, mein Honigfuß, mein Schritt ins Leere  
und endlich Fall, Bruch, Sturz … und Landen!

Departure. What was, falls off. Unbutton my collar.
Take off the vest with land still hanging on it. Wait.
What clings, sucks, bridles, (now) crumbles and cracks.
My snail hole, my honey foot, my step into the void …
And finally fall, break, plunge ... and landing!

2 
Neubeginn verschieben, unendlich lang?
 Das Ende aufzäumen, und den Anfang aufspüren? 
Erfüllung vorwegnehmen?
 
Postpone a new beginning, infinitely long? 
Bridling the end and tracking down the beginning? 
Anticipate fulfillment?

3 
Schnipp’ die Leine durch, lass Haus und Hof 
und was ich schuf, rollt durch den Kopf. 
Dreh' mich aus dem Schleiertanz.
Spann' meinem Wagen andere Pferde –  
höher geht’s und weiter!
Sonnenfahrt!  Der Täuschung abschwören - 
Wütend platzt mein Innerstes und gibt frei: 
Anemone, Traumpferd, das ein Holzbein schwingt.
 Am goldenen Wagen im Sturmwind treiben –  
den Füßen fehlt Boden, den Händen fehl'n Sprossen. 
Nichts da, nur Lederhaut an Sohlen und Schwielen.

Snap the leash, leave house and yard
and what I created rolls through my head.
Turn me out of the veil dance.
Bring other horses to my carriage -
Higher it goes and further! Sun trip!
Renounce deception -
Enraged my innermost bursts and releases:
Anemone, dream horse swinging a wooden leg.
Floating on the golden chariot in the storm
and the feet are missing ground, the hands are missing rungs,
nothing there, just leather skin on the soles and calluses.

4
Träume meinen Flusslauf vom Anfang zum Ende
und schwimme zurück, dorthin wo ich bin.  
Fisch sein! Springen! Am Ufer lachen sie
und manchmal hält das Fischmaul die Trommel an  
und hört Sirenen singen.

Dream my river from the beginning to the end
and swim back to where I am.
Being fish. Leaping. On the bank they laugh.
Sometimes the fish's mouth stops the drum,
hears sirens singing.

5 
Wir müssen diesen Platz verlassen,
so schnell wie möglich unsern Kopf vergessen,
 der benommen Geschichten schwatzt, vergisst.  
An Scheiben rinnen Tränen. 
Was befürchtet war, wird wahr, vergeht.  
Am Weg besteht, was ist.

Mich nicht messen an anderen, mich nicht missen! 
Nicht verkaufen, dem Anderssein weglaufen!  
Mich am Fluss einfinden, wer ich war, wer ich bin,
im Zwischenraum die Zwischenfrau. 
Den Mädchentraum beenden,
den Zeitraum größer drehen und kleiner,
 Schritte sehen, die fest am Boden.
Ich war weg und komme wieder.

We have to leave this place,
as soon as possible forget our head 
who gossips stupid stories and forgets. 
Tears run down the panes. 
What was feared will come true and pass. 
On the way persists what is.

Not compete with others, not miss me,
not sell myself, nor run away from being different.
Find myself by the river, who I was, who I am,
in the interspace the interwomen.
End the girl's dream, turn the period bigger and smaller,
See footsteps firmly on the ground. 
I was gone and I'll be back.

6 
Lass’ mich nicht hängen und bis zum letzten Tag warten, 
bis ich mein Blut abgebe und mein Gesicht sich ins Tuch drückt.
Nicht bücken und suchen, mich zwischen Spuren verfluchen. 
Das Ziel sehen, nahe bei mir:  
Ich bin Traube. Ich bin Straße. Ich bin Mensch.

Not leave me hanging, waiting until the last day,
until I give up my blood and press my face into the cloth.
Not bend down and search, curse myself between tracks.
See the goal, close to me: I am grape, I am street, I'm human.

2 Neubeginn verschieben (eXner / Augenmerk)

1 Aufbruch (eXner / Augenmerk) with lyrics

Open Your Mind
(Music and Lyrics David Stephenson 2020)

Some say the war is never over
The war is never over
But Say Hey!
There's a peace to be discovered and it's growing deep inside your brain
Glowing deep inside your brain

All that fear and the anger that you carry
Is strictly voluntary
So come swim in the Sea of Understanding
So deep the hurt can't penetrate
So calm the hatred floats away

And each day a love grows never-ending
A love grows never-ending
Each day a love grows never-ending
A love grows never-ending
Open your heart, open your mind

Brothers and Sisters
Set down all that weight you chose to carry
It's all extraordinary
We're all just crooked saplings
Looking to the sky for rain
Bending to the sky for rain

And each day a love grows never-ending
A love grows never-ending
Each day a love grows never-ending
A love grows never-ending

Shut your eyes
Open your mind

Open Your Mind (Preacher Version)

Every night I scream
I can't see you, I can't feel you, I can't  go on
Far across the distance
Big space between us
You never come,  I can't go on

Near, far, wherever you are
I know that your heart is long gone dear
Nevermore will you open, open my door
Maybe you're here in my heart
But my heart is cold
Baby you're here in my heart
But my heart is cold

Love touched us one time
Is one time enough?
I gotta drive on
Safe to say I loved you
Polaroids I cling to 
Safer said, I gotta move on

Near, far, wherever you are
I know that your heart is long gone dear
Nevermore will you open, open my door
Baby you're here in my heart
But my heart is cold

You're not here
There's nothing I fear
Though I know that your heart won't go on dear
We'll stay forever away
Baby you're here in my heart
But my heart is cold

*COLD* (MOAG/MidiPunk Collaboration)

Happy Winter Solstice! xx
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Zx3clsPfc

Breathe.
Don’t you know when the river’s out
It’s not a place you want to be around, oh no
Close your eyes so you cannot see
It’s not a place where you want to be right now
Things have been rough on you
Things have been rough on you
I know
Things been bad for me too
Things been bad for me too
Oh I know

Liars and thieves and treacheries
Counter-intuitive conspiracies
Oh I know
Sinking ships with this broken glass
‘Cos baby don’t you know nothing evers gonna last
Oh I know
Things have been rough on you
Things have been rough on you
Oh I know
Things been bad for me too
Things been bad for me too
Oh I know

Breathe darling
Don’t let go
Breathe darling 
Don’t let go

Breathe ©steph sweet 2020 All Rights Reserved

Breathe

Apple

Hello everybody,
after a long musical break since 2019, I started writing again and started a new project with Tom, my brother from another mother. That was about 15 months ago. It was strange and challenging to start something in a pandemic. But it gave me that positive energy and comfort that I've always found in music. And it was a lot of fun. We named our first child “136Hz” :-) You can find it on Bandcamp. Listen and enjoy! (https://steptom.bandcamp.com/releases)
All the best and take care of each other. Love, Steph 

At the age of 11 I got a Louis Armstrong LP. Brass was my thing. Well, I never came to play trumpet. With 14 I found myself playing drums in some school bands. My ambition was to become at least a modest hardcore punk drummer, but I ended up in a ska and reggae band, a really weird experience. I was not a good drummer and I just wanted to play loud :-)End of the 80s I started to play bass and sing in different formations, to write songs, poetry, stories. I stopped making music at the end of the millennium. Just writing stories and working as voice over artist. Music always helped me getting through difficult times and losses. I forgot this positive energy in music for a long time.

Some time ago my son asked me about my past as a musician. I’m so thankful for his questions. He showed me the way back to music.
And with all these talented and inspiring people here on Soundcloud it's a pleasure to share this passion.

StepTom - The Wheel

Steph

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