Music & Lyrics: Jan Schonander

More synthrock, but this time with a somewhat dirtier sound. All instruments except the drums are created on the Nord Stage 3. Played a little with feedback, as well as changed the attack on the main rhythmic synth live as I was playing. The lyrics are once again a mix of science and emotion using a black hole as a metaphor for a toxic relationship - seems to be a style that works for me.

INFINITE ATTRACTION

I can’t, I can’t break free
Oh no
I can’t, I can’t break free

A fine line pulling on my soul
As close as I could ever get
An unseen stronger than steel
At the point of no return

Light up all of your rockets
Switch on the burners, oh yeah
Let go of all of your emotions
You can spiral to the infinite
The infinite attraction

I can’t, I can't, I can't, I can't break free
I can’t, I can't, I can't, I can't break free

Bounce off a satellite to Houston
Switch on the radio, oh yeah
There’s no time for thinking
You could spiral to the infinite
The infinite attraction

I can’t, I can’t break free
Oh no
I can’t, I can’t break free

The cosmos is dragging me down
Once in there’s no getting out

It’s an infinite attraction
It’s an infinite attraction

Infinite Attraction

Spotify

Words and Music by Roger Whittlesey. Georg Boehme arranged and played all saxes. All other sounds by Whittlesey. roduced in New Hampshire and in Cologne, Germany. ©2024. Thank you, Georg, for participating in this process and for offering your awesome talents. 

What's this song about? String Theory is the notion that all time exists on a string—a string that never disappears. I'm a fan of the podcast/television show Closer to Truth, an American production hosted by a neuroscientist. The host interviews the leading experts on many scientific and philosophical subjects. In a recent podcast, scientists discussed String Theory, which became the inspiration for this song. 

One scientist explained that if you imagine a string along which all time exists—past, present and future—then you can understand that right now both the future and past still exist on that string. So, in theory, the past never disappears and the future is waiting to happen. He likened it to a DVD of a movie. At any point you can rewind or move forward. He suggests that this may be possible with time. 

What I drew from this notion is that all that has happened in my life, all the people I have known—in particular those who are no longer here—are, according to this theory, still existing on the string. Is this a comfort? I think it is for me. 

This is why in the refrain I sing, " I will always be with you." Even when I no longer exist, I will exist along the string, a string that connects me to a past before my own existence began and to a future that I will never see. 

Perhaps you will draw something different from this song and from the theory. In any case, I hope you enjoy the musicianship on this recording. Georg and I worked hard to produce parts and solos that we're proud of. 

Roger Whittlesey
February 18, 2024

See the video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0mjns4dHvk

String Theory (Featuring Georg Boehme)

November 2023. I removed the cover of my 40 year old Roland U20, blew the dust off the keys and played the first notes after decades of silence. A first glimpse to the past and to the future at the same time.

Cover Artwork: Manfred Besinger (dad)

Demo Songs 2023

First Glimpse

Used to originally call this one Anamorphosis
Track off of my upcoming metal instrumental album, "III"
Heliacal Enigma was written, arranged and recorded by Louis Taverna
All rights reserved © 2024

Anamorphosis

Heliacal Enigma

nobody , nowhere

Nobody , Nowhere

Music by Stranger Something
Lyrics and voice by @xian3

When I See You
----------------

When i see you
I could almost puke
When I see you
A strange shudder goes through and through
When I See You
My head turns bloodred
While the world shifts in two halves
And none of them would last
Without the other one…

When i see you
And that happens now and then again
It’s too uneasy to explain
My knees tremble
My mouth is all dry
My tongue is paralyzed
I break out in a sweat
I have to look at the ground
My breathing gallops
And then my heart that pounds
And am all agitated
I avoid all pictures of you
Try not to think about it too much
Close my inner eye, too…

When i see you
And that happens now and then again
Oh, it’s so uneasy to explain
My knees tremble
My mouth is all dry
My tongue is paralyzed
I break out in a sweat
I have to look on the ground
My breathing gallops
And then my heart that pounds… ahh…

solo

When i see you
You never talk to me
No reaction you show
Just stand somewhere off silently,
Peripheral,
In the background
Wthout a sound
How can I see what is not there ?
How can I remind what never took place ?
How can I feel that i was close to you,
Even if that was unreal, ?
And if I’d see you
As a monster,
As a hypocrate,
As a drama queen ?
And if i’d see you
As a mirror image ?
As a saviour ?
As a lover … ?

When I see you
Oh, when i see you
It’s so uneasy to explain
It’s too uneasy to explain…
When do I see you ?
When will i see you ?
When will i see you again ?

When I See You

A song in an old tradition, with the wonderful Nadia Selvaggi. 
I recommend that you go and listen to her lovely music https://soundcloud.com/nadiaselvaggi

Oh, where is my love

Oh, where is my love
Oh, where has he gone
He has gone to the war
With fathers and sons
To fight for our right
to live a peaceful life
To safeguard the future 
of daughters and wives
To fight those other men
With rockets and knives

They were once our neighbours
Our cousins and our friends
We would live together
Brothers without end
How could they turn against us
What twisted reason wends
To create this wicked violence
To hell we will descend

Oh where is my loved one
I have heard not a word since he left our home
I fear I have lost him 
I have heard not a word
Please return to me my darling with the swiftness of a bird
Please fly to me my darling with the swiftness of a bird

They were once our neighbours (etc as above)


Oh, where is my love
Oh, where has he gone
He has gone to the war
With fathers and sons
To fight for our right
to live a peaceful life
To fight those other men
Who have daughters and wives

Oh, Where Is My Love (with Nadia)

Unabashed - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– acoustic and electric guitar, production, mix, mastering, seed idea

Mistermark – @user-432503709 – Mark – verse vocals and lyrics, backing chorus vocals

Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – electric guitar

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ, piano, and synth

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, percussion, and backing vocals 

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – 4-string fretless bass and chorus vocals, lyrics, arrangement, and harmonies

Composition – The Eclectic Collective

This song began its life as a beautiful guitar 
chord progression from Stephen. He wrote it with the idea the The Eclectic Collective would bring it to life, which we were all excited to do. First up was Tez, who added the distorted guitar you hear adding the edge to the entire thing. Ken added his lively foundational drums next. Josh, of course seized on that, and followed shortly after with his four-string fretless bass. JJ came along next and added the expressive organ and dancing piano, along with the big choral vocals at the end, which he did with his new synthesizer. 

  Now that we had the music done, it was time for Mark to add his distinct, signature singing to the mix of his original lyrics. Josh decided to come up with some very simple lyrics for the choruses and arranged some harmony parts for them, too, which he also sang. Mark also threw in his voice to the choruses. Ken, too, contributed his voice to the choruses, as well as harmonies and vocalizations throughout the verse. 

  Once the song was in the can, Stephen edited, mixed and mastered it for us, very ably, as always.

  This was a seemingly large project, which took us almost two months from introduction to finished product. It's another good example of the songwriting capabilities of the EC. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Original lyrics by Mistermark:
 Watching the city lights getting smaller while I’m looking through my rear view
Leaving it all behind hit me harder than I  thought that it could ever do
Sometimes a man gets lost on the road like a wheel spinning round in his brain
It’s not what you said but it’s in the way you said it
Now it’s stuck in my head and I’m never gon’ forget it

I’m moving on
Away from home
(Away from home, that’s where I roam)

Well home is where the heart is as the saying goes, but my heart ain’t in it no more
But I remember all the times smelling grits in the hall as the morning sun hit the floor 
Old picture frames, and every toy’s got a name, now they’re packed up and stored away
Turning that key for one last time keeps turning around & around in my mind

I’m on the road
Away from home
(Away from home, that’s where I roam)

Now I’m pointing these wheels toward the setting sun
we’re flying straight up ahead like a bullet from a gun
Just you & me kid and this old guitar
we got dreams to dream and we’re gunna go far
Like stars in the sky there’s city lights up ahead
and I’ll keep driving toward ‘em till the day I’m dead
Closing one door just opens up another
there’s plenty of world just waiting to discover

I’m moving on
Another home…
(Away from home, that’s where I roam)

Away From Home - (Eclectic Collective)

The Land of Frowns

I told the man he'd have to go
You are not welcome here you know
You do not speak as others do
Our people are afraid of you

So would you help a man when he's really down
and lost within this land of frowns

Land of Frowns

So I wrapped myself in things I'd found
and laid myself out on the ground
and the devil comes in many ways
he came to me that day

Far away I was a young man

Oh, my home, I had to go

I'm a stranger in this foreign town
Stranger in this land of frowns
Oh, land of frowns

So I told the man he'd have to go
You are not welcome here you know

Land of frowns......

The Land Of Frowns

A 20 minute medley of some of the better bits & pieces from 20 of my solo recordings, all from about 20 years ago (between 2000-2004)

A pretty wide variety of styles - jazz, funk, ambient, classical, world, worldbeat, experimental, alternative, industrial, reggae, electronica, latin, pop, game show music, more. Some unorthodox explorations here... have at it.

0:00 - I, Spy
0:55 - Variations
2:10 - Belle Curves Blues
3:24 - Saxofunk (a)
4:14 - Game Show (b1 - interlude)
4:55 - Game Show (b2 - main theme)
5:35 - Lives of our Days
6:04 - Aulde Europe
6:38 - Multi2dinal
7:56 - Sitar & Santur
9:06 - Last Days of November
11:10 - Industrial Mustard
11:57 - House In Da Jungle
12:45 - Casio Adani
13:26 - Funky Junk
14:49 - Jazzy Ditty
15:44 - Tiger Raga
16:53 - Latin Loop 2
17:59 - Latin Kinda Thang
19:29 - Pennywise (c)
20:50 - Harp of My Dreams (reprise)

(image is a mosaic of mostly self portraits using a scanner)

Mark's Album

Mark Music Medley (part 1: 2000-2004)

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Roger Whittlesey is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter from the Boston area. He often composes and records pop music with intricate harmonies and deceptively sophisticated chord changes. Many songs spring from his 60s, 70s and 80s influences, but his music is original and unique. Whittlesey often collaborates with instrumentalists and singers from the world of jazz, folk, and pop to create a hybrid form.

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