Ordinary Surface by Japanese alt. folk singer, Mari Mochizuki, is a paean to the ordinary performed in an extra-ordinary way-a solo recording on piano, punctuated with simple and uplifting synths that lift her choir of soaring backing vocals to another plane, far from the surface. This is her first release on Trouble or Fortune Records, an album is planned in the year to come. As well as contributing synths, myself, Charlie O´Brien, produced and mixed the album, it was mastered by Dylan Ray of Gratitude Audio.

Ordinary Surface by Mari Mochizuki feat. Charlie O´Brien

This song is a setting of an old Irish lament for a dead child arranged for French horn and trumpet. The track is taken from the soundtrack to the short period drama ¨Macalla Chill Áirne.¨

For the next week and a half the film is available to all who buy the soundtrack (for five euro) on the link below. 
https://bit.ly/MacallaSoundtrack

Ochón a Leanbh

Fire and Foam is the title track of an album to come. Forgoing, or maybe better put, branching out from Irish roots, this newest release carves a sound of synthetic and organic forces moulded into one. The song (and album) deals with destruction and realignment to a new world. "Come rolling thunder let's fall asunder, in the blink of an eye a long dream dies." Fire and Foam features the trumpet playing of Roy Kelleher of the No1 Brigade Irish Army Band and my niece Ava O'Malley on backing vocals.

Fire and foam, young men grown old.
Listen to them rave and rant ‘til their grave,
while some others sullen, wait ‘til death is upon them
to launch out their cry, when their end is nigh,
whole worlds unfold.

Since the day you left, I haven’t grasped it yet,
there’s a place in my heart where it all ripped apart,
I haven’t clung to a hope or a home or a dream,
I haven’t felt what it meant to be parted or pulled or returned.

Come rolling thunder, let’s fall asunder,
in the blink of an eye, a long dream dies.
I haven’t felt what it meant, though my soul is rent,
I haven’t broken theses plans, though that world is gone,
I haven’t shattered the dreams, I’ve fallen apart at the seams,
you haven’t lifted the phone, told me to move on,
though it's been five years, I’ve not shed a tear,
though that world is gone, I go on.

Charlie O'Brien - piano, vocals, synths
Ava O'Malley - backing vocals
Trumpet - Roy Kelleher

Artwork by Juan Carlos Perez Trejo and Charlie O'Brien

Fire and Foam

This song was born on a misty Killarney hillside in winter. It echoes the old aisling form of Irish poetry, for personal allegory, rather than the political ones in times of old. A melancholic musing, a foggy awakening from a strange dream.

I was under an impression
that right was right and wrong was,
I was under a cloud that had gathered
and left me feeble and bereft.

Of all the times that were,
of all the times to come,
here am I lost among.

I climbed a hill that rolled under
clouds that rolled above,
waited for a carriage to arrive,
an abiding memory,
green hills in a grey country
cold, collared, fallen time.

Of all the times that were,
Of all the times to come,
here am I lost among.

I pulled up my cloak against the cold,
And thought the wind taught me.
Though I couldn’t hear it clearly,
lessons, whispered in my ear.
Is something to be learned
lost among the memories?
Green hills in a grey country,
cold collared, fallen time.

Of all the times that were,
of all the times to come,
here am I lost among.

Charlie O'Brien - guitar, vocals, synths
Ava O'Malley - backing vocals
Louise Sullivan - french horn

Recorded and mixed by Charlie O'Brien at Trouble or Fortune Studios, Killarney, and on the road in Mexico.

Mastered by Ruairi O'Flaherty of Echo Mastering in L.A.

Under an Impression

This track is taken from my latest album "Fire and Foam." Ingrim Street is in Heidelberg, Germany and the song is a reverie on times spent there many moons ago. The brass section was recorded in Oaxaca, Mexico by Luis Zautla and Alejandro Cristobal at Studio Uno.

Ingrim Street

This trippy underwater ballad is the last single from Fire and Foam.  Floating synths bob and weave around a banjo, constructed in the 1890s, bought in Atlanta many moons ago.

Throw me a line, tell me it’ll work out fine,
When the waves come in, that’s where the ships sink in.
Set a bark afloat and surrender,
Where the green hills roll on the earth moves under,
The sea stays afloat, we drown in fissures.

Once there was a gallant man with gallant plans,
Now the light slips in, pours as the ground caves in.
Light surrounds, I plummet, we’re ripped asunder,
Let’s sink down and surrender
To a world of forever.

paths like crooked creeks, that curl long before you leap
down the spiral stairs that spins, that’s how it sucks you in
never will it spit you out, the plug is pulled don’t squirm about,

Let’s sink down, and surrender,
Down the plug hole we're going under,
to that world of forever.

When you wake you’ll feel refreshed, the tree is felled now nothings left, 
beyond aloft! a sound cascades, this is where our dreams are made.

What calls out to shake the trees? the wave breaks out on the sea,
the key is turned, the latch is set, though you haven’t been there yet.

Shore it calls from open sea. Is this the place? is it? it's got to be.

Throw me a Line

This is the first single from my coming album "Exile & Adventure, Irish Song of the Pampa and further Afar." The Pampas are the wide grasslands synonymous with rural regions of Buenos Aires in which Irish settled in the 19th century. I found the words to "The Pampa's My Home" in a old newspaper from 1873 called "El Monitor de La Campaña."

"Exile & Adventure Irish Song of the Pampa and Farther Afar"

The Pampa's My Home

This is the second single from my forthcoming album "The Trackless Wild, Irish Song of the Pampa." The lyrics were written by an exiled Irishman in Buenos Aires in 1873. The songs words were published in the corner of a random page of a provincial newspaper in Buenos Aires and then soon forgotten. Unlike many of the other Irish songs scattered among the pages of "El Monitor de la Campaña," Bleak is the Pampa had no obvious melody. That is, the music itself is newly composed. There are illusions to the island of Hy Brasil in its verses, "had he ne'er quitted his own island dwelling, in search of a phantom in lands far away." In 2022 I was approached after a concert at the Universidad del Salvador by Miguel Guarrnochea. Migue had just heard me sing another song from his home town "The Trackless Wild." In the following weeks he furnished me with all the digital archives of the newspaper "El Monitor de la Campaña." Here began a year and a half of going through those pages, lifting out gems like this song.

Charlie O'Brien - guitar, nashville guitar, vocals
Patricio Sullivan - Charango
Ezequiel Dutil - double bass
Facundo Flores - tiple

Oh bleak is the pampa when deserted and forlorn
O'er its thorn bosom the wanderer goes,
When the smiles he late loved as the sun beams of morn
Are the shadows that deepen the depth of his woes.
Oh! had he ne'er quitted his own island dwelling,
In search of a phantom in lands far away,
He'd ne'er have to grieve at his own bitter telling,
He exchanged the truest love for the friends of a day.
But such is life's onward course varying ever
Though todays sun be clouded tomorrow’s shall shine;
And hearts that look upward from hope cannot sever,
For theirs is the goal at which all is divine.

Recorded by Facundo Flores in San Isidro, Buenos Aires in January 2024.
Mixed by Charlie in Castelli, Argentina.
Mastered by David Santos of Digisound.

Bleak is the Pampa

Donovan’s Mount was written to the old Irish air of “Lannigan’s Ball.” This is a song of praise, penned by a 19th century Irish-Argentine teacher, for the Donovan family that is to employ him on the Pampa’s plains. This is the third single from my new album "The Trackless Wild, Irish Song of the Pampa." The album will be released on August 1st.

Donovan's Mount

This is a song I recorded a month ago with Aleksandra Kiskonen. She is singing and wrote the lyrics, I'm on the piano. The language is Finnish. The image with the track is a bromoil photo by my compadre Patrick Harnett. 

Here is a rough translation of the song -

Quietly I walk down a forest path,
where it goes I do not know,
It takes me forward; it will take me far.

In the depths of the forest my path is chosen,
It takes me far, it will take me home, it takes me home,
The depths of the forest will take me home.

Hiljaa kuljen, Metsän polkua kuljen,
Tiedä mä en, Minne se vie,
Kauas se vie, Eteenpäin vie //x2

Metsän syvyyksiin vie, Polkuni vie,
Kauas se vie, Kotiin se vie, Kotia vie, 
Metsän syvyyksin vie.  *Kotiin se vie*


Hiljaa Kuljen

The first track from "Where Splendour Falls." I'm doing a blogpost for each song http://ildaite.blogspot.com/2016/08/eileen-aroon.html

In this track Billy Kemp is playing piano and drone like ambient sounds. I'm on the guitars.

The album can be bought on vinyl and digital download here...
http://charlieobrien.net/music

Eileen Aroon

Fourth track from "Where Splendour Falls." Available on vinyl and digital download here-
http://charlieobrien.net/ 


The Bell
When I wake I feel like a whisper,
murmuring in a cold, cold cell.
Overhead a storm spreads its dark wings
embracing all it spits then yells.

What can you hear when the wind blows?
Can you touch love with your eyes?
What can you see when you’re blinded,
Blinded by the heights of the sky.

What can we see with the same eyes?
I was born on a dream called the world.
Sometimes when I sleep I catch answers,
that slip away, we ride on, waves unfurl.

When I wake I feel like a whisper,
murmuring in a cold, cold cell.
Overhead a storm spreads its dark wings,
embracing all it spits then yells.

Murmuring in a cold, cold corner,
murmuring in a cold, cold cell.
Out on windswept streets leafs stray as music
Weaving waifs wander as spells.

Then tolls the bell.

Rheidun Shlesinger is on harp, Ursula Scott is singing backing vocals, Neil O'Loghlen is on the bass, myself is on the guitars and singing. 
I'm doing a blogpost on each track...
http://ildaite.blogspot.ie/2016/09/the-bell.html

The Bell

This is the second track on the flip side of my new album "Where Splendour Falls." Heres a blogpost all about it - http://ildaite.blogspot.ie/2016/09/an-boithrin-caol.html

An Bóthairín Caol

Third track from the flip side of my new album "Where Splendour Falls."

The song is 18th century Irish verse set to music. I'm being accompanied by Paul Dooley on Harp. I came up with the melody which nods a head to the old air Slán Le Máigh.
You can buy the album on digital download here- http://charlieobrien.net/
Heres a blogpost about the track - http://ildaite.blogspot.ie/2016/10/do-threascair-saol.html

Do Threascair An Saol

Rough mix of a song from my forthcoming album "Hy Brasil, Songs of the Irish in Latin America." I found this song on a record I bought in Valencia, Spain, recently, and decided to record it myself. The song was originally written by a Spaniard, Juan Antonio Espinosa, who lived for many years in Peru. The band playing on the disc I bought are from Argentina, "Quinteto Bau" was their name.  Heres a blogpost about the song...
http://ildaite.blogspot.com/2018/07/un-hombre-cansado.html

¿Un Hombre Cansado?

This is the original English language version of a song  which will appear in a new recording (in Irish) on my latest album "Hy Brasil, Songs of The Irish in Latin America." Help with the final stages of the release, pre-order the album now on Indiegogo https://igg.me/at/HyBrasil

The song spawned this documentary film, shown on Irish Gaelic T.V...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU1RyypNHbQ
The image for the song is myself and a Mexican lady, Carlota from Cerro Gordo who also wrote a song about the San Patricios. We're pictured here after singing our respective songs to one another! The San Patricios were a mainly Irish Battalion who fought in the Mexican-American War of 1847 on the Mexican side. They are national heroes in Mexico.
Here's an out-take of the song from the same programme mentioned - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzAb7STy-Lo

Songs From An Outpost

Pa' los del San Patricio

I wrote this song after reading a book entitled-"The Irish Soldiers of Mexico"-by Michael Hogan. The song was written in Glenbeigh, County Kerry, but it evetually took me over the seas to Mexico-where I presented a programme about "The San Patricio Battalion" for TG4-The Irish language T.V. station.  Here's a link to the programme on You Tube-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU1RyypNHbQ Here's an out-take of the song from the same programme - https://youtu.be/m9h1Dg1-PJg

Pa’ Los Del San Patricio 

47 too long a year, men died in chains men died in fear
some were lost under Irish sky and some on Mexico’s fields were hung.
The gallows there 14 feet high two score men condemned to die
hung at noon in scorching heat, three hours they waited bound hand and feet. 

47 too dark a year, men shook their chains and fell in fear
from Vera Cruz a flag unfurled many men rallied round it.
A Mexican eagle and a Celtic cross under the green flag men were lost
shot down as soldiers, hung as slaves their cruel fate a shallow grave.

Birds wouldn’t cross the Pedragal through it General Lee he carved a path
Valencia’s army were routed there Churubusco’s fate was calling.
The Yankees tumbled through high corn at Churubusco we shot them down 
Mexican guns they soon gave out with bayonets we joined the slaughter.

Three times the white flag swung round three times O’Riley pulled it down 
when blood ran down into the sand only then did they surrender. 
The Mexican eagle and a Celtic cross under the green flag men were lost
Shot down as soldiers, hung as slaves their cruel fate a shallow grave. 

The gallows there 14 feet high two score men condemned to die
Hung at noon in scorching heat, three hours they waited bound hand and feet.

From the album-Songs From an Outpost - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/charlieobrien

Pa' Los Del San Patricio

I found this song on a record I bought in Valencia, Spain, and decided to record it myself for "Hy Brasil, Songs of the Irish in Latin America." It was originally written and recorded by a Spaniard, Juan Antonio Espinosa back in the 60's. Juan lived for many years in Peru, the band playing with him on record are from Argentina, "Quinteto Bau" was their name. 

I'm playing all instruments on this one, double bass, electric guitars and synths. Heres a blogpost about the track with an earlier mix. 

ildaite.blogspot.com/2018/07/un-hom…e-cansado.html

This song (from "Hy Brasil, Songs of the Irish in Latin America") concerns the "St. Patrick Battalion" of the Mexican Army and their involvement in the Mexican/American War of 1847. 'Na San Patricios' is in the Irish language. Heres a link to the music video for it..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2bwSaeDHM8

The first recorded version of the song was in English, on my debut album "Songs from an Outpost." 

Heres a link to a documentary (Saol John Riley) I presented concerning the leader of the battalion, John Riley-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU1RyypNHbQ&ab_channel=JimmyMacccy

Na San Patricios

This is the first track of "Hy Brasil, Songs of the Irish in Latin America." I found the lyrics in a collection of songs from south Kerry called "Songs of Iveragh." The song is from the era of Spanish American War, I put the melody to the words.

The Philippine Soldier

New album of Irish-Argentine ballads.. https://charlieobrien.net/album/2936166/the-trackless-wild

Charlie O' Brien

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