Mouk

shadows

Shadows

To equality, democracy, freedom, and hope 💙

A joyful jazzy march to dance the tightrope to 🗽

80-85 bpm

Ordinarily I use original LoFi audio that I have recorded from live subjects, but in this song, I use a single sample in my outro from a campaign video of Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, PA, October 27, 2024.

DAW: Apple Logic Pro X
MIDI: Akai MPK Professional 
E-instruments:
Concert Grand
Deep Organ
SoCal Ballad Piano
Upright Ballad Bass
Crystals and Voices synth
Rolling Chords synth 
E-percussion used:
Studio Brush Kit 
Warehouse Kit shaker
Classic House Remix Congas

Cover art is a derivative illustration with additions and alterations to the following photos:

Statue of Liberty in the afternoon by Eldar Kamalov in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Liberty_2.JPG

 Didier Pasquette walking a tightrope between the twin statues atop the Liberty Building in downtown Buffalo, New York, as part of the opening of the 2010 Beyond/In Western New York art exhibition, by Dave Pape in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Didier_Pasquette_BIWNY_1.jpg

.

Tightrope

The axolotl called Julio Cortazar watches the aquarium observers (including that one who resembles Julio Cortazar). The previous draft here (I tried now to improve the central part): https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/this-is-them-final-draft. 
The sister tracks: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/this-is-us and https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/is-this-you
Here the short backgroundstory: https://ambystoma.uky.edu/teachers_materials/axolitbook/AxolotlByJulioCortazar.html
Picture is from Pietro Corrao.

------

Composed by Michele Ansani (2022-2024)
Posted on SoundCloud: 2024, November 19

This is them (final version) *

Cocktail time jazz. 
Now appearing nightly, lounge singer Shade Structure and his jazz combo. 😉 (open shirt, sweaty, toupee, pinky ring. )
From the album: "Curiosities Of Outsider Art" (Sept 2025)

Lyrics:
I've had enough of the light
Let's turn the lights down low
And get in our evening glow
I wrote a haiku for you
And ways that you do
And the ways that you move...  🥵 

I saw you climb the fiery spires
And you never tired
Don't you know you're the source of my desires?

Well, you're lucky if you get out of this world with any kind of love at all
(That's what you always used to say!)
I said, "Let's go dancing like we used to do
Let's go nowhere
In the car
Let's rhapsodize upon the stars
You know I love the way we are

You can't love yourself all alone
You are everywhere
And everyone you've known
You can't love yourself all alone
(Solo 1)

You can't love yourself all alone
You are everywhere
You're everyone you've known
You can't love yourself
All alone
You are the particles of everywhere you've gone
(Solo 2)

I wrote a haiku for you 
And the way that you move...

You can't love yourself all alone
You are everywhere
And everyone you've known
You can't love yourself all alone
You're the elements
The particles of everywhere you've gone

You Can't Love Yourself All Alone

-Mirror-

One of my earliest influences on Soundcloud was/is an amazing artist known as BoxTox (@user-247600493). I've always loved his really quirky and creative music which is so fun to listen to because of all the subtle details (for example, unusual percussion, and using quite low air flow in his sax, clarinet, and flute playing, and original rhythms and melodies). 

This tune is my tribute to BoxTox, where I tried to bring in instruments and playing style influenced by his music. It was a lot of fun working on this, especially since I got the chance to practice with the really excellent VST brush drum sounds, even if it's a little busy at times! Of course, I couldn't help myself and smooshed in a middle section that's very typically me, whether it fits in or not!   :) 

All instruments are played using my keyboard, except the flute bits which are played live with a real flute.

Instruments:
- upright bass
- electric guitar
- drums & percussion
- alto & tenor sax
- clarinet
- bassoon
- flute
- organ
- violins
- cello

Best with headphones; thanks for stopping by!

image designed and created using Chat GPT 4o and Photoshop.

Box o' Rox

Here's a track I made while playing around with Serum (A super cool synth).

Artwork created with https://www.canva.com/

RiZLiX - No Walls

The lead is blown with my Akai EWI 5000 (100 onboard sounds) + Flamma FS22 Ekoverb pedal, improvisation in one go. The EWI 5000 has an octaver function, and a fun hold-the-first-played-key function, so you can play two voices with this wind instrument :-) ... A kind of demo of how versatile you can use a sound depending on how you play it. At times it reminds me of slide guitar :-)

Here and now

Video; https://youtu.be/OIH-kBOh1Ao

Made in Februari 2025

Genres;
#Ambient
#Electronic

Forbidden Ruins

Cast of Characters:

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell – piano, organ, composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Suhr electric guitar, mix, and production
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- four string Fender Precision Bass

This song began one creative Saturday evening several weeks ago with JJ coming up with it on his organ, piano, bass, and drums. He wrote it with the Eclectic Collective in mind and immediately shared it with the rest of us.
  Ken was the first to jump on it, adding his strong, Masonesque drums. Josh excitedly dove in once he had a beat to play off of. Then, it was time for the guitarists in the band to show off their skills. Stephen laid down the psychedelic, textural guitar you hear throughout, as well as the thrilling solo in the middle, starting around 1:25 and ending around 1:50. Tez did his best Dave Gilmour impression, adding rest of the fiery lead solo you hear throughout, as well. 
  Once it was in the can, we needed a mix, of course, and Stephen was kind enough to work his magic on the production.
  This is a perfect example of a JJ seed that took bloom with the EC. We all love working on his songs. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it

Mouk

Sonic Imagination