Spring 2025

Cover picture: Albert Bierstadt, "Emigrants Crossing the Plains" (1869): an oil on canvas painting of emigrants on their way to Oregon, inspired by a fifty-wagon train of German emigrants who crossed Bierstadt's path during his 1863 expedition.

Although it is very difficult to estimate the total number of European emigrants, it is thought that from the beginning of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, around 30 million people left Europe for the United States.

I reworked in the last days on this not particularly original piece, whose first draft is from 2018.
Femal vocals courtesy by La Boutique Studios Dakar; harmonica by Dust Bowl - Vintage Country.
Composed by Michele Ansani (2018-2025).
Posted on SoundCloud: 2025, March 26

Their American dream *

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Invader

Cast of characters:
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Taylor T5z acoustic guitar, Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, Gibson Earle Scruggs banjo, Eastwood MandoCaster mix, mastering, production, and composition
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Fender Precision four string bass, played with a plectrum 
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark – harmonica, jaw harp, timpany, hambone percussion, and production editing     
This song began with Stephen, who recorded it on his acoustic guitar and bass to a programmed drum track a few months ago. We were all thrilled to work on it, even though it sat in BandLab as a project for almost a month before Stephen separated the tracks, thus allowing us to trickle in our parts. JJ was first to jump on it, because he could before the tracks were separated, as his part is completely his idea. He added the organ that really set up the entire sound of both dominant sections of the song. 
  Ken was first up to the project once the tracks were replaceable, making the wild, driving beat his own. Inspired by both JPJ and Michael Ivins, Josh laid down his bass line, trying to match Ken's energy. Last, but not least, Mark jumped in with the rumbling timpani. He also added the flavorful harmonica, and unique jaw harp you hear throughout, as well. 
  At that point, Stephen also got the idea to add the hambone percussion at the very end of the song, which we all consider a treat, and after showing us how it's done, Mark volunteered his percussion skills to give it a go. Stephen wasn't done with it, though, and still had some magic to sprinkle. He went in and added the howling electric guitar you hear prominently in the second main section. Also, he added the tempting intro with his acoustic guitar and electric mandolin that looks like a Telecaster guitar. 
  Once it was in the bag, we thought it appropriate for our master mixer Stephen to put it to bed, which he did in his always expert manner. Mark did help with the production, though, as he's very good with editing and spotting mistakes that need to be corrected.
  This is a gift from Stephen to all of us, and you, too. It took a lot of teamwork to make the dream work, as always for Eclectic Collective. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Country Ham (Eclectic Collective)

Mental Health Day$

CAN’T YOU SEE
Vocals: Melissa (Ghosthack) Can’t you see
Brandon (Ghosthack) I don’t wanna go
https://www.ghosthack.de
Lillithe: Arrangement and Production
Paploviante: Remastering


Can't you see

method: I only wanted to test run a compression pedal .... balabolka helped out with a voice ....  this is not about beauty, you know
narration: later on, epimetheus and pandora will prove that recreating reality (looking back) can actually save the day
image; my photograph, taken at the Greek National Museum, 2012

poem / copyright jo richter:

shards of broken mars
strewn on a tummy hum drum
saluting solar flares
where are you, my dear dear, from

winter shadows rang too harsh
to grief for saturn’s bloom
are you the one who dares
(or, better still, who cares)
there is no other song

woo pandora

woo pandora - the epimetheus conundrum

I am overjoyed to partake in sounds beautiful:
https://youtu.be/1TnalFltP_Q?si=VidMVZ9VDKGZiNUm  by Dan and
https://stonerjazz.bandcamp.com/album/up-up-out by Jeff.

Jeff also gifted me a visiting role on his previous album: 
https://stonerjazz.bandcamp.com/album/quintessential

On his bandcamp page, Jeff points out: "This is the page where you can give some monetary support to me and the StonerJazz experiment."

.... and here is my own test account:
https://sonicstructuresandsilentstretches.bandcamp.com/track/eliza

POETRY IS VITAL

This threshold space exists for those who feel like listening to some of my quite professional poetry embedded in rather amateurishly recorded but judiciously arranged sound, a modicum of purely acoustic work notwithstanding.  Fortunately, some other artists have also transformed the symbolic expression of my words into the tangible beauty of real songs and soundscapes - just listen to Sympoetic Ultrasounds: https://soundcloud.com/sonic-textures/sets/sympoetic-ultrasounds !

SOUND, SPACE AND TIME

Tend your listening senses gently. Even though my general approach welcomes and embraces lo-fi concepts like the precision of spontaneously occuring imprecisions, headphones worth their membranes are recommended - unless you like your sounds flat, mangled, battered and helpless. You don't, do you? Be kind to these soundscapes.

STRUCTURING IMPULSE

Due to the nature of "poetry soundscapes", your listening expectations regarding traditionally structured "songs", sonically purified "raw wildlife soundscapes", keyboard-laden "ambient recordings" or voice-centered "readings" might not be met. You will find some of those in my list of /likes/. "Noise" is a recurring structural element like any other. This is what this sounds like - within its own rights, limitations, tangents and interconnections. Sonic structures. Silent stretches. Poetry emerges from the gaps between the ruts, seeps in from the undergrowth, sweeps down.

CARVING, CHISELLING, KNEADING, MORPHING

A quick glance into my toolshed rests on Zoom recorders, Samplitude software and a dizzying array of diverse sonic machinery.

LARGE AND SMALL GIFTS

-----------------------------
Small Gifts

the less to remember, the more to listen
gifts from the ice age reverberate
a simple story, a forest, a coastline
entangled in silence, one starts to relate
---------------------------------------------

In case you have read up to this point, you might be a sonic creator yourself. May I ask you for a helping ear? Above, there is a tiny poem of mine that I do not understand how to translate into sound. If you do - please act on it. It is a matter of common decency, of course, to keep the title (Small Gifts) and to credit the lyrics to me (jo richter). And please do notify me of your version via a soundcloud message. One bewilderingly beautiful version crafted by mono-lux has already gone public, as well as an amazing version by cthonicist.  You'll find both in my playlist Sympoetic Ultrasounds. This is just a small gift, not a challenge - life already has more than enough of those on offer, doesn't it? Treat it this way.

POETRY IS VITAL
sound, space and time
structuring impulse
carving, chiselling, kneading, morphing
large and small gifts
poetry is vital

GENERAL POLICY regarding the use of LIKES, REPOSTS and FOLLOWS:
I like what I like and want to hear again.
I only repost what I've had a hand in creating.
I follow when I see directions or arrivals I like, not when followed (though I might peek in to get an idea of what your sounds are about). I have set myself a limit of accounts I follow not to be all too overwhelmed. Not following does therefore not mean I do not appreciate what you contribute to the enjoyments of soundcloud.
Do not expect other behaviour from me.
(jo richter)

woo pandora - the epimetheus conundrum

sonic structures and silent stretches