A few months ago, Carlo sent me a piano track by Miranda Shvangiradze upon which he'd added some drums.

What can I say? I loved it instantly. It's one of those musics that compel the lyricist in me to search them for the words behind the notes. 

Thank you Miranda, thank you Carlo and thank you Armando for a great bass line (for which I recommend you put on headphones if you don't have good speakers)!

We hope you'll enjoy this: don't hesitate to tell us what you think as well as like and share this track if you think it is worth it.

Something Odd

Original music and piano : Miranda Shvangiradze (https://soundcloud.com/mirandashvangiradze)
Drums: Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum)
Bass: Armando Scicchitano (http://www.armandoscicchitano.it/biografia/)
Lyrics, vocals and mixing: Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)

You walk out, follow me,
We will try to go see
Something odd, something new,
Like a doubt, still and blue...


Lead me on with your lines,
We should have us some good times,
Like a dime for the child
I once was: why did I resign?


Looking back is no good,
Yeah, I know that I should
Not linger on what's gone,
But my will is undone,


Yeah, my will is undone,
No more will...


Lead me on to new skies,
We will forget all goodbyes,
Lemon lime, sour and sweet,
Say hello, get on your feet...


You run on, take me up
On my offer to catch up
With what's left of it all,
You let go and you call...


Something odd - Collaboration with Miranda Shvangiradze, Carlo presti and  Armando Scicchitano

Well, here we are again: Carlo Presti on the drums and Tom Adams on lead guitar, playing over a backing track. Yours truly provided the lyrics and vocals.

Hope you'll enjoy. Don't hesitate to comment, this is always appreciated!

Dying Man Blues

Tell me now where you think the sun has gone
Tell me how I will try to outrun
The white and the cold
No more time to be old

I know It's time to go
Let go my hand
I can feel the end
The end coming round
End of all sounds

I'll miss the light
I'll miss your touch
Lost in the night
I'll miss you so much

Won't hear your voice
Won't hear you play
Ain't got no choice
Ain't got no say

No, not for me to choose
When my soul goes loose
Dying man blues...
Dying man blues...
Dying man blues...

Lead guitar: Tom Adams (https://soundcloud.com/tytlblues)
Drums: Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum)
Lyrics and vocals: Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)


Dying Man Blues - Collaboration with Tom Adams

This song was originally posted on my cloud as an open collaboration. Nick and Carlo got interested and so there it is: maybe not 100% perfect because they had to lay their tracks over my original erratic guitar but I still love it! Thank you so much guys!

This was originally tagged as "song 404" because that's its actual number in my repertoire but also because the lyrics are very nonsensical and so it sounds a bit like a mistake too. Maybe that's why I made it a collab: it's always easier when you're not the only one to get it wrong... Though of course Nick and Carlo's great musical additions have nothing to do with the lyrics.

Carlo Presti: drums - https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum
Nick Nolan: arrangement, lead guitar, bass and synth - https://soundcloud.com/667sounds
Yann Vienne: music, lyrics, vocals and rhythm guitar - https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens

Here are the French lyrics followed by a translation/adaptation:

Je vois... là dans les corridors
En fusion de ton âme, là quand tu dors,

La confusion, je n'fais pas trop d'efforts,
La distraction, j'construis un château-fort,

Du haut de ses plus hauts créneaux, je balance tout bien, tout chaud,
Mon corps épars... dessus les remparts...

Mon sarcophage n'est plus bien à la page,
Ça fait bien trop d'années que je suis bien trop sage,

Je joue dans mes grimoires, de synapses en mémoires,
J'aimerais percer à jour le sens de l'abattoir...

Du fond de mon plus doux tombeau, croyant comme quand j'étais accro
Au blanc et au noir de toutes ces fausses histoires...

Je roule dans l'herbe et puis je m'allume,
Je tire une taffe en l'air et m'abîme dans la brume,

La lune dépèce les restes de mon cadavre exquis,
Je m'inocule la peste, je relis Tennessee

Au bord de la dernière décharge qui déborde déjà de la marge
J'attends le temps : cigarette rhum blanc...

Au bord de la dernière décharge qui déborde déjà de la marge
J'attends le temps...

* * * 

I can see right there in the melting halls of your soul
There when you're asleep

Confusion: I'm not doing much of an effort,
Fun and distraction: I'm building a fortress,

From atop its highest tower I cast away
my scattered body over the battlements...

My sarcophagus is kind of old-fashioned,
I've been far too tame for far too long,

I play in my spell books, from synapses to memories,
I'd like to uncover the meaning of the slaughterhouse all around...

From below, from my sweetest grave, newborn believer as when I used to be addicted to the black and white of all those fake stories...

I roll in the grass and set my lights on fire
I take a drag in the air and collapse in the mist

The moon skins what's left of my exquisite corpse
I shoot up with the plague and pick up Tennessee again

On the edge of the ultimate rubbish tip already overflowing beyond the limits, I'll wait for the right time: cigarette and white rum...

On the edge of the ultimate rubbish tip already overflowing beyond the limits, I'll wait for the right time: cigarette and white rum...


In Vitro Veritas - With Nick Nolan

I recently chanced upon this great funky jam on Carlo's cloud, a backing track that he had found on Wikiloops and added cool drumming to. So, many, many thanks to those guys out there that we don't know and who posted this music for others to fiddle about with. 90% of this song, if not more, is truly theirs. Carlo and I can only hope you'll like the rest too.

Original backing track: Wikiloops - http://www.fr.wikiloops.com/backingtrack.php
Drums: Carlo Presti - https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum
Lyrics and vocals: Yann Vienne - https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens

Here are the French lyrics followed by their English translation:

Tourner, tailler, allumer, glisser,
Traits de crayons bien nets pour traits d’esprit bien flous,
Dériver, déminer et attacher, faire germer,
Envie d’une danse, de folle fête, de quelqu’un qui sourit tout à coup,
Virevolter, enflammer, délirer, oublier,
Regard de feu couleur comète, musique tactile, ambiance de roux,
Succomber, s’étêter, rêver, pas parler,
Sensation trouble douce dans la tête, main chaude, caresse sur le cou,

Et puis partir, pouvoir, partir, sans le noir, plus attendre, encore aimer, enfin s'entendre rigoler,


J’aligne les verbes comme autant de songes, chapelet d’espoir pour prière tendresse, pour prière tendresse
Tourner, tailler, allumer, glisser,
Dériver, déminer, attacher, faire germer,

Chaque envie ou désir avalé par un corps éponge, corps labyrinthe où je m’efface sans cesse,
Où pourtant je me retrouve, cent fois plus calme, mille fois, mille fois, mille fois plus agité,

Là où l’amour se rentrouvre, frénétiquement apaisé.
Frénétiquement apaisé...

Tourner, tailler, allumer glisser,
Traits de crayons bien nets pour traits d’esprit bien flous,
Dériver, déminer, attacher, faire germer,
Envie d’une danse, de folle fête, de quelqu’un qui sourit tout à coup,

Ne plus tomber, ne plus tomber,
Ne plus tomber comme s’effondre la nuit,
Ne plus être écrasé que par un corps qui me suit,
Voir à deux le soleil se lever du fond du lit,
Et sourire vraiment, sans montrer les accrocs, sourire à la vie.
Tourner,
Dériver,
Virevolter,
Succomber...

Rire, jouir, mourir... Rire et ne plus chercher,
Etre là, apaisé, apaisé, apaisé...

* * *

Turn, carve, light up, slide,
Neat pencil strokes for blurry, dimwitted plays on words,
Go adrift, neutralize and tie up, grow,
Feel like a dance, a mad party, someone smiling out of the blue,
Whirl around, set on fire, babble about, forget,
Fiery look comet colour, tactile music, reddish brown hue,
Give in, blow your top, dream, don't talk,
Sweet disturbing feel in your head, warm hand, stroking your neck,

And then move out, feel you can, move out of the dark, no more waiting, love again, finally hear yourself laughing out loud,

I draw verbs in lines like so many dreams in a queue, a rosary of hope for a tenderness prayer, a tenderness prayer,
Turn, carve, light up, slide,
Go adrift, neutralize and tie up and grow,

Each wanting or desire swallowed up by a sponge body,
Labyrinth body where I keep disappearing,
And yet where I find my true self again, a hundred times more serene, a thousand, thousand, thousand times more restless,
In this place where love opens itself up once more ever so slightly, frantically at peace. Frantically at peace.

Turn, carve, light up, slide,
Neat pencil strokes for blurry, dimwitted plays on words,
Go adrift, neutralize, tie up, grow,
Feel like a dance, mad party, someone smiling out of the blue,

No more falling, no more falling,
No more falling like that night crashing down,
Only crushed now by a body following me,
Being two in bed to see the sun rise,
And smile for real, not showing the tears and patches, smile to life.
Turn,
Go adrift,
Whirl around,
Give in...

Laugh, come, die... Laugh and quit looking,
Just be here, at peace, at peace, at peace...


Désirs infinitifs - (aka Funky Jam 98)

This track was originally posted with just guitar and vocals (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens/could-be-now-open-for-collaboration). Then Carlo added some drums and finally Nicked jumped on the boat and I loved his arrangement so much that I asked him to bring my guitar way down in the final mix.

We hope you'll enjoy this pseudo-existential space trip. This has no deep meaning, honestly, I just liked toying with the idea and images of someone freely traveling into space at the speed of thought and then discovering the earth's gone completely empty. A little bit of Martian Chronicles, a little bit of Interstellar (though I didn't like the ending) or 2001 (cos I loved the ending)... There you go!

Don't hesitate to let us know if you enjoyed the ride!

Music, lyrics, vocals and rhythm guitar: Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)
Drums: Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens/could-be-now-open-for-collaboration)
Bass, lead guitar, keys and arrangement: Nick Nolan (https://soundcloud.com/667sounds)

Like a night... Lost in space
Without a clue, no left or right...

Up and down don't mean a thing,
Gone as I am now, spinning round...

Flashes of the sun should
Make me blind or mad, should
Vaporize me, yet I feel no scars...

Looking at my hands and
I see a billion sands and
I realize they cannot be but stars...

Slowing down I find my balance
Open mind, I stop the dance, I stare about...

Then I blink and in a second
Send myself above a land cast in the dark...

May be Earth or may...
Be some alien planet, faraway...

Could be now or later,
Way into the future, or yesterday...

No one seems around, though,
Don't know where I should go,
Are there people? Anyone in wait?

No one here to be for,
No fear here to feel, for
Nothing here is left to desecrate...

Will I know if this is a dream?
Will I stop and scream?
Will it go away?

Will I throw myself out again?
Travel on and wane?
Will I go on and find some day?





Could be now - Collaboration with Nick Nolan

Very often - probably much too often, actually - I have a tendency to use my songs as a way of exorcising my various fears, frustrations and other dark thoughts. For this one I wanted to do the exact opposite and try and compile a non-exhaustive list of the various reasons why it's good to be alive even in this seemingly crazy, cruel and crushing world (can you spell "information overload", kids?).

Well, I had this music that wasn't too gloomy, the words came along relatively easily (which goes to show that the reasons to feel good may be closer and more numerous than we usually think) and my good friends, Carlo and Nick, helped cover the imperfections of my acoustic guitar: thank you, guys!

We hope you'll enjoy this: be sure to like, comment or share if you do. These simple actions are little seeds too (at least as far as my very own inflated ego is concerned).

Drums: Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum)
Bass, keys and lead guitar: Nick Nolan (https://soundcloud.com/667sounds)
Music, lyrics, rhythm guitar and vocals: Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)

A little sun piercing through the clouds brings a smile to my face
I take the time to sit down, I take the time to retrace

Too often glum, too often moody, too often blue or plain depressed,
Why is it always the darker things that keep me obsessed? When there's...

Someone lending you a hand, an evening playing with the band,
Thank you note from a stranger, safe life without danger
Go on a walk with your kids, call a distant long-lost friend
Happiness is little seeds, everything's here at hand...

A book you choose to read once again, the simple fact of not feeling pain,
Your babe comin' to kiss you goodbye, the end of the day, lying down with a sigh,

Finding the time to go thru the pictures, laugh and remember, share & wonder,
Not knowing what to expect for once, just letting things go, happen and bounce,

Finding the gift you're looking for, seeing her close her eyes,
Feeling better than before, not caring about their lies,
Watching birds behind the reeds, a postcard that you stamp and send,
Happiness is little seeds, everything here at hand...

The stormy clouds in the summer night, building a fire, looking at the lights
Of fireflies or snowflakes a' dancing, so bright and so white

Taking a plane or going insane, finding an old toy that sends you back,
Seeing a train or tasting the rain before it all goes black...

Someone lending you a hand, an evening playing with the band,
Thank you note from a stranger, safe life without danger
Go on a walk with your kids, call a distant long-lost friend
Happiness is little seeds, everything's here at hand...


Little Seeds - with Nick Nolan

This is in homage to Michel Martineau who passed away earlier this year.

The first version of this song with just guitar and vocals was posted here (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens/three-notes-for-you-in-memory-of-michel-martineau) and you'll find a few more details about its origin.

Many thanks to my former (English not clarinet) student, Arthur Stockel for adding his very sensitive touch to this.

Drums and percussions: Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum)
Clarinet: Arthur Stockel
Music, lyrics, guitar and vocals: Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)

Three notes for you... free in the morning sun,
Gold, green and blue,
Is all that I want to sing,
Is all that it takes to bring me back (to...)

You ask me why
Three notes and I smile
30 years with you and I feel alive
And I feel like I will keep...
Keep on loving you

One is for now
And one for the past,
One is for the future: the dice are cast
Our children's children run and smile:
They smile at you

Three notes for you... free in the morning sun,
Gold, green and blue,
Is all that I want to sing,
Is all that it takes to bring me back (to...)

Three notes for you:
I've gone, it's true, into the blue,
I'm just a spirit, here to stare,
I'm just these three notes in the air, hangin' there...

One for the heart
And one for the start
One for never, ever bein' apart...
I keep on seeing you
And I keep on playin'!

One is for me
And one is for you
One is for Brazil and the ocean too:
These three notes in the air, I'll keep on loving!

Three notes for you - With Arthur Stockel

I must confess a true attraction to Bossa Nova though I'm absolutely incapable of playing it... Lazy me!

Consequently when I happened upon this backing track to which Carlo had added his "percussive touch" I felt I could do something with it. Definitely not your classic bossa as far as lyrics are concerned but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same!

And please note that, though the song might sound a bit ambiguous in parts, I'm definitely not a creationist even if when I watch the news and what "humanity" is up to these days I often reflect as the late and great Robin Wiliams once put it that "maybe Darwin was wrong...".

Peace!

Music: Wikiloops
Drums: Carlo Presti
Lyrics and vocals: Yann Vienne

Once upon a time there was the sea,
Void under the skies: nothing to see,
Only waves and wind blowin',
Only waves and wind blowin',

It could have stayed as such for all we know,
We don't really know much and yet we go,
We go on pretendin'...
We go on pretendin'...

A flash of lightening... And something growing,
A flash of lightening... There's no knowing.

Getting pretty tired of the same old cells,
The animals and plants, the fish in shells,
Slowly took over and grew,
Can you believe this is true?

Then it got crowded and diverse:
A bona fide bubbling universe,
Something to write home about,
A rather funky thing, no doubt!

An ocean teeming wild with life...
No choice, try or die if... you cannot fight.

And then something came out and roamed around
And here you are now, listening to the sound
Of chatter on the beach, you are
Feeling outta reach: a star!

Sure to be the center of the world,
Forgetting the ages gone, unfurled,
You only see your precious self,
Leave the rest on the shelf...

A flash of lightening... And something warming,
A flash of lightening... But there's no warning you...

Once upon a time there was the sea...
Soon there will be nothing to see

Baby Bossa

Once again Carlo picked a great funky backing and added such great drums to it I felt compelled to try and add my own touch too. Hope you like this!

Music: A.Nonymous
Drums: Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum)
Lyrics and vocals: Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)

One of you can make me turn
Can make me run into the world
One of you will know the words
That make me smile, make me burn

One of you is all I need
Only one for all indeed
Once upon a time there'll be
A fairy tale... One for me

One of you will love me so
I won't let go, I'll grow
Mad and wild, frantically
Shouting out for you to be, be

One and all, one and only
Till I fall, till I see
The darkness call and take me out
One day old without a doubt

Juste un seul frère, une seule
Âme-sœur ici-bas,
Ou bien cent ou bien mille
Sept milliards : pourquoi pas ?

I want a world of hope, a gentle planet of love, you can laugh and joke but think about it:
Imagine, just peace around, the end of hate, bit by bit

Growing fond of each and all
One by one in this call
Of one of you and all of you
And all of me cos it's true
This world's a gift
Let us now fill the rift,
Let us now be... One for all and all for one:
All of us can get this done!

Get this done... Get this done... Get this...
Get this done... Get this done... Get this done... Get this...

One of You

First it was just me and my guitar, then Florian added a great touch of slide and now after a few weeks of exchanging tracks and opinions we've got a full band version of It's Always with:

Florian Mueller: electric and slide guitars (https://soundcloud.com/flohbold)

Nick Nolan: bass and keys (https://soundcloud.com/667sounds)

Carlo Presti: drums (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum)

Yann Vienne : music, lyrics, acoustic guitar and vocals (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens)

I love working with these guys and I hope you'll like the result!

Yann

I'm too tired to tell you to stop,
I'm so tired, I think I'll just drop,

I'm burning with no ambition,
Not lazy but no inclination...

You keep on jumping around
And I jump at every sound

You are life and I feel so dead
Wish I could be something else instead!

I will not... pretend I can do,
I cannot... mend what's broken in two,

I will lie down and shut my eyes
And shut my mouth and shut my sighs...

It's always the same song,
The same lines, the same gong...

It's always the same song,
The same lines, the same gong...

It's always the same song,
The same lines, the same gong...

It's always the same song,
The same lines, the same gong...

It's always...

It's Always  - With Flohbold on guitars and Nick Nolan on bass and keys

Hi!

Welcome to SpiderSapiens where Carlo Presti (https://soundcloud.com/spiderdrum) and Yann Vienne (https://soundcloud.com/non-sapiens) are happy to present their collaborations.

The two of us always play on all the tracks and we're sometimes lucky enough to be joined by other great Soundclouders (usually much more talented than we are).

SpiderSapienS

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