A simple act of kindness could very well save a life
Think About that
Be kind to one another

Kindness

“I am a tone chaser... I love chasing tone...” - Eddie Van Halen

Always tinkering, Edward Van Halen made himself a guitar and gear that could match his ideas in sound.  From the first record onward, Eddie’s always had a great guitar sound, from the brown sound -as he called the sound of the early records- to the massive sound on his last album. Much, actually most of it though had to do with his mind, soul, feel, his hands and note choices. Edward thinks in outlandish bends, dive bomb whammy bar sounds, squeals and pinch harmonics, pick scratches, finger tapping, wild runs with short atonal interruptions in the blues scales, etc. etc. that I think was his way of surprising himself and with him so many of us rock guitarists back in the day. His tone is not so much about what you would call beauty in a classical sense, but more like extremely cool, explosive and intense. It changed rock music and put rock guitar back on the map, even the biggest pop artists wanted a taste of his playing, like Michael Jackson on his song `beat it’.

In memory and respect of the king of rock guitar, I am making a string of tracks, covers and some originals, that celebrate Edward Van Halen’s phenomenal playing. Of course I am emulating his tones and sounds, with the deepest respect for him. I don’t claim to come close to his tone and playing, it is with the humbled appreciation for the hero of my youngest years. An introduction, back then, to the electric guitar and rock music for me.

-Dan

I hope you can appreciate and enjoy this tune written for Eddie, the man who inspired young Daniël, like so many other kids, to pick up the guitar and want to play rock music.

Recorded with the EVH relic Frankenstrat Guitar.
Track written, recorded and played by Dan van den Berg, loosely based on EVH music.

Recorded March 2021,
Recorded using Amplitube, AURIA.
Photo and editing by Dan van den Berg

Tone Chaser (original)| Remembering Eddie

Distraction

Twat Block me!  Make my day

Big Mamma Bucklez

About Face

sequence

Blueprint

Poker Face

Seeing as light is fading from the centre of your eyes
And the blog that I been posting 
Don’t change your face design
I find I got no knowledge of the ways inside your mind
Any feelings you have gathered are hidden by disguise

How will I know you
How do I get there
What will I feel inside
Will I be nowhere 
I’ve never seen or felt some kind of sign
But I’m wishin’ for that magic kind of ride
How will I know you
How do I get there
What will I feel inside
Will you be elsewhere
I’m seeing but I may as well be blind
Your poker face is killing me inside

I’m so ever hopeful I got sensors in my teeth
If you favour me with meeting eyes I’m flushing red as beet
And dissecting every phrase of yours and liberating nothing
I got to get to you or else I’ll shrink away to stuffing

POKER FACE

Undergoing a baptismal rite of The Cloak might resemble something like this song describes. There is not much colloquial knowledge regarding the secret rituals of the Cloak, though many may imagine.

Buy Our Lies

UroboroSoroborU (Part The Veil)

Some background - I've inherited an English 5-string zither banjo - a Windsor Eclipse 10. Built in the 1930s before the factory in Birmingham was bombed in WW2 and Windsor went out of business. Sounds good in the lower register but terrible after the 5th fret! Mix of gut and steel strings originally and a unique tunnel for the 5th string www.zither-banjo.org.uk/pages/windsornew.htm

It's not the banjo I'd choose to have but then we don't choose our family either do we?

I’m always happy when
I’m holding 
This banjo
It’s not because I can 
Play any tunes 
That you know

The body’s out of shape
It barely resonates
The neck is far too long
Ugly and cumbersome
The wood is cheap
The joints are weak

But all of this
It matters
Not one bit
Because…

I’m always happy when
I’m holding 
This banjo
It’s not because I can 
Play any tunes 
That you know


The sound is high and thin
A cat on helium
The fretboard’s lost its shine
Beneath the years of grime
The strings are worn
The heads don’t turn

But all of this
It matters
Not one bit
Because…

It’s just a feeling that I get
Like a baby, like a pet
When I hold it in my arms
Life can do no harm
My lucky charm…

I’ve found a melody
That you can sing with me
These words together lets
Produce a sweet duet
Now let’s begin, I’ll count you in
One, two, three, four

Banjo

Breathing now is a conscious thought. It is something we did without thinking, and even if we knew we were sick we rarely thought about the damage we might do to someone else. People went to work and sent their kids to school not thinking of the consequences. I am a transplant survivor and my immune system is suppressed. I have had a supply of masks for 10 years. A cold could be lethal. I can't see a dentist without a massive dose of antibiotics before I go. The vaccine will not be 95% effective for me. A mask is part of my life now when around people. Now the whole world is learning how precious a simple breath is, and also how lethal it can be. We have taken it for granted and many who treated it like a joke are gone, as well as those who were given no choice. We will never forget. Today I stood outside my house in the cold and took a deep breath and filled my lungs. I'm looking forward to Spring when I can breathe in the smell of the flowers. I will never ever take that for granted again. Just breathe.

Just Breathe

ik heb de reactor in brand gezet - 
with a hammer, everything is a parser

Don't take the attribution too seriously.

CONSTRIXOR - Ik heb de reactor in brand gezet [free to download]

Playing live and writing & recording in Nelson New Zealand - began recording in 2004 once technology was available to make CDs using industry standard equipment at home. Radio airplay on Fresh FM and the TLC network from 2005. The track IS THIS WHO I THINK IT IS was a finalist in the 2009 NZ MLT songwriting contest.  In Dec 2012  DUNEDIN SOUND reached  no. 26 on NZ on Air "The Audience" chart. In December 2015, RIP OFF THE SCAB and DREAM DESTINATION were selected by a US A&R agent for promotion to artists, In July 2017 - HIGHEST ROOM also picked up by a US agent for promotion. July 2018 DON'T YOU TURN AWAY selected by NY agent to promote to a London soul singer. August 2018 LOVE MY LIFE assigned to BuyNZ audiovisual advertising. December 2018 WHERE CIGARETTES FALL forwarded by Taxi.com to US TV music director. Latest 3 albums seek to marry singer songwriter Imagery with multi-harmony musical movement. 2024 FLOATING INTO WONDER and ECCENTRICITY SO BEAUTIFUL got airplay on a New Foundland radio station. Dec 24 FAKING IRONY and COLLECT the MOMENT have have gotten a foothold in Spotify.

POKER FACE

Steve Low