Tracks that I've recorded with fretless bass. 

fretless bass

This one is a tribute to the great fusion group Tribal Tech, especially to  guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Gary Willis. The great bassist aka Stringburner here on Soundcould asked me to collaborate on this lighting, or better rocket launching, fast fusion track which refers to Saturn 5, off the the tenth album called Rocket Science by the jazz fusion band Tribal Tech released in 2000. A mind boggling original that we could only humbly pay respect to. It uses a faster pace and condenses the themes, then aims in different directions with it, going from a free fusion style into rock and some Indian and Oriental modes.
We greatly enjoyed our little collaboration on this and hope you do too!

Bass guitar and drum programming by Stringburner,
Guitars by Dan van den Berg
recorded and mixed 2014, 2015

Please do check the awesome Stringburner here on Soundcloud! https://soundcloud.com/stringburner


Tribute to Tribal Tech - feat. Stringburner & DanArchX

Some of you that know me a bit longer might recognize this tune. The original name is "A Drone of A". When Mirko Borach, aka Stringburner, asked me if he could have a go at it with his fretless bass I didn't think twice! His take on it made me change some of the drum rhythms and remove the loud rhythm guitars almost completely cause the bass parts of Mirko are so expressive, they can carry the track. The feel is completely different and became more subtle and nuanced. In it's slowly modulating progressions it made me think now of sands continuously shifting the shapes of dunes by the wind, like I saw in Maspalomas earlier this year. The picture was taken there.
Anyways, I hope you like this revamped version!

Arrangements, music, mixing and guitars by Daniël van den Berg, 2014-2015
Bass arrangements and Fretless Bass by Mirko Borach, 2015
Drum samples from Amplitube

Check out Mirko's profile on Soundcloud! https://soundcloud.com/stringburner


The Ever Shifting Sands - feat. Stringburner & DanArchX

The title hints upon the dangerously seductive dance of Salome. Beauty and unease... The track's harmonies and melodic intents seem to flow from eerie to melancholy, tension and resolve. 
I have been working on this track for quite some time in the shape of a very loud rock tune, yet in that form still to be released. Recently I asked Mirko Borach, aka Stringburner, if he would add his bass ideas to this. His musical intention, virtuosity and his singing tone made me try an acoustic version with more room to shine for his playing. In the reworking I changed it into an exotic wild oriental or eastern dance with the, for me at least, obvious hints of Jazz Rock, Flamenco and Fusion. I hope you can enjoy it!

And! Do visit Mirko's splendid work on his SoundCloud profile:
https://soundcloud.com/stringburner

Music, arrangements and guitars by Daniel van den Berg.
Fretless bass and bass arrangements by Mirko Borach.
Drum samples from Amplitube.
February 2015

Guitars:
Paulino Bernabe, Taller de Guitarras, modelo-50, 2001
Ibanez JS100




Veils in the Serpent Wind, Part I - by Dan van den Berg, featuring Mirko Borach

On this summer track we can hear some awesome musicians:
Acoustic Guitar: Dan Van Den Berg @https://soundcloud.com/danarchx 
Synth Solo: Jamie Rhind @https://soundcloud.com/jamie-rhind
Fretless Bass: Mirko Borach @https://soundcloud.com/stringburner
Keyboards and drum programming: Julien Apelian
I hope you will enjoy!
The picture was taken by Dan in Portugal, Algarve.

Summer Rising with Dan Van Den Berg, Jamie Rhind, Mirko Borach & Julien Apelian

The great bass player Mirko Borach, aka Stringburner https://soundcloud.com/stringburner, sent his wonderful original piece called "Mysterious" to Julien Apelian https://soundcloud.com/jules-keys-1 and me to see if we could add our touch and instruments to his warm singing bass sounds. It is a track that is reminiscent of several typical seventies and early eighties bands and sounds, ranging from, for example, a Black Sabbath type oriental riff, to more Return to Forever-like sounds, to even a hint of the Doors in some of Julien's playing. We had great fun working together again, arranging parts and adding solos and the wonderful mixing and post production by Julien tops this collaboration off!

We hope you'll enjoy this fusion of styles and our playing on Mirko's original called ...Mysterious...

Music, drum programming & fretless bass by Mirko Borach https://soundcloud.com/stringburner
Keyboards, synths, Rhodes, arrangements, mixing and mastering by Julien Apelian https://soundcloud.com/jules-keys-1
Guitars and arrangements by Dan van den Berg
July 15th, 2015

Mysterious | by Mirko Borach, with Julien Apelian on keys & Dan van den Berg on guitar

Recently I found the work of a fantastic trumpet player and composer here on SoundCloud: Vivek Patel https://soundcloud.com/vivek-patel. It was always my wish to have a truly great trumpet player on one of my flamencoated tracks, for one because trumpet is one of my favorite instruments in it's sound, dynamic range and voice-like expression. Secondly, Jazz is one of the musical styles I love, in which I always was most exited about the trumpet solos. 

To increase the excitement I also asked my SC buddy, the great fretless bassplayer Mirko Borach https://soundcloud.com/stringburner to join in the fun, who always brings such a thrilling drive to the music and such rich tone.

This one is as I call it a flamencoated track which blends several styles. From flamenco to Jazz, some Middle Eastern motives and a touch of orchestral strings background. This one is a tribute to Michael Brecker's great Two Blocks from the Edge, which I've always loved for it's dark atmosphere. The ones familiar with Brecker's work and catalogue will recognize some of the themes in this one.

I am happy to present this unusual track with an eerie atmosphere and crossover quality: Close to the Edge.

We hope you'll like it!

Loosely based on "Two Blocks From the Edge" by Michael Brecker,
Arrangements and adaptation, acoustic guitars, drum programming, string arrangements, mixing and mastering by Dan van den Berg
Vivek Patel, Flugelhorn and horn arrangements https://soundcloud.com/vivek-patel
Mirko Borach, Fretless Bass and bass arrangements https://soundcloud.com/stringburner
Released: August 8, 2015

Pretty crazy photo of a person sitting on the edge of a skyscraper. Photo by RoofTopper@1x

Close To The Edge |  Dan van den Berg, feat. Mirko Borach, bass & Vivek Patel, flugelhorn

Bass, fretless bass, music and composition: Mirko Borach @stringburner 
Rhythm and lead guitars, co-production: Daniel van den Berg @DanArchX 
Synthesizer, co-production: Jamie Rhind @jamie-rhind  
Drums: A man called Martin @amancalledmartin  
Electric piano, synthesizer, mixing and production: Julien Apelian @jules-keys-1

A message from Mirko:

"The journey continues!

After releasing "Redemption" on SoundCloud which was a full success, we were thinking of a part II to continue the journey into great spheres of fusion and progressive rock. 
This time it should be more intense, more heavy and more mind-blowing than the first part. 
Like a spaceship flight through other dimensions.

With the same line-up as on “Redemption” but now supported by Martin of the British metal band Winterfire on drums we want to enter some parallel worlds of sound.

The title Parallel Worlds should explain our hopes and feelings when we fall asleep.
Falling into a dream our mind is drifting into a parallel universe of different moods and atmospheres.

This track takes us back to instrumental prog rock bands like Planet X with such great musicians like Derek Sherinian, Tony MacAlpine, Virgil Donati and Tom Kennedy.

Again Julien Apelian gives us outstanding key and piano lines and a magic synth solo from outer space.
Dan van den Berg’s splendid rhythm and lead guitar work took us beyond the bounds of universe. 
Jamie Rhind discovers new space at the speed of light with an awesome synth solo.
A man called Martin’s great drums are pure gravity holding it all perfectly together and finally Mirko Borach’s deep bass grooves took us to undiscovered planets and back.

As always we really appreciate your comments, likes and shares!"

December 2015

Parallel Worlds - Mirko Borach, Dan van den Berg, Jamie Rhind, A man called Martin & Julien Apelian

Everybody needs some funk in their life & Mirko Borach (AKA Stringburner from Germany) & myself, are here to give you a good dose of real funk. Jazzy start, that uses a bit of Rhodes Electric Piano & then let's the Fender Strat take over to bounce into an infectious rhythm, pushed along by Mirko's great bass work. Then the horns kick in & you're taking a trip back to some 70's sounds that will make you want to dance. Take it away Mr. Smith!!

Funky Mr. Smith ft. Mirko Borach

A short fretless bass instrumental track played on my Ken Smith BT 5-string fretless. 
Hope you enjoy! ;) 

Recorded January 2017
Music written by Mirko Borach 
© 2017, All rights reserved

Tales of Autumn

Ancalagon (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

Another short fretless bass instrumental track.
Hope you enjoy. ;) 

Music written by Mirko Borach
© 2017 All rights reserved

Crystal Ground (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

Frozen (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

The Deep Sea (Bass Instrumental)

A new istrumental track inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Please see the description of Isengard: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isengard
Hope you enjoy! ;)

©2017 Mirko Borach,
All rights reserved

Isengard (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

New fretless bass instrumental track with some Celtic influences.
Hope you enjoy!

© 2018 Mirko Borach,
All rights reserved

Loch Ness (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

A new bass instrumental track with some middle eastern influences.

Hope you enjoy!

© 2019 Mirko Borach,
All rights reserved

Pharao's Curse (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

Here is a new fretless bass intrumental track but this time it's a cover.
The original track was published by a german metal band called Running Wild in 1992.
 
Here is a link to the original track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox0QR7rfvxs

Chamber Of Lies (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

A Renaissance/Baroque like interlude originally composed and performed on acoustic guitar by John Zwetsloot of the swedish black metal band Dissection back in 1993. 

Picture by Bruno Magalhâes Vianna.

Crimson Towers (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

A Renaissance/Baroque like interlude originally composed and performed on acoustic guitar by John Zwetsloot of the swedish black metal band Dissection back in 1991.

Picture by Zeiss Planetarium Jena.

Into Infinite Obscurity (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

A Renaissance/Baroque like interlude originally composed and performed on acoustic guitar by John Zwetsloot of the swedish black metal band Dissection back in 1993.

Picture by Olaf Schneider.

Feathers Fell (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

As a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, here is a new fretless bass instrumental, dedicated to one of the great dragons in the Silmarillion called Scatha.

Artwork by DoomGuy26

© 2019 Mirko Borach
All rights reserved.

Shattered Sky

The Fall Of Scatha (Fretless Bass Instrumental)

***I'm here to collaborate!!! If you need a bassline (fretted or fretless bass) feel free to contact me!!!***

Let's play BASS!!!