Music made in Garageband.   Sounds best with earphones  😊

The Norwegian Forest   (Original)

℗© Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Song Notes and Lyrics:
This song imagines one of those occasions when you by chance find yourself in a place where there is some great live music that somehow just seems right.....
Lyrics:
Somewhere in New York City
Or was it down in New Orleans 
Could have been in San Francisco
Or maybe it was all a dream
I was walking by an old blues bar-room 
When I heard somebody playing with some style
So I bought myself an ice cold beer
And listened for a while

Looked like he’d lived a whole life-time
Beard gone silver grey
The people in the place seemed spellbound
Happy just to hear him play
At home on stage under the spotlight 
Keeping time with his heel on the floor
I bought myself another beer
I stayed and Iistened some more 

He wore a fine silk waistcoat
Jacket on the back of his seat
Hat pulled down to his cheekbone
Boots tapping out that beat

He played until the bar-room closed
Right sound right time right place
He walked off into the night
With his old leather guitar case
Never knew his name
Don’t even know if he still plays
But I’ll picture that stage and hear that sound
For the rest…of my days

He wore a fine silk waistcoat
Jacket on the back of his seat
Hat pulled down to his cheekbone
Boots tapping out that beat

Fine Silk Waistcoat

I never felt more powerless than the day I met her

Swept Away

That day that we first met
From a time I can't forget
Babe you quickly took control
You reached deep into my soul

I was nothing very cool
Just your average silly fool
Wondered what you saw in me
Another hopeless charity?

Swept away

I felt it instantly
Some have called it destiny
I could see no one but you
In an instant I was through

You knocked me off my feet
So much power yet so sweet
Your love scrambled up my brain
I went happily insane

So swept away
Swept away
Nothing else to say
I am swept away

So sweetly swept away

A light with style and grace
And that classic lovely face
With your striking gentle smile
Stalking my heart all the while

You've a way I can't describe
So forgive this diatribe
This moment comes along one time
So historic yet sublime

I never had a chance
My whole world just went askance
You know exactly what you've done
Blotted out the Summer's sun

You have shredded my lost heart
Tore my past life all apart
Oh God please just let her see
That for her it's only me

So swept away
Swept away
Nothing left to say
I am swept away
Swept away
Swept away

Babe I love your way

I am swept away

So sweetly swept away

Swept Away

Rozabella

Cast of Characters:

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ, electric piano, drums, synth sax, synth bass, composition, and arrangement 
Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – guitar
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– guitar, production, mix, and mastering
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–ehru 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – lap steel

This ripe piece of funk started with JJ essentially composing it on the e. Piano, organ, drums, synth sax, ands synth bass. He had the Eclectic Collective in mind when he did so, though. JJ actually is playing his drum kit on this one, so funkily that we decided to keep his drums in there. That didn't leave a whole lot of room for Ken to get in on it, but he managed to add a really cool ehru part. The ehru is a two stringed Asian violin with a distinct high percussive sound. JJ's bass line was so well played and solid, we decided to keep it in there, too, which also left Josh searching for a place in the mix. He decided to go last with the lap slide to anchor the foundation of the blues idiom. But he did that after Stephen and Tez cast their spells on the song with their magical guitars. Tez can be heard with the trippy, delay-heavy staccato lines, and Stephen with the silky smooth crying blues lines throughout. 
  Of course, every great song needs a great mixer and producer, and we're lucky enough to have Stephen to do the honors on this one for us.
  This song represents The Eclectic Collective at our funky finest, and we always enjoy and appreciate when JJ starts a song for us. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it. 
  If you really dig it, and have read the whole way to the bottom, please consider sharing this, too. We all appreciate your ears and support.

Sly Willy Blues (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – foundational acoustic and electric guitars, distorted electric guitar, and the seed idea
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– 5-string banjo solo, electric guitar
Mistermark – @the user-432503709 – Mark – vocals, lyrics, high organ, toy piano, percussion, sound effects, production, editing, mix
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- low organ, piano, synth flute, sound effects
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, percussion 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – 4-string fretless bass
Composition – The Eclectic Collective

This song began its life as a hauntinly exquisite guitar chord progression that Tez came up with and shared with the rest of us. He also stacked a couple of other guitar tracks in there for good measure. Ken was first up, adding his drums, then later his pots and pans percussion. As he was doing that, Josh was coming up with his bass line, and they did their little dance of back and forth until the rhythm section was set. Mark came in around the same time, though, and added his unique, Waitsian vocals with the lyrics that he wrote for it, too. He also added some really amazing organ parts, a toy piano which you can hear right after the bajo solo, and percussion that add a solid foundation for his voice and add magic throughout the song. Stephen followed shortly after with the big stroke guitar chords, and also came up with the amazing banjo solo you hear in there, too. Last, but not least, JJ came in with his organ and electric piano to seal the deal with the melodies and ambience. Then he and Mark added the cool sound effects you hear throughout, too.
  Every great song needs a great producer, and Mark filled the duty on this one. He has proved himself to be a masterful editor, producer, and mixer, and we are lucky to have him as part of the team.
  This one is an homage to Tom Waits in a deliberate way. We're all big fans, and tried to do something in his unique style. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.
 
Original lyrics by Mistermark:
I got something hidden in my closet 
that I don’t want you to see 
A little like a shady deposit
And it’s bound to incriminate me

Well now some might call it a skeleton 
Like a raincoat filled with bones
See I been hangin’ it there since I don’t know when
And I just can’t leave it alone

Me and Bill rolling bones in a gambling hall 
I threw snake eyes but Bill counted three
I took his accusation just a little too far 
Then everybody went quiet as they stared at me

Now the finger bone’s connected to the trigger
And the hand bone’s connected to me
And every day my secret’s gettin’ bigger
Soon enough I’ll be swinging from a tree

Coz I got something hidden in my closet 
that I don’t want you to see 
I done made a shady deposit
And it’s bound to incriminate me

Well now some might call it a skeleton 
Like a raincoat filled with bones
See I been hiding it there since I don’t know when
And I just can’t leave it alone
(repeat)

Bones - The Eclectic Collective

A part of Synline's SoundCloud 4th-anniversary special program.
This track is a collaboration with Xian3. https://on.soundcloud.com/R4CucM3TUY4KksW16 arrangements to his original melody.The original song is below.
https://on.soundcloud.com/6Q7HvtzxnK4Z7UBc9
And I asked mozawa_*  on.soundcloud.com/s2URDCHviYSuhzWj8 to strengthen the rhythm.

'Dr Sniff'

You can use red contact lenses
You can also glue on a false beard
Maybe put a wig upon your head
Or simply dye your hair
Using sausage water to create a false trail
Or hide in Mino's maze

nonetheless, nonetheless

You can plane your fingertips
Put on a perfume Chanel No 5
You can walk backwards in the snow
You may even use stealth technology
You can change means of transport
Or walk upstream
Perhaps hiding behind waterfalls
Or also put on a spacesuit

You can speed away in a really fast car
Even take a plane
You can hide on a cruise- or containership
As a blind passenger

but nonetheless, but nonetheless

You can forge the ID
Even swap your tax number
Or even change your health insurance
You can lay false tracks everywhere

You might think you left without trace
But Dr Sniff’s already got your pace
You could even try to hide in hell
But Dr Sniff’s already taken up your smell 

Already taken up your smell…

Lyrics by Xian3
Vocal, Lyrics, Melody by Xian3 
Composition and Sampling collage by Synline  
Beat by mozawa_*

'Dr.Sniff "1984"' 'Xian3=mozawa_*Synline

Mango Sunrise

My car is broken. ( 1994 ) Eddy Mango - Margareta Theorin ( Eddy )

"Not all who wander are lost." -- J.R.R. Tolkien

We all wander at one time or another.  Sometimes, it leads us to wonderful discoveries.  At other times, it can take us away from the things and people in life that are truly important.  One thing is certain:  Wandering almost always teaches us something.

Wandering

Splitz (2021) Anthology CD2 Track 04

Pure Attitude (2024)

EVERY SUNDAY UPLOAD THE  LATEST TRACK
Composition and Sampling collage by Synline with computer.
”The song that is born today can only be born today.” That's why I keep writing it down like a diary.
Music is a kind of feeling I can not express in words. I will write that feelings with computer. 
I am glad I can share it with you.