Songs with the Eclectic Collective

This track wouldn't have come together if not for Josh taking the initiative and sharing his ideas with everyone.  This is a first for me working with any of these guys, besides the tune Dig Dug which Josh was on.

It was a blast getting to know them and I appreciate Josh asking me to jam!  More to come!

High Noon:
Josh - Monster Bass, artwork and initial idea
K2 and the Three - Drums and Percussion
Llanpsych - Wicked guitar bites throughout with more squeals than a yard full of pigs 
TMS - talk box guitar, lead & rhythm riffage, sitar, mix and production 

Pulled out the talk box for this one (shout out to No Mates Ensemble and Jeremy J Saks who both highly encourage its use haha)

High Noon - (Eclectic Collective)

This is another tune I worked on last week when I was kidnapped, er, when I collaborated with Josh and his band of maniacal musicians.    These guys GIT R DUN I tell you . This one evolved lots just in the few days we worked it up.  
This is June Bug

June Bug  - (Eclectic Collective)

Was happy to participate in another Josh Clary jam!  
This one has an awesome vocal from Steve's Planet and the usual line up brings it here as well with...
Josh on the monster bass
Tez ripping the guitar rhythm and leads
Ken pounding out the beatz and 
JJ making it pretty with those keys. 
I was able to work in the solo in the second half and, with the help of K2 Ken get out a solid production with a nice mix and master.   I believe Tez may have added a bit as well to the post production. 

Basically it was really a true group effort.   Josh is really good with keeping things group focused and having the whole band work within his idea and vision for a song and yet still having the ability to contribute your own unique sounds.

Another fun time with a great group!

Home's Album

Second Floor  - (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that originated with Steve of Steve's Planet. He came up with a really cool guitar instrumental and the vocals, which he is very passionately singing, while travelling through the primordial forests of Central Europe and shared it with all of us. I added the bass and the electric piano. Tez (Llanpsych) added the really cool guitar parts that sound like orchestral violins. Ken (K2 and the Three, and K2 and the Four) added the perfectly complimentary rolling drums. Stephen (TexMex Shaman) added the awesome, trippy sitar and pulled the whole thing together as an expert producer and mixer. Tez also mastered it. Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it.

Bird in the Blue Sky  - (Eclectic Collective)

Ken wrote this song (K2 and the Three, and K2 and the Four) a little more than three decades ago, and recorded it with a former band in '95. It's about being a guy who recovers a woman from a failed relationship, even though he doesn't expect it to last. He got the term from an episode of the '90s hit Roseanne, when one of the someone quipped after one of the daughters had been dumped by a bad boy, only to find a new boyfriend, that "it's not gonna last. He's her transition man." So, Ken, finding himself in a similar situation, picked up the term and ran with it.
His original recording was a harder rock sounding song we used a template, but only loosely. Josh Clary (Entheogenic Psychonaught) tried to answer the question, what would Flea play on this? JJ Terrell came up with the fonky funk keys. Tez (Llanpsych) and Stephen (TexMex Shaman) came up with with the lightning and fire guitar leads. Ken, of course, did the driving drumming and essential percussion. Chris (cgManess) added the really solid foundational rhythm guitar. He also sings this one. On top of that, he also did a fantastic job of producing and mixing it, as well as coming up with the art.
We hope you enjoy it. Below are the lyrics, too.

Hey won’t you listen to me?
I know I can’t set you free
But I’ll jump start your broken heart
Make it safe again for you to live and love
You know it’s all or nothing

Love see me for awhile
Let ‘em know you’re back in style
It’s touch and go, baby you should know
Feelings from your temporary heart
Leave me with all or nothing
Yeah

Girl, I’ll see you in my dreams tonight
It only takes all of my time
You see my brilliant color
Fades to black and white
For I see what you are
And I know who I am

I’m your
Your transition man, yea
Your transition man, yeah

Baby who’s to blame
Was it your fire or my flame?
Candle’s always melt to wax
But I want you to love me like “ forever “
Is all, or is it nothing?

Darling you’re in my soul
I thought I should let you know
The Spirit that is moving me
Is it all ill have, or will you take my hand?
Give me all or give me nothing

And it’s a long distance, baby!!!

Transition Man  - (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that was written by the very talented Artur (Surfers Like Us), who is a surf rock master, and delivered to us in the form of a guitar track. 

Josh (Entheogenic Psychonaught) enjoyed adding the psychedelic, yet foundational four string fretless bass. Ken (K2 and the Three and K2 and the Four) boosted the energy level of the song when he blew our minds with his driving drums. 

JJ (J.J. Terrell) added the wild, dynamic organ you hear throughout. Tez (Llanpsych) brought lightning down from the sky in the solo over the third section. And last, but certainly not least, Stephen (TexMex Shaman) laid down the mind-bending guitar solos over the first two sections. He also produced and mixed it, with a little help from Ken. 

We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as our Eclectic Collective enjoyed making it.

My concept for the first half was like a race - each phrase of the overall section was like a runner handing off the baton to the next racer which is a new guitar sound or tone. Ultimately leading to part 2 which is the final winning lap.

A Time Race  - (Eclectic Collective)

Tex Mex Shaman (Stephen)--rhythm/ slide guitars/ riff/ mix and post production--@texmex-shaman
Llanpsych (Tez)--lead guitar--@llanpsych
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)--bass guitar--@josh-clary-1
J.J. Terrell-- Piano/glockenspiel--@j-j-terrell 
Mysterious Decibel--lead and high backing vocals--@themysteriousdecibel
K2 and the Three (Ken)--drums/ cowbell( I had the fever)maracas/tambourine/ woodblock/ low harmonies--@k2andthe3, and @k2-kara

This is a cover from Paul McCartney and Wings, from the 1975 album, Venus and Mars, and this album was supported on their 1976 Wings over America tour. They always opened with Venus and Mars/Rockshow
     Ken sent Josh and Tez an email a few months back, about maybe covering this awesome rocker, after we released “Hello World." Before responding, Ken reposted his cover of "Richard Cory," a Simon and Garfunkel cover, sung by Denny Laine and Sir Paul on the Wings Over America triple live album. Stephen commented that “Rockshow” was one of the first songs he learned on guitar. Ken said, “Well, here’s your sign!" He freaked and invited Stephen to immediately contact Josh.
     We finished everything but the vocals by early June, but were stuck on lead vocalist. Several of the collective gave it a go, but nothing sounded right. Then came a late game idea. We had all been following and fans of The Mysterious Decibel for quite some time, so we asked him if he'd be interested in singing it. He was game, and really delivered what so many could not. He is a new, welcome addition to our mix. You'll also hear Stephen, who accomplished the herculean task of mixing and producing this song, very ably play the entire song on the guitar, with Tez playing the ripping leads. 
  We hope you enjoy our labor of love that has been an entire summer in the making.

Rockshow (Wings Cover)  - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Surfers Like Us–@user-411502040–Artur–songwriting, foundational rhythm guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman–Stephen–guitar solos in first half, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell–keys, including organ and electric piano
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara–Ken–drums and percussion
Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–Guitar solo in the second half
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–bass guitar

This is a song that Artur wrote in his unique, original, and signature surf rock style, and passed it on to Josh, as a gift. Josh added some bass, and, of course, had to get the rest of the Eclectic Collective involved, too. Ken came up with the energetic, driving beat, perfectly suited for the song. JJ added some really stunning, surfy organ and jamming electric piano. Tez added his signature inspired, powerful lead in the second part. Stephen added his dynamic guitar voice to the first half, and was kind, generous, patient, and talented enough to mix and produce the whole thing.

I asked Artur the meaning of the song's title, and he told me that it refers to the soulmate some people find, who can carry you through anything, even if you or they may be a little crazy. It's about crazy love!

We hope you enjoy our third installment of our surf rock series. Thanks for hanging ten with us!

The One - (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that JJ came up with on the electric piano and shared with the rest of us. He's done a significant portion of the songwriting for the Eclectic Collective, and always gives us quality songs, to which are easy to add our voices. 
When he sent it to us, he had a rough bass on there that sounded like Lust for Life. Ken came up with a killer and appropriate beat, which, if you can picture Lust For Life, included a lot of accentuated bass kicks. 
So, Josh took and went with that, and came up with a funky bass line. Ken and he kicked it back and forth a few times till they linked up. Then JJ added some funky ass organ and trippy retro synth to spice it up.
 Then it was time to send it to the guitarist. Tez laid down some smoking lead solos throughout, with his signature fiery guitar tone and amazing licks. Then Stephen funked it up even more with a fonky-ass wah guitar track. 
 Ken produced and mixed this one for us, and what an excellent job he did, too. This was so much fun to create. We all hope you enjoy listening to our jam as much as we did playing it.

Tonkas and Matchbox Cars -(Eclectic Collective)

You can find the full write up with credits below but I first wanted to say how much fun it was working with Jeff on this one.  He's incredibly supportive and super creative so it's always a joy making music with him!


Cast of characters:
Stoner Jazz-- @user-911083679 —Jeff—vocals, lyrics, and original stem
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen–overdriven guitar, production, and mix
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3 , @k2-kara–Ken–drums and percussion
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–electric clean/effects guitar 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –four string fretless bass and synth           

This song originated with Jeff, who wrote a poem, which he set to a beat and a key with some very cool vocal processing. He sent it to Josh, who added the bass and the synth lines. Josh, of course, got the rest of the Eclectic Collective involved. Ken came up with a solid, distinct beat, based loosely on Josh's first take. Josh then redid his bass line to match up with Ken's drums, which is the way they seem to work best, sometimes going back and forth like that several times until they're locked in. Then, Tez and I each added very distinct, supportive guitar tracks to fill it in. Tez comes through with the very Strat sounding bells ringing throughout. I really shines with his textural tremolo playing throughout, as well as the rocking end. I also produced and mixed it expertly, as always. 
  This is the first time the Eclectic Collective has collaborated with Jeff, although both Josh and especially me (as part of the band, The Smoking Trout) have made music with him before. We really enjoyed making a song based on his vocals, and Jeff is a welcome addition to our sound anytime. We all really enjoyed making this one. We hope you enjoy listening to it.
Lyrics:
Naked Shoulders
l like the way the sun lights up
the naked shoulders of the Early morning
ln the Desert where we met-
ln the shack down by the muddy river
where you said you waited
while l rambled on about the time of
Youth and Sex and Beauty-
When the Real Revolution was the Music-

Slitting quietly and thinking
while the melancholy has lt's moment
letting longing linger longer than lt should
Took a little tumble ln the Bumble
when l got older
always just a little lucky
ln the middle of disaster
no longer sure lf l'm the spell or l'm the caster
only knowing that my feet are made of plaster-

Even though lt's getting late, even though lt's getting late
l'm still standing at the gate
hoping for a bite hoping for a little bite hoping for a little slice of Nlrvana Nlrvana-

Verse 2
You know lt's harder than lt looks
even though l read some books
l'm ln love with my Delusion, Naked and inviting
lt whispers sweetly ln my head and says
You're gonna live Forever, even though l'm almost dead-

Everything that came before
comes knocking at the back-stage door
demanding parts ln the production of the play-

What makes you think you have a choice?
The Director Sald
you don't have to memorize the dialogue
the script ls ln your Head--

Naked Shoulders - (Eclectic Collective and Stonerjazz)

Cast of characters:
Steve's Planet-- @steve-vervaet —Steve—acoustic guitar, vocals, lyrics, composition/arrangement
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman–Stephen–electric guitar, production, and mix
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell —JJ—organ
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara–Ken–drums, percussion, and vocal harmony
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–electric guitar
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Fender precision bass

This song began as an acoustic guitar and vocals stem written and performed by Steve. He sent it to Josh, who added the undulating staccato bass line, with the help of Ken's always well-suited drums. They went back and forth a couple of times, as is their process, until it clicked. Tez added some really dynamic leads and fills throughout, and Stephen filled in the rest of the electric guitar in a Keith/Ronnie kind of way, which is very tasteful. JJ then added some perfectly complimentary organ. Finally, Ken pleasantly surprised us with the vocal harmonies.
Stephen also mixed and produced this one for us. He's brilliant behind the board, and we're lucky to have him aboard. This one came together in a matter of a relatively short period of a fortnight, which is rare for the Eclectic Collective. But, when something is hot and already put together, it comes quickly. We all hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Fallin’
Wandering aimless
Couldn’t shoot straight
No ability
Not much to say
There was no sign of me

Good times, bad times
Leaving out the sad times
Easily
That’s what they’re telling me
Mend or break
Looking over rooftops
Coming to a full stop
Suddenly
On a sad height
Ragging endlessly

Breakline, beeline
Picking up the freeline
Easily
Follow my way
Leavin’ the fast lane
My- My mind is fallin’
When I think about, losing out
There’s no doubt, you started fallin’ x2

And I – I’ve been going my way
One more time, only today 2x

My- My mind is fallin’
When I think about, losing out
There’s no doubt, you started fallin’ x2

Fallin' (Eclectic Collective w/ Steve's Planet)

The Mysterious Decibel-- @themysteriousdecibel  - lyrics and vocals
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen–foundational guitar in first half, solo in the coda, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell–  @j-j-terrell  – piano and composition
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3 , @k2-kara–Ken–drums and percussion, help with mix, bg vocals
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–guitar solo and fills in the main section
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –mandolin, four string fretless bass guitar


This latest Eclectic Collective song was probably the most collaborative in a true sense as we've yet released. The song began with Josh trying to piece together a couple of ideas that he'd come up with on the piano. He sent his ideas to JJ, who took out a connecter section that Josh had no intention of making anything of, and turned it into the body of the song. He returned the song to Josh complete with a signature JJ Terrell climactic coda. Then Josh added the bass to JJ's piano, with some help from the always solid drums from Ken. The way it usually goes is that Josh comes up with a scratch bass line to accompany the song, then Ken adds drums, then Josh goes back and adds the bass to fit the beat. Sometimes they go back and forth, but not this time so much. 
  Then, Stephen added the foundational guitar in the first section, and came up with the idea for the coda. Josh added some mandolin to the coda, too, after which Stephen redid the guitar in the coda to make it very dynamic and part the clouds. Tez finally came along and added the fiery solo and the charming fills in the main section. Most of this time, MD had been working on the narrative lyrics and refining his melodic vocals. Finally, Stephen put it all together for us and mixed it in his expert fashion. 
  We hope you enjoy the thrill of the climax, and also get a chuckle out of the lyrics, which are included below. 

Let me tell you 'bout a dancer yeah!
A mysterious one
She dances to the decibel
She's a A shape shifter from the stars
She doesn't cast no shadow
The light makes things bizarre
She'll mold a new soul in you
And get your grandmother too
She'll bleed you from afar


It's an Early time and a late night
On a mothership deep in flight
Yeah!
It's an Early time and a late night
When the grays are seeing white!

Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about 

Oh baby you caught me off guard I think it's gonna be a early time and a Late night

Hubba bubba max
Hubble space snacks
I'm playing galaga 
Waiting for climax
It didn't take long
A few setbacks

One and done in the black hole
With the Shape shifting of my gun
The time was short but the blast quaked
It was all over before it begun
The frown Came over her like a storm cloud dropping down torrential rain
The frown came over me some time later when the little fetus from Mars slopped onto the terrain

It's an Early time and a late night
On a mothership deep in flight
It's an Early time and a late night
When the grays are seeing white

{Get that thing away from me
Stay on your home planet}

Just One minute altered my universe
My reputation outside of the earth
Flys away in a hearse
Now I'm just the minute man of the cosmos
With an infant out there somewhere they call him... space Frankenstein that's what she knows

It's an Early time and a late night
On a mothership deep in flight
It's an Early time and a late night
When the grays are seeing white

Early Time Late Night - (Eclectic Collective w/ The Mysterious Decibel)

Cast of characters:

Surfers Like Us– @user-411502040  Artur–songwriting, foundational rhythm guitar

TexMex Shaman @texmex-shaman –Stephen–sitar, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell –electric piano, vocals

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--  @k2andthe3 @k2-kara Ken–drums and percussion, vocals

Llanpsych– @llanpsych Tez–lead guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 four string fretless bass guitar, vocals

This song started with Artur composing a brilliant, open piece on his guitar, in his distinct surf rock style, and sending it to Josh. Josh put the bass down on top of Ken's banging drums, but it took Josh a while to be able to get this one for some reason. Once he and Ken were locked in, though, they knew they had it. JJ then sprinkled his electric keyboard magic, followed by Tez, who lights up the whole thing with his electric guitar wizardry. 

 At Artur's request, Ken, JJ, and Josh added the big harmony vocals, "See you soon, in a better world." Artur wanted this song to be about the need for peace in the world. Last, but certainly not least, Stephen added the sitar intro. He also accomplished the herculean task of mixing and producing the whole thing for us.

 This is another true team effort by the Eclectic Collective, and the fourth in our series of surf rock songs. This also happens to coincide with Artur's birthday, so please go to his page and wish him a happy birthday. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

See You Soon (Eclectic Collective w/ Surfers Like Us)

Cast of Characters:
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen–guitar, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –electric piano, organ, and arrangement

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums and percussion

Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–four string fretless bass, guitar, arrangement

  This is a song that began as a drum track that Ken came up initially as a beat for The Gat(s), who respectfully declined it. Instead of letting a solid go to waste, Ken set it loose with JJ and Josh, who came up with an arrangement for the music over top of what they felt was a very killer beat. What was originally a jam, turned into a showcase of the entire Eclectic Collective. Josh also did some guitar work in this one, and with Stephen's brilliant harmony, came up with the opening theme that reoccurs about halfway through. His guitar can also be heard briefly right after the opening theme. Along with Stephen's other half of the theme, he is also responsible for the dynamic, climactic leads through most of it. Tez added his incendiary guitar to the final section, when all else was said and done, as a cherry on top. After all the tracks were in the digital can, we were lucky enough to have Stephen produce and mix it for us. 
  We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the winter holidays. We also hope you enjoy this ride as much as we enjoyed assembling the vehicle.

Helium Weights (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark—piano, composition
Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics and primary vocals
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric guitar
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –organ, synth
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion, arrangement, production, mix
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass guitar, lap steel 
This was brought to us by Mark, who had written it a while back, but wanted to dust it off and give the Eclectic Collective a shot at it. He recorded it with a keen eye toward collaboration with an electric piano synth with heavy stereo tremolo. We just recently found Mark, and he has proven to be a very creative, passionate, and easy to work with collaborator—all the good things. 
  Mark set it loose to Josh first, who of course got Ken in on the act before anything else could transpire. After Ken added his wildly creative, very skillful drum beat, Josh was able to come up with a suitable bass line. He also came up with the lap slide part you hear with the heavy tremolo. Then they turned it over to Stephen, who added a very psychedelic, electrifying solo at the end. Also, JJ set upon it with a very hooky organ. 
  Last, but certainly not least, MD came up with the lyrics, which are a metaphor for trying to break into the business of music, and delivered his fiery vocals, too. Then, we all realized that the song wasn't long enough for our ambitions, so Ken came up with an idea for the arrangement, and lengthened the song to suit our needs. He also very ably mixed and produced this one for us. We had a lot of fun working on Mark's tune. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it. 

Lyrics (by The Mysterious Decibel):
 
Sometimes when we shout they can't hear us under the flow
Of the rapids

I'm screaming from the other side of the river
A shot to try
can you hear me?
I'm jumping in and swimming straight to you

All I can say is I tried
I tried and I met my own waterfall
A short way down
Did I try hard enough?
Cuz I hit the rocks below just hard enough
To hibernate me without a care
It's all just business and never fair

Away With the Rapids - Eclectic Collective w/mistermark and Mysterious Decibel

Cast of Characters:
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth, and composition
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark—synth effects, synth strings and flute, lyrics, and vocals
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric and acoustic guitars, production, and mix
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four-string Fender P bass
--------------------
This is a song that JJ created late one Saturday night on the piano, drums, bass, and guitar. He then presented it to the rest of the Eclectic Collective so we could do our thing with it. Josh replaced JJ's rough bass with his interpretation of the line as soon as Ken replaced the drums with his interpretation of the beat. Interestingly, Ravel's Bolero had a lot to do with the inspiration for the second part of the song. After the rhythm section was done, we turned it over to Stephen, who came up with some really subtle, yet much needed guitar lines. 

 We then turned it over to our relatively new collaborator, Mark, who came up with the lyrics and vocals. This is a lyrical and vocal songwriting debut for Mark, who was inspired by his very first listen to JJ's rough draft. Thus, this song is extra special for him.  

Mark's lyrics are about our Earthly relatives in the far distant future. At that point life on Earth will have just about reached its limits, and so mankind embarks on a journey through space to find another place to call home.

We all hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did creating it.
--------------------
LYRICS:
Part 1:
All you know, all you love is here today
Feel the sun, see the flowers embrace her rays
And you know, all we are must fade away
And now its time to go… 
away…

Part 2:
Here we are, flying high, flying high above the moons of Mars
And beyond another sunrise greets a world once again,
a million miles from where we are
To embrace the flowers of Jupiter, 
once again…

On and on we sail away, searching for another day,
the universe an endless sea
And you know that somewhere out there,
a brand new world, for you and me….

--------------------
Credit: Sample at 1:14 is from original Star Trek tv show theme ("Where No Man Has Gone Before") written by Alexander Courage

All comments welcome, and don't be shy to be critical or suggest ideas to help me improve.   :)
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here's some pictures I took: www.flickr.com/photos/mark_boucher/
my best photos on 500px (safe site): 500px.com/p/mrmark?view=photos

Flowers Of Jupiter (The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen–acoustic and electric guitars, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth, composition, vocals, and lyrics
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums and percussion
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–electric guitar
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass and lap slide

  This song began its life as a composition that JJ wrote one evening on the piano and synth. He also wrote the lyrics and sings this one. He was very excited to share it with us, so he invited Josh, Ken, Stephen and Tez into the project immediately after finishing. However, we couldn't make the thing work at first, so JJ went back and retooled it, streamlined it, and gave it back to us. We all really liked the Floydiness of the groove, and his signature psychedelic coda ending. 
  After Ken had laid down his inspired, foundational  drums, Josh laid down his bass part with his big monster five-string bass, which is good for really low tones. Then it was Tez's turn. He came up with something very Gilmore-esque, with his always exciting leads throughout the first section. Stephen then added some brilliant, filling acoustic guitar to the first section. He, along with Tez, also added some trippy electric guitar to the coda. Finally, Josh just thought it needed something to push the coda over the edge, so he added the slide at the end, too.
  Then, of course, we asked Stephen to produce and mix it for us, which he did in his always expert way. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it. Also, we wish a very happy holidays to everyone! 
JJ's lyrics:
PUSHED AND PULLED AND SWUNG THE CLEAVER
MY TIME IT RAN AWAY.

FOOLISH HEART AND SOME DECEIVIN’
DIE TRYIN’ TO STAY AFRAID

DESERT CHILL IS WHERE IM SLEEPIN’
HARD NIGHT TURNED INTO DAYS

BETTER GO AND FEED THIS FEVER
TWICE BLINDED BY THIS FAITH



SHOULD’VE KNOWN WHILST IN THE SEASON
BEHIND BLIND BRAVEITY

TRUTH COMES HOME TO ROOST THE RAVEN
FIVE STEINS MADE OF JADE

TREASURED HILL THE SUNS RETREATIN’
CARD PLAYED YOUR HANDS AN ACE

LET IT GO THIS BIRD IS DREAMIN’
DICE LANDED AT THE TRAIN



COULD’VE SHOWN MY HEART’S REATREATIN’
BLIND SIDED BY THE SEA

PLEASURED TONE OF THE BALLADEER
FIND A HIGH AND LONELEY PLACE

SEED IS SOWN THIS HEART’S STILL BEATIN’
FIVE LIONS IN THE DEN

GETTIN’ COLD THE BEAST IS LEAVING
SOUTH BOUND IT ALL THE WAY

Red Sun - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
RIch O'Brien--  @rich-obrien  -- composition, intro guitar solo
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman  –Stephen– third guitar solo  
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell  -- Clave and organ
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3 , @k2-kara –Ken–drums, production, and mix
Llanpsych– @llanpsych  –Tez–final guitar solo
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –four-string fretless bass and second guitar solo
This song started as a full composition on all instruments by Rich. He asked Josh if he'd be interested in a collaboration with it. Josh jumped at the chance to share it with the Eclectic Collective. So, he invited the gang to join in, replacing most of the original instrumentation, and adding some new. After Ken had added his driving, foundational drums, Josh added his bass to match. JJ soon after cranked up the funk-o-meter by adding his clave and screaming organ. Then, Josh added a guitar solo, which comes in right after Rich's intro. Stephen was up next with his badass licks in the third solo. Then Tez got a hold of it, and ripped a hole in the ether with his guitar in the last solo.

Ken was generous enough to produce and mix this for us. And what an outstanding job he did, too. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed making it.

Bottled Lightning - (Eclectic Collective) w/ Rich O'Brien

Cast of characters:
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–Elecrtic guitar, mix, and prodcution
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– acoustic and electric guitar  
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell -- Piano, synth, and organ
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass and lap steel
  This is a remix that Tez did of a song JJ wrote, and we released a couple weeks ago. He extracted the coda, expanded it, and mixed an ambient groove into it. Basically, he took the sweetest part of the fruit and made a salad with it. Everyone is doing the same thing they were a couple weeks ago, except this time what you're hearing has gone through the filter of Tez's brain. It sounds like almost a completely different song now, and a really fun ride at that. Tez is into ambient music, so this touches on that proclivity, too. When all heard it on Christmas day, we decided immediately that we wanted to share it with all of you. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it, and Tez enjoyed crafting it into something new.

Red Sun Ambient Mix - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
The Mysterious Decibel -- @themysteriousdecibel – MD – First vocals and lyrics 
Tea R. Sea @tea_are_sea  -- Terry – Synthesizers, beats, composition, production, and mix
Llanpsych– @llanpsych  –Tez–Electric guitar
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman  –Stephen– Electric guitar, mix, and production 
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3,  @k2-kara –Ken–drums, lyrics, and vocals at the end
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –five-string fretless bass

This song began with Terry sharing an intriguing Eastern sounding synth and minimal beat with Ken, who added a really solid beat to bring out the strong rhythm of the song. Once they had a solid foundation and skeleton, they shared it with the rest of the Eclectic Collective. Josh added his four string fretless bass in a dubby line that was inspired by Tez's hot skank part.  Stephen came up with the floating ambient guitar throughout and the shocking dynamic lift towards the end, and Tez piled on to light it up. Then MD got a hold of it and wrote and sang some of his trademark, fun lyrics and vocals in the first part of the song. Ken, not to be left out of the melodic experience, added the vocals at the end. 
  After we all had everything in the can, the Texas Tea combo of Stephen and Terry produced and mixed the whole thing down. This wasn't their first rodeo mixing a project together, and it really shows in the end quality. They also have several duo projects up on both of their pages that are worth checking out.  
  We think the end result is reminiscent of Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation, two big influences on a few of us. We all hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Lyrics by MD:
Time again and on, and on, and on, we fall in slumber
Dreams never wait
Ashes to ashes we all fall down 
Ooooo Circles break
Ashes to ashes we all fall down
When we wake
When we wake
Is this a new Simulation?
When I wake
When I wake

Lyrics by Ken:
Feed the fire or the fire flames out