After a weird period of writer's block / distractions / major and minor inconveniences of everyday life / lethargy / half written stubbornly unfinished songs - it looks like the gears on the musical machine might be ever so slowly grinding their way into motion for us again (we hope!!) as a few new things seem to be tentatively rolling off the production line....
This is the first new thing we've written in a while and I joked to Gina that it sounds like it belongs on a horror movie soundtrack - ironic in that the original demo was a cute little piano thing that morphed into this......

Lyrics:

I’ve got a special knife
Laser precise
I’ve got a special knife
And practically painless
Just needs a little trust
To cut out the dark parts
I’ll use it on you if you let me close enough

I won’t hurt you 
I won’t hurt you 
I won’t hurt you though you may feel some pain
I won’t hurt you 
I won’t hurt you 
I won’t hurt you though you may feel some pain

Cut out the dark parts and let you out
Cut out the dark parts and let you out

I’ve got a special knife
Laser precise
I’ve got a special knife
And practically painless
Just needs a little trust
To cut out the dark parts
I’ll use it on you if you let me close.

Knife / The Temperature

Keep me forever

Knife

Here's a new song in demo form. You can watch the video here if you need some visual input to complete your listening experience: https://youtu.be/VLK4Mcqvg3Y

Listen to the finished studio version: https://soundcloud.com/robert-gray-music/stones-in-my-pockets

LYRICS:
Stones in my pockets, dragging me down.
Got to reach the riverbank before I drown
I'm wading through water, it's deep and it's brown.
I've got stones in my pockets
Dragging me down, down, down.

I'm spinning my wheels
Driving on sand
Don't seem to move forwards,
And I can't understand.
I had gold, I had silver but they slipped right through my hands.
I'm spinning my wheels
I'm driving on quicksand.

   Politics and preachers, dividends and deeds.
   I'm sickening slowly with the modern disease.
   I don't belong here, I'm down on my knees.
   Somebody help me, help me please.

I'm walking in circles, drifting around
Tell me where I come from, tell me where I'm bound
And the dreams I've been chasing have been run into the ground.
I'm walking in circles
Spinning around.
Stones in my pocket
Dragging me down.
Stones in my pocket
Dragging me down, down, down, down, down.

CREDITS:
Words & Music: Robert Gray
-----------------------------------------------
SPOTIFY:
https://bit.ly/robert_gray_spotify

APPLE MUSIC:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/robert-gray/1538677514

AMAZON MUSIC:
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B08QGJZRV5

BANDCAMP:
https://robertgraymusic.bandcamp.com/

MORE INFO:
https://www.robertgraymusic.com

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
Copyright: Robert Gray, 2022. All rights reserved. No use or duplication without prior permission.

Stones In My Pockets (acoustic demo)

The world probably doesn't need another song about a failed relationship, but this one's quite short, and isn't overly bitter or anything.

Vocals and guitars: Gavin Pearce
Harmonies: Brunel Bannister

Our Time Has Gone

2Sep22

My naviarhaiku452 submission;

https://www.naviarrecords.com/2022/08/31/naviarhaiku452-night-walk/

:D

night walk [naviarhaiku452]

Piano : juillet 2021
Claviers : décembre 2022
Photo : 30 juin 2017

Piano Style Libre (Free Style) No 3

https://www.instagram.com/athauntes/
https://campsite.bio/athauntes

she knelt on the floor heavily
the rite was about to commence
she was nervous, trying not to show it
oh her grace, her grace, she was in constant pain
surrounded by guards, she struggled for solace
but after some time, chose to do the honors
they then praised her body, her manners and morals
oh her grace, she’d never love them

and for the first time
since i’d known her
she wasn’t doing what 
she really wanted
if i witnessed her obtain the precious crown
i’d believe she was mortal no more, she was a god

the silent god
they sealed her hostile mouth
the silent god
they cut her tongue out
didn't let her speak her mind
another sacrifice in this mire

when it was time for her journey to start
she grabbed him as if she was drowning
and he was a vessel moving through the sea
helpless and lonely in the middle of nowhere
and while she enjoyed his company
he was heading nowhere towards her aim
and while she enjoyed his humor
when he laughed, it stung, she gasped for air
 
and for the first time
since i’d known her
she wasn’t doing what 
she really wanted
if i witnessed her obtain the precious crown
i’d believe she was mortal no more, she was a god

the silent god
they cut her tongue out
the silent god
they sealed her hostile mouth
didn't let her speak her mind
another sacrifice in this mire

written, performed and produced by athauntes

Silent God

A gamelan-inflected dream folk duo.

Live at The Others in Stoke Newington on 12th March 2023.

E-mail: insect.trainers@gmail.com
Facebook: @InsectTrainers
YouTube: @insect.trainers

Insect Trainers is a duo formed of two composers, instrumentalists and song writers, Victoria Major and Nick Gray. We use two Balinese gendér wayang gamelan instruments along with guitar, violin, keyboards and vocals to create a web of urban dream folk with postminimalist, surrealist tendencies. With a name conjured from a phrase in a Chloe Aridjis novel, Insect Trainers invites you to worlds of magic animals, sonic vibrations and Swedenborgian correspondences.

Gendér wayang is the name given to a small group of bronze metallophones used in Bali to accompany shadow puppet plays and ceremonies.

Draw Me (LIVE 12.03.23)

Blue Clouds And Red Ochre (LIVE 12.03.23)

A gamelan-inflected dream folk duo.

E-mail: insect.trainers@gmail.com
Facebook: @InsectTrainers
YouTube: @insect.trainers

Insect Trainers is a duo formed of two composers, instrumentalists and song writers, Victoria Major and Nick Gray. We use two Balinese gendér wayang gamelan instruments along with guitar, violin, keyboards and vocals to create a web of urban dream folk with postminimalist, surrealist tendencies. With a name conjured from a phrase in a Chloe Aridjis novel, Insect Trainers invites you to worlds of magic animals, sonic vibrations and Swedenborgian correspondences.

Gendér wayang is the name given to a small group of bronze metallophones used in Bali to accompany shadow puppet plays and ceremonies.

Llama Song (Taster)

Diane (Tester Mix)

The idea of these songs is a rag-tag bunch of settlers in 1820 or thereabouts, corralling their carts for the night and singing songs. A few have guitars, a consumptive child plays violin, and someone else has an early version of garageband. They are sitting around the fire, ever more drunk and maudlin. The next day they're butchered to a man, by Apaches or some stray pack of soldiers on the escape from a Cormac McCarthy book. 

The grand plan is for other people to sing and play on these songs, to stealthily build some of them up to full orchestra and choir. Some songs seem to work recorded drunkenly with one guitar, whereas others seem to ache for sweeping strings and four part harmonies, like Gustav Mahler with a cowboy hat on.

Louise Riley, Veronica Thompson, Rasp Thorne and Shimrit Elisar have been the first to come wandering in barefoot and wild-eyed out of the vast imaginary emptiness and stand close to the fire for a couple of songs apiece. There is also some beautiful fiddle on a few tracks, played by Sophie Loyer. Nicola Cunningham sang and played glockenspiel at a recent live show. Sarah Gill has played most impressive cello on some of the songs.

Photo by Karla Da Silva

Our Time Has Gone

The Wolfe Sisters

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