Ennio's Godfather

I had a brief for this cut for a movie.  A couple of drunken session heads in Nashville.  I obliged...

Recorded in AmpliTube 5 with my Brian May Red Special.

Death Did Us Part

A tough three months prevented me from working on compositions as much as I would've liked. This is some absolute nonsense that was solely made to get me working again.

Some Guitarviol in there too! ;)

Short

A tribute to Ennio Morricone and Kevin Kiner.  This is part of a soundtrack of a western that was never made.  Quite proud of it.

A mix of dobro, hitting pens against the dobro, beating the dobro with my fist, my vocals (a first) my girlfriend's ukulele debut and some other nonsense. There are no samples or synths on this.  

A campanion blog: http://brunkard.com/on-film-scoring/

Chain Gang Blues - A Soundtrack To A Western That Never Was

Another experiment in juxtapositioning.  My melding of some acid jazz with a seasoning of classical inflections and a dollop of heavy metal guitar solo.  Half bake for a few weeks et voilá, the GBH.

Gearheads:

My Les Paul Custom doing all the guitar stuff and the sequencing care of the installed Fishman Triple Play.  Strings from my trusty guitarviol.

GBH - Ghetto Baroque Hymn

A sequel to GBH kind of.  Thinking of  Serge Gainsbourg's Cannabis soundtrack. 

Actually fell down the rabbit hole properly making this one.   It's quite sad.  Sorry.  I'm very cheerful in real life.

It's a bit of a slow burner but it gets there eventually...  

I'd also like to thank @musicaserj-ii - who very kindly complemented the mood which is something he does more properly truthfully.    So many wonderful sounds up in this cloud...


1967 - Closing Credits

Forgive me but this is something of an indulgence.  

This is a piece that is inspired by older musics in it's entirety.  Nothing surprising.  Every note of it is from a real instrument - which makes it inherently imperfect but perhaps more charming for it.  

In this case the instrument is my arpeggione - Guitarviol 

You can read about it here:

http://brunkard.com/bowing-to-bowed-instruments-guitarviol/

The photo is one I took in a massive forest in Thuringia, Germany over easter.  The title references an Irish philosopher and the world's first and only pantheistic atheist John Toland.  

I've also created a Giorgio Moroder inspired ringtone for iPhone users.  I've no idea why but I'm using it on my phone and it's working!
http://brunkard.com/ringtones/Ele%CC%81gie-Pour-M-Toland-Thomas-Brunkard.m4r

Elégie Pour M. Toland.

It's a been a while and I've been mute on Soundcloud.  Frankly the response to my last piece blew me away and honestly I put so much into that Elégie it was very hard to do something else.  

In the end I stopped trying to force music and sat down and just played and this came out.  

I just finished getting my studio out of boxes and I've been gigging very heavily at the moment.  My hands are in poor condition as a result, hence the title.  This is the sound of my Guitarviol on it's own.  Some of you asked to hear it solo so here it is.  

This was improvised with in two takes (I took a short break as I'm in agony, sympathies please!).   

I recorded it with two new microphones - a wide diaphragm condenser and a ribbon microphone.  The mix has been astounding in terms of the sound. 


Picture - This was hanging up in Erfurt Cathedral.  Colours are quite vivid in real life considering it's older than most countries.

Broken Hands Improvisation

A poem written and recited by @chris-okunbor with Clarinet from stevee101

The very wonderful @chris-okunbor originally had this poem posted in collaboration with a Soundclouder that never was.  Mysterious?  Some will know.  In any case the poem had to be removed from its music but now the music is remade anew. 

The poem tells of a timeless romantic narrative and I've worked very hard to try and match the mood of that story.  The tale charts the course of a relationship and so the music follows that until its penultimate tragic end. 

A very important ingredient was the clarinet most ably played by @stevee101 -  a fellow traveller.  You should really check out his page next.   

Both Chris and Stephane are wonderful people.  The true pathos of this was that we worked on this so far away in isolation.  It's a testament to their talents.

The photo is a common ancient Roman motif - the Dying Slave or The Dying Gaul.   This one was taken in Dublin Castle.   

Gear - my trusty guitarviol supplying the strings again most of them stereo miced just like "Broken Hands Improvisation".  The guitars (my Les Paul Custom) are recorded using @scuffham-amps awesome S-Gear - real clarinet, real percussion.  Drums and piano from Logic Pro X. 

The Slave - A Poem By Chris O

This comes from an idea that I couldn't bring to completion.  

@chris-pendergraft heard potential and spun a tale of death with a vocal and lyric that will scare you.  

Mr @barry_snaith - aka The Inconsistent Jukebox added layers of wonderfully dystopian atmospheric electric guitar.  

For my part there's some dobro, strings, handclaps and backing vocals.

The greatest thing about @Soundcloud is the community and the ability to create new music with people far and wide.  

The reason you need to hear this track is that it's tragic beauty would not have arrived without the aid of these gentlemen.  

We shall work again.   

Death! Keep Walking with Chris Pendergraft and The Inconsistent Jukebox

A pretty normal piece of Baroque music but wait!  Every single note has been played on a guitar.  

Invention No.15 in Eminor

Imagine it.  December 31st, 1979.  5,4,3,2,1  - 1980!

Sounds changed.  

Just having a bit of fun while catching up on some work.  

Learn

New Year's Eve 1979

Thanks for all the support with this track folks.  Help me make more by buying a copy!  https://itunes.apple.com/album/jaspe-ep/id968944444

Every note of this came from a really real instrument.  Mainly my guitarviol and a nylon string guitar.  It's a funny form.  



By the by, it's not a cello or violin folks but a Guitarviol.  Amazing instrument.

About

Hyphenated

I've been tied up learning how to be a dad for the last few months.   This is the result of too many ideas over too long a period so the kitchen sink was thrown at this track. 

I hear John Barry and Serge Gainsbourg in the approach.   The Easter themed titling was accidental!  

Technology and tools - Guitarviol for strings, Les Paul for guitars, @scuffham-amps for guitar sounds.    



Return Of The Saviour

Whilst still struggling with learning the skills of fatherhood I'm posting this to let everyone know that I'm still alive and potentially about to get back out my bow, plectrum and pens and interrupt your stream with my usual mix.  

The title In A Glass Darkly, is from a story by Irish author John Sheridan LeFanu.  The image is of St Michan's in Dublin.  A read-up on both is recommended.  

Strings are from my Guitarviol.

In A Glass Darkly

I'm surrounded by the commemoration of the Easter Rising here in Dublin and it has rubbed off on me.  An Irish rebel song for the day that's in it! 

This is an interesting track as the melody is quite ancient.  I couldn't resist tinkering with the arrangement to get my own mark on it!


The Foggy Dew

Some years ago I wrote the music of this for Ditch and under the good graces of mutual pal Jimmy Coup.  Ditch melded it into a song.  We got this far! 

It's really a demo.  The vocals recorded into Jimmy's MacBook and the mixed over the instrumental demo.  I've tried to give a little bit of polish but of course without the multitrack I'm stuck a bit!  

It's probably more charming due to it's inherent rawness!

The Long Road with Ditch Cassidy

This is a concept piece.  I know.  Dirty word.  It's about dreaming of someone when you're a child then meeting them and everything's amazing but then something's a little unsettling and then, of course, everything gets whacky.  

Literary vampires are very much a Dublin invention and this composition is based on my fellow Dub Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's take on costly immortality - Carmilla.   You can read it here for free as it's 154 years old http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10007 

It's guitarviol mainly with some treatments applied to dose up the weird  as required.  I used some ribbon microphones in the room to make the main lines at the start more earthy and homely as though you're in the room with the performance.  Lots of audible breathing, chair squeaks, and even seagulls if you listen closely.


Carmilla

It's very sunny in Dublin tonight so a little bit of casual mayhem to match the weather.

I'm still working up my music muscles to where they were a year ago.  Something more serious soon.   Getting closer...

An obvious tribute to Carlos Santana.

July

I came home from work and picked up the Guitarviol and played this.  I couldn't resist one sneaky over dub but essentially this is simply playing stream of consciousness improvisation.  I haven't even listened to the whole lot of it.  

The microphone is a mile away from the instrument.  As the accompanying balcony photo can attest, it's raining in Dublin today.  Listen closely and you can hear the summer getting washed out into the Liffey.  Meteorological misery.  :)

Practice Inventions No. II

A little diversion.  Apologies for the mastering.  I was monitoring on a 5 Watt bluetooth speaker.

Sounds are from Retrologue 2 and for the guitars I'm using the very excellent Line 6 Helix Native.

Picture is of my partner's tea pot coaster.

Diminutae Disco

Amhrán na bhFiann

Messing around with some manic spaghetti western madness!

Cowboy deluxe

A collection of early millenial tracks that I used to have on IUMA which have been kindly returned to me by a lucky fluke care of archive.org  

These were done on all sorts of four tracks and 8 tracks.  One was done through a laptop microphone.  Happy memories of well spent youth! :P



Le Cauchemar Aprés Noel

A very short piece that is essentially 32 guitars heaped up on top of each other in a Brian May of Queen style.  This was recorded using a Brian May guitar into a Brian May Digitech pedal simulating the famous Deacy amp as used on the Queen recordings for guitar orchestrations.

Red Queen

Just flexing my muscles.  Nothing to hear here. Again.

Bichordal Polyphonic Robo-Jazz Vamp

Never Ending Album

One Minute

A theme for a make-believe cop show that never aired.

You'll Never Make Lieutenant (1972 Original Theme)

I read some pretty dark history last night so I've called  this Lament For Mary Connell.  It’s just me on my guitarviol.

I researched her story. Warning, it’s pretty bleak.

In 1882, Mary Connell came from Meath to keep house for a farmer, Nicholas Archbold in Grallagh, north county Dublin.

The newspapers tell of Archbold “seducing” her, he being 20 years her senior. Neighbours and priests compelled him to marry her and he made promises to buy wedding rings in Dublin or Drogheda.

Archbold’s sister did not approve of his intentions and put pressure in him to abandon Mary. She was trying to protect her.  

In any case on Sunday, 18th January, 1885, Archbold sent his labourer Henvey to get bread. When Henvey returned the cottage door was locked.

Henvey fetched Mary’s brother, James Connell and he broke down the door. There was no sign of either Archbold or Mary. They searched the quarters, the kitchen and the dairy.

Mary had quarters in the loft above the kitchen. Henvey mounted the kitchen table and got to the door. 

The dreadful nature of the tragedy was not immediately apparent in the dimly lit room.

The floor was a sea of blood. Archbold’s body lay lifeless by the door. Furniture was scattered and broken and in the corner lay Mary Connell.

Archbold held a blood drenched pocket knife, his neck gaping with a wound from ear to ear. An open razor lay at his feet. Mary had been almost decapitated by it and her broken body bore the wounds of her struggle with Archbold.

Police were summoned from Balbriggan and the next Morning the coroner Davys arrived. The whole area was in total shock. There would be no justice for Mary.

Three days later, Archbold’s body still lay in his house. Any attempt to bury him was met with resistance. From Grallagh, to Westpalstown to Balscadden, Fingallians physically blocked and resisted Nicholas Archbold’s internment guarding cemeteries night and day.

They wanted to burn the house with his body in it rather than have him by their ancestors. In the end a compromise was made and Archbold’s corpse was donated to medical science. 

His evil heart possibly still suspended in formaldehyde on a dusty shelf...

Lament For Mary Connell

∎ Composer & Performer based in Dublin, Ireland 
 ∎ Guitarist, guitarviolist 
 ∎ Blues to baroque to whatever inbetween!
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How wonderfully malleable is music? I grew up and live in a country drowning in music of so many sounds. 

I dabble with all sorts of styles and genres but I like to think that it all still sounds like me. 

There's no grand mission for me on Soundcloud beyond finding music that I love and dialoging with other musicians. 

I'm always open to suggestions for collaboration and other adventures.

I don't repost here - not because I'm a miserable person but just because I use this page to sell my wares so to speak. That said I do listen to music on here religiously and I'm very proactive in sharing it around and building links with people that might like the sounds I find appealing. 

I'm working on ways of getting more people from outside Soundcloud plugged in to the wonderful art on display here. I do my bit!

I don't leave comments as link bait or for "karma". I'm very plain spoken so if I comment it's because I have something to say. I use my real name for that reason - my name and my word go together so if you get a compliment or critique its intended as though I gave it face to face.

If you like the music you can help me make more by buying some. Just visit here to help support me making this nonsense! - http://brunkard.com/where-to-buy-a-never-ending-album/

If you would like to use the music or commission me to write something new just get in touch with me through here or on my website. I offer free licenses for non-profit ventures with some small conditions and I also excellent rates for profitable ventures! 

Instruments:

Guitars, guitarviol and guitar like things. I use virtual instruments sparingly and keep the focus on real sounds so to speak.

Thomas Brunkard

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