Best of The Eclectic Collective

Cast of Characters:
 
Cgmaness – @user-419254289-15129531 – Chris – foundational acoustic guitar and seed idea
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ, electric piano, lyrics, and vocals
Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – electric guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken– drums and percussion 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 – four string fretless bass
The Eclectic Collective — composition and mix

  This is the second song in a row that The Eclectic Collective is releasing in as many weeks that was written by Chris. We love working on his songs, and all jumped at the chance to play with this one, as well. He wrote it on an acoustic guitar, onto which he also put some heavy reverb, giving it an ethereal, chordal sound. To that bare bones, Josh fist added his four-string fretless bass to a click track, of all things. Luckily, Ken swooped in soon after and gave it a proper beat with his lively percussion performance. 
  Once the rhythm section was complete, Tez added his melodic, golden-tone guiar in there. Then, it was JJ's turn. He added not only the piano and synth, but wrote the lyrics and sang it, as well. 
  This song was actually mixed by the group, as we all added our parts, although Ken did some final adjustments, too.
  JJ's lyrics tell the story of the first people to reach Easter Island, millenia ago. The wonder of the journey and the discovery of a new home, while using the materials available to survive. Here are his original lyrics.

Original Lyrics by J.J. Terrell:
 
Through the eyes of the gentle rain
Monuments raised where the Lapwings stay
All the sand, the hourglass of man sifts here
A traveling band of gypsies in this land appear
Crowd the fire as the night sets in
Listen for tales of enlightenment
Until dawn
The flowered down of a bird so true
Pure as heaven, the chosen few
It's all waiting for the night

Unabashed (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

David Marconi — @david-marconi-917184705 — electric guitar, bass, foundation synth plus midi percussion and assorted traditional voices, production, mix, and composition
Elpiverse — @elpiverse — Elpi — vocals, vocal composition and production
Ron Lewis — @ron-lewis-779503933 — synth 
TexMex Shaman —  @texmex-shaman — Stephen — sitar and mastering
Mistermark — @user-432503709 — Mark — talking drum
Llanpsych — @llanpsych — Tez – electric guitar
J.J. Terrell — @j-j-terrell — JJ — synth flute and ambient synth
K2 and the Three [and the Four] — @k2andthe3, @k2-kara — Ken — drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary) — @josh-clary-1 — Josh — 5-string fretless bass
Elpi's husband — artwork (created with the help of AI)

This song began with David, who wrote it on the guitar, synth, and bass over a programmed beat he created. He and Josh met more than two months ago and decided to do a collaboration, based on mutual enjoyment of and respect for each other's music. Dave had this song pretty much fleshed out, although it was still a skeleton when he offered it to Josh, who, of course, got the rest of the Eclectic Collective involved. 

Dave asked us all to compose our own parts for the song, so we all got to work right away doing that. We all realized that the first order of business would be to get a real beat on this, so Ken accomplished that task with some dynamic, Eastern inspired drums and percussion, which he plays throughout the song. JJ then stepped in and added his best eastern flute magic. Stephen was next with the perfect-vibe sitar you hear in the first two sections. 

Josh came next to add his five-string fretless bass to the mix, augmenting David's high, staccato bass with his deep, low tone bass. Then, for the third section, where David's Gilmore-esque guitar solo resides, Josh drops out, allowing for Dave's awesome bass playing in that section. However, Josh does come in again towards the end, in the final section, too. Also, in that section, Tez dropped an augmented, harmonic, electric fire, complementary guitar part. Then, David's frequent collaborator and friend Ron added some well blended, ethereal synth to the first section, too.

Once we had the instrumental parts pretty much laid down, we began to discuss getting a woman to sing on this, as David was inspired by The Great Gig in the Sky, by Pink Floyd, and we all agreed. Who we found to do it actually blew all of our minds. JJ, being familiar with her music, contacted Elpi first, and we were all lucky enough that she agreed to do it. Having heard Mediterranean music all her life in Greece, she tapped into what her husband said were her "ancient Greek roots" for her spectacular vocal performance. She finds all the modal notes and places them perfectly throughout her sections. 

But before we were done, Mark came through with some really striking talking drum parts in the first two sections, too. Once we had everything in the can, David took over, both with some masterful editing and production, and with the balanced, dynamic mix. The mix was a formidable task, but he did it with considerable skill, also taking everyone's opinions into account, which is a talent in and of itself. When he was done with the mix, he turned it over to Stephen for the mastering, which the latter did to everyone's satisfaction, as always.

This is the first song the Eclectic Collective has done with David, Elpi, and Ron, and we all hope it's the first of many, as we welcome them into the EC family. They all have some wonderful music on their pages, too, so do yourself a favor and check out all of them, as well. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

The Siege

The Siege : by David Marconi featuring Elpiverse, Ron Lewis & The Eclectic Collective

Cast of Characters:

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

TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric guitar and mastering

Mistermark – @user-432503709 – Mark – all instruments in the break, including clavinet, organ, bass, and drums, as well as production, editing, and mix

Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – electric guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – 4-string fretless bass 

The Eclectic Collective -- composition

This song began its life when Ken came to with a series of drum skeletons about half a year ago with the intent of starting several McDonald's themed songs that The Mysterious Decibel was writing for the group. Well MD had some life getting in the way and then decided to pursue another project full time, leaving us with four solid songs, but without vocals. Ken ended up supplying the solid lead vocals and harmonies you hear the whole way through, with original lyrics that he also wrote.

  But before any of that happened, we got this song together. Stephen was first up, coming up with the main guitar riffs that carry the whole way through. Josh responded quickly to the his guitar parts with some matching bass to go along with it. 

  About this time, Mark heard the funky break in there, and so installed every part of it all on his own, including the clavinet, organ, bass, and drums. Although, Ken is also still playing in the break, as well. When we had it pretty well set, Tez came along and added some fiery guitar to go along with Stephen's. 

 Once we had it in the can, we turned it over to Mark for his expert mix. Stephen mastered it for us, too, for the final touch.

  This ended up being a satisfying product of The Eclectic Collective's teamwork. We hope you enjoyed listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.


Original Lyrics by K2 and The Three:

I built my library, by burning it to  the ground
I live my life, through all this singing sound
Can’t remember, what then we should’ve done
It’s up to you, now, you’re the chosen one

Scaling the riverbank
Scaling the riverbank
Scaling the riverbanks
Scaling the riverbanks

Till we reach solid ground
Pit for play dirt(pay dirt)
Muddy water all around
Sift the sandbox
There’s gold in them thar hills
Treasures lying
Skills to pay the bills

Hanging on and on
…. and I, can’t find my way up!

New to you
It’s goo to you
New to you
It’s goo to you
New to you!

Scaling the River Banks
Scale the riverbanks
Scaling the riverbanks till we reach solid ground
Scaling the riverbanks till we reach solid ground

Hanging  on and on
And I can’t find my way up!

Scale the River Banks
Scaling the riverbanks!

Scale the riverbanks!

Scaling the Riverbanks - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell – drums, bass, organ, triangle, and composition

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

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–PRS semi hollow body electric guitar

This song began with JJ on a late Saturday night, coming up with it on the drums, bass, and organ. He even added some real triange, if you listen for it, you'll be delighted. He had a killer jazz groove on his mind when he composed it, and was able to really bring it to life on all levels. He originally wrote it as a solo piece, but asked Josh if he would like to add a guitar part. Josh jumped at the opportunity to play an original jazz song on his guitar, and in a few days, recorded more than 20 takes of it. He finally landed on the one you hear in here now. 

  They asked Stephen to mix, master, and produce it for them, which he did in his typically professional way.

  This was a fun, exciting collaboration, featuring just JJ and Josh, but the rest of the Eclectic Collective will be back with them next time. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Losing the  Paparazzi (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

Mistermark – @user-432503709 – Mark – drums, VST upright bass, electric vibraphone, horns, high organ in the last section, percussion (shaker, hand claps), production, editing, mix, and composition

TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Fender Custom Shop Tele Thinline electric guitar and mastering

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ, electric piano, synthesizer

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – PRS semi hollow body electric guitar


This song began its life some 20 years ago recorded on Mark's old skool keyboard workstation as a bass line and drum beat, accentuated by a synth melody playing over some electric piano. It sat as that basic version until just recently, when Mark had gotten into horn arrangements, and wanted to try some out, thus creating the impetus for reviving this old tune. Plus, he wanted to get the Eclectic Collective to play the guitar and keys parts on it for a little extra jazzy pizzazz.
  He turned it over to the rest of the EC gang with a pretty clear vision of what he wanted structurally. Stephen was first up, adding his driving guitar to the fist part of every verse. Josh deftly chimed in with the response line in every verse. JJ then came into the mix last and sprinkled his magic electric piano and other keys throughout. After all of our parts were in the can, Mark went to work dutifully editing and mixing what you hear as the final product. Stephen then did his pro mastering work on it to add a little bit more shine.
 This was a lot of fun to put together. It doesn't feature all of the EC, but the other guys will be on many upcoming creations. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.



Clyde's Glide (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
~Mark F-- @mark_f_2019 -- Ibanez EBH1005MS modified three string bass guitar, composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Gibson Les Paul electric guitar end solo, production, and mix
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Fender Telecaster foundational rhythm electric guitar
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell – organ and synth
Cgmaness – @user-419254289-15129531 – Chris – electric guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- PRS SE semi hollow body wah guitar, and ooh aah vocals at the end
This song began as a bass composition recorded as a stem by Mark. He named it after a hang out spot he and his friends used to go to as teenagers to drink beer and smoke bowls. He shared it with JJ, who turned it over to the Eclectic Collective so that we could have our way with it. However, Mark didn't use a click track to record it, so when he sent it to us, Ken had to come up with a drum beat based on Mark's structure, to which Mark then redid his bass part. That takes a lot of imagination on Ken's part when we do something that way.
    The first one of us to lay down a part for it was Chris, who added some really freaky textural guitar. Ken was next up, completing the rhythm section with his mighty drums. Ken then redid his part to better match the bass, thus completing the rhythm section with his mighty drums. Then, Stephen laid down the gritty, underlying rhythm guitar that runs throughout. Josh was up next, adding his melodic wah guitar to the mix. JJ came along soon after and laid down the magical synth that runs throughout. Last, but not least. Tez dropped the fiery solo towards the end. 
  Once the music was all laid down, we thought it could use some oohs and aahs at the end, so Josh recorded them as a five part harmony. However, choosing to only use the highest thee parts in the song, our expert producer on this one, Tez, decided to make a coda out of all five. So, stick around for a treat at the end!
  This is the third song the Eclectic Collective has done as a collab with Mark F. He's a very talented solo bassist, whose other music worth checking out on his page, as well. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Pryer Manor (Eclectic Collective with ~Mark F)

Cast of Characters:
E Ruizzo-- @ruizzoidman21centurions -Manuel-- composition, lyrics, Squier Stratocaster electric guitar, vocals, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- piano, accordion, and horn
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Jose Ramirez nylon stringed flamenco style guitar, and mastering
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – four string Fender Precision Bass bass

This song began all the way back when Manuel was 16 and found love that summer with a girl named Carmen. He remembered her, though, and wrote this song about her all these years later. The title of the song means "Your name has the song," and the lyrics spell out the girl's charms using the letters of her name. Check out the lyrics and the translation below. 
  Using that inspiration, Manuel came up with the song structure and the vocal melodies to a rudimentary drum track with his electric guitar. He then asked Josh if the group would be interested in taking it on. Josh, never being one to refuse a challenging piece of music, and always on the lookout for interesting musicians with whom to collaborate, accepted his kind offer and created a project for the rest of the Eclectic Collecitve to join. He started the whole thing off by adding his bass, to which Ken added his innovative drums, to which Josh redid his bass, as is the typical process in the EC.
  Next up was JJ, who you'd think he'd grown up with Spanish music the way he added the horns, accordion, and piano. Then Stephen stepped in and added his psychedelic and intricate acoustic guitar to the stew. 
  It was all done, except for the mix at this point. Manuel did the honors, and did it very expertly. Stephen mastered it to give it more volume and dynamism, too, as he always does. 
  This was the first, but we hope not the last, time the EC has collaborated with Manuel, although we're all fans of the incredible music on his page. He was a true delight to work with, giving honest, encouraging feedback and helping us shape his song to meet his vision. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Otiginal lyrics by E Ruizzo:

TU NOMBRE TIENE LA CANCIÓN  /  YOUR NAME HAS THE SONG

Qué es una lágrima en el desierto?  /  What is a tear in the desert?
Cae sin ruido, se evapora y se olvida.  /  It falls without noise, evaporates and is forgotten.
No tiene tiempo de brillar, su vida  /  It has no time to shine, its life
es corta y su camino tan incierto…  /  is short and its path so uncertain...

Ce del calor del desierto y su sol,  /  ‘C’ for the heat of the desert and its sun,
a del adiós por el que lloré tanto;  /  ‘a’ for the farewell for which I cried so much;
erre del río que forma mi llanto;  /  ‘r’ for the river formed by my crying;
eme de miedo, de magia y de amor.  /  ‘m’ for fear, for magic and for love.

E de esperanza, de espacio rosado,  /  ‘E’ for hope, for pink space,
de espina clavada, de suelta emoción;  /  for stuck thorn, for loose emotion;
ene de noche de un tiempo pasado.  /  ‘n’ for night of a past time.

Carmen, tu nombre tiene la canción  /  Carmen, your name has the song
de todo aquello que has significado:  /  of all that you have meant:
Carmen de luz, de sonrisa y de adiós.  /  Carmen of light, of smile and of goodbye.

Tu Nombre Tiene La Cancion-Eclectic Collective w/E. Ruizzo

Cast of Characters:

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell – piano, organ, composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Suhr electric guitar, mix, and production
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- four string Fender Precision Bass

This song began one creative Saturday evening several weeks ago with JJ coming up with it on his organ, piano, bass, and drums. He wrote it with the Eclectic Collective in mind and immediately shared it with the rest of us.
  Ken was the first to jump on it, adding his strong, Masonesque drums. Josh excitedly dove in once he had a beat to play off of. Then, it was time for the guitarists in the band to show off their skills. Stephen laid down the psychedelic, textural guitar you hear throughout, as well as the thrilling solo in the middle, starting around 1:25 and ending around 1:50. Tez did his best Dave Gilmour impression, adding rest of the fiery lead solo you hear throughout, as well. 
  Once it was in the can, we needed a mix, of course, and Stephen was kind enough to work his magic on the production.
  This is a perfect example of a JJ seed that took bloom with the EC. We all love working on his songs. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Desert Moon Flower (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick four-string fretless bass, PRS semi hollow body electric guitar, seed idea

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

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- Yamaha Genos 2 organ

TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen–  Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar and mastering

Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – Squier Custom Telecaster electric guitar processed through a Line 6 interface to sound like a synth, mix, and production

Eclectic Collective -- composition

This song started around the New Year holiday, when Josh was playing around with a looper beat on his bass. He came up with the bass line and structure for it before turning it over the the rest of the Eclectic Collective to work with. 

  Ken was first up, giving the beat its due as a real drummer, and making it his own, expertly, as always. JJ was up next with his dynamic, lush organ, propping up the groove and adding sonic flavor throughout. Stephen came through after JJ with his foundatoinal, gritty, groovy guitar. It was sitting there ripe for a melody at this point, so Josh heard and added a melody vaguely inspired by the Simpson's theme and added it with his electric guitar. Tez wrapped the whole thing up with the exciting "synth" part you hear in the middle with his custom Tele, which he processes through a Line 6 interface.

  Once it was in the bag, Tez did the honors of producing and mixing it for us, and he did so exactly as we wanted it.

  This is an example of a song Josh started with a groove and set loose on the rest of the band. It is also a good example of what happens when we're all moving towards the same vision. We hope you enjoy hearing this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Sugar Britches - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
K2 and the Three [and the Four] -- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, acoustic guitar, song and vocal melody composition
Joseph Shenton -- @joseph-shenton -- lyrics
Gaz Brownie — @user-755327533 — Gaz — vocals, vocal harmonies, and lyrics
one man verity show – @one-man-verity-show – Scotty – electric guitar intro
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Les Paul Custom electric guitar, mix, production, and mastering
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez– Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar
Tea R. Sea @tea_are_sea -- Terry – low synthesizer
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 – Fender Precision bass and high synthesizer


This song began a few months ago as an idea Ken had to make the quintessential Gen X song. He structured the chords, beat to appeal to anyone of a certain age group, of which most of the folks in the band are a part. He even played wrote it on his acoustic guitar and came up with the vocal melody, which Gaz put a shine on for the final version. Once he had the form of the song down, he tapped the incredibly talented Joseph Shenton to write the lyrics. Gaz not only superbly sung four part harmonies for this, but the came up with the lyrics for the break parts, too. 
  When he first envisioned it, Ken thought it would be fun to invite as many musicians as we could onto it. However, for whatever reason, it stalled out and sat untouched for a couple months, with just Stephen's foundational guitar, Scotty's thrilling guitar intro, Terry's lush, low end synth, and Josh's bass to hold it down. Then, Ken had the great idea to invite Gaz to sing it for us. His awesome vocal track inspired us to heat up the kiln again, and put some real effort into bringing it to life. On that note, Josh redid his bass part to match Ken's rocking drums, as well as added the high, melodic synth you hear throughout. Tez came in last with the fiery guitar fills and solo, which you can hear throughout, as well. 
  Once it was all in the bag, we tapped Stephen to produce and mix it, which he did in his always pro manner. 
  This is the first collab Eclectic Collective has done with Gaz, but we all hope it won't be the last. He is one of the finest singers on the Cloud, and we're honored that he would sprinkle his magic on this song with us. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Original lyrics by Joseph Stenton:

Where were you on those days gone by
Were you out by the tracks where the lone train whistle cries
Or kicking up rocks on those dusty roads of dirt
Or skating on streets paved with gold
Or wrestling upon the grass beneath endless sky

On days gone bye
On days gone by
To be back there again
For all its lows and for all its highs 

Where were you on those days gone by
Were you tugging at the stars too
In an attempt to release their light
Bonded by hours
To a brotherhood we believed would never die

On days gone bye
On days gone by
To be back there again
For all its lows and for all its highs 

Where were you on those days gone by
From within this dull petrification of time
Comes a crystalline memory
Of those long lost moments, now born free 
Of come what might, come what might be

On days gone bye
On days gone by
To be back there again
For all its lows and for all its highs 

Where were you on those days gone by
With a tape in the walkman
Playing the soundtrack of passing time
To these moments of our lives
That once burned bright but never died

On days gone bye
On days gone by
To be back there again
For all its lows and for all its highs

Generation X-Gaz Brownie/Tea R Sea/Joseph Shenton/One Man Verity Show/Eclectic Collective

Cast of characters:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — Ovation guitar, lead vocals, lyrics, and compostion
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST timbale, production editing
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, production, mix, and mastering
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – electric piano and synth
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Telecaster HSS electric guitrar
This song began as Carl's tribute poem to our drummer, Ken. Carl came up with the chord progression and started a project, to which he invited the rest of us. This is the third song Eclectic Collective has done that is a tribute by Carl to one of our members.  We couldn't feel more honored than to be the subjects of his wild and boundless creativity.
  Fittingly, Ken was first in line to add his magnificent drums. Once we had drums, Josh had something to work with to add his bass, which he did shortly after the drums were up. Mark paid the project a visit next, helping out with a bit of production editing, and dropping in a mad percussion solo using his VST timbale drums. Stephen jumped in soon after, adding the melodic electric guitar riffs that appear throughout. Not to be outdone, JJ added some sonically thickening electric piano, as well as the throwback psychedelic synth that pops up towards the end. Finally, Tez came along and added the electrifying solo that appears about a third of the way in, as well as the one at the end. 
  Once the recording was finished, we turned it over to Stephen to mix in his always professional manner. 
  This song is all about our very talented teammate and brother, Ken, and it is well deserved, too. As mentioned, this is the third song from Carl about one of us. It's hard to describe the feeling of having someone who you respect take the time and energy to think about you in such a positive way as to produce a song about you. Then to have all your buddies join in to amplify it to a solid song is just mind-blowing. We are all very grateful to Carl for not only sharing his music with us, but for his thoughtful consideration of each of us as subjects. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Original lyrics by The Perfect Dark:
Karakoram human
You decorate good future
As many lose their Gods
You stand tall as suture

Rhythmic mountain maestro
Each day, graft, working hard
So kids can eat
Bruised back sees very best of yard

Still, beats get born of evenings
Deep love finds joules to jam
May generation X soothe meaning
Let's teach the younger pussies what we can

To Ken, from pen, to page, to Music
To friends, Now is when, Good sage soup soothes us
Honest and brave, To Jesus he save
Kudos our maestro of percussive wave

Karakoram human
You decorate good future
As many lose their Gods
You stand tall as suture
Sticks in hand
Cymbals a floating
Snare and bass backbone gland
Tom'ed Ringo Star man keep quoting
Keep life steady paced by hand

To Ken, from pen, to page, to Music
To friends, Now is when, Good sage soup soothes us
Honest and brave, To Jesus he save
Kudos our maestro of percussive wave



Rhythmic Mountain (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass and Fender Stratocaster

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

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

Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- percussion, VST flute, and production editing

Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar

The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl --  vocals and lyrics

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

This song began more than a year ago, when Josh created a song out of a looper beat with his four string fretless bass. It sat on the shelf until a few weeks ago, when he shared it with JJ, who was in creative mode one Saturday evening. Josh had actually forgotten that he'd added a bass line to it, and thought he was just passing on a looper beat for JJ to play with. 

  However, JJ heard it, and was so excited that added his magical electric piano part, making it sound like a real song, instead of just drums and a bass. Ken also heard some magic in here, because he came up with his own brilliant beat to replace the looper that was used in for the seed. Mark was next to throw in, adding the striking drum pattern breakdown, and the thrilling flute solo, as well. Tez came in shortly after, adding his thrilling guitar to the mix. After everyone had added their parts, Josh came back and added two guitar parts, the simple low end line, as well as the high strumed triads. At this stage, Mark did some editing, as it is in his skill set, and made it less dense and easier to listen to. 

  Now that the song was musically complete, out newest member, Carl, dropped the amazing vocals you hear, singing his original lyrics. After Carl was done sprinkling his magic in it, we needed an able producer to bring out the magic of the recordings. Good thing we have a trained producer to do the job in Stephen, who mixed and mastered it superbly, as always. 

  This is Eclectic Collective's first fore into the afrobeat genre, although a few of us are really big fans already, and Josh has a few other originals in this genre buried on his page, as well. As always, we all enjoyed the process of hearing this one come together. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Juice our Jah
Chalice of chime
Shooting star
Great rhythm
There's blood in the brine

Suture Sun
Grand heaven high
'Some clan gone cruel
Needing collective eye

Eclectic host
Hoist our hale
Mused healing feast
Musical breeze as gale

Afro beat
Oh melody sweet
Beat afro
Show us where to go

Kalakuta Kingdom - (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar and composition
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Fender Precision Bass
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – synth and organ
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals, whistling, and lyrics
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson Custom T model electric guitar, production, mix, and mastering
This song began at the end of last summer, August of '24, when Tez sat down and composed it on his guitar. He shared it with us right away, and while everyone jumped on it immediately, it sat on the shelf for so long because we all felt we needed a singer for it. Fast forward a year, and lo and behold, we picked up Carl, who is down for whatever vocals a song needs. 
  We began construction on this by creating the rhythm section. Ken first adding his explosive drums, followed by Josh completing the rhythm section with his four string, fretted bass, which he used a plectrum to play.  JJ entered the fray next, adding his otherworldly synth and thickening organ. 
  Then it sat. And sat. And sat some more, until Carl found us, or we found him, and he was finally able to add the missing puzzle piece. He also did something that none of us had ever heard before. He added the whistling at the end, too. But before we put it to bed, Stephen added some thrilling solo work with his axe, too, also towards the end. 
  Now that it was a completed song, we asked Stephen to mix it, even though it's really Tez's song, and that honor would usually go to him. However Tez was experiencing some technical difficulty, so the honor went to Stephen, who did his always professional production work on it. 
  This is a straight rocker from Eclectic Collective, being in all of our wheelhouses. This one was all made in house, too, so it's a great representation of our rocking skills as a band. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it. 

Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Curing core
Great lucid lore
Ore of iron dreaming
Alluring more
Grace lucid door
Assuring new real scening

Iron dreaming
Earth's core revealing

Tick tock that hope
Dream that design
Tick tock that goal
Aspiration in mind
Love locked to luscious
Living for time
New rules got rhyme
The future is fine

Iron dreaming
Earths core revealing

We need not fists
We need no guns
Just words and wist
Dreams for daughters and sons
You get the jist
A felt future is on
We'll clear the mist
Open those fists
It's a hug and a handshake
Then let's all move on

Iron Dreaming (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl -- vocals, lyrics, Ovation acoustic guitar, and composition
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – organ and upright piano
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass and Collings mandolin
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST fiddle
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Earle Scruggs custom banjo, production, mix, and mastering

This is the latest in our series of songs Carl has written about us. Being as both Tez, a lifelong, and to a lesser degree, Carl are Manchester United fans, Carl siezed on the opportunity to celebrate their shared fandom. Although the lyrics are a little inscrutable to us Americans, we love that football (soccer) fans from across the pond will know exactly what he's talking about. 
  Carl wrote this song on his acoustic guitar, and upon sharing it with us, we weren't sure as to the direction we wanted to take it. JJ threw down first, adding his good-time-sounding upright piano and strikingly beautiful organ to the mix first. Enchanted with Carl's composition, Josh next added his bass and mandolin both in the same recording session, without even closing his DAW. Mark was in right after, adding his friendly fiddle solo as well as fiddle fills throughout. Being as the song is about him, Tez came along shortly after and added the tuneful intro and outro on his guitar. Then, as it was just about to sit for a while, Ken added his very tasteful, perfect drums to the mix, thus completing the rhythm section. 
  Before we put a bow on it, though, Stephen made it back from his week in the Colorado wilderness in time to add his magical banjo to the mix. Speaking of mixes, now it was time for one, and we turned it over to him, our in house pro, to do the honors.
  We all really enjoyed working on this one. It is an example of Eclectic Collective taking one of Carls songs and having our way with it. Always a team effort getting it over the line, but we always manage to do it. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Division Two Champs, '75
Small consolation for '74 cries
Fan wow land psyched
True Red Devil in this life

We fell to Leeds
Last Division 1
We had the Irish
Man, I followed them
McGrath didn't train
A different breed
Golden era
Boozed up greats as seed

Then, we mostly won
But still, these moments to memories shone
Keane's end at Juventus
His team's power won
Beast perseverance
2-3 semi so they march on

Teddy & Ole
Broken Bayern lines
Videos with no YouTube
In sport mad mind

Great from great, Cantona
Flying curve ball martial artist
Old Leeds leech
A la French finest

Man Utd before Glazier fud
Old Trafford dreams
Red Devil blood
A fan forever no matter loss
Good grinding Fergie
Our hairdryer boss

True Red Devil
Hughesy's volleys
Arsenal disheveled
Good Giggsy speed
End to end
Back of the net
Great teen we get
Front of our dreams

True Red Devil
Scars from Aguero
And Barce's better
New cycles please
We've been Malcolmed
Bought like shop
These greedy Glaziers fucking up
Our theatre of dreams

If only for Fergie time
We'd be doing just fine

True Red Devil-Eclectic Collective

Cast of Characters:
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST Middle Eastern instruments (Duf Drum, Daire drum, Darbuka, Riq, Qanun, Zurna horn, Ney flute, strings), female vocal sample, 'ululation' (high pitch yodel), and composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Custom fretless 5-string bass 
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals and lyrics
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – saz, shakuhachi, and synth
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken — cymbals and Chinese percussion
Llanpsych - Fluffer for the keyboardist and key grip
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — traditional gourd-body sitar and mastering.

  Josh had the idea for doing a traditional Palestinian song, as he is an avid fan of their music. He wanted to raise awareness of this music and everyone in the band was immediately on board with this idea, and set about to make it happen. 
  Mark, who is an expert percussionist, learned a basic traditional Palestinian drum pattern, in a very authentic fashion. He laid it down, along with an Arabic sounding modal melody line portrayed by the quanun, which is a kind of zither. Josh found this pattern fascinating, and added his five string fretless bass to the it shortly after. Carl jumped in very shortly thereafter, and came up with some really amazing vocal melodies, as well as wonderfully prescient lyrics. He even learned more than several phrases in Arabic, which he sang in there, too. We were all very impressed by this, of course.
  JJ was next up, adding his magical, melodic, and exotic saz, shakuhachi, and synth to the mix. Ken threw in next, adding his perfectly timed brass and Chinese percussion to the mix, too. Last, but certainly not least, Stephen recorded his subtle, exotic, traditional sitar to the piece. 
  Once we had it all recorded, we turned it over to Mark for a mix, as the whole thing is really his baby. Stephen mastered it, though, as he is our resident professional producer.
  Our hope is that this song inspires you to dig into Palestinian music, and through that, you recognize the magic and the humanity of millions of Palestinian people who are suffering unimaginably right now. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

From Carl...
Music is our key to permanant peace on planet Earth in my view. If written thoughfully, it is our unimposing tool where we can share our different cultures like EC have done here to celebrate with our Palestinian friends stylistically the light of their music. I don't speak Arabic so I hope I don't offend anyone but I learned the Arabic as best as I could phonetically. It's done with the best of intentions . The eight Arabic lines are famous proverbs and show us how similarly all of our truths evolve from our hearts and souls

Peace and Love to everyone


Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Sisters and brothers
Daughters and Sons
We would give you food
But the road is blocked to sun
Proud Palestine
Brave brethren
Our hearts are with you
Our souls are weeping

Inhumane blockade of bread
Pains collective minds 
We want gone this dread
Let's find our kind
Please be strong
As we right this wrong
Hope prays that day will not be long

We pine with your God
To find a normal truth
Where your kids can grow and learn good youth
Sisters and Brothers
Daughters and Sons
We are with you Palestine
Sending love through song

The eye sees but the arm is short ( العين ترى والذراع قصيرة )

We are in the same boat ( نحن في نفس القارب )

Winds do not blow as the ships wish ( لا تهب الرياح كما تشاء السفن )

Being alone is better then being with someone bad (أن تكون وحيدا أفضل من أن تكون مع شخص سيء )

What is hidden is more then what has happened ( ما هو مخفي أكثر مما حدث )

Every problem has a solution ( لكل مشكلة حل )

Good intentions count for as much as good actions ( النوايا الحسنة لها نفس أهمية الأفعال الحسنة )

All is well that ends well ( كل شيء على ما يرام إذا انتهى بشكل جيد )

Oh My Darlin' Palestine (Eclectic Collective)

Repost page for Ultrasonic Pest Repellent.  This is where I will repost tracks and make playlists.

Best of The Eclectic Collective

UPR Reposts