Great pizzicato strings with a nice rise!

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Into Focus

Ascension tells the story of a protagonist following his career path, overcoming fears and barriers, getting over self doubt and adverse conditions. Or maybe the tale of a space odyssey operated by a huge company and its rise to the most powerful entity of mankind. 

Choose whatever you want and please tell it in the comments.

This is a hybrid track starting with a solo violin and piano and strings accompaniment. A constant soft string ostinato is opposed to a synth pulse. The middle part starts very ambient with spacious pads but rises in tension with the help of the orchestra.

The climax is introduced with a strong melodic statement played by horns. It's further developed with modulation and varied instrumentation.

The outro is more or less a mirror of the intro.

Video: https://youtu.be/1jSGHgZLBEc

Ascension

ALPHA AND OMEGA

A traveling snake oil salesman selling magical potions, philosophy, and maybe dream spell black magic.
Experimental Blues. For full effect play loud.
From the album: "Curiosities Of Outsider Art" (Sept 2025)

Lyrics:
Chop up 
Snakeroot
And put it in trucker speed
Take 2 of these
To help you with the ladies
Whippets of Brylcreem
And kerosine

The Priestess Lourdes
She has what you need
Step right up! Step right up!
And vanquish your enemies
You can be the hero of your wife's
Nightly dreams

Step right up!
And see what you need
Doctor Shade's Traveling Medicine Show

Old Grandpa pissed his pants again
And now he's back on the hash
Out in the front yard
In a tight T-shirt
Yelling at imaginary white trash

Take some of these
It's a roundhouse kick 
To your sympathies
You'll climb to the top of the corporate ladder
Of mediocracy
Sit comfortably
In your La-Z-Boy
Receiving the key to the City

Step right up!
"No reason to push or shove, there's plenty for everyone,"
Doctor Shade's Traveling Medicine Show

The old time remedies!
Step right up!
I have the potions
And the notions
That let you  live inside the dream
Living in the dream...

Doctor Shade's Traveling Medicine Show

The Old Time Remedies

Cast of Characters:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — Ovation guitar, lead vocals, lyrics, and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST Chinese cymbals and VST cello
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – light VST Latin percussion, synth, and piano
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums, Chinese percussion 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass, chant vocals at the end 
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — ebow, production, mix, and mastering

This song is the fourth Carl has written and composed with a member of Eclectic Collective in mind. This time JJ is being honoured, and we all agree that he deserves it, too. Carl is a wonderful singer, songwriter, composer, and musician, and we're all grateful that he's joined our collective. 
  Here's what Carl had to say about it. "The music for this was a personal song written to myself which I never really released as I was trying to say goodbye to my own ego in the song. From that point of view I have always seen the piece as a great bit of personal therapy for me. None of the original lyrics survived and JJ gets painted by the new words. But I thought it would be nice to reuse the composition for this. There was no big reason for it only when I decided to start a 60bpm song for JJ on piano .. I started playing Goodbye Ego and the rest is history..."
  We tackled this song like we would any other, though. Mark was first up on this, adding his VST magic in the form of a Chinese gong, as well as the cello you hear in the first verse. The subject of our adulation came next, with JJ adding not only his subtle but effective Latin percussion and beautiful piano, but moody synth, as well. Ken added his majestic Chinese flavoured drums after that, and once they were down, Josh jumped in with his four string fretless bass to complete the rhythm section. Josh also added the vocal chant at the end.
  All that was left was for Stephen to mix it all down for us, which he did in his always pro manner. But before he did, he also added some subtle, yet stirring ebow on his guitar. 
  As stated above, this is a continuation of our songs about us. Hope no one thinks it's arrogant. When Carl presents us with these little treasures, it's hard not to run with them, though. Always a ton of fun to make music together. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Praying hands
Whatever cause
Once our greater good not lost
Bored children create their fun
We shelve French horn for this fine one
"Nice one lads" We read it all!
Vacation taken
To JJ calls
Neighbour to good Mickey Moore
Find Michigan piano pure

JJ calls
Just for us
Love lit up
Just for us

Down the road city of cars
To Howell front deck
Dad and Guitars
We jam that love then tell the world
Love and service human highway knurled
Good bi-product of happiness sought
With Croatian fun to cloud we court

Terrell Terminator in Jungle
Predator for good
Keys like Mr Bungle
Faith in more like we could
He Thanks you
It's lifestyle
Built from a porch
Good collective friend
Keep lighting that torch

Some moments sealed, marked and moulded
Pure intention
Dark blindfolded
Howl from human to Howell good soul
Keyed keystone as collective role

JJ calls
Darkness falls
Love lit up
Just for us
Love lit up
Just for us
Love lit up
Just for us
JJ calls

JJ calls
Just for us

JJ Calls (The Eclectic Collective)

With this music I would like to caress the mind and hearing of you who are listening!

Con questa musica vorrei accarezzare la mente e l’udito di te che ascolti!

Piccole Amenità (Small Amenities)

another old recording that is  part cover part original
about my 90s fascination with Hope Sandoval and Mazzy Star...just sweet and simple music  beautifully performed in a soft understated fashion..Very soothing band to contrast with the grunge of the times that I also liked. Fade Into You although a big hit overshadowed the rest of their catalog.

For this tune, some of the words are lifted from Fade Into You.. but most are mine
I was never infatuated with her like the song suggests...I just liked the band and music ..Watching YouTube videos 30 years later I was struck by the comments of many  who were  captivated by her beauty and singing style..
So I added the fan craze element to the song, but it is more from  my observations of her persona on others, and it is not my personal experience 
Her reticent, diffident singing style apparently was  linked to her awkwardness with fame and the crowds and the cameras.....
I believe she found the attention and the stress of performing very difficult and this I totally relate to
..social anxiety can be a heavy weight to bear.....
This is what I am trying to write about if you read the lyrics carefully 
For me, the song is  really about one shy singer connecting with another. 
Hope was very brave to do what she did, feeling how she did. Much respect


When I was a boy I struggled with sin    
Faith, Hope and lust, where do I begin   
A monster awakened, electricity            
MTV Mazzy Star, my Mary Shelley 
         
Look at her singing, this angel, my crush  
Head tilting, eye shifting, my brain turns to mush 
Raven haired beauty, so soft, shy and stiff 
Haunting my head, sweet sound from her lips 
 
She sang Fade Into You          
Strange that you never knew   
Fade Into You                             
Me she never knew                   

When I was a boy I struggled to play 
To find the right words, thoughts got in the way 
I was building momentum, just biding my time 
Found hope and erupted, I'm sure it's a sign

Look at her dreaming, I can't see her hands
White dress and black boots, they don't understand 
That what she is holding, It's a message from me 
I've sent it to her, right through the TV

Fade Into You                             
Strange that you never knew  
Fade Into You                             
Me she never knew                  

Dr. Frankenstein I presume
 Sad creature from the Black Lagoon 
Like Lon Chaney howling at the moon
No one understands

Little waif  her mystery
Spins a spell to transform me
Kinda awkward no apologies
The stranger takes a stand

So write up that novel, Hold the Hand inside me
Creature, Creator, our narrative freed
This life lived in shadow, come apart and go black
Can you put it together? Why you singing like that?

Fade Into You                             
Strange that you never knew   
Fade Into You                             
Me You never knew                    
Yeah me she never knew 
Me she never knew

Lyrics HotR/Sandoval/Roback 
Music HotR



Fade Into You ...or...The Magical Tale of How Hope Sandoval Turned The Rock Into A Piece of Putty

Surfers like Us ….. composition, all guitar parts, arrangement and mix

Hi Everyone!
After the summer break, I invite you to listen to my brand new song!
I hope you enjoy the dreamy vibe of this track! 😎🎸

The cover photo was taken by my daughter Marta (Baltic Sea in Poland) 🔆

Thanks so much for listening and support.
Artur

Sea Breeze Dance

Moodiness

In collaboration with Francess Harris. She played the piano composition and I did the composition of the orchestral arrangement. Thank you for listening and enjoy. Any comment is appreciated always.

The Perfect Day (feat. Fr. Harris)

The Stars are Calling.... 

Look Up, Listen... 

and simply Sense the Entanglement between every atom and quark in your body and the Stars!  

Destiny awaits...


Composed Arranged and Produced by Anomon
Vocals by 'O'

© Gary Courtland-Miles  2025

Play It By Ear

Mark Hughes

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TSM

Robert John Brooks, Composer

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