BERNIE FAULKNER
Founding member of Exile 
Comes Home To Bluegrass

A couple of years ago Bernie Faulkner was up at the farm, as he often is.  It hasn’t changed much since he grew up there in eastern Kentucky: spacious front porch and deck on the old house, lots of open space, tall grass rippling in the wind, weathered black fence and the family cemetery nearby, at a place called Red Hill.

“Heaven on Earth,” he calls it.  Just thinking about it brings a faraway look to his face for a second.  Then he comes back from there to finish telling the story of how he began work on Pot Belly Stove, his first bluegrass release and the latest of a long line of albums he has recorded as both a solo artist and a member of the rock/country supergroup Exile.



You can hear that song now, on Pot Belly Stove, not sung by Monroe or Stanley but by Faulkner, whose rugged delivery and deep Kentucky drawl reflect both how much he’s lived and how his travels have led him back home.  His songs sharpen this impression, in the rustic eloquence of his lyrics, sing-along choruses and especially on this album, in his embrace of the music he has loved since childhood.

“I was raised on bluegrass,” he says.  “It’s in the air, in the water, in the people.  That’s all they played on WKIC out of Hazard.  When you’d pull into the Grandview Drive-In Theater, you’d see Flatt & Scruggs on the concession stand roof, playing through one mic to all the speakers in the cars.”

This was the music that inspired Faulkner to start writing songs.  Many came from writing sessions with top Music Row tunesmiths.  Others came to Faulkner on his own.  Some got picked up and covered by major artists — “Black Diamonds,” for instance, which was cut by both Ralph Stanley II and the Reno Brothers.  But only recently he noticed a quality in just about all of them that had escaped his attention before.

“They’re all bluegrass songs!” he says, laughing uproariously.  “All this time I was just screwing them up with the wrong instrumentation!”

This epiphany got him thinking about who he was and where he was going.  He’d spent more than four decades making music, learning the showbiz ropes with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars and later on tour with dozens of headliners.  He cut his first original song in Nashville in 1963, went twice through rehab, helped develop the careers of Billy Ray Cyrus, Troy Gentry and other young artists, pushed himself to the limit in the studio and in racing, whether on skis or in the Baja 500 behind the wheel of a Jeep he’d rebuilt by hand.  Lots of running, driving, pushing …

All of which leads us to Pot Belly Stove, a collection of songs drawn from Faulkner’s real-life memories, his fertile imagination or a combination of both.  Accompanied by some of the best traditional acoustic musicians in the business, he paints living pictures — of stashing ill-gotten gains and fleeing for your life on “Fortune,” coming face-to-face with truth long denied on “Rock Bottom,” imparting some choice country wisdom on “One Thing or Another,” “raising crazy redneck cane all night” when wealth finally comes calling on “Bling Bling” and, on the title cut, remembering the virtues of a simpler time.  And, of course, the rousing, churchy “Plastic Flowers,” which just may soon become the essential sendoff song for memorial services.

Not that Faulkner plans on leaving soon.  In fact, he’s just beginning a new adventure.  “I came to doing Pot Belly Stove for one reason — to figure out where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be.  Look,” he says, gesturing a circle in the air.

“But,” he adds, “I’m no more special than anybody else.  We’re all in the same boat.  I just want to do what I can do to be the best I can.  Amen! Let’s rock ’n’ roll!”

Or, better, let’s gather at the Faulkner pot belly stove on a cold winter night, happy to have at last come home too.

The love for music started many years ago for Sempai, when vinyl records were still the way to bring the vibes to the dancefloor.
And the dancefloor was his playground to release the stress after weekends work. Restaurant, bars & clubs were his working ground. Samambaia was one of this places: by that time Leuvens first nightclub. As a bartender, Sempai brought the drinks to the dancefloor, fastly manoeuvring between the dancing crowd.
The love for house music started here and kept growing over the next years, clubbing and working with a strong preference for Deep House. In those times played by Raoul & Geoffroy on the funkiest places.
Only many years later, Sempai took the step to translate his love for dance music to the people around him. Together with his musical partner in crime Beenik, he learned the skils fast forward with the help of his good friend dj Caspar. In only 1 year he evolved from music lover to Pioneer turntablist and started moving dancefloors of Maximo, Thé Dansant afterparty, Barvista’s cellar ’t Gewelf and his own new open air concept in Tienen; House Garden! The future looks bright and full of melody for Sempai!

Me myself I'm a music producer/song writer/rapper. All my life I been making something out of nothing, just imagine what I would do if I had actual quality resources at my disposal but DONT get me wrong I'ma make it with or without what I got because I was taught to be more resourceful then just relying on your resources,My musical style is to just try to help your stressful days and/or motivate. I'm a average person(in this sense) who miss the old hip hop/soul.....so I've came up with a label that one day will be as deep as wu-tang where anybody can join(black or white) as long as you have musical talent, a enlightened mind(walk what you preach),willingness to pass on your knowledge and blessing to the next man,woman and child and have a hunger for hard but fun work,so you can really sleep good.(whenever you deem fit)

THE ORIGINS OF THE NAME "WHALE MADE": The WHALE is the biggest mammal  on the planet(but it also sounds like "well") and MADE is self explainable. I do not discriminate,no genre is off limits (gospel,R&B,Reggae etc.) although my foundation is built from Hip-Hop/Rap I will do mixtures of rock and hip hop or jazz/hip hop, trap beat  etc, I need money to live but that dont really matter as much as the people, cash is an illusion, we all equal anyway. I do this for the Nay-Sayers the ones who doubt everything in my destiny and didn't even think I would  make it this far.I do this for all the kids in any hood called lame and growing up ashamed that they like to hug a book more then the corner of streets. And for the young women who think the only way the pain of poverty wont last, is if they degrade themselves and shake they ass for cash because no good father figure was there to tell them sit yo behind, in class, because compared to your mind and body,the mind will take you farther and last longer. And for the days no child has to watch their mother suffer and hear her cry at night and think it would be easier for her to survive and be happier if she was alone. I dont give a damn bout being filthy rich, all i need is money for my family tree to live good. But I cant be truly happy to all of us live good because it will hurt to see someone with no shoes and I got 200,to see someone with no roof over they head and I got mansions all over the world 25 rooms each,or me eat til im full and pass by somebody that aint even had a whole meal in days. Im in poverty now and it hurts already,I mean im thankful for what I got but I can never be content with what I see people not having. God gives me blessing so I can give my blessings. And thats why I know im going to get far even if I have just 77 cents in my pockets. Never been fake and real enough to cut the heads off the snakes.
THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT

𝘿𝙅 | 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚𝙧 | 🇻🇪🫓
An Absolute Creative Mess.

The recordings that I have put up here began in the 80's when I bought a Tascam 4 track cassette Portastudio. With some cheap mics and very little instrumental or vocal ability, I put down several songs that I came up with. Very few people have ever heard these recordings other than myself. The first song I ever recorded was called "The Depths Of Insanity". I had just gotten my multitrack machine and asked a co-worker to come up with some lyrics. I took them home and put it together, mostly first or second takes on everything. Then came "You Torture Me", which was supposed to be a bit like W.A.S.P. and an Iron Maiden influence for the intro. The finished product sounds nothing like either of those bands, of course! Next was "Man In A Vacuum" where I went for some Schenkerish lead style. Again totally missing the boat. 

Jump to the late 90's and I was playing drums in a local band, Hungry Jack, and wanted to come up with a stoner/doom kind of song for the band. I got out the trusty Tascam but to my horror found that by this time only 3 channels were working. So that's what "Positive Pills = + Results" was done on. The lyrics were taken from a patient's scribblings in a local Mental Health Unit. Vocals and guitar were put through a Boss guitar pedal. Drums were done in 1 take and you can hear me lose the timing a bit at the end. But as it was only a demo for the band to learn the song from, I never fixed it. 

Several years ago I grabbed a Tascam 24 track DAW and have done a few things on that. Finding the time seems to be my biggest roadblock to doing more but I'm plugging away and gathering some better mics and gear to use. "Life Of Crime" is from that, another demo. I plan to re-record everything now that I have better gear. But for now these will do.   

Cats In The Cellar gets together occasionally to jam and have a few beers. I drum and do lead vox in this outfit. 

VERKNIPT RECORDS | STROBÖ | REVISED RECORDS | RAVE ALERT | BARONG FAMILY | SONAXX RECORDS | INFAMIA

Ed E.T. is a powerful name in underground dance music, known for his high-energy performances and innovative sound. He first made waves in the Hardstyle scene, where he became famous for his high octane Reverse Bass style and electrifying sets. His performances have rocked stages around the world, including the main stage at Hardclassics in Holland and multiple tours across Japan and Spain. With over 20 No. 1 hits on major Hardstyle labels & over 3 million combined streams, Ed E.T. has firmly established his reputation.

In early 2023, Ed E.T. shifted gears and entered the realm of Hard Techno showcasing his versatility as an artist. His new music quickly gained attention and praise, with tracks released on top labels like Verknipt Records, Revised Records, Strobö, Rave Alert, Go Hard or Go Hardcore, Barong Family, Sonaxx Records, Infamia Records and others. In the studio, he has collaborated with leading names in the scene, including Rebekah, with more high profile collaborations on the way. His work has been supported by a-list artists such as DJ Snake, I Hate Models, Sara Landry, Nico Moreno, Fatima Hajji, Shlømo, Rebekah, Charlie Sparks, Alignment, Basswell, Stan Christ, Luca Agnelli, BLK, Pawlowski, AZYR, Lessss, DIØN, Dax J, OMAKS, Luciid, Lee Ann Roberts and more. Many of his released and forthcoming tracks are constantly destroying dance floors worldwide at major festivals & events.  

He has appeared on lineups alongside leading artists like Fatima Hajji, BASSWELL, DYEN, PAWLOWSKI, Luca Agnelli, BLK, Per Pleks, Caravel, Køsløv, Denis Dekay and many more and teared up dancefloors internationally at iconic venues such as Fabrik in Madrid among others. With his signature high-energy productions, unique sound, and innovative approach, Ed E.T. is making a big impact in the Hard Techno scene and is a rising force to be reckoned with.

Rapper, lyricist, motivated dreamer, – are just a few of the words used to describe the talent that is Rich “Ammodaius” Cole.  Some have called him “hip hop’s answer to Trey Songz”, while others have compared his languid lyrics to Drake since Ammodaius possesses an uncanny ability to leave his every emotion directly on wax for listeners to make of it what they will.  Perhaps the best ways to describe Yungin and his journey are “motivated”, “survivor”, “hustler”, “ambitious”, and “dreamer”. How else could one describe his ability to escape the streets of Philadelphia, PA, and his share of violent scenarios? The dream of music is what kept him motivated, striving for more, even after losing his cousin at the tender age of 10.  It was in the dream of music that Rich Cole, aka Ammodaius, found himself and a means to escape the neighborhood he still loves.  “My cousin taught me that I could be anything I wanted to be; that the sky was the limit when it came to dreaming.  So, I don’t want to be just another rapper who makes hot tracks and then disappears. I’m not just about being an artist; it’s about a lifestyle, a brand, and eventually, an empire.” Ammodaius explains while discussing his ambitions in relation to music. “I’m a rapper, but I’m a business man”.  His lead project, entitled Loaded vol.1 is a combination of Ammodaius lust for the rap game, love of the business frame, and respect gained from life.  

Inspired by Jay Z, Kanye West, and Drake, raised by the streets of Philadelphia, and his parents, Ammodaius learned at a young age that being something meant he would have to work at it –whether it was struggling to maintain a roof over his head by legal and questionable means, or embarking on the journey that lead him to his current rap label -Network Entertainment- Ammodaius is all about the calculated risk. His intent for Star Element is to share that risk with his fans, by inviting them into a world where their dreams, hopes, and ambitions are still able to be attained, because he understands that the power in every one is Limitless potential that has yet to be unlocked.  It’s through his journey that he hopes to inspire others to passionately pursue their dreams and never accept the status quo when it comes to their end result.  After all, it’s not where you’ve been, but where you’re going. 

Gabriel Chad is following