more experimenting with arranging sampled sounds & loops. a little slow to build up, but once the horns and hammond organ kick in, it's pretty funky.

-sampled instruments include: rhythm & lead electric guitar, some bass, filtered piano, horns, some drums & perc
-instruments played by me include: organ, drums & perc, a tiny bit of electric piano and bass at the transitions  

All comments welcome, and don't be shy to be critical or suggest ideas to help me improve. :)

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
here's some pictures I took: www.flickr.com/photos/mark_boucher/
my best photos on 500px (safe site): 500px.com/p/mrmark?view=photos

Mark's Album (post-2020)

Sneaky Reggae

I was honoured to get a message from Mark Sartori (@user-83791253-79179570), whose music & guitar playing I'm a big fan of, asking if I might want to collaborate on one of his pieces of music. He suggested I add some percussion to his guitar, and this is what came together. Mark S has since recorded a new, solo version of the song as well. 

Thanks Mark, for giving me the nod to work with you on this really fine & catchy tune. Hope folks dig this pan-Pacific partnership!

Little Wind (Mark Sartori with MisterMark)

A 20 minute medley of some of the better bits & pieces from 20 of my solo recordings, all from about 20 years ago (between 2000-2004)

A pretty wide variety of styles - jazz, funk, ambient, classical, world, worldbeat, experimental, alternative, industrial, reggae, electronica, latin, pop, game show music, more. Some unorthodox explorations here... have at it.

0:00 - I, Spy
0:55 - Variations
2:10 - Belle Curves Blues
3:24 - Saxofunk (a)
4:14 - Game Show (b1 - interlude)
4:55 - Game Show (b2 - main theme)
5:35 - Lives of our Days
6:04 - Aulde Europe
6:38 - Multi2dinal
7:56 - Sitar & Santur
9:06 - Last Days of November
11:10 - Industrial Mustard
11:57 - House In Da Jungle
12:45 - Casio Adani
13:26 - Funky Junk
14:49 - Jazzy Ditty
15:44 - Tiger Raga
16:53 - Latin Loop 2
17:59 - Latin Kinda Thang
19:29 - Pennywise (c)
20:50 - Harp of My Dreams (reprise)

(Image is a mosaic of photos I took and some photoshopery; The box head is an avatar I use on Flickr, where I post my photography stuff)

Mark's Album

Mark Music Medley (part 1: 2000-2004)

Happy New Year everybuddy!

Kicking off 2025 with good vibes and a cover of a good ol' fashioned 60's Soul tune; wishing that everything's gunna be alright with you!!!

-all voices by me
-all instruments by me on keyboard
-song written by Curtis Mayfield  (with The Impressions)
-painting "Brass Horn Players" by Samuel Dixon (lettering added)

Here's a short sample of just the vocal track & harmonies isolated:
https://soundcloud.com/user-432503709/its-all-right-isolated-vox

It's All Right (cover - Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions)

This is just a short sample of a blending test of the cool sounds on the mellotron instrument I use in GarageBand. If you’re not familiar with how a real mellotron works, it’s worth checking it out! Here's a very informative demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByD8gH7kYxs

The acoustic guitar is played using a VST guitar on keyboard.
The mellotron sounds are:
  - flute / strings blend
  - cello / strings blend
  - male / female choir blend
  - boys / female choir blend

Here’s a crazy song of mine where I’m using the mellotron is a really ominous chorus (Cut 2: "The Chase"):
https://on.soundcloud.com/mHrSTfwtJ2xxo7s5A

More goodies in the "ISOLATED TRACKS" playlist:
https://soundcloud.com/user-432503709/sets/isolated-tracks

mellotron choir (SOUND DEMO)

Cast of Characters:
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick four string fretless bass, Sigma acoustic guitar, PRS SE semi hollow body guitar, composition
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums and percussion
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark – VST horns - trumpet, bone, & sax, latin drum ensemble, and editing production
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Production, mix, and mastering

This song began in the dead of winter on a cold night with Josh sitting in his studio with his acoustic guitar playing along to a looper beat. He loves Bossa Nova music and wanted to write a song in that style. Of course, he wrote it with the Eclectic Collective in mind.
Josh also came up with the bass line to the looper, but changed it once Ken weighed in with his perfectly suited drum kit. Ken also added the solid percussion keeping things tight. Then JJ got involved and laid down that wonderfully melodic organ part you hear in there. Josh, having not laid down a lead guitar part yet, used JJ melodic idea for the first verse, too, because it's so strong. Mark was last to the table, bringing several really stunning parts that added a lot of depth to the whole thing. He's responsible for the horn arrangements that joins in from JJ's organ around the middle, those funky percussion flourishes and fills, and then creating that percussion breakdown near the end, playing everything you hear in that break. 
This is an example of Josh exploring a less typical type of music, and it being picked up on and carried through expertly as a group unit. We all love bringing in different influences in the EC, and this fit the bill. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

And here’s a short excerpt of the the rhythm section with all the percussion action more isolated:

https://on.soundcloud.com/z7WcB9VvfZWHgAUu8

Meet The New Bossa (The Eclectic Collective)

just messing around with some less common time signatures with this cool sounding VST jazz drum kit I like. This is a little ruff but a short and fun example.   :) 

More goodies in the "ISOLATED TRACKS" playlist:
https://soundcloud.com/user-432503709/sets/isolated-tracks

5/4 rhythm sample A

Cast of characters:

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–piano, drums, and composition
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, mix, mastering, and production
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four string bass, mandolin, and synth
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –  VST flute and symphonic VST horns, bells, 'wind' vocalization 

This song began on the last day of the cold January of this year, when Ken sat down at his piano and recorded an improvisational jam. This is the first song Eclectic Collective has done where Ken started it with a piano, so we were all very excited to work on it. 
  Josh was the first one to add a part, adding his fretless bass guitar, and going back and forth with Ken, while he added the drums to match the groove up right. Josh also added the mandolin after the guitars were laid down, as well as the descending synth blasts you hear throughout. Before all that, though, Stephen recorded the first 2 thirds of the thrilling guitar you hear in there. After Stephen had his part down, Tez came along and finished the guitar work in the latter sections (from the 'windy' section to the end). Last, but certainly not least, Mark added the amazing symphonic elements, specifically the horns and flute melody. He also added the cold January wind sound, created using his breath and some tinkling bells. 
  Once it was all wrapped up, we asked Stephen to put a bow on it with his expert production, which he came through with, as always.
  As mentioned, this is an extraordinary offering from EC, staring Ken not only on drums, but on the keys, as well. It felt like we were jamming all together in the same room, and hope it comes across that way. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Check out the original piano track of Ken playing solo, where this song evolved from: 
https://soundcloud.com/k2-kara/january-epiphany-solo-piano

January Epiphany (The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Telecaster electric guitar, mix, production, and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark – synthesizer, vocals, and lyrics
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
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Tom Anderson custom T electric guitar, sometimes with an ebow
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – synth (bridge sections)

This song began as an idea Tez came up with on his guitar while on holiday not far from his home in Wales. It had such a punchy 80's rock sound that inspired Mark to write lyrics and come up with vocal melodies within a few days of hearing it for the first time. The two of them have written several songs like this, making them a solid songwriting source for Eclectic Collective. 
  Once the song had a more solid form, Ken added his dynamic, driving groove drums to it. As soon as Ken had the drums down, Josh took his turn, adding the fretless bass and solidifying the groove. Now that the basic framework was done, Stephen added some trippy electric guitar. Next up was JJ, adding his dancing organ and the really cool, psych synth lead part in the bridge sections. Mark also added some 80's sounding backing synth in the chorus parts. To wrap things up, Tez also dropped in the hot guitar solos towards the end and outro.
  Once we had it all in the can, it was time to turn it over to Tez for his expert production and mix. He came up with the idea of adding reverb to the drums, as well as some other compression tricks, which he employed with subtle style. 
   This, as mentioned, is a great example of what Eclectic Collective can do in house with the composition and songwriting skills of Tez and Mark. The rest of us really had fun working on this one, too, of course. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Original lyrics by mistermark:

There’s something I’m seeking that I’ve never found
but the seed that you planted went deep in the ground 
there’s a journey that I’m on but the path is uncertain 
the magic fades when you pull back the curtain 

Wherever you go I will follow
there’s always another tomorrow 

There will never come a time when I do you harm
cause my soul is steady when I’m in your arms
and never have I heard music like your Voice 
when you call me to you I have no choice

Wherever you go I will follow
there’s always another tomorrow 

Like a puzzle on the table all the pieces fit
like I’m standing in the dark and a match is lit 
and what it all means man I just don’t know
but it’s a Powerful feeling and it’s starting to grow

Wherever you go I will follow
there’s always another tomorrow

Wherever U Go (Eclectic Collective)

CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass, composition
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – organ and synth
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken — drums and percussion
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- clavinet, VST saxophone solo, synth horns, effects, production editing
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, production, mix, and mastering
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Telecaster HHS electric guitar
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals and lyrics

This song began back at the beginning of the summer, when Josh was messing around on his electric piano and found a structure to which to add his bass. As soon as he opened the project to the rest of Eclectic Collective, JJ jumped right in, adding his thrilling organ and ethereal background synth. Thus, Josh dropped his original e. piano part in favour of JJ's new parts. Ken was next up, adding the drums in reverse order from how he and Josh usually do it. Ken is very skilled at being able to add drums to a pre-existing bass line, which he displays in here. He also added the clever auxiliary percussion you hear throughout. Mark was next up, adding his funky clavinet, as well as his sax solo you hear lighting it up in there. He also added that synth horns arrangement leading into the last chorus. 
  Then it was time for the guitarists to do their thing. Stephen added the strong, melodic solos in the first two breaks with his guitar and wah pedal. After Tez added his thrilling solos at the end, Stephen went back in and added the funky rhythm guitar part. Tez also added the funky guitar riffs throughout the verses.
  All that was left was to get Carl in on the action, as he is the newest core member of Eclectic Collective. He wrote a poem and sung it in his signature, wild style for us.
  This is Eclectic Collective at almost full strength, pulling six musicians from two different continents and four different countries together to create a song. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
   On a side note, this will be Eclectic Collective's last song for two weeks. As most of you know, we release a song every Thursday at midnight. Due to vacation and travel at the end of summer, we'll be skipping  next Friday, the 15th, but should be returning the following Friday, the 22nd. We may also put something out this coming Tuesday, the 12th, so please stay tuned. Can't thank enough those of you who tune in regularly and support us every week. 

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY THE BEAUTIFUL DARK:
Hey Human
It's official
The get down on fire funk
Future sizzle
All members agree
Gotta collect that love
Then give it back and well, we see
Fuel for that musical party

Initiation ceremony
Transcontinental spanking machine
Uh oh it's a musical tri sexual
Try anything that melody mentioning
Do it for the song
We gonna right some wrong
Rolling rhythm unknown
The human touch
The get down

The get down
Friends don't frown
We got each-other man
Music
Keep that campfire warm
Ooo Ooo
The get down
Friends don't frown
We got each other man
Music
Keep that campfire warm
Ooo Ooo

Aw man, I'm feeling back tingle
Lads, go tell Fiona Apple I'm single
Llanspych, nudge PJ Harvey
Jamming that genius soul new wave!

The get down
Friends don't frown
We got each-other man
Music
Keep that campfire warm
Ooo Ooo
The get down
Friends don't frown
We got each other man
Music
Keep that campfire warm
Ooo Ooo

Thrust that rush
Sine waved funk
Flying musical J's
Aw man it's Mike like dunk
Thrust that rush
Sine waved funk
To musical 24
You get a song
Drained 81 now on this floor

The get down
Friends don't frown
We got each-other man
Music, keep that campfire warm
The get down
Love legends loud
Rest in peace good Kobe one
This one's for you
Good G.O.A.T of stun!


The Get Down (Eclectic Collective)

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)

This is another cover of an oldies tune, 'Another Saturday Night*', written by the great Sam Cooke (he wrote the song while staying in a hotel where no female guests were allowed). But this version is a cover of another cover - Cat Steven's version of the song. Cat's version is more upbeat, with a bit of a Latin feel to it. Being a fan of both versions, I threw in a sample of Cooke's original at the very end, and the voices from the studio recording at the very beginning, including a count off by Cooke himself, just for fun. I REALLY enjoyed doing this one, and hope it shows in the recording. Thanks for listening.

All instruments played by me on keyboard:
-organ
-acoustic guitar
-flute
-trumpets
-alto & tenor sax
-piano
-bass
-percussion
-drums
-lead & backing vocals

*Song written by Sam Cooke

(apologies for my absence from Soundcloud lately; work & some recent vacation time keep getting in the way. how dare they!)

Another Saturday Night (Cat's cover)

another example in my 'isolated tracks' series, this is a short snippet from 'The Get Down' by the Eclectic Collective, featuring just the clavinet chorus along with Josh's slick bass riff and some nifty percussion from Ken.  

here's the full song with the detailed description:
(likely a different sounding mix than you've heard before)  😎

https://soundcloud.com/user-432503709/the-get-down-mark-mix-audio

The Get Down (ISOLATED clavinet with rhythm section)

This one's pretty typical of how I tend to compose music - I often create a drum beat I like, then add a bass and build around that. The main inspiration for this ditty was basically to play to a less common time signature, in this case a 7/8 rhythm. That reminded me of the funny 'yes, but yellow' meme circulating out there on the internet, so I whipped up this quick image in Photoshop to go with it (note the yellow slice is 1 eighth of the pie).  😊

I'm playing all instruments here on keyboard, except the slide guitar (dobro?), which is made up of several short loops in Garageband, sliced up to fit the 7/8 pattern I wanted)

Thanks for listening; hope to ketchup with your stuff soon!  


INSTRUMENTS:
-bass
-drums
-percussion
-Wurlitzer electric piano
-slide guitar (loop)
-tenor sax
-trumpet
-clavinet
-B3 organ

Most of the Time (Funk in 7/8)

Another post where I've isolated one instrument track from a previously uploaded song, in this case the clavinet track from the song "Most of the Time (Funk in 7/8)". I've also included the drum track, and a bit of the electric piano from the original full recording. 

Here's a link to the full version:
https://on.soundcloud.com/hXYh21OWNgQpSzW1sf

And here's a link to a playlist featuring other examples of isolated tracks or selected excerpts:
https://on.soundcloud.com/wKceOXdzY278sPm25x

most of the time (ISOLATED clavinet)

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, and JJ's angels (voice synth)
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 seized 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. He also added the subtle human voice choral synth you hear throughout. 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 (The 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), mix, composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Custom fretless 5-string bass 
Llanpsych - Fluffer for the keyboardist and keygrip
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
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — traditional gourd-body sitar and mastering.
Llanpsych - Fluffer for the keyboardist and key grip

The inspiration for this music came from the desire acknowledge and pay tribute to the people suffering from the fighting in the Middle East, and in particular in Palestine. Josh had the idea of doing a traditional Palestinian song, as he is an avid fan of their music. He wanted to raise awareness of this music and tie it to the idea it may cease to exist as a living musical tradition sooner than later. Everyone in the band was immediately on board with this idea, and set about to make it happen. 
  Mark, who is an expert percussionist, composed a typical traditional Middle Eastern style drum pattern, together with an Arabic scale melody, played on the Qanun (a kind of zither). To that he added the instrumental 'Zurna' solo in the middle, various other traditional instruments, and even sang the high pitch yodel sound at the end. 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 experience a taste of the magic and the beauty of that region, despite suffering victims of war are experiencing there. But most of all, we hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

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)

Cast of Characters:
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – acoustic guitar, synth, and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- vocals, lyrics, sound FX (robot bleep, ocean), mix, and production
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 – four string fretless Warwick bass
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano, B3 synth voice, synth sax, and JJ's angels (voice synth)
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– master and production

This song started as a project that was begun on his guitar and synth, then shelved by our master songwriter, Chris. He always gives us magic to work with, and as soon as he shared this one with the rest of Eclectic Collective, we all jumped on it.
Mark was immediately inspired by Chris' music demo, and set about writing some timely lyrics to sing with his solid, inimitable voice. The lyrics are about a hypothetical future where we've turned to technology in search of human connection, only to realize that it has only isolated us more, and that we really already had that connection to begin with. (The narration is from a future perspective, like all this has already happened, and its speaking to us from the future, almost like a warning.)
The rhythm section was still absent, though, but not for long. Ken added his groovy, perfectly in the vibe drums to it next. Josh, of course followed soon after, now that he had drums to work with, by adding his fretless four string bass to the song. Now that it was sounding like a well rounded piece, Tez came through with the thrilling guitar solos that you hear in the middle. JJ first added some piano, B3, and sax to the song, then later completed it with his psychedelic synth and divine voice synth that provides the "choir" you hear in there.
Now that it was all in the bag, Mark spent considerable time and effort mixing it, then turned it over to our resident pro Stephen for the mastering.
This is one of our favourite songs we've ever done, and it reminiscent of both Pink Floyd and King Crimson. It's a great example of what the team is able to do with a really solid, yet open musical seed, provided by a master composer. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Image designed by Mistermark using ChatGPT 5

Original lyrics by Mistermark:

The wind by the seashore, the wash of the waves
the sand on your skin and the glance that you gave
the sounds of the carnival we left it all behind
there were words left unsaid at the back of your mind
how could I have been so blind?

It was so long ago now it’s just you and me
it seems I've forgotten the way you like your tea
the house becomes quiet as the guests head for home
the garden’s been gathered and the kids are all grown
on their own

“The robots will help” they said “it’s better this way”
“there’s no need to work and there’s more time to play”
our leaders assured us we’d never go poor
and nobody questions the truth anymore
but what did we do it all for?

Our science sustains us like fine works of art
but are we closer together or farther apart?
we’re each on an island alone on the sea
the ocean between us expands rapidly
is this where we wanted to be?

It was so long ago now it’s just you and me
it seems we’ve forgotten the way it used to be
machines tried to help us but something went wrong
the future we wanted was here all along

The wind by the seashore, the wash of the waves
the sand on your skin and the glance that you gave
the sounds of the carnival we left it all behind
there were words left unsaid…

Faded Fortunes (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Fender Precision bass and Gibson SG electric guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl -- vocals
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – organ and piano
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- harmonica, VST sax, VST strings
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson custom T model electric guitar, production, mix, and mastering
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar

This cover of the CCR version of this Screaming Jay Hawkins classic began as an idea Josh had for Eclectic Collective putting on a musical Halloween costume. He was inspired by his favorite band, Phish, who cover an entire album every Halloween as a musical costume. Although, which song we covered was up for debate from the start. 
  Once we decided on a song, Josh laid down the skeleton for it on his '71 SG. Once we had a framework to work with, Ken laid down his rocking drums, followed by Josh completing the rhythm section by adding his trusty P-bass. Even though the song was now in its infancy, Carl summoned all his Halloween spirit for his dynamic vocal performance.  
  Now that it was sounding like a real song, JJ dropped both the key piano part, as well as his expressive organ in there, too. Mark wasn't far behind, adding his magic via some bluesy harmonica, the sax in the solo section, and strings near the end. Stephen came through with the spooky tremolo guitar and the fiery first half of the guitar solo in the solo section right after. And to put the cherry on the musical sundae, Tez brought the lightning down for the second half of the guitar solo, as well as the solo work that leads the whole way to the end.
  We all enjoyed bringing this classic song back to life, and doing it in the spirit of what may be the most fun holiday on the calendar. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it. Happy Halloween!


I Put a Spell on You (Eclectic Collective)

This is something I've had in mind for a while, and was planning to put it out for Halloween, but I'm really slow.  It's a macabre spoken word thing about a travelling circus that's a little 'off' in dark and unsettling ways that you can't quite put your finger on. Originally I thought it would sound good as an old timey Delta Blues with acoustic guitar accompaniment. But since I can't play, I enlisted the help of a fellow Soundcloud artist whose music I admire, Remnant60 (@remnant60). It just so happened Bill had previously posted a guitar track that he left open for collaboration. I downloaded his track, but it was left on the shelf for a while, until this came along, and I thought it was a perfect fit. 
It kind of borders on the edge of creepy cool and just hokey. But it's a fun bit of storytelling, and I'm grateful to Remnant60 for letting me tinker with his wicked slide guitar track. 
I strongly recommend listening to this with headphones for the full effect. 
Hope you dig it!

ARTISTS
Remnant60 - acoustic slide guitar
Mistermark - vocals, lyrics, evil laugh!, sound effects, all other instruments 
                      (played on keyboard): cathedral organ, pump organ, toy piano, 
                       worn tape piano, mellotron, percussion, musical saw

image designed with ChatGPT and Photoshop

LYRICS
A travelling circus creaked into our little town
They set up in Duggart’s field by the old burying ground
A ramshackle lot ‘neath the moonlight’s glare
With their trinkets and their theatre, put on an evening affair

Chorus
From village to village and from town to town
When the circus came they put their stakes deep in the ground
They promised spectacle, laughter and mirth
The travelling circus, the greatest show on Earth

Inside the big top it was crowded and hot
Everyone was kept waiting whether they wanted or not
Something in the tent corner was circled by flies
And I noticed a bruise under the flower girl’s eye

(Chorus)

The horses were skittish when they caught sight of a whip
And a big toothy grin was painted over the clown’s lips
The ringmaster never looks you quite straight in the eye
From the moment you enter he starts waving goodbye

(Chorus)

Travelling Circus (collab with Remnant60)

I recently posted a collaboration with the Eclectic Collective gang, which featured various Middle Eastern & North African instruments from a VST sound pack I got my hands on. The song was "Oh My Darlin',  Palestine". Here's a link to that track:

https://on.soundcloud.com/h2dNfjIKEsDRMH9yei

I was pretty happy with how it turned out, because I've been playing this kind of music for many years on drums & percussion and flute, but always wanted to play other instruments in this style as well. So, I figured I'd try another one, so here it is. 

I'm playing everything here using my keyboard. The instruments featured are:
Duduk (Armenian reed instrument), Tanbur & Saz (stringed instruments), Daf, Dumbek & Riq (percussion instruments), and Cello. 
Thanks for listening!

image created using ChatGPT

K’aylir Indz Het (walk with me)

The latest in a series of medley compilations I've got going, featuring some of the better bits of stuff I've recorded. This one covers stuff I've posted on Soundcloud between 2023-2025. A handful of the tunes feature other musicians  (details in the posted full song), and a couple tunes include some loops or sound clips, but for the most part I'm playing everything here.  Thanks for visiting!

0:00 -  Cut 2: "The Chase" (intro)
0:52 -  Modern Times
2:16  - 1 For The Money, 2 For The Blues (part 1) 
3:21  - 1 For The Money, 2 For The Blues (part 2)
4:16  - Caveman
5:46 - Splice of Life
6:41  - Floot Loops
7:51   - Walk With Me
8:58  - Oh My Darlin' Palestine
10:15 - Travelling Circus
11:45  - Red Flag
12:43 - Clyde's Glide
14:00 - Pick Me Up
15:14  - Box o' Rox
16:06 - Dark Arpeggiator / Electric Twilight
17:16  - Mellotron Choir
17:55  - Blue In The Middle 
19:32  - Most of the Time (Funk in 7/8)
20:25 - New Funk City
21:43  - Nowhere Is Here, Never Is Now
22:30 - Cut 2: "The Chase" (outro)


-Mosaic image created from 'portraits' taken using a colour scanner. If you ever try this at home, don't EVER open your eyes while scanning your face, trust me.  ;)

Mark Music Medley (part 4: 2023-2025)

CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – organ, synth, effects-heavy guitar, initial drums and bass, and composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 – Warwick four-string fretless bass, PRS SE semi-hollow body electric guitar, vocals, and lyrics
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST bassoon and harpsichord   
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – production, mix, and mastering

This song began with Chris' composition with his synth, guitar, drum pad and bass. Like many of his songs, it was pretty well formed before the rest of the group got a hold of it. This song was part of a load of songs he recently shared with the rest of Eclectic Collective . We've been picking them off one by one, though, as we're always grateful to Chris for sharing his magic with us.
  The odd sound of the rhythmic melody, which uses chromatic walks, immediately caught Josh's ears. It struck him as something the Doors might have come up with. So, he set about replacing Chris' simple bass line with something fancier, as well as coming up with the lead guitar for the whole thing, and the lyrics and vocals, as well. Josh was really taken with this one, and heard all kinds of parts in it almost immediately. Ken went to bat next, adding his innovative, John Densmore-like drums to it, replacing Chris' initial rhythmic idea. JJ came next and added the essential piano you hear throughout. After that, Mark found a place for his amazing bassoon/harpsichord solo in the middle. But before it was all over, Chris also added some doubled vocals, too, to actualize the lyrics, which are about two friends taking an acid trip together. 
  After it was all laid down, we asked Tez to mix it for us, which he did in his expert fashion, as always.
  This is our latest song composed by Chris, and we love working on his music. If you dig this, you should pay his page a visit, too, as it's full of diamonds. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it. 

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY JOSH CLARY:
Come take a trip with me and together we will see
Into the end of time
That you are also me 
And I am also you
We’re in the soup
And in a loop

Underneath your skin 
You’re the same as I
Yet we strive  
To divide
If you want to blur the lines
Just dislodge yourself from time
Let’s fly, let ego die


We’ll discover what is hidden,
And know why it’s forbidden 
So hold tight 
To what’s right
Just come along with me
And together we can see
Use the light  of night

You are also me and I am also you
It’s true
We’re in the stew
I am also you and you are also me
Just look inside  and see
  
Just feel your temples squeeze
And put your mind at ease
And tune in
To my vibe
You can come along 
Just listen to the song
And melt  with me

Down and down we go
We should take it slow
Unless we can’t 
We’re all ants
 I knew that we’d have fun
I knew you were the one
To do this with
Now we’re a myth

We could go all night 
Until the sun is bright
It’s a long long ride

You are also me and I am also you
It’s true
We’re in the stew
I am also you and you are also me
Just look inside and see

You Are Also Me (The Eclectic Collective)

CAST OF CHARACTERES:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals, lyrics, acoustic guitar and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- Mellotron, VST strings 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – upright double bass, plucked and bowed
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson custom T model electric guitar, Danelectro baritone electric guitar, and e-bow
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – production, mix, and mastering
 
Carl came up with this song at the beginning of November on his acoustic guitar, and shared it with the rest of us shortly after. Carl is a songwriting supernova, in case you're unfamiliar with our newest addition to the team. We're always excited and grateful to get to work on his music. 
  Mark was first to add his parts, and continued refining them throughout the process. His work can be heard in the dramatic crescendoing string arrangement and mellotron solo. JJ quickly followed, adding the gorgeous foundational piano you hear throughout. Josh was next to jump in, adding his new upright bass to the song. He played not only the plucked part, but the bowed part in the strings section, too. Ken came along next with his perfect drums to complete the rhythm section.  Last, but not least, Stephen dropped in his electrifying guitar solo and the accompanying textural chords using is Danelectro baritone guitar, followed at the very end by his magical e-bow part. 
  Once it was all in the bag, we asked Tez to produce and mix it for us, which he did in his always expert fashion. 
  This is our latest song of which Carl is the author. He's been making music with us for the past half a year now, and we can't get enough of his abundant creativity. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.
  Also, Carl had this to say about his lyrics, "Labels and putting each other in a particular box is causing big problems on the planet. The song's meaning is born from trying to take labels out of our lessons. In a polarized world, the song pines how we will likely learn lessons properly if we leave ego out of what we are trying to learn. Maybe our art has more relevance for future generations if we do that instead of bolting it to the current people or ideas causing us problems."

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY THE BEAUTIFUL DARK:
Let's play cards
You lying runt
Word poker perfect
A joker to hunt
Motor makeup mouth
Dadless brain itched
Orange sith can shout
Cycle of old child bewitched

Leave out the names
Remove their power
Lessons find refrain
Fake turned to flower

All liars die
'As honest tongue
Dinnseanchas signs our true right and wrong
Transmutation
Time understood
Truth trump card for hate
More blossomed love

Leave out the names
Teach tomorrow's hour
Lessons find refrain
Pure honest power

Lies from power
Carry hidden agenda
Justice can save us from these malady members
Unless they break our sacred norms
They've changed the game with iron fisted porn

Leave out the names
Control our stream
Lessons mute ego
Brutes turn to dream

The system protects us from crazy one
One system collective
Agreement by sum
Normals described
Standards of power
Transmutation of evil
Never named gives real flower

Let's label our love
Let's teach that today
Let lessons of dove
Show us our way

Leave out the names
Remove their power
Lessons find refrain
Fake turned to flower

Leave out the names
Teach tomorrow hour
Lessons find refrain
Pure honest power


Leave Out The Names (The Eclectic Collective)

***This song is the very first by the Eclectic Collective that has an accompanying video, created by our very own TexMex Shaman! Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv1DVuvnJYY

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cast of Characters:
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synth, and composition
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals and lyrics
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – organ, electric piano, and synth
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Collings mandolin, bowed upright double bass and Warwick four-string fretless electric bass guitar
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- Timpani, steel pan, triangle, arpeggiated synth, synth effects, backing vocals, initial mix and minor production editing
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken — drums and percussion
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson custom T model electric guitar, mix, mastering, and production

This song began its life when Chris came up with it a while back, latest of the massive song collection he laid on Eclectic Collective about a month and a half ago. Be prepared to hear a lot more of his songs coming through our fingers and voices, because we now have a plethora of great material from him. So, Chris came up with this arrangement on his acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and synth, but it was a pretty solid composition, even by his standards, and it had the magic already baked in.
The first one of us to grab a hold of it was Carl, who immediately heard his vocal part, which he supplied with his always striking lyrics. JJ was the first instrumentalist to add his part, laying in the delightful organ, electric piano, and synth you hear throughout. Josh came out swinging next, adding his upright bass, which he bowed. Mark came along shortly after, adding his dramatic timpani, melodic steel pan, some triangle, arpeggiated synth, and synth effects. He also did some major editing, creating a middle section for Stephen's guitar solo, and tightening up the ending. Mark also added some backing vocals during the solo, quoting a phrase from George Harrison's 'Here Comes the Sun', among a few other subtle Easter Eggs from that song sprinkled throughout,  if you listen closely!
At this point, the song sounded almost classical, especially Josh's bowed bass part. However, Ken still had something to say in here, adding his remarkable, driving drums to the whole thing. Josh, recognizing the sea change this created, added his fretless four-string to match Ken's kick. Stephen was able to blend the two in the production phase. But not before installing his absolutely thrilling electric guitar solo in there. Stephen did a wonderful job of producing, mixing, and mastering this for us, as always, when it was all in the can.
This is the first song Carl has gotten to sing that Chris has written. We're all super excited to unleash this combo on the world. This song reminds Josh of one of his favourite bands, The Flaming Lips, which makes it a special treat for him, as well. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY THE BEAUTIFUL DARK:

Great nuclear beast
East horizon you meet
New life

Shine on us
Saving us from night

Birds take the first song
Beaks waking other ones
Wonder returns

Good morning Sun
Just shine dear one
Sun shine on

Good greatest grace for thee
Dusts to Star our seed
Evolution breathes
Mass ejection beams

Our Sun
Good morning

Fill good air with photon
The greatest good
Solar bent space time flood
Space fawn

Birds cannot be wronged
Once your fine light has songed
Wonder wound
Morning sound

Our dear Sun
Shine on

("Sun sun sun, here she comes" lyric written by George Harrison)

Good Morning Sun (The Eclectic Collective)

I wanted this to be the last thing I posted for 2025.
'Firefly' is a song written & sung by a friend and previous coworker of mine, Rosemary Phelan, who was a community nurse, poet, author, and musician.  The song was part of the soundtrack for a play called "Chemo Brain!", in which her sister had performed. In Rosemary's time as a nurse, she had come to discover music as a means for comfort and healing, until she left the health care practice and delved into music full time.  She had an exquisite voice, and her music was a canvas for her incredible spirit and what was in her heart. Rosemary was one of those rare birds who you feel an instant connection to, and it's cliché to say, but she really had some kind of magic that touched your heart when you meet her. 

Rosemary was quite an accomplished and well known Canadian artist, winning several awards for her music, and collaborating with famous artists such as Murray Foster (bassist - Great Big Sea) and Juno award winning David Francey, who plays guitar and backing vocals on this song. But I never even knew that about her at the time - she was quite modest and always much more giving of herself.  I just knew her as Rosemary, the nurse, who had a beautiful new song she was working on and she asked me if I would play a bit of drum/percussion on it. 

The song of course was Firefly, and while I got to spend a few visits at her home discussing ideas, and trying out possible parts for the song, it was obviously all Rosemary's creation, together with the production of the talented multi-instrumentalist and producer Jason LaPrade, who adds the gorgeous dobro here, and would later become Rosemary's husband!  I got to perform the song once live on stage with Rosemary and David, which I only now realize what an honour that was, because I didn't understand at the time how famous these two were, living in my little bubble, lol! 

Sadly, Rosemary passed away from ovarian cancer in 2015. I don't think I ever really processed it or even fully acknowledged it at the time, but I've been thinking of her lately, and wanted to pay tribute to my friend by sharing this song she wrote. It's a gem. Just like Rosemary.

This is where Rosemary's music and writings can be found...
https://www.rosemaryphelan.com/

On Soundcloud:
Rosemary Phelan - https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-phelan
Jason LaPrade - https://soundcloud.com/jason-laprade
David Francey - https://soundcloud.com/davidfrancey

Firefly (by Rosemary, for Rosemary)

Cast of Characters:
SunnyBeck-- @sunnybeck — Beck — synth and MIDI composition, and narration for this project
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano, organ, synth, electric bass, guitar drums, acoustic guitar, vocals, lyrics, composition and arrangement
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – four and five string fretless and four string fretted electric bass guitars, upright double bass, piano, organ, synth, mandolin, banjo, sitar, lap steel, vocals, lyrics, composition, arrangement, art, and write-ups
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums, percussion, vocals, guitar, piano, bass, and composition
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, keys, pedal steel, acoustic and electric sitar, slide guitar, composition, mix, mastering, and production
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals, lyrics, guitar, synth, drums, percussion, and composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – electric guitar, composition, production, mix, and mastering
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synth, mandolin, bass, drums, vocals, lyrics, production, arrangement, composition, and art
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST instruments (including horns, strings, reeds, clavinet, upright bass, fiddle, mellotron, Middle Eastern Instruments), synth, piano, organ, flute, jaw harp, sound effects, vocals, lyrics, arrangement, production, editing, harmonica, percussion, drums, and composition
Surfers Like Us– @user-411502040 –Artur–composition, arrangement, and electric guitar

This is a project that JJ has been putting together for us as a gift every year for the past couple of years, which gives us a way to speak to all our fans, friends, associates on SoundCloud. It is a compilation of a bunch of our songs from the past year, over which we all answer some questions in an interview style. This year, our interviewer is SunnyBeck, although it has been Jeff of Stonerjazz fame in the past. We have collaborated on a few songs with her, and now consider her part of the Eclectic Collective family.
We know this is a very long project, so please listen to as much as you want, and know this is as much for our collective listening pleasure as it is to show the world. The time stamps of all our appearances are included with our names, so if you just want to listen to a particular person while commenting on their page, please feel free to do that, too.
This is a time of year to take stock in and reflect on the past year. We all have a lot for which to be thankful. We added Carl to the group this year, which has been a delight to all of us. He and Chris have given us so many amazing compositions to work with. Chris is a full member of the band, although he doesn't appear as an interviewee in the documentary.
We also want to sincerely thank the other collaborators who have shared their magic with us this year. They include Jonathan Beckenstein, Jeff Roberts, MahanMahan, Didier Burli, Tea R. Sea, Mark F, E Ruizzo, Saskiagoethals, Joe Stroffolino, Sean Smith, Steve's Planet, Gaz Brownie, Nyla K, Scratch Kelly, and Single Use & Recycled. They are all spectacular musicians to whom we're very grateful.
Most of all, though, we're sincerely thankful for each one of you out there with whom we've been able to share our music and make a personal connection with. Your music delights us, as well, and we know that all the attention we get is actually just musicians like us checking poking their heads out and reaching for the same connection. We hope you enjoy listening to our music as much as we enjoy making it. We wish you a successful, creative, and meaningful New Year!

Q&A TIME STAMPS:

TexMex Shaman   (6:11)
The Beautiful Dark   (10:33)
Surfers Like Us   (16:09)
Llanpsych   (21:40)
Mistermark   (27:40)
Entheogenic Psychonaught   (33:12)
K2 and the Three   (38:16)
J.J. Terrell   (44:28)

2025 Eclectic Collective Rockumentary

First, Happy New Year to everybuddy!  Here's to another year of sharing fab music with each other! My apologies for not being as active on Soundcloud these days, but I look forward to catching up on your kind comments and especially on all the latest music everyone is putting out there...

So, this is the latest in a series of medley compilations I've posted. This one is hot on the heels of the yearly 'Rockumentary' compilation / Q&A that the Eclectic Collective has been putting out for the last 3 years. Our talented friend J.J. has been putting those together, but I've always wanted to do a medley of EC tunes myself as well, so this is my stab at it. It's 30 minutes of songs by the Eclectic Collective where I'm contributing in some way.  My favourite thing about putting together these medleys is finding interesting ways to transition between songs, so I've provided a list of the songs below, time-stamped where each transition happens so if you're just skimming through, that might help. The full description of who is playing whats on each song is available on the original song uploaded by any of the members of the Eclectic Collective. Thanks again for dropping in! 

Here's a link to the playlist where I've posted other medleys of my stuff:
https://on.soundcloud.com/XRnvjWfrEC4TMhy78o

Original EC logo designed and created by me using Photoshop. 

-- SONG LIST --
Dear Collective   (0:00)   
Away From Home   (1:40)
Nobody Told Me   (2:50) 
That Dusty Road   (3:56) 
Country Ham   (4:57) 
The Get Down   (5:50) 
Scaling The Riverbank   (6:28) 
Bones   (7:25)
A Brush With Death   (9:01) 
Better Not Say   (9:55) 
January Epiphany   (11:05) 
Good Morning Sun   (12:19)
Kalakuta Kingdom   (14:35)
Please Come Home   (15:23) 
Come & Get Me   (15:56)
We've Got It Made   (16:47) 
True Red Devil   (17:55) 
Miss No Mark   (18:57) 
Wowlelujah   (19:52) 
Wherever U Go   (20:44)
Faded Fortunes   (22:20)
Clyde's Glide   (23:53) 
Meet the New Bossa   (25:00) 
Leave Out The Names   (25:44) 
Wonder   (27:04) 
Flowers Of Jupiter   (28:55)

Mark Music Medley (part 5: Eclectic Collective)

Yet another sample of a previously uploaded song that features just a couple instruments from the outro section of the song 'Flowers of Jupiter', written by J.J. Terrell, and originally performed by The Eclectic Collective.  In this case, the isolated instruments are J.J.'s piano and synth, and my synth strings and spacey sound effects during the outro. The full original is still probably one of my faves of the stuff I've played with the mighty Eclectic Collective gang. 

Here's a link to the full song, with the full player & instrumentation details:
https://on.soundcloud.com/B93cTHrby8psraWw5


(and continued apologies for not being nearly as active on Soundcloud these days. I'm working on it...)

Flowers of Jupiter (ISOLATED outro - piano, synth strings, FX)

(as it always seems to be lately, apologies for my lack of participation on Soundcloud these days. working on it... also note, this is a very slightly different mix; please see the version the EC gang have posted for a more complete interpretation of this gorgeous song by Chris)    

CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – acoustic guitar, electric bass guitar, vocals, lyrics, and composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh — Collings mandolin and Gretch lap slide
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken — drums
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – B-3 voice organ, piano, megphone vocals, and "oohs & aahs" vocals
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST saxophone
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — mix, mastering, and production

This song began many months ago when Chris wrote it on his acoustic guitar and bass. It's about when he had a very frustrating moment, and in a manic rage, smashed his prized acoustic guitar--his best friend. He wrote this heartbreaker with a bigger concept in mind, though, and shared it with Eclectic Collective as part of a large group of songs which he generously gifted to the band.
Of course, Josh was thrilled to get to work on Chris's music, so he jumped in first, adding the slide and mandolin you hear throughout, inspired, in part, by Radiohead. Next up was Ken, who, after a few tries, landed the impressive drums that carry the whole thing through. I say impressive because, if you listen closely, the timing changes in nearly every verse just a tad, which Ken had to adjust the groove for. JJ came through next, adding his beautiful, yet gripping organ and piano. He also is responsible for the oohs and aahs, as well as the vocals toward the end, where he says, "Oh my God dude!! What have you done?!" Mark was the last musician on this track, spicing it up with the mellow sax track you hear in there, which he did using a VST instrument on his keyboard.
When it was all said and done, we asked Stephen to throw a mix on it for us, which he did in his always professional way.
This song is the latest of the songs we got from Chris about half a year ago. Whenever you see one of his on our page, it probably had its genesis in that batch. I guess when it rains, it pours sometimes, because they're all, every one, great songs. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY CGMANESS:

Lyrics:
I broke my best friend,
I didn't want to.
Devil made me do it,
in a fit of anger.
Now, I can hear you.
And I can feel you too,
loitering.
And I can hear you too,
wondering.
What can we do?
What can we do for you?
~~~~~
I want to stay here,
I want to play here.
Bees in a hive, 
Bees in a hive.
Don't write me off this,
Bees in a hive.
Don't write me off now,
Bees in a hive.
~~~
I took my best friend,
I didn't want to.
Now you're in pieces,
I can hear your voice through.
I heard my best friend,
trying to remember.
~~~~
And I can feel you too,
wondering.
I can hear you through the breeze,
loitering.
What can we do?
What should we do with you?

Hot Take (Eclectic Collective)

(special thanks to  the gang in the Eclectic Collective, especially Carl, for lending their talents & heats to the memory of a true artist & friend, Rosemary)

CAST OF CHARACTERS:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals, lyrics, ovation acoustic guitar, and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST flute, percussion
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Taylor acoustic guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken — Chinese percussion* 
(*alternate mix with drum kit on Ken's Soundcloud page)
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh — acoustic upright double bass
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – Kitchen tea kettle
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez –mix, mastering, and production

This song was written by Carl about a friend of Mark's, Rosemary Phelan, whom he had told us all about. She was a community nurse and accomplished musician, who died of cancer back in 2015. Here's what Carl has to say about her:
"Upon hearing Mark's description on their collaboration song (Rosemary's 'Firefly'), I was struck immediately and wrote a tribute song for Rosemary which we have for you here. This is the perfect example of synergy between artists that both still create and share together and that have passed on yet their music and spirit still inspires us forever. It's real connections with real feelings and we are very proud to share it with everyone today. The name Rosemary means "Dew of the Sea."

Carl came up with this song on his acoustic guitar, and shared it right away with Mark. Mark added the percussive hand drums you hear throughout, giving it a very distinct groove. He's also responsible for the ornate flute solo in here, too. Stephen threw in next, adding his melodic magic & sonic touches on acoustic guitar. Ken came along after, building on Mark's percussion with his tasteful percussion (and an alternate mix featuring Ken on drum kit posted on his page) . Now that it had a very solid rhythmic base, Josh added his upright acoustic bass, completing the rhythm section. Not to be outdone, JJ, oddly enough, found out a few months back that his kitchen's tea kettle makes a wonderful percussion instrument and put it in here, as well.
Once the recording was all wrapped up, we tapped Tez to do the mixing honours, which he did like the sonic wizard he is.
This song was a labor of love, and we really tried to honour Rosemary in an authentic way, in a style befitting her musical legacy. Carl once again shows his amazing songwriting and compositional skills in here, and we're very grateful to him for sharing his magic with us, as always. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY THE BEAUTIFUL DARK:

A beautiful voice
Sowed splendid spirit
Soul spread with bows
Needy nursed
Rose hearted
Wolf cub howl of perfect sine
Words to mend
Healing all time

Selfless art
Reflect your being
An instant infinite therapy beam
You made your mark in forever with now
You tamed your time through healing wow

Dew of the sea

Perfect music
Perfect word
Unimposed
Soul suture surge
A beautiful Rose
Merry musical Mary
Finest fingers composed
Lungs of lark love fairy

A beautiful rose
Healing forever
Your spirit lives on
Compose for our clever
A beautiful voice
Sowed splendid spirit
Soul spread with bows
Needy nursed
Rose hearted

Dew of the sea
Great spirit infinitely

'Firefly' by Rosemary
https://on.soundcloud.com/b2s78QlX2OBkr6sQWD
Here is a link to Rosemary's website where you can find some of her writings
www.rosemaryphelan.com
Here is a link to a performance by Rosemary and a nice interview.
youtu.be/N1v-jiR4eNE?is=-dCrzvFg8eea0qE9



Dew of the Sea (Eclectic Collective)

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- organ, vst horns, vst tremolo guitar, percussion, vocals, lyrics, and early mix 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
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – percussive tea kettle 
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson custom T electric guitar and mastering

This song began at the very beginning of Mark's life, when his parents visited Jamaica on holiday, where family legend has it he was conceived. There is also another true story family reference in his lyrics about his biological grandfather, or "papa." Mark wrote the song recently, though, within the past couple months. He came up with not only the vocals, lyrics and melodies, but a basic sketch of almost all of the instruments you hear in here, structured into a more or less complete song.  
  
    Mark shared it with the Eclectic Collective immediately, as he had the rest of the band in mind when he wrote it. Ken was first up to bat with this one, adding his swinging drums and making the beat his own. Once Josh had a beat to work with, he added his trusty fretted four string P-bass to complete the rhythm section by also making the bass line his own. Tez, who is as much of a Reggae aficionado as Josh, which is quite a bit, added his rhythmic skanky guitar to the mix. He also added the thrilling guitar solo in the middle. Then, JJ came through with a reprise of his funky tea kettle for additional percussion. It's a "Fender Teacaster". Filling in the melodic intro and outro like the true guitar master he is, Stephen put the finishing touches in here to wrap it up. 
     
     After it was all said and done, we asked Mark to mix it for us, which is a change from our normal duties, but a welcome one for this song. Of course, Stephen mastered it to bring up the volume and give it a dynamic edge. This is our latest Mark composition, as well as the latest in a series of Reggae tunes we've done over the years. It really showcases not only his mighty songwriting ability, but that of his singing, as well. This was a team effort, though, as always. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

ORIGINAL LYRICS BY Mistermark:

Brother brother, I’m calling to you
I got a problem and I don’t know what to do
can you help me, I’m searching for that sound
the music of my memory, it was always around

I hear it brother, a heartbeat through the walls
just like a cool breeze, it echoes down the hall
through my window and out into the street
and once you feel it brother, you just got to move your feet

The rhythm moves me like a Caribbean queen
from Rome to Rio and everywhere in between
I wanna take you to the home I’ve never seen
I was made in Jamaica if you know what I mean

My mama told me about papa long ago
a man of music, he could really steal the show 
he had a secret, my mama made it clear
a 'musician' turned 'magician' cause one day he disappeared 

The rhythm moves me like a Caribbean queen
from Rome to Reno and everywhere in between
I wanna take you to the home I’ve never seen
I was made in Jamaica if you know what I mean

Grandmother hummed an old Mento refrain
sun on the field don’t mean there’s no rain
just like the ocean, calm face and deep under
the smallest seashell can still carry thunder

The rhythm moves me like a Caribbean queen
from Rome to Reno and everywhere in between
I wanna take you to the home I’ve never seen
I was made in Jamaica if you know what I mean

Rock me mama, my Caribbean queen
from Fez to Fresno, it’s gunna be a scene
I'm gunna take you to a place I’ve never been
I was made in Jamaica and you know what I mean

mistermark

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