Related tracks: MEMOIRES DE VIE

Hi folks 🐧

So a new song is out there!
While I'm still waiting for a new guitar that I ordered a long time ago, I thought to spent my time learning new synths... (I'm still a n00b in that field).

I first planned to make a song using the übercool LMMS only, but quickly switched to Reaper DAW (what else...) running on Linux.
I had a computer crash, tech and other problems and finally I didn't create the kind of song as I planned (as usual).
Near the end I couldn't resist to add a line with my old guitar, the urge was too big.
I hope you like the different parts of it. Find the whole song via your fav streaming platform & feel free to share it and add it to your playlist!

FYI, this time I used the free open source, cross-platform Odin2 synth from The Wave Warden and of course Hive from U-He (that goes without saying...)
Guitar FX are also fully open source with Mod Duo from Mod Devices

Penguin Win Situations

This is a remix of my first vocal offering which I originally released over 10 years ago. Some of the original (free) VST's have faded from existence so I worked with a few of my current favourites and one new one. By now I had switched to a Strat guitar and this is undoubtedly one of my better, more fluid leads. At the time, I was also experimenting with keyboards and was really just getting comfortable using two hands (rather than 2 fingers). Also at this time, I was getting comfortable using Cuckos Reaper. As for lyrics, they just came from the mood of the tune. Everything is drawn from life experiences, so a "cut and paste" of some old, but not forgotten, memories. I'm not sure why I chose the 3rd person to express these images. 

Broken Dreams
---------------------

[INTRO/SOLO]

You wake up from a nightmare ...
Or was that real?
Somehow you can't get out of bed
Fingers too numb to feel.

Sun coming through the window
But there's no heat.
Now, the silence is deafening
Not a sound from the street.

[SOLO]

Sweet smells from the pillow
As you turn in bed.
Memories of warm embraces
Filter through your head.

No matter now, the bed is cold.
The covers are all grey.
The memories still linger
Of a love that did not stay.

[OUTRO/SOLO]

:: Words and music copyright Rick Engler

Image courtesy of MS Word Clipart
Drum sounds courtesy of Free Studio Drum Sounds and 9th Wonder Kit
Microphones: Apex 185
Keyboards: Casio WK-110 with built-in voicings
Fender Princeton Chorus Amp
Fender Stratocaster Blacktop Guitar
Boss ME-70 Multi-effects pedal
Analog to Digital: Steinberg CI 1 USB MIDI Interface
Mixed in Cuckos Reaper on a PC
Remixed using Reaper with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and a Shure SM58.

Broken Dreams

Broken Dreams (Original)

Texte Français et Google Traduction

MEMOIRES DE VIE

Le temps passe lentement
La roue tourne comme on dit
Mais le passage des ans
Ne créé jamais l'oubli.
Les années qui avancent
Et continuent toujours
En prennent de l'importance
Dans ce qui fait l'amour.
Et plus on prend de l'âge
Conscient évidemment
Dans nos têtes voyagent
L'ancien et le présent.
Dans les jours qui vieillissent
Et voient passer l'antan
Tous les temps qui se glissent
Doucement et pourtant.

Il reste dans nos mémoires
Amour et belles histoires.
Tout ce qui fait la vie 
Réchauffe nos cœurs aussi

Il reste dans nos mémoires
Amour et belles histoires.
Tout ce qui fait la vie 
Réchauffe nos cœurs aussi

Bien s'aimer, se comprendre
C'est un toujours un voyage
Et on se laisse prendre 
A s'écrire de belles pages

Sur la terre en plaisir
De grands moments passés
Pleurs ou éclats de rires
Nous ont fait exister.

Revivre dans ses pensées
Ne voyant que lueurs
Et jamais oublier
Que c'était le bonheur.

La vie suivant son sort
Nous laisse de bons moments
Si jamais on s'endort
Sans des mots et pourtant

Il reste dans nos mémoires
Amour et belles histoires.
Tout ce qui fait la vie 
Réchauffe nos cœurs aussi

MEMORIES OF LIFE

Time passes slowly
The wheel turns as they say
But the passage of years
Never create oblivion.
The years that advance
And still continue
take on importance
In what makes love.
And the older we get
Obviously aware
In our heads travel
The old and the present.
In the days that grow old
And see yesteryear pass by
All the times that slip by
Slowly and yet.

He remains in our memories
Love and beautiful stories.
Everything that makes life
Warm our hearts too
He remains in our memories
Love and beautiful stories.
Everything that makes life
Warm our hearts too

Love each other well, understand each other
It's always a journey
And we let ourselves be taken
To write beautiful pages

On earth in pleasure
Great times past
Crying or bursts of laughter
Made us exist.

Revive in your thoughts
Seeing only lights
And never forget
That it was happiness.

Life following its fate
Leave us good times
If we ever fall asleep
Without words and yet

He remains in our memories
Love and beautiful stories.
Everything that makes life
Warm our hearts too

MEMOIRES DE VIE

Goombah Jam

A cover of the band Los Bravo's 60's Classic "Black is Black" with a bit of a different take. I hope you enjoy it!

Black Is Black

THE BOY - NOISE MAN
EVERYTHING BY THE BOY
OUT NOW ON EVERYWHERE!!!
LINK IN BIO!!!
SPREAD THE WORD!!!

NOISE MAN

Frank did the tune, I played a little flute and bass clarinet.

One By One

I care little for your gold, when my gold is the wind and the sun over the wheat fields.

Poco me importa tu oro, cuando el mío es el viento y el sol sobre los trigales.

Gold

Grey on Grey is the only song in our entire catalogue which was entirely written by Mark, lyrics and lyric melody included. We first performed and recorded this song acoustically with our live band back when Watchglass first began. I cannot help but remember, as an incy wincy thorn in my side, that our bass player, Chris, happened to comment very enthusiastically on the lyrics…, just something like “excellent lyrics,” but as I was the lyricist for the band and he’d never made such a comment on any of my songs, AND because Mark professed himself not to be a lyrics writer (or singer, which he can also do quite beautifully), well it almost felt unfair… almost. I was far too enamoured with the whole new vista of singing songs and writing songs to be put off by lack of a compliment. I just noted it to myself and thanked heavens I was at least able to sing the song and that I was evidently working with an all round song genius (albeit overly humble about some of his skills). This single is a new take on Mark’s masterpiece, Grey on Grey (aka Blind Princess).

Blind princess running down the stars
Playing in the dark
Lit by reflections neon lights wet streets
We all want to shine
So bright

I want to know if you remember
All of my memories
I want mine to fade away
You just leave me hung and haunted now

I’m scattered and he is gone
Just like the rain falling from the heaven
Stain of my eyes are lost
In a kind of grey on grey.

And when you fell on me
Cold yet so soft
You soaked through to my skin
Shivered and I was gone
Lost in a kind of grey on grey
I’m like snow on a summer’s day
I know I’m not meant to stay

I’m scattered and he is gone
Just like the rain falling from the heaven
Stain of my eyes are lost
In a kind of grey

Playing in the dark
Running down the stars
Blind princess
Playing in the dark
Running down the stars
In a kind of grey

Grey On Grey

there's a lot of people, who wanna get you down.
don't wanna see you smile, just wanna see you frown.
make you look real bad, give you all the blames.
they get all their joy, from twisted mind games.
their vibes are really bitter, their minds are really dark.
never trust a traitor and never trust a narc. 

Never trust a narc.  (narcissist)

Many thanks to Timothy McGuire who added his beautiful orchestration to my piano composition, "Come Take My Hand". It is always a pleasure working with Timothy and to hear more of his incredible work, you can visit his SoundCloud page by clicking here: @tim_mcguire

Come Take My Hand (feat. Fr. Harris)

Conversations (2025)

A lengthy, vast cinematic electronic odyssey unfolds with warm, breathing analogue synth pads and bright high chimes floating in a wide stereo field. A pulsing sequenced bassline underpins airy textures, accompanied by faint, understated arpeggiator patterns that weave quietly into the background. Evolving synth layers, rich with the warmth of vintage oscillators, emerge gradually. Minimal, crisp beats and soft percussive glitches join in, growing into radiant, harmonic swells. Expansive synth leads rise above lush chords, amplifying a sense of space and motion. Energy peaks with a euphoric climax before unravelling into drones, gentle repeating motifs, and deep reverb tails, ending on a single fading tone.

Frambient Licence

Yet another album of miscellaneous instrumentals, finished in 2022, called Instrumenties 03: Bangin' My Head on a Ghost (Yup).

RPG Cave

Surrounded by Angels

I had something inside that must fly free.
NeoClassical
Modern Classical
Soundtrack
OST
BSO
Not Quite Classical
And ….  Prog rock. 

https://youtube.com/channel/UCFn6yvzY1gKi7lheBTK-Ftw
@TheBirdInside

Heavy Punk Rock 'n' Roll band turns into Synthwave nowadays! Brand NEW album "Ultraviolet Cosmos" available NOW!
https://shockthealgorithm.bandcamp.com/album/ultraviolet-cosmos

Gold

The Bird Inside

Recent comments

🎸 𝗝 𝗜 𝗠 🎙

Midisound

~Mark F

~Mark F

Related tracks