SAUDADE

I wrote this song after an in-depth conversation with my mother who spent years searching for her mother.  It's in 7/8; perhaps reflecting the irregularity of relationships.

Bouzouki, harp, bass and drum programming, mixed and premastered by Dónal Lunny
Mastered by Ivan O'Shea
Editing/Vocals/BV/guitar/photo of my mum by SuZanne

(Because you asked Jeff.  When my Ma met her mother she commented on the colour of her eyes and said, "They're brilliant blue..." and it's the way she said it and looked that stuck in my mind)

Brilliant Blue
Her eyes are brilliant blue, mine are brown
I take after my father, they say he was a farmer
My mother's at the window as I say goodbye
I've only just met her, she is 84 0r 85

Refrain: Brilliant blue eyes, greet my brown
I've waited all my life, for this

2lb 4oz wrapped in cotton wool, placed in a cardboard shoebox
given to nuns in Bloom Street
Manchester in 1940, I was one of many a child and mother
sent from Catholic Ireland

Refrain      Lahlahlahs

Sixty-two years since we met, mother
I just wanted to see you one time, if you want me too
Your eyes are brilliant blue, mine are brown
as I leave the white-haired woman
It was dead of winter I was found

Lahlahlahs   Refrain

Brillinat Blue Master         

Brilliant Blue feat: Dónal Lunny

Игрок (Gambler) 
      1. В этот грязный бордель занесло меня как-то,
    По туману в трущобах загнавши коней,
    Я  не глядя летел, уходя от погони,
    От картёжных моих самозванных друзей.
    Я  не глядя летел, уходя от погони,
    От моих никогда не трезвевших друзей.

2. В день, когда проиграл я все деньги и саблю,
    Что вручил за отвагу мне Суворов отец,
    Ветреностью своей боле не позабавлю,
    Понял я, что игре наступает конец.

3. Знать в тот вечер шальной отвернулась Фортуна,
    Что хранила меня от французских штыков,
    Но, разбив до конца месье Наполеона,
    Пал сраженный похмельем с его коньяков.

4. Не боялся в бою я ни пушечных ядер,
    Ни замерзнуть в снегу, заплутавши в лесах.
    Лишь хранил на на груди я платочек графини,
    Долгожданную встречу лелеял в мечтах.

5. На привалах в степи, где делились гусары
    Славой многих и лёгких любовных побед,
    С упоением внимал я напевам гитары
    И хранил данный мною молчания обет.

6. Три целковых, мадам, это все, что имею.
    Не сочтите за лесть, вы - вне всяких похвал!
    А без платья и титулов та же графиня
    С вами вряд ли сравнится, я бы прямо сказал!
    А без платья и титулов даже графиня
    С вами вряд ли  сравнится, я бы прямо сказал!

7. Сожалею и сам, но раскланяться должен,
    Уходя в никуда, проклиная рассвет.
    Слез моих больше нет, реки с ними иссякли,
    Нет поместья отца, и любви больше нет.
       Вам спасибо за ночь. Всё напрасно, прощайте!
          Боль излечит мою у виска пистолет.

Украинский Ковбой

Игрок

Игрок / Gambler

The image shows a slightly altered photo detail from: Tree Stump, Meanwood Churchyard, a photography by Tim Green from Bradford (Wikimedia commons)

________________________________________________________________________________

"They all go stupid in a race."
(Gustave Flaubert, 1821-1880)

The following text passage is mainly a translation from a blog by the author Goetz Eisenberg (*1951) called:
https://durchhalteprosa.de/ 
(which can best be translated as „Perseverance Prose“)

In the translation I have tried to stay as close as possible to the original text, however, due to phrasing, composition (etc…), I have used slight changes and additions.
________________________________________________________________________________

Desensitization

Apocalyptic images 
Every evening on the news 
Heat, fires and disease
Floods, earthquakes, famines, 
War and destruction…
We are given such a daily dose 
Of horror news 
That we loose 
The capacity for outrage and revolt. 
We become numb 
And also threaten to loose 
The abilities we need 
To have empathy. 

(ref1)
Then, as now,  	(2)
We should cry out 
And rise up collectively, 
But the mass of images 
And the flood of news 
Make us fall silent
And paralyse the hooves

All go crazy in a race …

The more drastic the images 
We are presented with, 
The faster we forget 
What we have seen. 
The abundance and above all 
The concreteness of the images
Is the best means 
Of making us immune
To others misfortune. 
This is a facet of the "dialectic of enlightenment" 
That is far too little considered:
The more clearly 
Barbarism can be seen, 
The faster 
We forget it. 
News had a greater impact on us 
When we only heard or read it. 
The images of it arose 
In our minds 
And then occupied us more than one time

All go crazy in a race …

(ref2)
Then, as now,  	(2)
We should cry out 
And rise up collectively, 
But the mass of images 
And the flood of news 
Simply fob us off
With the surface

All go crazy in a race 
They all go stupid in a race	(2)
and we float along with it…

Desensitization

This song started out as an attempt to cover the mostly instrumental "Sweet Florence" by the French Caribbean guitarist and originator of zouk, Jacob Desvarieux. I added lyrics and a rock-funk breakdown in the middle, and it became its own creature.

In October 2023 I went to a fantastic live show of the band Say She She in Washington, DC. Before the band came onstage, as is typical of most concerts, music was being played as the crowd chatted in anticipation of the show. A song started playing that immediately enchanted me: a deep synth bass line followed by a funky slow beat that resembled reggaeton, with a beautiful and haunting guitar solo and various synth touches. I tried using the app Shazam on my phone to identify the song, and it kept failing to hear it properly amid the loud ambient noises of the theater. I was running out of time to identify the song. As the band came onstage, and just as the song started to fade out, my phone identified it on the third try as "Sweet Florence" by Jacob Desvarieux. In the coming weeks I listened to the song over and over, and I felt that desire that musicians have to create my own version of it, to cover it.

I was unable to reproduce the wonderful synth of the original since my keyboard doesn't go that low, so I had to change the octave of one note. I also had to layer several synth basses over each other to add to the deepness. Making this song was also a lesson in sound quality; I am not able to replicate, with my current setup, the deep sonic quality of the original. Trying to play the guitar hook made me realize how skillful Mr. Desvarieux's playing is. My version is less funky than the original but interesting and rhythmic nonetheless. Rest in peace, Jacob Desvarieux, and thank you for such a fabulous song.

Here is a link to the original:
https://soundcloud.com/jacobdesvarieux/sweet-florence?si=849b37fd215648d688807694c94241fd&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Lyrics:
It’s easy to believe
When your brain's been washed and the privilege won
It’s easy to achieve
With your fingers crossed and they’re on the gun
Ain’t hard to see the signs
Of a deep conspiracy
If you don’t read between the lines
And don’t learn the history
It’s easy to believe

Solo

You signed yourself up 
‘Cause they’re filling up your bank account with cash
You got sugar in the cup
And the lies you tell are the latest fash-ion
It’s effortless to see
When you take a big gulp of the sweet kool aid
You see the enemy
Just beat ‘em to a pulp, bow your head, and pray
And it’s easy to believe

It’s easy to achieve
When your mind’s made up and you live in fear
It’s easy not to leave 
When the only place you know is here
The only place you know is here 
It's easy, easy to believe

Music by Jacob Desvarieux and David Wagoner
Lyrics by David Wagoner

Easy To Believe (aka Sweet Florence)

Cast of characters:
The Mysterious Decibel -- @themysteriousdecibel – MD – First vocals and lyrics 
Tea R. Sea @tea_are_sea  -- Terry – Synthesizers, beats, composition, production, and mix
Llanpsych– @llanpsych  –Tez–Electric guitar
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman  –Stephen– Electric guitar, mix, and production 
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3,  @k2-kara –Ken–drums, lyrics, and vocals at the end
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –five-string fretless bass

This song began with Terry sharing an intriguing Eastern sounding synth and minimal beat with Ken, who added a really solid beat to bring out the strong rhythm of the song. Once they had a solid foundation and skeleton, they shared it with the rest of the Eclectic Collective. Josh added his four string fretless bass in a dubby line that was inspired by Tez's hot skank part.  Stephen came up with the floating ambient guitar throughout and the shocking dynamic lift towards the end, and Tez piled on to light it up. Then MD got a hold of it and wrote and sang some of his trademark, fun lyrics and vocals in the first part of the song. Ken, not to be left out of the melodic experience, added the vocals at the end. 
  After we all had everything in the can, the Texas Tea combo of Stephen and Terry produced and mixed the whole thing down. This wasn't their first rodeo mixing a project together, and it really shows in the end quality. They also have several duo projects up on both of their pages that are worth checking out.  
  We think the end result is reminiscent of Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation, two big influences on a few of us. We all hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Lyrics by MD:
Time again and on, and on, and on, we fall in slumber
Dreams never wait
Ashes to ashes we all fall down 
Ooooo Circles break
Ashes to ashes we all fall down
When we wake
When we wake
Is this a new Simulation?
When I wake
When I wake

Lyrics by Ken:
Feed the fire or the fire flames out

Coherent Fire  - (Eclectic Collective) w/ Tea R. Sea

Som nice Stuff i think, well done my friends, Nice to have you all
https://soundcloud.com/joerxworx Sax
https://soundcloud.com/user-672449547 Bass
And my Friend Torben on Guitar

Lunatics 129 Mexican Road Trip / Lofi menta-Tortben Schmitt/ Joerxworx & Ratzzz

Life is Shit

Sunday In May

A perfectly toxic and loving/disastrous relationship that is all we could ever want/not want, but need.

Crash Again

Composed and produced by Val Akey. Used and programmed VSTIs:
Addictive Drums2/Broomstick Bass/FL Keys/RealLPC+GuitarRig5.

Release date: 10 October 2019

Summer Is Over

musical sketchbook
DIY, low skill, low fidelity

Desensitization

xian3