BFT Gibson
Ambassador of Originality
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✧ Project: Orpheus - Imagine Create Share ✧
- Thread starter TVvoodoo
- Start date
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TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
@frostyjr2 ...MARVELOUS scene-setting!
frostyjr2
Well-Known Member
TY!!!
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
So , song creation check, album worth of songs, check , using Suno, Un-Check.
Don’t take it like I dislike Suno. I do like some things about it.
In my first song I thought , this should be easy.
I would have one down quickly and move on to the next.
Plans have changed. I decided to take Kerry’s approach at a slightly biographical approach.
I don’t want to do a whole 10 songs that way but this song came out pretty good for my first ever attempt at writing and then singing it. It’s tricky to capture a melody. Where to accent vowels and length of each word accordingly is hard for me.
Don’t take it like I dislike Suno. I do like some things about it.
In my first song I thought , this should be easy.
I would have one down quickly and move on to the next.
Plans have changed. I decided to take Kerry’s approach at a slightly biographical approach.
I don’t want to do a whole 10 songs that way but this song came out pretty good for my first ever attempt at writing and then singing it. It’s tricky to capture a melody. Where to accent vowels and length of each word accordingly is hard for me.
BFT Gibson
Ambassador of Originality
Cool, appreciate the singing ! I can't sing but if i didn't try, there would be no music making & story telling of my life. The songs have captured it all , literally have a library of my life to listen to.
Popular opinion will always sway to trying to compare our voices & tell us to me more like so & so or do it this way..our voices are the unique blessings we are given. Never let it stand in the way of moving forward in creating your music. How you place vocals naturally in a mix is your emotional reaction to the music..it is amazing & all our own ! Sing, no right or wrong or better or worse..it is all subjective opinions of others that criticize anyways & never let it stop original music. There is no comparison in original..it is a 1 off all yours especially when done organically
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
Yes, I had to step away from Suno for a while, listening to it and trying to duplicate it in my voice and guitar just bogged down my progress.
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
I have been trying to sing maybe a couple of weeks . As I said I got frustrated so 2 days ago I recorded most of this in about 15 min. but its easy to talk about life.
I just rendered and posted this on Vocaroo . Definitely not done yet. Probably add another minute and maybe do some fresh vocal takes.
I followed reaper mania suggestion on effects, I don't like them. I probably strip those out.
voca.ro
I just rendered and posted this on Vocaroo . Definitely not done yet. Probably add another minute and maybe do some fresh vocal takes.
I followed reaper mania suggestion on effects, I don't like them. I probably strip those out.
Vocaroo | Online voice recorder
Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs.
voca.ro
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
I did pull them back, I will try a different reverb , the delay was ok and maybe there is more compressing somewhere in the mix.Maybe just pull them back a bit.
Good progress IMO.
To be clear…I was speaking of only the effects mix levels…especially the reverb…not the actual vocals.
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
Right , I got that , thanks TBD !
frostyjr2
Well-Known Member
The Keeper of Darkness
(overture)
Ch. 1 - ‘Hannah’s House’
somewhere in upstate NY (1965)
When i opened my eyes i found myself in an unfamiliar place.
The room was dark and quiet and i was lying under a thick down comforter in a large bed, surrounded by soft pillows.
I could feel my head throbbing faintly, and I closed my eyes again; the dull ache seemed to recede even more when i did that.
“I know i hit my head pretty hard,” I thought to myself. “Weird that it doesn’t hurt more than this … wait, is this what being dead feels like?”
Against any reasonable expectation, the pain continued to fade away while i kept my eyes shut and wondered, my mind drifting into a strange place indeed as all kinds of thoughts about the afterlife played out; nothing i had ever heard about either Heaven or Hell seemed to fit the situation i found myself in now.
When i finally opened them again i saw a woman leaning over me, a look of concern on her lovely face.
She was so beautiful; her smooth olive skin, her large brown eyes with long thick eyelashes, her full lips painted a bright red, her glossy wavy hair so dark brown it was almost black. Everything about her was perfect.
‘Is this Heaven then? It certainly can’t be Hell,’ I thought. ‘Not if there’s an angel standing over me now.’
"Angel eyes," I murmured, looking into her beautiful brown ones.
She asked softly, “What’s your name, little one?”
“Erica …” I mumbled.
“Well, I hope that eventually you will come to consider me as a friend, Erica,” the woman said, “although it might still be a bit early for that at the moment.”
She smiled at me, and said gently, “I’m guessing you probably have some questions.”
Suddenly all the events of the last night of my life replayed themselves quite vividly in my mind, and i remembered everything just as it happened: the club, the music (Wes, omg!), that boy, what he did … and then …
I had been hit by a car and left dying in the gutter ... so much pain, and then … nothing.
Where was I now, and how did I get here?
As if she had read my mind, the beautiful woman answered my unspoken thought.
“Yes, you were hit by a car, and you were dying,” she said quietly . “I had been keeping an eye on you ever since you left the club with that boy.”
So I had been right about that odd feeling after all!
“When he walked off, I thought you were out of danger, but something told me I should still keep following you,” she said.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t close enough to prevent the accident but I got there as fast as I could after it happened.”
I was very confused by what she was telling me.
“But if that car hit me and I was dying, then why am I not dead now?” I asked softly. “Why don’t I feel any pain? And who are you?”
“My name is Hannah, and this is my home,” she replied. “I brought you here after … the accident.”
She paused before that last part, as if she had intended to say something else before changing her mind at the last minute.
“Answering your other questions will be a bit more complicated.”
She smiled again, but then her face turned serious.
‘You were dying,” she said, “and there was no time to do anything other than what I did.”
“And what you did, that saved my life?”
“No,” Hannah shook her head, a note of genuine sadness in her voice now.
“I couldn’t do that, unfortunately. I only made it possible for you to continue to exist.”
I was even more confused now.
She shook her head gently again, and then continued on.
“Believe me when I tell you that you’re not alive any more,” she said as she placed her hand on my chest, covering my heart. “Haven’t you noticed yet?”
Her touch was electric, sending a current of pleasurable sensation through my entire body, but i now became fully aware that my heart wasn’t beating. How was this even possible?
“What’s happening to me?” I asked. I was starting to feel a bit panic-stricken.
“You’re beginning to change,” Hannah replied. “You are becoming like me now.”
“Like you? What do you mean, ‘like you’?” I asked, not understanding.
“You’re becoming a vampire, little one,” Hannah said bluntly. “I’m a vampire, and in order to save you I had to turn you into one also. If I hadn’t done that, you’d already be dead right now. Really dead instead of just … not alive anymore.”
She took a large glass containing a translucent black liquid from the table next to the bed, and tilted my head back gently.
“You need to drink some more of this,” Hannah said.
I complied, unable and unwilling to resist. The liquid within tasted sweet, and I drained the glass quickly.
“That was really delicious,” I whispered. “What was that?”
Hannah just laughed and said, “I’ll tell you later. For now try to rest, please.”
She pulled the heavy window curtains open before leaving me alone in that large bedroom illuminated only by the gathering twilight of an autumn evening.
(overture)
Ch. 1 - ‘Hannah’s House’
somewhere in upstate NY (1965)
When i opened my eyes i found myself in an unfamiliar place.
The room was dark and quiet and i was lying under a thick down comforter in a large bed, surrounded by soft pillows.
I could feel my head throbbing faintly, and I closed my eyes again; the dull ache seemed to recede even more when i did that.
“I know i hit my head pretty hard,” I thought to myself. “Weird that it doesn’t hurt more than this … wait, is this what being dead feels like?”
Against any reasonable expectation, the pain continued to fade away while i kept my eyes shut and wondered, my mind drifting into a strange place indeed as all kinds of thoughts about the afterlife played out; nothing i had ever heard about either Heaven or Hell seemed to fit the situation i found myself in now.
When i finally opened them again i saw a woman leaning over me, a look of concern on her lovely face.
She was so beautiful; her smooth olive skin, her large brown eyes with long thick eyelashes, her full lips painted a bright red, her glossy wavy hair so dark brown it was almost black. Everything about her was perfect.
‘Is this Heaven then? It certainly can’t be Hell,’ I thought. ‘Not if there’s an angel standing over me now.’
"Angel eyes," I murmured, looking into her beautiful brown ones.
She asked softly, “What’s your name, little one?”
“Erica …” I mumbled.
“Well, I hope that eventually you will come to consider me as a friend, Erica,” the woman said, “although it might still be a bit early for that at the moment.”
She smiled at me, and said gently, “I’m guessing you probably have some questions.”
Suddenly all the events of the last night of my life replayed themselves quite vividly in my mind, and i remembered everything just as it happened: the club, the music (Wes, omg!), that boy, what he did … and then …
I had been hit by a car and left dying in the gutter ... so much pain, and then … nothing.
Where was I now, and how did I get here?
As if she had read my mind, the beautiful woman answered my unspoken thought.
“Yes, you were hit by a car, and you were dying,” she said quietly . “I had been keeping an eye on you ever since you left the club with that boy.”
So I had been right about that odd feeling after all!
“When he walked off, I thought you were out of danger, but something told me I should still keep following you,” she said.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t close enough to prevent the accident but I got there as fast as I could after it happened.”
I was very confused by what she was telling me.
“But if that car hit me and I was dying, then why am I not dead now?” I asked softly. “Why don’t I feel any pain? And who are you?”
“My name is Hannah, and this is my home,” she replied. “I brought you here after … the accident.”
She paused before that last part, as if she had intended to say something else before changing her mind at the last minute.
“Answering your other questions will be a bit more complicated.”
She smiled again, but then her face turned serious.
‘You were dying,” she said, “and there was no time to do anything other than what I did.”
“And what you did, that saved my life?”
“No,” Hannah shook her head, a note of genuine sadness in her voice now.
“I couldn’t do that, unfortunately. I only made it possible for you to continue to exist.”
I was even more confused now.
She shook her head gently again, and then continued on.
“Believe me when I tell you that you’re not alive any more,” she said as she placed her hand on my chest, covering my heart. “Haven’t you noticed yet?”
Her touch was electric, sending a current of pleasurable sensation through my entire body, but i now became fully aware that my heart wasn’t beating. How was this even possible?
“What’s happening to me?” I asked. I was starting to feel a bit panic-stricken.
“You’re beginning to change,” Hannah replied. “You are becoming like me now.”
“Like you? What do you mean, ‘like you’?” I asked, not understanding.
“You’re becoming a vampire, little one,” Hannah said bluntly. “I’m a vampire, and in order to save you I had to turn you into one also. If I hadn’t done that, you’d already be dead right now. Really dead instead of just … not alive anymore.”
She took a large glass containing a translucent black liquid from the table next to the bed, and tilted my head back gently.
“You need to drink some more of this,” Hannah said.
I complied, unable and unwilling to resist. The liquid within tasted sweet, and I drained the glass quickly.
“That was really delicious,” I whispered. “What was that?”
Hannah just laughed and said, “I’ll tell you later. For now try to rest, please.”
She pulled the heavy window curtains open before leaving me alone in that large bedroom illuminated only by the gathering twilight of an autumn evening.
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frostyjr2
Well-Known Member
The Keeper of Darkness Ch. 1 (cont'd)
Oddly, my hearing had grown so acute that i could hear the sound her receding soft footsteps made as she walked down the hallway quite clearly.
Any lingering sensation of pain had faded as soon as i had consumed that mysterious black liquid, however.
What was that stuff anyhow? I had never tasted anything quite like it before.
It was good and i wanted more, but the glass was empty now.
I closed my eyes again, thinking i might try to sleep. I was exhausted, and laying in a very comfortable bed.
Normally as soon as my head hit the pillow i would be asleep in a matter of minutes, but now even though I was tired i felt restless and sleep just wouldn't come calling.
After a while, i became aware of a faint sound of music coming from another part of the house.
It was classical music, a piece i knew and loved, and I wanted to hear it more clearly.
I got up from the bed and wrapped the comforter I had been laying under around me against the chill, and then I followed my ears to the source of the music. They led me down a long hallway and through a set of heavy wooden doors into the living room, where Hannah sat on the couch with her eyes closed.
She was listening to an LP disc on a rather large and complicated looking stereo system. There were six softly glowing tubes and two large black transformers partly covered in copper protruding from the top of a nickel silver enclosure with a couple of knobs and dials on the angled face of it. Thick cables snaked across the floor to connect a pair of speakers that took up most of two corners. I had never seen anything like it before.
As soon as i entered the room, she opened her eyes and looked directly towards me.
"Sorry to disturb you. I just couldn't sleep," i said quietly.
"It's OK, Erica. This new existence of yours will take some getting used to."
Hannah gestured towards herself and said, "Come here, little one.", and before i knew it, my feet had moved me towards the couch where she sat.
She asked softly, "Do you know this music?"
“Yes! It’s the Debussy violin sonata.”, i replied. "It's so beautiful.”
"It is one of my favorite pieces of his. It was his final composition, in fact. I saw him perform it once, some time ago, with Gaston Poulet on the violin. It was so wonderful to hear it for the very first time."
“But ..."
I knew that Claude Debussy was an Impressionist composer from the earliest part of the 20th century.
If this strange woman had actually seen him perform this music in person, she had to be at least seventy years old, yet she looked as if she was only in her late twenties.
Then i remembered what she had told me.
"Oh, right ... vampire …"
She laughed as i trailed off.
"Yes, I'm often told that I look quite young for my age.” She laughed again.”One more benefit of your new existence, my dear: you will never look any older than you do now."
She patted the couch next to her. “Come, sit and listen with me, and relax now.”
Again, i found myself doing as bidden without any thought whatsoever.
The music continued to play softly, but i was able to discern every detail of the performance.
When i closed my eyes, it was as if the instrumentalists were right in the room with us playing the piece.
I could hear everything, right down to when either musician took a breath. It was incredible.
“Wow … that’s some crazy stereo you have.”
I was awed by the clarity of the sound.
“The system was built by the great Nikola Tesla himself, Erica.
“He is one of us, so it was designed to satisfy our unique demands.” Hannah smiled before continuing on.
“What you are hearing is truly accurate reproduction of sound combined with your newly enhanced auditory capacity.”
My mind was reeling from everything i had taken in up to this point.
It certainly was a lot to think about and to process.
First i had been struck down by a speeding car and left to die in the street.
Then i had been revived somehow by this strangely intriguing woman … who claimed to be a vampire.
Brought to her house, which was ... well ... i had absolutely no idea where i was.
Apparently i'd been turned into a vampire myself, which had given me eternal youth, enhanced senses, and who knew what other powers.
Well, it’s definitely been a pretty wild night so far, i mused to myself.
Now this revelation:
That Thomas Edison’s contemporary and competitor Nikola Tesla was actually a vampire himself, one who had designed this amazing sound system for his own kind?
I had to believe it was true, because i’d never heard another recording before this that sounded so vivid and so alive.
When the Debussy piece was done, a thought occurred to me: what would my favorite music sound like on this system, with these ears?
“Hannah, do you have any jazz records? Some Wes, maybe?” i asked breathlessly.
“Wes? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.”, she replied softly. “I do have some Louis Armstrong records, though.”
Hannah rose languidly from the couch, walked over to a low wooden cabinet near the stereo, and selected a record in a paper sleeve. She inspected the label, placed it on top next to the turntable, and then turned back towards me again.
“Souvenirs d‘un bon temps down in New Orleans some time ago … would you like to have a listen?”
“I would like that very much, please.” Without realizing it, my speech had begun to mimic her old-fashioned manner.
She lifted the disc of Debussy from the player, slid it carefully in its dust jacket, then that went into the printed cover before she returned it to its place in the cabinet.
Everything she did was precise and economical, with not a single wasted movement, and I found that indescribably attractive.
Hannah picked up the record from the cabinet and removed it from its dust jacket before placing it on the turntable. She reset the playback speed to 78 rpm, and once the disc began to spin, she delicately placed the needle in the groove.
Oddly, my hearing had grown so acute that i could hear the sound her receding soft footsteps made as she walked down the hallway quite clearly.
Any lingering sensation of pain had faded as soon as i had consumed that mysterious black liquid, however.
What was that stuff anyhow? I had never tasted anything quite like it before.
It was good and i wanted more, but the glass was empty now.
I closed my eyes again, thinking i might try to sleep. I was exhausted, and laying in a very comfortable bed.
Normally as soon as my head hit the pillow i would be asleep in a matter of minutes, but now even though I was tired i felt restless and sleep just wouldn't come calling.
After a while, i became aware of a faint sound of music coming from another part of the house.
It was classical music, a piece i knew and loved, and I wanted to hear it more clearly.
I got up from the bed and wrapped the comforter I had been laying under around me against the chill, and then I followed my ears to the source of the music. They led me down a long hallway and through a set of heavy wooden doors into the living room, where Hannah sat on the couch with her eyes closed.
She was listening to an LP disc on a rather large and complicated looking stereo system. There were six softly glowing tubes and two large black transformers partly covered in copper protruding from the top of a nickel silver enclosure with a couple of knobs and dials on the angled face of it. Thick cables snaked across the floor to connect a pair of speakers that took up most of two corners. I had never seen anything like it before.
As soon as i entered the room, she opened her eyes and looked directly towards me.
"Sorry to disturb you. I just couldn't sleep," i said quietly.
"It's OK, Erica. This new existence of yours will take some getting used to."
Hannah gestured towards herself and said, "Come here, little one.", and before i knew it, my feet had moved me towards the couch where she sat.
She asked softly, "Do you know this music?"
“Yes! It’s the Debussy violin sonata.”, i replied. "It's so beautiful.”
"It is one of my favorite pieces of his. It was his final composition, in fact. I saw him perform it once, some time ago, with Gaston Poulet on the violin. It was so wonderful to hear it for the very first time."
“But ..."
I knew that Claude Debussy was an Impressionist composer from the earliest part of the 20th century.
If this strange woman had actually seen him perform this music in person, she had to be at least seventy years old, yet she looked as if she was only in her late twenties.
Then i remembered what she had told me.
"Oh, right ... vampire …"
She laughed as i trailed off.
"Yes, I'm often told that I look quite young for my age.” She laughed again.”One more benefit of your new existence, my dear: you will never look any older than you do now."
She patted the couch next to her. “Come, sit and listen with me, and relax now.”
Again, i found myself doing as bidden without any thought whatsoever.
The music continued to play softly, but i was able to discern every detail of the performance.
When i closed my eyes, it was as if the instrumentalists were right in the room with us playing the piece.
I could hear everything, right down to when either musician took a breath. It was incredible.
“Wow … that’s some crazy stereo you have.”
I was awed by the clarity of the sound.
“The system was built by the great Nikola Tesla himself, Erica.
“He is one of us, so it was designed to satisfy our unique demands.” Hannah smiled before continuing on.
“What you are hearing is truly accurate reproduction of sound combined with your newly enhanced auditory capacity.”
My mind was reeling from everything i had taken in up to this point.
It certainly was a lot to think about and to process.
First i had been struck down by a speeding car and left to die in the street.
Then i had been revived somehow by this strangely intriguing woman … who claimed to be a vampire.
Brought to her house, which was ... well ... i had absolutely no idea where i was.
Apparently i'd been turned into a vampire myself, which had given me eternal youth, enhanced senses, and who knew what other powers.
Well, it’s definitely been a pretty wild night so far, i mused to myself.
Now this revelation:
That Thomas Edison’s contemporary and competitor Nikola Tesla was actually a vampire himself, one who had designed this amazing sound system for his own kind?
I had to believe it was true, because i’d never heard another recording before this that sounded so vivid and so alive.
When the Debussy piece was done, a thought occurred to me: what would my favorite music sound like on this system, with these ears?
“Hannah, do you have any jazz records? Some Wes, maybe?” i asked breathlessly.
“Wes? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.”, she replied softly. “I do have some Louis Armstrong records, though.”
Hannah rose languidly from the couch, walked over to a low wooden cabinet near the stereo, and selected a record in a paper sleeve. She inspected the label, placed it on top next to the turntable, and then turned back towards me again.
“Souvenirs d‘un bon temps down in New Orleans some time ago … would you like to have a listen?”
“I would like that very much, please.” Without realizing it, my speech had begun to mimic her old-fashioned manner.
She lifted the disc of Debussy from the player, slid it carefully in its dust jacket, then that went into the printed cover before she returned it to its place in the cabinet.
Everything she did was precise and economical, with not a single wasted movement, and I found that indescribably attractive.
Hannah picked up the record from the cabinet and removed it from its dust jacket before placing it on the turntable. She reset the playback speed to 78 rpm, and once the disc began to spin, she delicately placed the needle in the groove.
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frostyjr2
Well-Known Member
The Keeper of Darkness Ch. 1 (cont'd.)
The unmistakable sound of the opening trumpet cadenza of ‘West End Blues’ jumped out of the speakers, the notes tumbling over one another in a mad cascade. She had picked one of my favorites!
I had heard this recording many times before, but now it was as if i truly was hearing it for the very first time.
When the slow drag of the main melody began i closed my eyes and sank back into the couch, already lost in the rmusic made so many years ago, back in 1928 Chicago.
Then the solo sections started.
The opening trombone solo was gritty and the click clack of the hand percussion had been never so clear and defined.
It sounded as if Jimmy Strong was playing his clarinet right there in front of me, and when Louis began his scat vocal in response i was convinced that if i opened my eyes, i would see him standing there too, holding his trumpet and that ever-present white handkerchief in one hand as he leaned into the microphone.
Earl Hines’ rippling piano runs sounded more crisp and bright than ever.
The held note Louis played after the piano solo sent chills down my spine, and his solo was pure bliss.
'Fatha' Hines returned with a short arpeggiated section, then Louis played a final blues phrase, and the full ensemble wrapped it up with a few notes in harmony.
It was sheer perfection in just a little over three minutes; they had taken the time constraints imposed by early recording technology and made them into a virtue.
Tesla had not designed a sound system; he had created a sort of time machine, I thought to myself, because it was as if I had been transported magically back to the time and place of the original Okeh recording date.
Suddenly, I shivered.
Hannah was looking at me rather pointedtly now and for some reason I blushed, my cheeks turning a bright red despite the chili of the room as she spoke.
“Erica, I need to explain what you've become."
"I'm a vampire now; you already told me that. Is there something else that i should know?”, i asked sarcastically.
"Please do allow me to make things clearer by giving you a bit of history."
A history lesson? Really?
"I told you that I was a vampire, Erica. That is true, but I didn't tell you what kind of vampire I was."
Hannah smiled at the quizzical expression on my face.
"Yes, dear. There's more than one variety. While the common bloodsucker is the most prevalent, I (and by extension, now you as well) belong to a most exclusive and rare group: we are shadow vampires."
"What's a shadow vampire ?" i asked, my sarcasm replaced by keen interest now.
"It's a strain that began in feudal Japan with a curse on a faithless samurai. While on guard duty one night, he had to urinate so badly that he abandoned his post," Hannah explained.
"A ninja was able to sneak in through the unguarded passage and assassinate his master, then slip away unnoticed. With his dying breath, his master cursed the samurai. His master's killer having slipped in and out unseen like a shadow, the samurai would have to wander the earth as a ronin for all eternity, seeking desperate unfortunates, using their desperation to find them and then through their release the ronin would be able to obtain the only thing he truly desired any longer: their shadow essence. With each acquisition, his existence would be prolonged, as would his shame."
She paused then for a moment before continuing on.
“After so many centuries shadows have become a sort of commodity to those of us that are his children, things to be bought, sold, traded, and yes, even stolen sometimes.”
As Hannah spoke, I listened raptly, both fascinated and horrified by the tale.
I wrapped the comforter around me more tightly but it didn’t seem to ease the chili l was feeling now at all.
"Of course, like any other vampire we still require blood for sustenance. Our need for shadows is just a little something extra."
As she said those words, Hannah laughed softly and extended her fangs.
"Think of it as a bonus prize.”
'OMG, she's still perfect', i thought as she spoke. 'The fangs only make her more beautiful ... '
As if she was reading my mind, Hannah stood up now and slid out of her long velvet dressing gown, leaving her clad only in a short black satin slip that accentuated every curve of her statuesque form. I was well and truly enthralled now, no doubt about it.
"In order to make you one of us, I had to first feed you my blood, but then also feed you a bit of my own shadow. The blood alone would have been lethal; it's only the combination of the two that makes you into a shadow vampire."
She laughed again, but it sounded a bit colder now.
Had she just been toying with me all this time?
"And now, little one ... will you stand in front of the fireplace, please? There's one last thing I need to do in order to make you a part of the family, so to speak.”
It was as much a command as a request and without thinking i got up and did as i was told, just as an obedient little girl should.
As i stood before the flickering flames, i could sense my shadow rising from a dark pool that had formed on the floor beneath me.
Hannah leaned over and although there was no actual physical contact with any part of my body i still felt the touch of her soft lips and the bite as her fangs sank into my shadow essence and i could see a dark liquid running down the sides of her mouth as she fed.
Her eyes glowed with an eerie blue light as she drank deeply from the darkness and as it flowed into her I can't deny that, whatever it was that she was drinking, blood or something else, what she was doing felt really good to me.
The murky stream kept on flowing for a while longer before it lessened and then finally ceased, but the fantastic feeling didn’t stop.
I may not have gone to Hell, but i knew somehow that i was still damned.
And i didn't care.
\/-----\/
(to be continued)
disclaimer: no AI is being used in the production of the original music or prose for TKoD ... to me goes the credit, and also to me the blame.
The unmistakable sound of the opening trumpet cadenza of ‘West End Blues’ jumped out of the speakers, the notes tumbling over one another in a mad cascade. She had picked one of my favorites!
I had heard this recording many times before, but now it was as if i truly was hearing it for the very first time.
When the slow drag of the main melody began i closed my eyes and sank back into the couch, already lost in the rmusic made so many years ago, back in 1928 Chicago.
Then the solo sections started.
The opening trombone solo was gritty and the click clack of the hand percussion had been never so clear and defined.
It sounded as if Jimmy Strong was playing his clarinet right there in front of me, and when Louis began his scat vocal in response i was convinced that if i opened my eyes, i would see him standing there too, holding his trumpet and that ever-present white handkerchief in one hand as he leaned into the microphone.
Earl Hines’ rippling piano runs sounded more crisp and bright than ever.
The held note Louis played after the piano solo sent chills down my spine, and his solo was pure bliss.
'Fatha' Hines returned with a short arpeggiated section, then Louis played a final blues phrase, and the full ensemble wrapped it up with a few notes in harmony.
It was sheer perfection in just a little over three minutes; they had taken the time constraints imposed by early recording technology and made them into a virtue.
Tesla had not designed a sound system; he had created a sort of time machine, I thought to myself, because it was as if I had been transported magically back to the time and place of the original Okeh recording date.
Suddenly, I shivered.
Hannah was looking at me rather pointedtly now and for some reason I blushed, my cheeks turning a bright red despite the chili of the room as she spoke.
“Erica, I need to explain what you've become."
"I'm a vampire now; you already told me that. Is there something else that i should know?”, i asked sarcastically.
"Please do allow me to make things clearer by giving you a bit of history."
A history lesson? Really?
"I told you that I was a vampire, Erica. That is true, but I didn't tell you what kind of vampire I was."
Hannah smiled at the quizzical expression on my face.
"Yes, dear. There's more than one variety. While the common bloodsucker is the most prevalent, I (and by extension, now you as well) belong to a most exclusive and rare group: we are shadow vampires."
"What's a shadow vampire ?" i asked, my sarcasm replaced by keen interest now.
"It's a strain that began in feudal Japan with a curse on a faithless samurai. While on guard duty one night, he had to urinate so badly that he abandoned his post," Hannah explained.
"A ninja was able to sneak in through the unguarded passage and assassinate his master, then slip away unnoticed. With his dying breath, his master cursed the samurai. His master's killer having slipped in and out unseen like a shadow, the samurai would have to wander the earth as a ronin for all eternity, seeking desperate unfortunates, using their desperation to find them and then through their release the ronin would be able to obtain the only thing he truly desired any longer: their shadow essence. With each acquisition, his existence would be prolonged, as would his shame."
She paused then for a moment before continuing on.
“After so many centuries shadows have become a sort of commodity to those of us that are his children, things to be bought, sold, traded, and yes, even stolen sometimes.”
As Hannah spoke, I listened raptly, both fascinated and horrified by the tale.
I wrapped the comforter around me more tightly but it didn’t seem to ease the chili l was feeling now at all.
"Of course, like any other vampire we still require blood for sustenance. Our need for shadows is just a little something extra."
As she said those words, Hannah laughed softly and extended her fangs.
"Think of it as a bonus prize.”
'OMG, she's still perfect', i thought as she spoke. 'The fangs only make her more beautiful ... '
As if she was reading my mind, Hannah stood up now and slid out of her long velvet dressing gown, leaving her clad only in a short black satin slip that accentuated every curve of her statuesque form. I was well and truly enthralled now, no doubt about it.
"In order to make you one of us, I had to first feed you my blood, but then also feed you a bit of my own shadow. The blood alone would have been lethal; it's only the combination of the two that makes you into a shadow vampire."
She laughed again, but it sounded a bit colder now.
Had she just been toying with me all this time?
"And now, little one ... will you stand in front of the fireplace, please? There's one last thing I need to do in order to make you a part of the family, so to speak.”
It was as much a command as a request and without thinking i got up and did as i was told, just as an obedient little girl should.
As i stood before the flickering flames, i could sense my shadow rising from a dark pool that had formed on the floor beneath me.
Hannah leaned over and although there was no actual physical contact with any part of my body i still felt the touch of her soft lips and the bite as her fangs sank into my shadow essence and i could see a dark liquid running down the sides of her mouth as she fed.
Her eyes glowed with an eerie blue light as she drank deeply from the darkness and as it flowed into her I can't deny that, whatever it was that she was drinking, blood or something else, what she was doing felt really good to me.
The murky stream kept on flowing for a while longer before it lessened and then finally ceased, but the fantastic feeling didn’t stop.
I may not have gone to Hell, but i knew somehow that i was still damned.
And i didn't care.
\/-----\/
(to be continued)
disclaimer: no AI is being used in the production of the original music or prose for TKoD ... to me goes the credit, and also to me the blame.
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ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
No AI was used in this song in any way shape or form, I just went home 1977. Out for a week I decided maybe I should go back to school. Caught a show, headed home, I told my friend hey, we should stay overnight at my dads, he said I have to go home, if I don't got to school, no more concerts, ever.
Ok you drive. It ended well ditch and a tow truck, he fell asleep also.
Ok you drive. It ended well ditch and a tow truck, he fell asleep also.
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frostyjr2
Well-Known Member
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
You know it is heavier than I thought it was and I didn’t consider it to fit under any particular sub-genre but you nailed the style and description.
I went out to the car to listen and it will blow your socks off. I might need to cut the bottom off of the bass. It rumbles. But I adjusted the equalizer in the car stereo (bass) and then faded a little more to back and it is heaven in a southerly fashion. lol
Thanks for listening frosty!
BFT Gibson
Ambassador of Originality
Enjoying the AI madness you guys & gals are going through,,song #2 dropping Friday coming very intensely at AI thanks to your fearless leader vocal challenge on last release,, You know it, dust off the sm57's put on em a cab, crank an amp, sing into a real mic, show your heart through the music ,not ever letting a robot be the final outcome of your very own personal moment captured in time, ..all in good fun, hopefully bringing out the best in all of as musicians,
Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
One step at a time..
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
My song is proudly AI negative, apparently that’s like C Virus negative. lol
But you are correct, AI lit a fire , I never thought a vocal would come from me.