Inspired by the 50th Anniversary tour of the band Shakti, Shock Tea features Emerald Amicus 12-string guitar, Tabla (played on a Korg Wavedrum), Violin (Audio Modeling Violin played on LinnStrument), and NS Chapman Stick.
Listen to the new single, Fortune's Face from Jeremy Cubert and Tom Kraus.
This song draws inspiration from the intriguing story of Perceval Lowell, a prominent 19th-century astronomer who played a significant role in inspiring works such as "War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells and, arguably, the entire genre of science fiction. Lowell's fascination with the canals of Mars prompted him to acquire a telescope and embark on a quest to find similar features on Venus. In his observations, he perceived what appeared to be spokes on a wheel and confidently sketched them. However, due to an unfortunate error in using a very small aperture, Lowell unintentionally ended up observing the back of his own eyeball instead of Mars. Nevertheless, he spent his life steadfast in his belief that he had indeed discovered the canals of Venus. Special thanks to Tom Kraus for his vocal and instrumental contributions.
lyrics
(Verse 1) Circling round the sun,
beyond the stratosphere
Elliptical pathways,
shaped by gravity
Knowledge of destiny,
in the blink of an eye
Time stretches silently,
floating around the sky.
(Chorus) I will see fortune’s face
reflecting in mirrors
Point to the lights,
out in the universe
No one believes in me,
I will prove all of them wrong
Mapping humanity
to the planets beyond
(Verse 2) Optical imagery,
spokes on a wheel
Turning around, and around, and around in my head
Rivers and clouds appear,
marking the surface sphere
Far away sketches conceived by mankind
(Chorus) I will see fortune’s face
reflecting in mirrors
Point to the lights
out in the universe
No one believes in me
I will prove all of them wrong
Mapping humanity
to the planets beyond
(Verse 3) Appearing inside myself,
my vision narrowed
Seeing a universe
appearing beyond
I go to my grave,
with visions of mortality
Mapping another world,
under the Sun
(Chorus) I will see fortune’s face
reflecting in mirrors
Point to the lights
out in the universe
No one believes in me
I will prove all of them wrong
Mapping humanity
to the planets beyond
(Repeat)
credits
released July 2, 2023
Jeremy Cubert - keyboards, NS Stick, LinnStrument, Zendrum, Lyrics
Tom Kraus - vocals and vocal arrangements, electric and acoustic guitars, sequencer
A collection of songs for solo nylon stringed instruments about the end of a long journey.
Paradigm Shift is a collection of mostly spontaneous solo pieces for the Chapman Stick and Guitar.