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Songs Under The Bridge / П​е​с​н​и П​о​д М​о​с​т​о​м

by Sasha Ilyukevich & The Highly Skilled Migrants

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1.
Seven Hills Plague And Fear Swarm Like Flies, Maidens Weave Like Bustles In Hair, Spirits, Exhausted Sway In The Gust, No Longer Able To Hold Against The Eyes Of Trouble. Not Long They Waited For The Tempest To Arrive, And The Peal Of The Bell Shattered, The Candle Burnt Out At The Seven Hills, And Ashes Veiled A Dream. Incense Arose From A Thurible In Church, But Failed To Cover Their Tracks From God, People Came To Bid Farewell To Icons, That Were Taken To Auction The Next Morning. Why Aren't You, Prince Gabriel, Travelling In Haste? Did You Neglect Your Bread? Are Swords Blunt? Seemingly, There Is No Union Between Angels And Demons, There Is Not Enough Grief For Them, No Matter If We Cry Or Laugh. Juno Passed By And Scattered The Darkness, Instead Of Wisdom She Gave To Us Ill Rumour. Shandong Spoilage Drowns Our Heads, Surrogate And Plastic Are All We See. We Pray Not To Perish In The Attire Of These Dreams, Let Us See At Least The Shadows Of Your Work, The Libran Shoulders Ached For A Long Time, The Ibis Flew But Couldn't Reach Us. Indeed, Our Fate Blazes In Tongues Of Flame, Truly, Our Ardour Thaws Not Even The Snow, Your Almanac Hides The Barefoot Mystery In The Silvered Mane Of The Steppe Horse. The Black Friar Seats In The Amarnath Cave, He Speaks Word To The Seven Sages. The Virgin Lotus Remains Amongst The Seven Hills. Find And Return It To The Wan Hearts.
2.
Man X Early In A Morning, Or Late At Night, Man X Goes Somewhere, He Needs To Find A New Encounter, He Must Satisfy His Whim. Barren City, Narrow Streets, Long Shadows, The Walls Stretch Up To The Sky, Virtual Happiness Cannot Be Replaced, This Is His Solitude. No Matter If He Falls, Another Chance Will Come, If He Fails Again, The Machine Will Help Him Out. He Was Reckless, He Was Insane. Awake One Night? A Sound? A Word? What Is This? Where Am I? He Asks. Narrow, Long Shadows, The Walls Stretch Up To The Sky, This City Is Wrapped In Blackout, The War Will Soon Begin. Streets Of Empty Signs, Avoiding Conversation, His Monitor Is Again Longing For The Virtual Touch Of Man X.
3.
March Again. Again, The Iron Wheels Roll Along The Rail. The Train Rushes Through The Ebb Of Dreams. Passengers Fall Silent And Stare Enthralled By The Wretched And Drunken March Lingering On The Earth. We Pass Deserted Stations. There Is Seldom Chance To Pick Up Anyone Else, So No Escape From Further Loss. Outside The Window The March Wails Its Winter Blues. The Grey-Haired Hostess Serves Cold Tea. She Says – Don’t Bother Me; This Is Not Nice Nor, Is It Nice. Cheer Up And Gamble Your Life With Your Fellows. Outside The Window The Malicious March Recklessly Reigns On. Bare Trees Flicker Like Images On The Screen. Nature Struggles To Survive. Trees Rumour That Nothing Will Change. There Is No Right Wing Or Left Wing. All I Can Hear Is The Cursing. Outside The Window The March Rails Against The Heavens. Another Day Comes. The Passengers Awaken And Seek Help. It Is Freezing And Damp Here And Tea Is Served Cold. The Travellers Are Accustomed To A Higher Service And A Higher Carat. Outside The Window The Hateful March Howls With The Wolves. We Haven't Stepped Off This Train For Over A Century. Someone Could Spin A Yarn About This Journey. All I See Are Bruised Passions And Trite. Enough Of This Doomed March. Enough.
4.
Coma Another Blizzard Is Outside. The Ground Is Snowy White This Midnight. No Matter April Has Arrived. What Matters Is Our Spring Is Never Here. The Wind Drives Icy Haze Slantways. Your Traces Are Invisible. I See An Old Caretaker. He Has No Clue Why There Is So Much Water. More Cyclones Will Arrive, Bleach Empty Streets And Our Rooms. I Don't Blame You. The Doors Are Sloped And Coma Looms And Offers Your Sick Dreams. Light Dreams Are In The Past. The Horizon Line Is Closer And Needed. Some Traits Of Unknown Shadows Move In Shiver. Worldly News Is Tiring. It Brings Not Joy But Trouble. The Old Caretaker Doesn't Know Why ‘Stolichnaya’ Water Is On Demand. More Cyclones Will Arrive, Bleach Empty Streets And Our Rooms. I Don't Blame You. The Doors Are Sloped And Coma Looms And Offers Your Sick Dreams.
5.
Your Love I Once Met A Woman On A Train, In The Silence Of Dusk, She Was Tired Of Waiting For Another Showdown, Forgetful Of Joy And Grief. Anon, Wordlessly She Sought A Rueful New Pursuit, In The Hustle Of Passing Stations, Abruptly She Turned To Me And Whispered, It Is So Dark And Candles Deliquesce Sadly. I Found My Home, I Left All Trumpery Behind, Outside, The Guardian Of Homeless Souls And The Fierce Blizzards Perceptibly Rejoiced In His Victory. I Reminisce About That Evening, Moving Away From My Youth To My Lady Traveller, When Fear Fleetly Bolted My Shoulders, The Memory Of Meeting My Own Malady. My Century Would Have Passed, Veiling Itself In Dreary Rooms, But Someone Pierced My Heart, She Had Unearthed Me. It Is Dark In Our Chamber. By Whose Hands Will We Be Crowned? I Close My Eyes And Suddenly It Dawned On Me That She Is My Lady Death. And I'm Again In The Hands Of Your Love. And I'm Again In The Eyes Of Your Love.
6.
Mio Moi This Train Is Going So Slow, Like An Irregular And Silent Flow, Above The Wings Of The Broken Mill, Below The Wells And Their Will. No One Could Guess How Many Hours These Clouds Will Chase The Meadow Flowers, Calling The Sun, Calling The Rain, Rising In Blossom And Fading Away. Chorus: Did You Know This Is Fun, Did You Know That Is Fun To Be In Your Cage, So Vast And Far From The Rage. Did You Know This Is Love, Did You Know That Is Love Comes From The Sun, Comes From The Moon, Never So Late And Never So Soon. It Is Still, But The Wind Starts To Blow, Saying Goodbye And Saying Hello, Rambling Alone Along The Rail, All Our Dreams Are His Measureless Trail. This Whisper Shapes The Motion Time, The Olden Language, Magic Rhyme, Touching The Lips, Making The Sound, Sweeping The Leaves And Leaving The Ground. Chorus. Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Take Me There, Give Me Your Hand. Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Lead Me There, Show Me The Veiled Land. This Train That Will Also Swing Inside Or Even Between The Rusty Wings Of The Broken Mill, And Yielding Wells Of The Fallen Will. It Rolls Again Beyond The Hours, And Strolls Amongst The Meadow Flowers, Calling The Sun, Calling The Rain, Rising In Blossom Again And Again. Chorus. Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Mio Moi, Mio Moi.
7.
Hologram Hologram, Hologram - I Look Again At The Screen, I See The Abyss, I See The Light, Three Questions Against One Answer. Hologram, Hologram - My Frantic Shrine, Either Snow Storms, Or Quick Sands. Hologram, Hologram - Green Wound Is In My Heart, Men And Women's Thoughts Bleed On My Lips. Hologram, Hologram - Your Freedom Can't Get Rid Of This Junk, Two Shoulders, Half Of Your Limb, Night Is In Your Eyes, Canines In Your Mouth. Hologram, Hologram - Shame Has No Fear Anymore, Petty Thieves Lurk At Every Corner. Hologram, Hologram - Spam Always Seeks Targets, He Wags His Tail In Clouds And Under A Tree. Hologram, Hologram - Unfulfilled Charm, Instead Of Melody Some Paltry Move Against All Seven Notes. Hologram, Hologram - The Place Of Constant Drama, Someone Cries, Someone Lies, People Are Amused. Hologram, Hologram - Among Valleys And Mountains, Old Sage Kazakh Blows Out Perishable Dust. Hologram, Hologram - A Dream Like A Bullet, Suddenly Knocks You Down, Never To Awake Again. Hologram, Hologram - Devil Creeps Into The Temple, Hides By The Door, Seduces To Gamble. Hologram, Hologram - Comes In Here, Comes Out There, The Striped Crocodile Swallows Down The Hologram.
8.
Avenues Of The Current Day Nobody Believed In The Miracle By Sinking Into Worldly Duties. It Was Hot, Joyless And Crowded On Avenues Of The Current Day. Like Displeased Cripes And Throngs Of Desperate Looks, Fragments Of Unrestrained Thoughts Flew Around And Pierced Temples. Before Twilight People Secured Their Places In Many Corners To Fight For Profit. The Ravenous News Awaited What To Swallow Or Expel By Filling Their Greedy Jaws Again With Oxygen. Endless Bridges Were Raised And Let Columns Of Life Pass Through. There Were Fleets Of New Life Or Funeral Feasts. When The Chaos Ceased Away, A Wall Overshadowed This Land. Tranquillity Suddenly Came For A Moment On Avenues Of The Current Day. Hopes Clouded Over Windows. There Was Much Heat Inside. They Danced Nakedly. They Wanted To Show Their Bare Bodies. Forgetting Darned Happiness, Their Voices Wouldn't Stop. They Were Part Of The Pink Breed Eyes Shining With Horror. Later A Wind Swept Away These Leaves And Took Away All Conceit. Suddenly It Became Strangely Clean On Avenues Of The Current Day. Leaving Forever Their Cross And Departing From These Beloved Scenes, Semi-Savage Souls Trudged Along The Battered Land. They Stumbled Awkwardly Over The Grass, Drowned In Pools, And Shivered From Dreams. At The Decline Of The Age Of Arms And At The Rise Of The Age Of Nothing The Last Emotion Screamed In Embraces Of Fire. Then Everything Appeared Ever So Empty On Avenues Of The Current Day.
9.
Geometry Of Our Flats The Geometry Of Our Flats Is Measured By The Number Of Walls, Window Frames, The Heights Of Ceilings. Depending On The Strength Of The Lock On Our Doors, It All Can Change. The Geometry Of Our Flats Is Belted With Photo Albums From The Past, Favourite Sounds, Colours And Cyclones Of Other Petty Things. The Geometry Of Our Flats Ingenuously Invites Friends And Foes. There Is Food, Wine, Fallacious Repartee. The Room Constricts As The Air Tightens. Impossible To Tell Who Is Who. The Geometry Of Our Flats Is Our Trust. Day-By-Day It Fills Us With New Habits. We Are Locked To The Screen As We Wash And Iron Our Consciousness. We Obsess About Who We Are And Who Others Are. The Geometry Of Our Flats Is Our Protection From The Tangle Of Bad News, Distorted Faces, Unshaved Streets, The Neglect Of Unpredictable Tomorrows. The Geometry Of Our Flats Is Mathematical. We Are Arrested By Our Necessities. We Monitor Our Treasury Of Carpets, Apparel, Dishes, Crystal Windows, Emerald Lamps, Panther-Like Pets.
10.
By the River Amongst Meadows And Faceless Deserts, On Silt-Covered Rocks, Under The Insomnia Of Blurred Mysteries, Through The Breath Of Crystal Veins, Near Summits Where Autumn Dwells, Above The Rest Of Fishermen, Beside The Fire Where Pilgrims Ask For Night Lodging, One River Flows. Time Roves Through That Perception, Sometimes A Lull, Sometimes A Blizzard, A Firebird Sings, Fish Splash, There Are Two Banks On Either Side Of The River. A Wolverine Wanders On One Side, Tells Stories To The Northern Moss, The Other Side Has Enoch Eucalyptus, Who Keeps An Eye On Southern Snakes. It Happened Once That Our Paths Met Along These Waters, Trees Whispered And Revealed To Us, Where To Wade Out Of The Deep. All Visitors Get Three Beads Of Advice, A Wise Tale Is Received. A Handful Of Those Delights From The River's Depth Was Offered To Us As Well. When A Flying Merlin Revealed The Olden Mystery, You Suddenly Put Out All Of Your Candles, By Lighting Only Your Own Path. Never Staying By Misfortune, Grudging No Farewell Words, You Always Wanted To Remain Amongst Oblivious Dreams. But Once An Evening Fell, Surrounded By The Acquainted Wings. They Blew The Candles Out, That Helplessly You Cherished. Since Then Nobody Could Reach Your Vast Scale, The Loneliness Mops And Mows, Invites Only Fear Into Your Home. But When The Moon Light Comes, And Fishermen Appear In Your Dreams, With Them You Try To Cast Your Nets Together In To The Magic River.
11.
This House Of Six Floors On The Eve Of The 21st Century I Read ‘Kanjur’ And Realised That I Was Born As A Man. Since Then Amongst Days And Nights My Soul Has No Rest. Every Man Lives His Own Life In The House Of Six Floors. This World Comes Always With A New Face. I Am Like A Thought Somewhere Between. Sometimes I Appear As A Blind Sage. Sometimes I Resemble An Ignoramus. My Astral Is Often Veiled Within Running Passions. This Depends On Where I Am In The House Of Six Floors. Those Who Live Below Are Cold And Bleak. This Is A Kingdom Of Animals. There Is Also A Free Barrack Full Of Detritus And Sweat. The Bed Of Dark Guardians Who Watch Over The Gates Of Hell Is At The Bottom. It Is My Fortune To Pledge My Time A Little Higher In The House Of Six Floors. Above My Room I Can See The Envy Of Gods. Their Grand Sweeps Bring Only Feelings Of Guilt And Fear. But Once You Pierce That Thick Seam, You Enter My Favoured Place, The Attic. Only There Amongst Two Mirages I Wonder What Is Above The House Of Six Floors. Once I Have Had Enough Of Those Creatures. I Left My Palace For Boundless Lands. On The Road I Was Frightened. I Saw The Doors I Knew Well. I Realized I Had Never Left The House Of Six Floors. Since Then I Have Been Effusively Drinking Young Wine And Taking Daily Bread. When The Next Morn Comes, Wrapped In The Same Negligee I Come Closer To My Window And Look Again At What Lies Farther Than The House Of Six Floors. By Denoting My Life I Remembered To Make The Window Frames Wider And Destroy Their Shutters. Being Still So Faraway From Primordial Rain, I Try More Often To Look Beyond The House Of Six Floors. I Don’t Want To Waste My Precious Time With The Same Confusions That Always Rise From My Tribe. I Don’t Want To Fall Again Into The Abyss Of The Dark Guardians. Our Purpose In Life Is To Leave This House Of Six Floors.

about

Late one autumn on a stroll around Walthamstow Marches, in London I found myself under an old railway bridge. It was an instinctive response to begin to sing under the old structure, the bridge replied to my melody with a unique and fascinating sound, one I had not heard ever before.

The sounds were unusual and very deep, a natural reverberation mixed with the clutter above of the iron wheels on the rolling train, relentless moans of the wind, dripping water after an early fall cloudburst, sudden pattering of passers-by. This cacophony of mesmerizing soundscape created a very deep emotional experience during my ‘beneath the rail passage’ jam sessions, which I coordinated as a result. It was after these inspiring jam sessions I decided to record this album ‘Songs Under The Bridge', in an attempt to recreate this polyphonic harmony in a more controlled environment.

The bridge became for me a very special attribute and source of inspiration in the creation of this project. Many of the ideas for this piece of work appeared during my spontaneous and experimental performances under the bridge; even the title for the album pays homage to my experience.

Simultaneously, this album ‘Songs Under The Bridge’ is also a reflection of my personal experience living behind the iron curtain of my home country Belarus. My songs are anchored by feelings of misplacement and misleaders; oppression and distortion of reality on a great national scale; delusion and how a belief in the metaphysical wonders of this world can be our way to liberation.

These stories are still very relevant in modern times as we witness misunderstood wars being fought, lives lost and creativity censored. In particular to me it is those withered expanses that stretch throughout the ex-Soviet Empire. The bridge is the symbolic metaphor; I imagine it is the passage, the creative arc across troubled history.

I consider that each song in this album, although existing in a collection of songs, possesses its own distinct narrative and arrangement. This was a very conscious decision, I intended to underline, that by also giving a distinctive sound to each track.

As the result, I invited 22 wonderful musicians to perform on this project. I highly value their immense contribution and I believe this energy, excitement and innovation surges forth in this album ‘Songs Under The Bridge’.

MANY THANKS to all of the musicians who took part in creating this album: Nathan Fustec, Elo Masing, Dave Maric, Ned Crowther, Phil Brunner, Benedict Taylor, Jasmine Scott Neale, Rochelle Anne Swanson, Sophie Charlotte Ramsay, Maja Rivić, Mak Murtić, Paul Woodson, Maria-Christina & The 7 Pedals, Joel Stewart, Marina Nikitina, Gábor Halász, Antonin Voyant, Andrea Piro, Graham Mushnik, Rosie Turton, Dan McKean and Nick Jonah Davis.

Also, thank you to Andrei Rabkavets, Toby Oliver, Niall Doherty and Martin Merenyi.

Finally, I would like to express gratitude to extended friends and family and VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to my beloved Moi Tran for all her help and support.

credits

released February 28, 2015

Seven Hills

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Maria-Christina & The 7 Pedals – Harp

Backing Vocal Trio:
Rochelle Anne Swanson
Sophie Charlotte Ramsay
Maja Rivić


Man X

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Electric Guitars
Dave Maric – Keyboards, Electronic Drums And Percussion
Nathan Fustec – Bass Guitar
Mak Murtić - Saxophone
Joel Stewart – Singing Saw


Season Of March

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Spanish Guitar
Elo Masing – Violin
Dave Maric – Keyboards, Electronic Drums
Ned Crowther – Bass Guitar
Gábor Halász – Accordion
Nathan Fustec – Drum Machine

Backing Vocal Trio:
Rochelle Anne Swanson
Sophie Charlotte Ramsay
Maja Rivić


Coma

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Drowns
Ned Crowther - Bass Guitar
Dave Maric – Keyboards
Nathan Fustec - Whistling


Your Love

Sasha Ilyukevich – Vocals

Orchestre Du Mont-Plaisant:
Antonin Voyant - Electric Guitar
Andrea Piro - Bass Guitar
Graham Mushnik - Keyboards, Drum Machine

Backing Vocals:
Sasha Ilyukevich, Antonin Voyant, Andrea Piro

Music Arranged By ‘Orchestre Du Mont-Plaisant’


Mio Moi

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
Ned Crowther - Bass guitar, Synths, Backing Vocals, Percussion

Music Arranged by Ned Crowther


Hologram

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Electric Guitars
Nathan Fustec – Solo Electric Guitar, Drum Machines
Paul Woodson - Electric Guitar
Ned Crowther - Bass Guitar
Rosie Turton - Trombone


On Avenues Of The Current Day

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Maric – Keyboards
Marina Nikitina – Backing Vocals


Geometry Of Our Flats

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Electric Guitar

Backing Vocal Trio:
Rochelle Anne Swanson
Sophie Charlotte Ramsay
Maja Rivić

Ned Crowther - Bass Guitar
Dave Maric – Keyboards
Phil Brunner - Drums and Percussion


By The River

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Nathan Fustec – Bass Guitar

Strings:
Elo Masing - Violins
Benedict Taylor - Viola
Jasmine Scott Neale – Cello

Strings and Bass arranged by Elo Masing


The House Of Six Floors

Sasha Ilyukevich - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Nick Jonah Davis - Solo Acoustic Guitars
Dan McKean – Lap Steel Guitar


All Songs Are Written By Sasha Ilyukevich,

Apart From 'By The River':
Lyrics - Sasha Ilyukevich,
Music - Sasha Ilyukevich and Andrey Novikov

The Album ‘Songs Under The Bridge’ was recorded in different locations in the UK between December 2013 and December 2014.

Mixed By Nathan Fustec, Pulse Studios, London, UK

Apart From 'Mio Moi': Recorded and Mixed By Gábor Halász, Studio of Gabriel Prokofiev, London, UK

Mastered By Támas Illy, Jawbreaker Recording Studio, Hungary

Produced By Sasha Ilyukevich and Nathan Fustec

Drawings By Sasha Ilyukevich

Art Direction and Design By Moi Tran
www.moitran.co.uk

2015 Copyright – Sasha Ilyukevich. All rights reserved.

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Sasha Ilyukevich & The Highly Skilled Migrants London, UK

London-based Belarusian troubadour Sasha Ilyukevich and his British band ‘The Highly Skilled Migrants’ create an incomparable brew of post punk electric energy and topical lyricism. Ilyukevich sings in Russian, his vocals swoop from soft whispered melodies to raucous screams, defying language barriers to deliver songs that are uplifting, intelligent, macabre, romantic and melancholic. ... more

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