Futures Past (1996)

Futures Past is a compilation of songs that represent what I believe to be the best of my archives from 1990 to 1996. All of the songs on this album were created with a Roland D-20 MIDI keyboard and a PC with a SoundBlaster AWE32 sound card running Cakewalk Pro Audio.

I would like to take this space to thank everyone who helped me work on this. Thanks to Brock Prusha for the wonderful lyrics which were the inspiration for some of these songs, Alicia Battaglia for spending many hours rehearsing and singing "Tears of an Angel" just as a favor, and John Berndt and Perette Barella for a couple of cool titles.

1. Walking the Dog 1994   Music: K. Brayton 0:38   Performed on AWE32   "Walking the Dog" was an exercise in being bizarre. Although it is only 38 seconds long, it was written over the course of four months. Whenever I was feeling in a bizarre mood, I would add a new measure or two to the song.

2. The Growl 1994   Lyrics: A. Battaglia 0:10   Vocals: A. Battaglia   "The Growl" is the kind of thing that happens when Alicia is given a microphone and a tape. This was recorded between takes of "Tears of an Angel". I thought it was rather amusing but she seems to be a bit embarrassed by it. She'll probably be even more embarrassed by this paragraph.

3. Pipeline 1992   Music: K. Brayton 1:00   Performed on Roland D-20

4. I Will Follow You 1990   Music: K. Brayton 2:31   Performed on AWE32   "I Will Follow You" was originally developed on the Roland and was remixed on the AWE32 in 1996. This song originally had lyrics which I had written for it, but they have become lost over the course of time and many moves.

5. Gelfar's Dream V.1 1995   Music: K. Brayton 4:53   Performed on AWE32   "Gelfar's Dream" has the unique distinction of being the only song on this album which was written in a single day. In fact, this song was done in under two hours. Some people (you know who you are) referred to in the title is the god of luck. This is not that Gelfar.

6. The Galactic Swamp 1993   Music: K. Brayton 0:43   Performed on Roland D-20

7. Deep Reflection 1992   Music: K. Brayton 4:40   Lyrics: B. Prusha   Lyrics: She looked into the mirror on the wall and saw that she had almost had it all What she'd been dreamin' of had come and gone leaving no reason to continue on The face inside the mirror was a mask protecting her from her forbidden past The mirror's image was her only friend reaching to save her from a tragic end You can't turn away from what you have become You can't turn away from all you have done Never walk away from what you really are You must turn and face what's inside your heart She turned to touch the mirror's warm embrace and felt her fingers touching her own face Was this a vision of reality or was she drifting toward insanity You can't turn away from what you have become You can't turn away from all you have done Never run away from what you really are You must turn and face what's inside your heart Or you'll fall, fall apart If you don't try to make another start Start again It's better on the other side my friend She reached into the mirror on her wall and hoped that it was better than before She walked into the mirror on her wall and saw that she had never lost at all You can't turn away from what you have become You can't turn away from all you have done Never be afraid of what you really are You must take a stand for what's inside your heart You're a part - part of me You have crossed into your destiny Can you see the fantasy in reality You're a part of me You're now a part of my reality She's a part of me She's now a part of my reality She's now a part of me

8. Tears of an Angel 1993   Music: K. Brayton 6:45   Lyrics: B. Prusha     Vocals: A. Battaglia     Performed on Roland D-20     Recorded June 1994   Lyrics: You awoke inside of me a tremor of the past You still had all your innocence and you wore the same old mask Your face was like yesterday Your words a perfect match You still promised me everything This girl's not falling for that You tried all your fancy moves But still I wouldn't give I still know what you want from me Let me tell you what you did You made me Cry the tears of an angel Lost in misery I held you on a pedestal I gave you all of me I stumbled with my crosses and I crumbled to the ground I rose right back up again and I'm not going to go back down Once, I cried the tears... of an angel... An angel in misery You stumbled through excuses You even made me smile You made me feel so young again and we talked on for a while A moment turned forever Again we went too fast You slipped past all my defenses A mirror of the past I tried to hang on this time but you just wouldn't stay I wasn't ready for the fall How could things turn out this way? You make me Cry the tears of an angel Lost in misery I put you on a pedestal I gave you all of me I trusted you once again and I crumbled to the ground Can I rise back up again? Or will I keep on going down? Now, I cry the tears... of an angel... an angel in misery You got what you had wanted you left me all alone A diamond without its sparkle A princess without her throne I sit and watch your footsteps They slowly fade away I wait for you to come again so I can stand up and say You made me Cry the tears of an angel Lost in misery I held you on a pedestal I gave you all of me I stumbled with my crosses and I crumbled to the ground I rose right back up again and I'm not going to go back down Cause, I cried the tears... of an angel... an angel in misery I cried the tears... Oh, how I cried... the tears of an angel... an angel

9. Kick Me 1995   Music: K. Brayton 0:36   Performed on AWE32   "Kick Me" is a variation on "Walking the Dog". If you listen to each of these, you may notice that they share the same drum line.

10. Where Am I Going Today? 1992   Music: K. Brayton 1:49   Performed on Roland D-20

11. Fourth of July 1990   Music: K. Brayton 3:59   Performed on AWE32   "Fourth of July" was the first song I ever wrote on the Roland. It got this title because I started working on it on July 4, 1990. If I want to get artsy and symbolic, I could say that the different sections of this piece represent the diversity of the American population. But, I won't. This song was remixed in 1995 using the AWE32.

12. Night Traveler 1991   Music: K. Brayton 1:34   Performed on AWE32 and Roland D-20   "Night Traveler" has wolves in it. These wolves are not real. No wolves were harmed in the making of this song. This song was remixed in 1996.

13. Nosferatu 1992   Music: K. Brayton 2:57   Lyrics: B. Prusha     Performed on Roland D-20   Lyrics: In the mist of night when the air is cold Darkness shudders As it wakes from its hold Through the dirt and stone Its purpose silent As it starts to roam Bony hands break free Blood scents drive them fast Forever promised Is within its grasp Tattered cloth reeks with age from Mother Earth It masters the night a fate from its birth Fire and sunlight That is what it fears And holy water or some wooden spears A shadow in the dark it preys on you a secret fate the devil's due Soulless faces ageless eyes chaotic gazes that hypnotize... It drops the first one the blood's on its face Hunger thriving while it savours the taste It takes another one next to a church Their struggles useless when it starts to search Senses amplified to that not of man Destiny left to those of the land It makes another one to share its dread Forsaken strangers are the living dead A clove of garlic will keep it away And faithful crosses or the light of day... A shadow in the dark it preys on you a secret fate the devil's due Soulless faces ageless eyes chaotic gazes that hynotize... A murderer's murderer guarder of the gate Thief of souls immortal hate A secret to silence one to defend Captive spirit death without end

14. We Love Christmas 1993   Music: K. Brayton 1:24   Performed on Roland D-20   "We Love Christmas" was written for The Looneys Hack Show. It demonstrates that Christmas music need not be good in order to be sold. This is as bad as I could make it without having to kill myself later.

15. Four Corners 1992   Music: K. Brayton 2:07   Performed on Roland D-20   "Four Corners" is a percussion ensemble piece for four players. I wrote this to be performed by the RIT orchestra percussion section in 1993. Unfortunately, we did not have four players in 1993. I still hope to someday have this played by live humans.

16. Techno-cheese 1994   Music: K. Brayton 8:16   Performed on AWE32     Samples from Mystery Science Thearter 3000   "Techno-cheese" proves that one can write an eight minute dance tune in only a half hour. The music was assembled in under an hour. The samples were added the next day.

17. Remembrance / Journey's End 1991 / 1990   Music: K. Brayton 7:39   Performed on Roland D-20   "Remembrance" and "Journey's End" represent the end of life and beginning of death respectively. "Remembrance" is a song about remembering all of the good things in a long life right before the time of death. "Journey's End" draws a picture of a walk through an ethereal-type plane, getting closer and closer to the destination as the song progresses.

18. Gelfar's Dream [The Caffeine Psychosis Mix] 1996   Music: K. Brayton 2:25   Performed on AWE32   If "Gelfar's Dream" was too slow for you, try this version!

 

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