DisGraceful Productions - Discography & Free MP3 Downloads (Part 2)

Welcome to the second part of the DisGraceful Productions Discography, the music of Mark Grace, which includes links to some of my music, both original compositions, arrangements, as well as some collaborations.

Thanks for your continued interest. This page covers my first ten albums (up to 2001).

CD10: 10-4 Ben (Scotland 2000/Kuwait 2001)

My nephew - Benjamin Anthony Moore born November 2000.

Halcyon Days (3' 03") - Ref. 1001
Not sure where this came from, but one rare day, like with some other pieces, the basic outline just appeared from my finger tips without thinking and it fell together in a very short period of time. For us, an escape plan almost in place - a prelude to leaving unpleasant neighbours in Scotland for a welcome return to the Middle East; Bass, Rhodes Piano, Mute Git, Killer Organ, Chorused Gits, & 'Hit the Beast' (you know what I mean!) - 154 bpm, 4/4 time

Themes from "Tubular Bells, Part 1" (18' 56") - Ref. 1004
Themes from "Tubular Bells, Part 2" (12' 24") - Ref. 1005
A homage to the piece of music that inspired my interest in music composition in the first place. I spent several months midifying the basic themes of Mike Oldfield's classic work - I use "themes" since it is impossible to transcribe all the various elements of the piece. This was designed to play in less than 16 tracks on the Korg ProX sequencer using original Korg vox.

Yes Pleez (5' 10") - Ref 1008
A host of electric gits, trombones, piano & airworks solo. A real attempt to layer some serious guitar sounds with a live performance feel, but just using a keyboard is not so easy! Possibly my best rock track based on feedback, and reflects the joy of having moved on - 152 bpm, 4/4 time

Icebreaker (3' 45") - Ref. 0901
Time for that long drink - settle back and listen to my ninth offering. Kit, rock bass, EP, gits, mini moog, rezpad, strings, tubular vibes and accordion - 140 bpm, 4/4 time

Bamboo Rafts (ProX Remix) (3' 20") - Ref. 0902
See if you prefer this version with a 5% faster beat or the 1997 soundcard original, below - 94 bpm, 4/4 time

Ultimate Warrior (3' 24") - Ref. 0903
Rock-based film-score for an Arnie-style adventure. Long before ‘Terminator 3’ became a film, I composed this piece with the Terminator in mind. Perhaps something for a future T4? This was the second most popular free download when my music was on Vitaminic, with several thousand copies now out in the World. Terminates with piano - 115 bpm, 4/4 time

Tokyo Sunrise (5' 36") - Ref. 0904
Dawn in The Land of the Rising Sun. Mostly strings and ambience - 85 & 100 bpm, 5/4 time

Fierce Egits (3' 31") - Ref. 0905
Celtic Chaos - If you’ve married into an Irish family, then you’ll know what I mean; a standing joke in ours. Meant to be frenetic: Air Piano, Bellish Maniacs, Eurotrance & Romantic strings - 150 bpm, 9/8 time

Tombaugh's Tune (Pluto) (3' 39") - Ref. 0907
The main theme from the longer piece written for my rendition of the Planets (CD08). 3 chorused EPs provide the orbital trajectory, slow strings the atmosphere followed by ice-cool French horns - 115 bpm, 4/4 time

Style Police (3' 28") - Ref. 0908
Some musical criticism of my laid-back dress sense or the fact the tune is based on a Police-style rhythm track? Fretless, EP, squares, stratocaster, string synth, arpeggios, a flute and a comb (to smarten) - 140 bpm, 4/4 time

Too Much Cactus Juice (3' 45") - Ref. 0909
Perhaps a bit of headache, this one. Drums, bass line, synthy chords and fretless overlain by marimba, square wave form, mute git, piano, trombone section and strings - 126 bpm, 4/4 time

Grace Notes (3' 08") - Ref. 0911
The title track full of grace notes - A collection of melodically & harmonically non-essential notes from chorused acoustic guitars. Many would say the essence of my music (the non-essential part, that is!) - 105 bpm, 15/16 time

Cypress Hotel (ProX Remix) (4' 58") - Ref. 0912
Updated version of the first album soundcard production - 70 bpm 6/4 time, then 100, 120 & 160 bpm, 4/4 time

Huang Hai (ProX Remix) (3' 30") - Ref. 0913
See if you prefer this with a +20% faster beat or the 1997 soundcard original, below - 120 bpm, 4/4 time

Jump To It! (3' 45") - Ref. 0914
Rock gits and synths - 132 bpm, 4/4 time

Ground Zero (3' 35") - Ref. 0915
Nothing to do with 9/11 but our local situation at the time. The sad adage that the idyll of the countryside is often destroyed by neighbours is true - in our case a 'boundary dispute' involving a few inches! Unfortunately, some folks need such petty issues to give their own lives meaning. Here I took several wave files from one of our boys DOS games as background to the heavy guitars, taking musical revenge by shooting down the incoming unpleasantness. At the end, ‘It’s game over, man! Game over!” was taken from the game, but the observant sci-fi fans will also note the game's designers took it from the film ‘Aliens’ - the scene where the team was trapped inside the research complex and fighting off the hoards of aliens (so for 'aliens' you can read 'neighbours'). Anyway, that's "game over" for this album. Rock guitars, piano & organ with the DOS game samples - 116 bpm, 4/4 time

Rock Hound Outro (3' 57") - Ref. 0916
A swinging blues exit as the geologist leaves stage left - Kit, Bass, various gits, sax, EP & synth - 135 bpm, 4/4 time

CD08: The Planets (Scotland 1999/2000)

Gustav Holst's Planet Suite done ProX-style and arranged in solar order. I modified the orchestral sequencing to suit the 16-channel limit of my synthesizer and tried each piece with different musical styles. I added pieces for the Sun (for the UK Solar Eclipse of 2000), Earth (for the 30-Year Anniversary of the first Moon landings in 1999) & Pluto (for the 70-year anniversary of the discovery by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930).

Sol - The Bringer of Light (4' 33") - Ref. 0801
A collection of warm pulsating synths and intense layered strings, hopefully with some 'solar flair’ that reflects the brightness and splendour of the sun - 100 bpm, 4/4 time

Venus - The Bringer of Peace (G. Holst) (8' 57") - Ref. 0803
A chance to play it light & romantic (with thoughts of warmer climes); flutes, strings, choirs, bass, harp & gentle synths - 50-60 bpm, 4/4 time

Mars - The Bringer of War (G. Holst) (6' 29") - Ref. 0805
I wonder if Holst had access to electric guitars it would have sounded more like this? Some of the power rock groups of the 70's & 80's worked with orchestras; Rock drums, gits and synths with an orchestra in support - 160 bpm, 5/4 time

Pluto - The Ice Wanderer (Tombaugh's Tune) (7' 09") - Ref. 0810
Solar order needed a finale. A number of musicians have written pieces for Pluto to conclude the Suite, however this is before September 2006 when Pluto was removed from full planetary status (now officially a dwarf planet or pluton) making Holst right after all! So for explorers and discoverers everywhere, especially Clyde Tombaugh; strings, harps, tines, horns, choir, organ & percussion - 116 bpm, 4/4 time

CD07: Millennium Party (Scotland 1999)

The album cover is an image taken from my boy’s favourite PC game of the time – ‘Doom’. Well, some people really did believe that the world would end with the Millennium Bug!

Millennium Party - This Year's Rave (6' 09") - Ref. 0705
A technodance number for celebrating the end of the World; serious dance beat with layers synths and distorted strings - 126 bpm, 4/4 time

Axis (3' 25") - Ref. 0706
A piece with a rotational feel, and a musical play on words: Axis = Axes = Guitars; Chorused E Gits, acoustic gits, steel string gits, stratocaster & bazouki - 115 bpm, 7/8 time

Raspberry Pickers (3' 29") - Ref. 0710
A bit of reggae and a fun piece reflecting a favourite autumn activity in Aberdeenshire picking wild berries. An attempt also at guitar picking (to which you are welcome to blow a raspberry!); flutes, pianos, gits, bass, drums and a moog synth - 190 bpm, 4/4 time

Windjammer (4' 36") - Ref. 0711
A sailing boat thrusting through foaming seas; synths, brass, strings, drums & FX - 120 bpm, 4/4 time

CD06: Covers Two (Scotland 1999)

The second album of experimental covers using Internet MIDI files. The album cover is from a photo I took in Madagascar in 1988 which won 3rd prize in a Norwegian photo competition.

An introduction to some of my favourite artists - I take no credit for the original sequencing but I have modified slightly to suit, chosen the ProX vox and done a little remixing. If you like them, please go and seek out the original artists.

- The Rippingtons - Affair in San Miguel 5' 10") Hideaway (4' 54") Morocco (4' 49") Welcome To The St. James Club (4' 30")		- Lee Ritenour - Fly By Night (4' 59") Rio Funk (8' 15")
- Special EFX - Santa Barbara Beach (3' 48")	- Acoustic Alchemy - Blue Chip Bop (3' 45") Playing For Time (6' 12")	- Dave & Don Grusin - Sailing at Night

CD05: The New Alchemists (Scotland 1999)

The album cover is a photo of our two sons, Paul & Alexander (then 7 ½ & 5 ½ respectively) on a bale of hay in the field next to The Byre at Cowhill.

On the Tele (Caster) (4' 46") - Ref. 0502
In 5/4 rock time; Telecaster, synth bass, offbeat drums, piano, assorted synths - 115 bpm, 5/4 time

Do L'Ali (Alexander's March) (3' 38") - Ref. 0503
A piece for my second son, Alexander; Piano, acoustic git, chorused acoustic gits & strings, distorted synthy brass, solo trumpet & choir - 180 bpm, 2/4 time

The Byre (4' 02") - Ref. 0504
Subtitled 'The House in Which We Live'; It's September 1998 and we move into a new steading (farm building) conversion in Aberdeenshire, and for the first time had the opportunity to name our own home - after all, we were living in a converted cow shed near the top of Cowhill. A piece with a Celtic feel using chorused harps, flute, mandolins and layered strings - 130 bpm, 4/4 time

Florence on the Roundabout (4' 26") - 0506
The piece opens with C14th Florentine instruments, before moving into the roundabout phase with layered strings and guitars. The music ends with a short refrain from ‘The Magic Roundabout’, the children’s stop-motion series, where one of the main characters is a girl called Florence; Guitars & strings, Eurotrance, mandolin, horns & accordion - 110 bpm, 4/4 time

The New Alchemists (4' 40") - Ref. 0508
The title track and a reference to the future generation (my sons). The piece was done is a style similar to that of the pair of musicians (Greg Carmichael & Nick Webb) known as ‘Acoustic Alchemy’ using chorused and ambient acoustic guitars - 160 bpm, 2/4 time

Rainforest Walk (5' 05") - Ref. 0510
Strings, sticks and jungle critters - 60 bpm, 4/4 time

Tinpan Alley (3' 07") - Ref. 0511
The tune is based on the sounds of pots and pans and named after my first music website location. Tinpan Alley is a famous part of the New York music business, however the term also refers to any district concerned with the production of popular music - in this case a corner of a bedroom with synth & PC; Ambient synths, pan pots, lead synths and various percussion - 101 bpm, 4/4 time

Felicitation No. 3 (3' 06") - Ref. 0513
A rare solo piano. The last of three pieces written for my wife, Felicity - 85 bpm, 4/4 time

CD04: Felicitations (Dubai 1998)

The first album introducing audio samples. The album cover is borrowed from a Microsoft screensaver image showing the crystalline structure of the antibiotic Neomycin Sulphate for infections of the auditory canal. This is an oblique reference to my very first taped cassette in the early 1980’s entitled “No Ear Plugs Supplied!”, as my music may give the listener earache.

Grasagh Aboe (3' 06") - Ref. 0401
The title is Gaelic for "Rally to the Cause of Grace", which is the war song of the Grace family, the feudal barons of Courtstown, Kilkenny, Ireland. The tune was within the 1823 "Memoirs of the Family of Grace", a partially true and partially romantic account of the history of the Grace family by Sheffield Grace. Appropriately, this was the first track I ever sold when my music was available on Vitaminic. The tune was given as "traditional" and is taken from a piano arrangement by G W Chard; Piano, flute, male vox, brass, trumpet solo & boys choir - 105 bpm, 3/4 time

Felicitation No. 1 (3' 44") - Ref. 0402
A rare solo piano. The first of three pieces written for my wife, Felicity - 105 bpm, 3/4 time

Tabla Man (4' 29") - Ref. 0403
A piece dedicated to renowned tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussein. I layered my music on top of a short looped audio sample of Hussein’s tabla playing taken from his “Making Music” album. At the time I was in and out of India on business; various gits, flute, bass & Indian-style sounds - 140 bpm, 4/4 time

Rum Coconut Punch (5' 08") - Ref. 0405
A small looped sample of zouk music taken from the French Caribbean group Kassav, with added voices, various percussion, kalimba, brass, synth strings, stratocaster & a solo synth - 112 bpm, 4/4 time

Blue Waves (Bye, Dubai) (3' 59") - Ref. 0406
It’s August 1998 and my new employer decides to repatriate myself and my family at one week’s notice from Dubai as part of worldwide cost cutting measures. The office in my "designated home country” turns out to be Aberdeen, Scotland. It’s a sad farewell (for now) to the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf; some soulful synths, piano, drums, sax, bass and acoustic git - 85 bpm, 4/4 time

NCC1701 (5' 39") - Ref. 0407
A naval construction code immediately recognisable to fans of Star Trek; Synth strings, space FX, bass synth, tabla (small looped sample of play by Zakir Hussein), female vox, var. synths, drums & percussion, electronic percussion and Star Trek series samples (ship effects and the voices of the famous TOS crew) - 120 bpm, 4/4 time

Night Train (4' 42") - Ref. 0409
Possibly a train to nowhere. Slow start with a steady increase throughout. Kit, strings and brass - 160 to 180 bpm, 4/4 time

Zouk Souk (4' 27") - Ref. 0410
More of my music layered on top of a short looped audio sample from Kassav. It was put together in Dubai, hence both names in the title. This was a free track when my music was available on the Vitaminic label, and this one proved to be the most popular with nearly ten thousand downloads over a 6 month period, more than 4 times the next most popular track; piano, lead synth, strings & gamelan - 100 bpm, 4/4 time

Cray-On! (3' 29") - Ref. 0411
Cakewalk came with a few samples performed by the band Route 66. This is my effort of modifying and piecing various bits together in the style of Robert Cray; samples of drums, bass, rhythm git & piano with added organ, synth lead, synth FX, and lead E Git - 121 bpm, 4/4 time

Felicitation No. 2 (2' 42") - Ref. 0402
The second of three pieces written for my wife, Felicity. Solo piano - 110 bpm, 5/4 time

Grace In Return (3' 40") - Ref. 0413
Essentially the Grasagh Aboe tune backwards and arranged for acoustic guitar - A gallop for those feudal barons returning home after battle; Acoustic guitar duet, stratocaster, clarinet, strings & brass - 160 bpm, 3/4 time

CD03: Covers (Dubai 1998)

The first collection of three using Internet MIDI files and arranging them for the ProX. I learned a lot about MIDI and my Korg through experimenting with these files. A special thanks to all those MIDI transcribers who put their work on the Web. The cover is of Felicity dressed as a local in Dubai.

CD02: In The Blink Of An Eye (Dubai 1997/8)

The first CD using my new Korg Trinity ProX keyboard. The album cover is one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s 1997 photos showing a supernova remnant representing the album title.

In The Blink Of An Eye (3' 55") - Ref. 0201
The title track inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope photos, particularly remnants of several supernovae, as well as the Norwegian expression “et øyeblikk” for 'just a moment'. This piece envisages the magician walking on stage, doing his party tricks, and then disappearing in puff of smoke; Drums, bass, power chords, funky git, 12-string git, chorus E Gits, strings, a big synth and some little tinkles - 125 bpm, 4/4 time

Anthem for A First Born (3' 20") - Ref. 0203
A piece first written for piano for the birth of my first son, Paul, and then later transcribed and arranged for the ProX; Brass, strings, acoustic git, choir and piano - 75 bpm, 2/4 time

Shanghai (ProX) (8' 21") - Ref. 0205
The smoother ProX version; 5-part sequences now taken by a an acoustic piano, dreamy piano, strings, piccolo & synth, with the added orchestral strings (for bass & chords), male & female voice choirs, tubular bells, harp, tympani & cymbals - 120 bpm, 5/8 time

Tempus Fugit (Time Flies) (3' 07") - Ref. 0206
An upbeat jazz quartet arrangement of a classic (J. S. Bach's Little Fugue in G (BVW582)); Jazz bass, jazz guitar, clarinet & piano - 90 bpm, 4/4 time

Summer Sand (4' 13") - Ref. 0208
The pet-name of Miss S X Song ('Yi Bin') the receptionist at our offices in Qingdao in 1986. While inspired by a Chinese name, very much a British seaside feel, ending with a refrain from "Oh, I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside" (I later found out that Queen had also used this!); Wurlitzer organ effect, acoustic git, wave FX, bird FX, female choir, synth strings, tubular bells, synth organ chords, organ - 100 bpm, 6/8 time

Stenhammar (4' 14") - Ref. 0209
A rock rendition of Stenhammar's No. 1 (from a piano piece). Stone hammer for a geologist, geddit? - 80, 60 then 80 bpm, 3/4 time

Welcome Guesthouse (Ying Bin Guan) (3' 44") - Ref. 0210
Reflects the Qingdao Guesthouse (where you can sleep in Mao's bedroom). Formerly the German governor's house in the early C20th occupation of the Shandong Peninsula. Was my then company office and residence - My studio, the bedroom in the tower - 90 bpm, jazzed off-beat 4/4 time

Four Gits (and a Piano) (2' 22") - Ref. 0211
Exactly what it says on the label - 105 bpm, 5/4 time, of course

The Blender (5' 39") - Ref. 0212
Just a blend of various guitars; E Bass, studio strat, talkbox, acoustic, funky & steel string gits, chorused E Gits, piano & drums - 132 bpm, 4/4 time

CD01: From East To West (Dubai 1997)

There was no title track for this album, which was the first and only album exclusively using my PC's Ensoniq Soundscape Wavetable soundcard. The title reflected that the majority of the music was composed in the 1980’s while resident in China before being brought to digital reality while resident in Dubai. Additionally, my “market” (friends & family) were also west of Dubai. At this time I coined the tongue-in-cheek “DisGraceful Productions” as my working title, which is a mixture of “Disc” & “Grace”, reflecting that I was now burning my own CDs. The album cover NASA photo is a sunset photo taken from orbit, appropriately looking From East to West. Due to the limitations of the PC this album is more basic in nature, and this should be borne in mind by the listener. All 14 tracks.......

Hardangervidda (5' 08") - Ref. 0101
First written for my Roland Juno 60 and written to manuscript while living in Norway in the early 1980’s, then transcribed in Dubai. I tried to evoke the glacier-covered plateau west of my home in Bergen - the slow melt water before becoming a more energetic stream, with a final waterfall falling into the fjord below; Piano, strings, harp and various "glacial" & ambient FX - 80 bpm, 6/4 time

Huang Hai (Yellow Sea) (4' 34") - Ref. 0102
This was the second piece composed and first recorded in analogue at the Cypress Hotel, Shanghai in 1986. The music represents the rise and fall of the waves, with a ship ploughing through them. Check out the ProX version above; Piano, bass, drums, pizza strings & trumpets - 100 bpm, 4/4 time

The Dinner Set, Part 1 - Hord'oevres (4' 43") - Ref. 0103
Another digitised 1986 Qingdao, China original - part of a musical wedding present. E. bass rhythm section with counter melody and chords. 3 different synths take the lead - 125 bpm, 4/4 time

The Dinner Set, Part 2 - Main Course (4' 03") - Ref. 0104
A steady jazz rhythm with emphasis on drum variations; Jazz drums, jazz bass, piano, synth choir, wood blocks, synth brass solo & solo trumpet - 170 bpm, 4/4 time

The Japanner (2' 30") - Ref. 0106
A 1986 8-track tune 'Japanese Jig' adapted for PC. I changed the name to match the profession of my C18th Birmingham ancestor Edward Boden who was a japanner (lacquerer) by profession. Echo piano and winds - 120 bpm, 6/4 time

Cypress Hotel (5' 05") - Ref. 0107
Originally composed on 8-track in 1986 in the Cypress Hotel, Shanghai where I was long-term resident. Later transcribed to this version in Dubai 10 years later - Opening atmosphere 70 bpm, 6/4 time, with bridge 100 bpm, 4/4 time, ramping up to 120 bpm, 4/4 time

Club Sandwich (3' 25") - Ref. 0108
An old tired jazz quartet, late at night in a smoky and half-dead night club. Composed late at night in Dubai - sometimes I find my best ideas coming later at night when I am also quite tired and my brain "lets go" a little. Perhaps not this time? Drums, jazz bass, piano & trumpet - 70 bpm, 4/4 time

Bamboo Rafts (3' 31") - Ref. 0109
This was the third piece composed and first recorded on 8-track reel-to-reel while long-term resident at the Cypress Hotel in Shanghai in 1986, then reconstructed digitally on my PC in 1997. This is a more innocent version, but check out the ProX version above; Panpipes, flute, recorder, piano, xylophone, bass & drums - 90 bpm, 4/4 time

A Pocket Full of Pesos (4' 56") - Ref. 0110
You can also check out the ProX version above; Spanish git solo, drums, bass git, piano, E piano, rhythm acoustic gits, accordion - 132 bpm, 4/4 time

Long Beach - Hot Night (3' 07") - Ref. 0111
While I did have a visit to California about this time, this reflected our local Dubai beach. You can also check out the ProX version above; Bass, drums, piano, EP, synth, rhythm git, synth brass - 97 bpm, 4/4 time

Shanghai (8' 20") - Ref. 0112
Previously titled "Shanghai Symphony" for ambience (thinking in terms of piece played by the Shanghai Symphony), however a number of critics in music competitions missed the point and didn't like the use of the word 'symphony' if the piece wasn't actually a symphony! I'll leave it to the listener to decide what mood it evokes. You can also check out the ProX version above; 5-part sequences involving two pianos, cello, flute & piccolo, with added orchestral strings, tubular bells, harp, tympani, cymbals & eastern vibrato FX - 120 bpm, 5/8 time

Hot Pants (3' 38") - Ref. 0113
A silent-movie style accompaniment to an out-of-control fire engine and crazy firemen with their pants on fire. A bit of musical fun which my young boys enjoyed at the time - 160 bpm, 2/4 time

Hardanger Reprise (2' 23") - Ref. 0114
Up-tempo reprise of the opening theme - 250 bpm, 6/4 time

PREVIOUS PUBLIC DOMAIN RELEASES (no longer available)
Grace Notes: Volumes 1-5 (Vitaminic 2001)

Shelvock (Vitaminic 2001)	Grace Notes (Vitaminic 2002)	Grace & Flavour (Vitaminic 2002)	A Love of Indigo (Vitaminic 2003)
Winners MIDITRAX 1998 (compilation) - including track 'Shanghai'