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The House of Bones

by MaJiKer

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The House of Bones CD in a limited edition digifile packaging.

    MaJiKer will also include an exclusive signed postcard (or a similar kind of personalized treat) for everyone ordering the CD through Bandcamp!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The House of Bones via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
In the hour where indigo meets the dawn I arise in the misty morn With spirit in my eyes and a soul reborn From silence In the realm where precious lies deal death blows I walk where the rivers flows With a steel smile, with my strength held close In silence Go, gather, guide him through the gates Am I here alone? Wake, warning, a wanderer awaits My heart is carved from stone In the land where driving snow wastes the plain I gird my heart against the pain With a veil of the dusk and the scent of rain I enter Drag, drug him, drown him down with doubt You're unarmed, unknown Shunt, shred him, strike the stranger out This house is mine alone You can’t hurt me, I’m not here You can’t touch me, no more fear, no more fear You can't break me, do your worst It's hatred that you spread yet you are casualty You can't hurt me Hurt, hammer, as if he's still there, Here, pity, his flesh is made of air Touch, torment, he's no body here Fear, failing, why has he no fear? Break, buried, a soul so confused Worst, wasted, and ripe to be abused with H U R T No, Never, No-one locks me in You're caught here alone So, be it, Let the games begin You shall stay, and we shall play within this House of Bones You can’t hurt me, I’m not here You can’t touch me, no more fear, no more fear You can't break me, do your worst It's hatred that you spread yet you are casualty You can't hurt me
2.
The Struggle 06:11
A whisper at my door But I would not let it in A voice came, faint from time A lost ghost, and a faded chime I wouldn't speak and I would not let it in  It told of tender age and the passing of pain Of silent years, the redemption of rain. And through those tracks of time I saw the aching lines A haunted life of mine   My hand drew back the bolt And the darkness tiptoed through A murmur: “can’t you see? Reach through the night and speak with me I’m waiting, and I long to talk to you”   It sang of solace, soothing, a balm to ease tears Of wounds wiped clean and the wisdom of years And soaked in sound and sign I saw the dreamless shrine And healed this life of mine This is the struggle, this is the strife I'll cleanse the distress from what's left of this life I will not falter, I will not fail I'm under your breath, so that death won't prevail This is the struggle, this is the strife I'll cleanse the distress from what's left of this life
3.
From my ancestors’ skull I was born in the eye In the rip and the wreck Of the frost frozen sky But the sun made a crust Of the stones, boiled the bones Through the thick molten rock I emerged from my home When the night’s full of flame And when fire becomes my name I can freeze, as I breathe And I feel the ice again And in anger my spirit Sucked heat from the pyre With a singed stabbing tongue And a mind full of fire As I looked to the heavens The sky red and raw How I longed to return To my soul’s icy core When the night’s full of flame And when fire becomes my name I can freeze, as I breathe And I feel the ice again This scratching fur from within This rage is burning the skin With bristles under the tongue And howling heat from these lungs What curse is buried beneath These wild insatiable teeth I'll catch the moon in these jaws As hands are turning to claws When the night’s full of flame And when fire becomes my name I can freeze, as I breathe And I feel the ice again Unbeaten, unbroken Overlord of fear Undermine oblivion Other-throw the tear Unearth me in moonlight Over the frontier I am near, I am near I am here
4.
Never There 04:59
I sang to you and echoed every line 'Cross a land of pine Praying you would hear I called out to you on the river red Beneath the ocean bed So you'd appear Broken breath, together together, held forever A stolen life, loved together Forever, lost forever Never there, never there Please stay with me Lie and make it true And I'll remember you When you've disappeared I searched for you In forests and caves In long-forgotten graves Praying you were near I wrote songs for you Every one one of you But nothing I could do would bring you here Broken breath, together together, held forever A stolen life, loved together Forever, hurts forever Never there, never there Broken breath, together together, held forever A stolen life, loved together Forever, cursed forever Never there, never there Stay here and lay with me I'm waiting
5.
Witchcraft 05:02
If only you'd have known where you're going You never would have lost your way My tender friend The moment these words come to an end You will forget That ever they were mentioned and yet I must express them, say them clear You flicker through my life, I hold you dear And yet your shifting changes cut me near   My subtle muse The moment I catch your thoughts I lose I must forget Your metamorphasizing and yet I supplement it and try to catch Your spirits, your charms and not detach Your wayward wiles in this unequal sparring match   My crying shame The moment I stop playing your game I must be strong To prove this damned tradition is wrong So take to your rafters, wild and free Stir in your cauldron all that's left of me Float like a butterfly, you can't sting me. I have nothing that you need no more Nothing that you need no more I don't know what I'm breathing for If I'm nothing that you need no more Spin you and you'll change no more If I spin you then you'll change no more You'll never find your own front door If I spin you then you change no more Your hopes have taken shape in my moonlight Don't lose them to the light of day  If only you'd have known where you're going You never would have lost your way  
6.
Tear down Me right down Display my shame in lights Tie up You tight up You've no head for heights Plagued lives Poisoned lines Pour out across your page Sharp thoughts Sharpened darts Flung out across this stage But what can you say - I can’t say myself? Watch the cliche  - as it flies off the shelf When you try to kill me - you only kill yourself Worlds will explode - should I hold my breath? Words will corrode - it's fight to the death If you try to kill me - you only kill yourself Hit out Help me out A scream to scramble fear Slap back Watch your back The endgame is near Hidden jibes Misspent lies A life’s worth of gall Hurt mail Hate can’t fail Can we defy them all? But what can you say - I can’t say myself? Watch the cliche  - as it flies off the shelf When you try to kill me - you only kill yourself Worlds will explode - should I hold my breath? Words will corrode - it's fight to the death If you try to kill me - you only kill yourself I’m craving explosions Waiting for the blast I know that what you say Is something that won’t last I’m waiting Just waiting I know that this won’t last But what can you say - I can’t say myself? Watch the cliche  - as it flies off the shelf When you try to kill me - you only kill yourself Worlds will explode - should I hold my breath? Words will corrode - it's fight to the death If you try to kill me - you only kill yourself You only kill yourself
7.
Ocean 04:11
Be still and weave the waves Thread them in a tender motion Reach out and taste the tide Float upon a deep emotion This stormy sea must sleep Together we can calm the ocean Be still, and wait with me Until the horizon's woken Reach out, inhale this breeze Until the charm is broken This stormy sea must sleep Together we can calm the ocean Your raging fear will stir a storm A sky of salt is falling Raise the anchor, and we'll steer Towards a silent calling We'll sail inside a single shell A sanctuary, a shelter A calm chorale, a coral cave A buried tomb to lay your grave Forgive Memories swirl A soul submerged I can't break through Fight the fear as it's filling my lungs There's no way up Just sinking Crash to catch one breath Another splash to scratch the surface The terror Water deafened death There's no way back for the captive here The capsized sees memories float his lifeless boat There are two firm hands around my throat And no hope Beneath the house I'll stir a storm Whipping up waves to break my fall And face down I watch him drown In this is whirlpool prison where... Be still and hold your breath
8.
Eulogies 04:53
I can talk to the dead I can hear their stories I find I'm inscribed with the lines of Whispered eulogies Buried hands, heavy with time Buried words, burning in lime I'm here, I'm hearing history I call out to the dead And I sing their harmonies I turn in the earth at the birth of Blood-stained symphonies Smothered sounds, heavy with time Smothered mouths, burning in lime No more, no mortality Sing me your lives, Sing yourselves free Stretch out through time Take your breath from me Open my eyes and you shall see I'll give my life so you can be I awaken the dead And I live their memories I'm reviving the lives that have dried In the wastes of purgatory Hollow hearts, heavy with time Hollow souls, burning in lime My home, my only family We're calling you from the catacombs And we're crawling out of the catacombs Streets are caving into the catacombs From our graves we'll sing in the catacombs Walls are crumbling into the catacombs Floors are tumbling into the catacombs You've unchained this song from the catacombs Yet your soul belongs to the catacombs So awake I awaken the dead And I live their memories I'm reviving the lives that have dried In the wastes of purgatory Hollow hearts, heavy with time Hollow souls, burning in lime My home, my only family Sing for our lives Sing ourselves free Stretch out through time Steal your breath softly Open your eyes so we may see We'll take your life so we can be
9.
Every day this pain invades you As it cuts, a blade through sleep Every night your mind is fighting All the fears that lie so deep But this pain It's my pain Your pain is mine There's a light that slowly deepens There's a darkness coming in Scarce and tender as the sunrise That will wake the hurt within But this pain It's my pain Your pain is mine Save us all from sword and suffering I'm alive to pull you through Don't deny us, drown the darkness I will heal and I will comfort you Comfort you Soothing smoothing, all that harms you Make the roughest edges soft Fevered soul, I'm breathing through you Sealing wounds to find what’s lost For this pain It's my pain And your pain is mine Save us all from sword and suffering I'm alive to pull you through Don't deny us, drown the darkness I will heal and I will comfort you Comfort you Climb outside this world of violence Where the dark is candlelit Let me steal you from this silence You will feel yourself submit
10.
The train carried me Past the boundary of the north And all my friends stood In the south In the east In the west And waved goodbye Each station we passed Was another thing lost Each little thing weakening Worsening Diminishing Growing out in chains Locks and keys Reaching in To capture me I endure entrapment So we can be free So we can be free I close the box And you change the locks So we can be free So we can be free The van carried me To an all too empty room An empty bed and basin To the left To the right Above my head Nothing but nothing Each item we touched Was another thing lost Each fingertip tightening Constricting And smothering Breathing through my throat Gags and mutes Twisting round To capture me I endure entrapment So we can be free So we can be free I close the box And you change the locks So we can be free So we can be free Let me out, let me out, let me out Let me out, let me, let me out The plane took me Past absent space Where absent clouds Cut absent place All around me In the seat At my feet And in my eyes Absence of everything So I tried not to think What would happen next Then you said, Freedom is a trick Liberty is nothing more Than a pretty word and The end can never end If the start never began The end can never end If the start never began And that is how I’ll keep you close
11.
There stands a nowhere house Upon a no way street Where decayed foundations Heave beneath these feet I'm inhaled inside And held by hollow, heavy arms In a maze of empty chambers Chanting endless charms No room for strangers here Who trespass on these grounds There's no entry, no escape It's out of bounds No-one owns this place This house can never be possessed But we've been waiting in these walls For this unwelcome guest This flesh has overcome And passed through every test No more woeful whispering Leave and let me rest Now the game is won This shifting, shuffling must cease As a beating heart is muted Fade away and rest in peace Hear the soul deluded As he asks the dead to leave Shatter his denial Show him his grave to grieve Here he'll stay a captive For this house shall lock him in He is one of us And he has always been Death has stolen life from me And tricked me into hell I'll destroy the shelter of This lifeless shell Bricks will fall and crumble I'll rip locks away from gates Nothing shall remain of This dark hiding place Forced into the daylight Where ill harm is dispossessed Flee the dawn approaching With no place to rest On the plains to roam forever Helpless and alone With nothing but a memory of The House of Bones
12.
One house so dark Yet here's a spark In the room where children play One name unknown Can't play alone And she will not fade away The frozen nordic skies Are streaming from her eyes And the fir trees all hold their breath The frosted hills and lakes Are melting as dawn breaks And the winter will catch his death For Dyvecke, they named her Precious Dove Dyvecke, one heart so full of love Do we care how people say it? Once you get it, can't forget, it's Dyvecke, dead delicate and devious it's Dyvecke, dealing a do or die dares Dyvecke, can dive into volcanic caverns Dyvecke, diva kiddy don't care Dyvecke, daredevil's little dividend in Dyvecke, vivid livid dark eyes and Dyvecke, hates living in divinity but Dyvecke, her endeavour never dies Deevecke - yet deep below Durvecke - under the snow Darvecke - is a dancing heart of flame Dayvecke - each day begins Dievecke - she'll dive right in Doovecke - do we care what's in a name? The dancing Northern Lights, Are burning through the ice And the glaciers will flow like tears Beneath the midnight sun, She's yearning for someone Who could hold back the ageless years 'Cause Dyvecke, they named her Precious Dove Dyvecke, one heart so full of love Play the game, retain her name She'll die the day her memory fades So stake a claim inside my brain like Amina, Amelia Celine, Soline, Cecilia Bianka, Béné, Olöf, Hervé Olusegu, Olalade Inderpal, Ravinderpal Rosa-Rebecka, Ruth and Al Rachel, Raphaël, Stefana Mel, Shell, Danielle, Steph, Jeff, Ane Katherine, Caz, Camille, Carey Marie-Anne, Maryam, Marie, Mary Ilka, Ezra, Isabelle Niel, Matt, Stu, Nat, Marielle Dylan, Dean, Celeste, Veronica, Sharon, Jean, Esther and Fania Phillipe, Florence, Fleur, Fabien Michael, Mio, Mark, Martin Adrian, Chris, Andy, Liz Molly, Henry, Raj, Saj, Gris Rathika, Seb, Sacha, Jim Rita, Graham, Tasha, Tim Heather, Emma, Pip, Norbert Trevor, Grainne, Valgeir, Claire Erica, Lee, Derek, Ari Agnes, Audrey, Steve and Harry Edward, Joël, Theresa, Helgi Edmond, Noel, Demelza, Hayley Srinath, Sruli, Goulwen, Gwen Tomas, Tunde, Björn, Bill, Ben Mervin, Myrna, Magda, Livia Talvin, Tara, Thea, Sylvia Lucy, Lalage, Luke, Sylvain Kwesi, Queenie, Robyn, Yann --- Emiliano, Stuart, Sam Emiliana, Sean and Sham Sarah, Andrew, Jenny, Bob Sara, Matthew, Jamie, Rob Georgie, Greg, Jeremiah, Sigga-Sunna, Sonia, Maya Johnny, Jodie, Jay, Jo, Jane Eli, Elodie, Elaine Caroline, Pauline, Helène Claudine, Geraldine, Etienne Gary, Barry, John, Bryndis Julia and Jean-Baptiste Nicolas, Nick, Nicolette Nico, Nisha, Juliette Pei-Ling, Henning, Karolina Guilhem, Guillaume, Tom and Tina Charmaine, Christophe, China, Chloe Kirsty, Clement, Katie, Zoe Becky, Paul, Mattieu, Andrea Jackie, Jakob, Mina, Mia Valia, Fiona, Hilde Vera, Jite, Jill, Mathilde Dan, Sinan, Max, Azadeh Julien, Jack, Xavier Unnur, Lucien, Gisella Nigel, Richard, Pat, Capella Kerry Keren Karen Kat Liam, Lily, Latifat Arnaud, Marco, Pip, Idriss, Arthur, Maddie, Beatrice Valentina, Valpuri Amity, Aude, Aurelie Magali, Maz, Malik, Sly Damian, Diane and Thy Anne, Yohanna, Hannah, Nana Anya, Anna, Ariana Samuel, Toby, Mikko, Fanny Jorge, Ragga, Helga, Manny Leslie, Laura, Laurent, Lorne Ettie, Betty, Deepa, Dawn ---- But Dyvecke, they named her Precious Dove Dyvecke, one heart so full of love Do we care that seasons change? This child will always stay the same Forever playing endless games I close the door But I can''t forget your name

about

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ALBUM DESCRIPTION

Now available for FREE DOWNLOAD

MaJiKer's album 'The House of Bones', mainly recorded in Iceland, and was inspired by ghost stories, haunted house movies from the 1940s and Norse mythology.

The album expands MaJiKer's instrumentation beyond the strict template laid down with his 2009 debut album 'Body-Piano-Machine' to include harmonium, viola da gamba, marimba and a 150-year-old Dulcitone, creating a mysterious atmosphere with a sense of tension that runs right through the recording.

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credits

released October 31, 2011

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ALBUM CREDITS

Recorded, produced & mixed by MaJiKer

All instruments & vocals performed by MaJiKer

except: viola da gamba (all tracks) by Liam Byrne
and marimba (on tracks 5, 6 & 10) by Andrew Ker

All songs composed by MaJiKer

Lyrics by Heather O'Malley & MaJiKer
(except 12, lyrics by MaJiKer)

℗ & © 2011 Alche-my

Photos: Raphaël Neal
www.raphaelneal.com


Recording locations:

Greenhouse Studio, Iceland - dulcitone, harmonium, Electone organ, vibraphone, piano, Blu-tack piano & reindeer skin piano

Oxford University - marimba, timpani, bass drum

MaJiKer's studio, Paris - percussive objects, beatbox, backing vocals & viola da gamba

A small wooden house on a mountain in Laugarvatn, Iceland - lead vocals

Outdoor sounds & room noises recorded on location in Iceland & Italy.


I’m very grateful to everyone who supported me throughout the creation of this project.

Special thanks to:

Liam & Andrew for their precious musical contributions,
Ólöf, Valgeir & all at Greenhouse who made these recordings possible,
Raphaël, Dylan & Helga for their creative work on the visuals & artwork.

Finally, I would like to thank Heather who created this project with me & without whom these songs would not have been born.

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about

MaJiKer Paris, France

"Stubbornly & beautifully on the edges" - David Byrne

"Modern, unusual, unique, abstract & compelling" - Ken Russell, The Times

MaJiKer is an English artist/producer based in Paris & working internationally

Alongside his own projects, he has also produced & arranged for artists including Camille (on two award-winning albums & tours) & has remixed Fever Ray, Ane Brun, Nico Muhly & Jenny Wilson
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