Microphones:
Vocals - AKG420
Drums - AKG420 
Room Mic - AKG420
Bass - DI
Lead & Rhythm Guitar - MD241

Location:
Studio C (Rhythm)
Studio A (Vocals, Lead Guitar)

Verse 1:
Push me down and kill the pain
It’s all going to my brain
All that’s left is the sight of the knife
I don’t know what's worth in my life

you beat me down for your pride
I've tried to run I've tried to hide
I've tried to reach out for the light
but I still lost the fight

Chorus: 
When can I break free
From the chains of misery
What do I have to do
To shed the history

Look what you’ve done to me 
You broke me from my memories
I can’t take this anymore
MISEEEERYYYYYYYYYYYYYY 

Verse 2:
Slit my neck and let it flow 
Come get your friends and watch the show
What i feel will never be known 
Gather all around and hear me groan

you beat me down for your pride
I've tried to run I've tried to hide
I've tried to reach out for the light
but I still lost the fight

Chorus:
When can I break free
From the chains of misery
What do I have to do
To shed the history

Look what you’ve done to me
You broke me from my memories
I can’t take this anymore
MISEEEERYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Bridge:
Now that I am free
I can finally flee
My chains are gone  
I’ll get revenge until dawn 

Chorus:
Now that I am free
From the chains of misery
The only thing to do
To mark down history

Look what you’ve done to me
You made a monster and now I’m free
Even though I lost the fight
I’m finally free of this 

MISEEEERYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

PROD - 43 - MJ - DEMO 4 - Misery

Location: Studio C (all)

Drums/Percussion: MJ
Kick - MD421
Snare - SM57
Overheads - AT4021
Room Mic - AKG420
Conga - AT4021

Bass: Marcus
DI

Rhythm Guitar: Timothy
Amp - MD421 & SM57
Room Mic - AKG420

Lead Guitar: Aloysius
Amp - MD421 & SM57
Room Mic - AKG420

Lyrics:
Verse 1:
You took your stuff, you were through
You left me there in the sight of you
It was a grain of salt
Cuz it wasn't my fault 

I was trapped but now I'm free
You're saying out loud that it was me
But you don't realise 
That you were none the wise

Chorus: 
If you don't like it
Drop it and leave it
Oh I'll believe you 
When I can see you

Instrumental 

Verse 2:
I was at the bar downtown
You were home always breaking down
I was out celebrating
You were home slowly packing

I don't know what you've been told
You avoided the truth and left me out cold
Leaving me was really something
And now you're regretting



Chorus: 

If you don't like it
Drop it and leave it
Oh I'll believe you 
When I can see you

Guitar solo 

Bridge:
I'm so blind
In my mind
Oh my mind

You're tryna ask for something
A thing that leads to nothing

You're crawling back
On your knees
To my arms

You're really pushing it this time
I know that this will be the last time

Chorus: 
Oh I don't like you
So I'll just leave you
I don't believe you
Can't you see that we're through

Instrumental

PROD - 43 - If You Don't Like It - Release

PIECES
V1:
Flying past the stars
Everything seemed perfect
We were chasing cars
In the end we got wrecked

I crossed the Nile, climbed Everest 
in the name of what we had
The places we’ve been 
a memory went bad 

C1: 
You never saw me in that light
I saw sparks that gave me a fright
Crushed into pieces, one into a million 
This heart’s getting an addiction

V2: 
A warning sign neglected
You’re driving off with someone else
It was something I suspected 
With him, you feel protected

When you go, when you go
And leave me here on my own
You left me here with your glow
And now I’m all alone

C2: 
You never saw me in that light
I saw sparks that gave me a fright
Crushed into pieces, one into a million 
This heart’s getting an addiction

B: 
In pieces,
You broke me into pieces
In pieces,
You broke me into pieces

O:
Flying past the stars
Everything seemed perfect
Now I’m chasing cars
Mics and all that jazz:

DRUMS: (Studio C)
Kick - AKG D112
Snare top & bottom - AKG C451B
Overheads - AKG 420
Hi Hat - AT4021
Room Mic - AT4021 (pointed towards the glass)

BASS: (Studio A)
Amp - SM57 & Sennheiser MD421

E GIG: (Studio C)
Amp - SM57 & Sennheiser MD421

ACOUSTIC GIG: (Studio C)
Fretboard - SM57
Body - AKG 420

VOCALS:
AKG 420

BACKING VOCALS:
Electrovoice RE20

All instruments (except for main vocals) recorded and mixed by me
BIG SHOUTOUT
To Caleb for lending me his bass
Joel and Don for helping me with my drum mix
Maegan for last minute singing for the song

PIECES

summary (of sorts):
tbh, i don't know what this song is. I just wrote it out with whatever was in my head. I don't really like it, but I'd rather submit something than nothing. To me, there wasn't any differentiation factor for this song apart from that it has no bridge. Else, it's just a boring old song compared to any other. 

creds to tim for playing the guitar, i did the rest of the stuffs.

V1:
Your looks could kill
The pain I feel
Your thrills are all I
Want to gain

I've been hoping
And soul searching
To find it in
The one

PC:
I am wondering
How you wandered in
I am asking, are you staying
Or would you like to stay in?

C1:
because I love to live and I live for you
I live to love and I love you
I love to live and I live for you
I live to love and I love you 

V2:
Your lips could heal
The scars they deal
You're unreal so surreal
That you're mine

I've been wishing
And day dreaming
Ineffable unexplainable
Come rain or shine

PC:
I am wondering
How you wandered in
I am asking, are you staying
Or would you like to stay in?

C3:
Cause I love to live and I live for you
I live to love and I love you
I love to live and I live for you
I live to love and I love you

Your Love

CANDY is a song I wrote a while ago, at the start of this year, I had this idea of a pop-funk-jazz fusion feel of a song, and this is it. I paid very close attention to the arrangement of the song, which is the differentiation factor. I recorded the rhythm section together, and then the melodic sections separately.

The song can be summarised as "something normal but unusual". I took the typical arrangement, and changed what's usually in them, it's like peeling the skin of a banana and finding a cucumber in it, something usual, a banana, but unusual, a cucumber in it.

The arrangement of the entire song is something that's common, intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus, but tweaked. The intro starts with the drums, then everyone together, and then there's a sudden stop followed by some wind chimes, which gives the sparkly, sweet effect, relating back to the title of the song itself. The 2nd PC of the song has no vocals in it, which surprises the listener at first, but then they're met with the twinkle of the e piano. The listener is then brought back to home base with the chorus.

The feel of the song is mostly pop-funk-jazz. The vocal melody is taken from pop inspiration, the groove is taken from funk, and the organ touch is the jazz kind of feel to it.

I recorded the drums, bass and guitar rhythm together (a nightmare of cables and mics), MIDI in the keys and organ, and recorded the vocals separately. I sent the musicians a minimal demo of just drums and bass, and asked them to add some of their own touch to the song, which turned out great. At the last chorus, I asked them to just vibe out and play to their heart's content (idk how to phrase it but that sounded right).

CREDITS:

RHYTHM SECTION: Studio C
Guitar: 
Played by Aloysius
SM57 & MD421

Bass:
Played by Harist
SM57 & MD421

Drums:
Played by David
Hi hat - Earthworks QTC30
Snare - AKG 451B
Toms - Audix D2 & D4
Kick - AKG D112
OH - AKG 414
Room - AKG 420

Keys:
Played by Robbie
MIDI 

Vocals:
Main Vocals by MJ
Neumann U87

Backing Vocals by Robbie (yep you read that right)
Neumann U87

Big thanks to Tim for helping me in the studio!

Lyrics:

V1:
Oh baby
How they got you looking so fine
From the top of your nose
To the bottom of your toes, yeah baby
Won’t you just come on and be mine

PC1:
Time came to a standstill
When you stepped into the room
Eyes on you like a bank bill
When you smiled we all went boom

C1:
Hair so silky smooth
Damn it’s all on you, baby
You’re so sweet, it’s true
Candy, it’s just you

V2:
Take you on a date, girl
Treat you right with a golden plate
And if you’re not satisfied 
Come to my place and take me on a ride

PC2:
*INSTRUMENTAL*

C2:
Hair so silky smooth
Damn it’s all on you, baby
You’re so sweet, it’s true
Candy, it’s just you

B:
When it comes down to you
Everything I say is true I hope to see you walking my way
If not my whole world would turn grey

C3:
Hair so silky smooth
Damn it’s all on you, baby
You’re so sweet, it’s true
Candy, it’s just you

#kthxbye

CANDY

I've gone to R&B to funk to some trippy shit for PROW, so I decided to go back to me rock/rock metal roots. I revisited one of my old PROD songs, and decided to rewrite it, record and properly mix it, and this is what yields. Unbeknownst to most, I was going through some pretty major personal problems. And that helped me to re write the song in a way. The song is about how someone is beaten down by everyone, made fun of, laughed at, and ridiculed. He wants to break free from that misery, and does, but in the end he breaks free at a price - he is no longer who he was. The lyrics heavily explains the story, while the heavy guitars, distorted vocals and screams help to further articulate the meaning behind it.

What makes this song different is the sound, and the lyrical meaning behind it:

The reasoning to why he is treated that way is hinted in the line "All I see is fear in your eyes", which signifies that everyone somewhat fears him, or fears what he can do, hence everyone pushes him down to prevent that. In the end, he breaks free and seeks revenge for everything that has happened. "You made a monster and now I'm free" and "Even though I lost the fight" explains how through the process of being beaten down and trying to get back up, he changed as a person, he is now someone that he was not before, but not for the better. He tried not to change but he lost that fight, he's different now.

Sonically, it doesn't sound like the typical rock metal song, the drums are not upfront and in your face, the vocals is not standing out clear as day, there's no shredding guitar solo. Everything is balanced in a way that helps to emphasise the story. The vocals are distorted just as he was, his mind distorted by the actions of everyone around him. The screams a sign that he wants to break out and destroy everything.

huge thanks to everyone that helped me in this, hope the free dinner was worth it x

Credits:

Drums:
Played & written by MJ
Kick - AKG D112
Snare (top & bottom) - AKG C451B
Hi hat - Earthworks QTC30
Toms - Audix D2 (rack) & Audix D4 (floor)
Overheads - AKG 414
Room mic (for all bass & rhythm gig too) - Neumann U87
Recorded in Studio B

Guitars (Lead & Rhythm):
Played by Marcus
Lead guitar parts written by Marcus & MJ
Marshall amp - SM57 & MD421
Recorded in Studio B (Rhythm) and Studio A (Lead)

Bass:
Played by Don
Written by MJ
Hartke amp - SM57 & MD421
Recorded in Studio B

Main Vocals: 
Sung by my twin brother JM
Recorded with the Neumann U87
Recorded in Studio A

Narrating growls:
Narrated by MJ
Recorded with the Neumann U87
Recorded in Studio A

Screams:
Screamed by Marcus
Recorded using the SM57
Recorded in Studio A

Original lyrics by Marcus
Rewritten by MJ
Mixed by MJ
Thanks to Maegan and Jaslyn for helping me out in the studio
and Don for the mixing tips <3

Lyrics:

V1:
Push me down and 
Kill the pain I feel inside
All I see is fear in your eyes
There’s nothing worth left in my life

you beat me down for your pride
I tried to run I tried to hide
tried to reach out for light
but I still lost the fight

C1: 
When can I break free
From the chains of misery
What do I have to do
To shed the history

Look what you’ve done to me 
You broke me from my memories
I can’t take this anymore
Misery

V2:
Slit my neck and 
let the blood flow for the show
You broke me once and now you know
The ways to get me to my bones

you beat me down for your pride
I tried to run I tried to hide
tried to reach out for light
but I still lost the fight

C2:
When can I break free
From the chains of misery
What do I have to do
To shed the history

Look what you’ve done to me
You broke me from my memories
I can’t take this anymore
Misery

Bridge:
Now that I am free
From this misery
The only thing to do
To watch them burn

C3:
Now that I am free
From the chains of misery
The only thing to do
To mark down history

Look what you’ve done to me
You made a monster and now I’m free
Even though I lost the fight
I’m finally free from this 
Misery

ʎɹǝsᴉɯ

Produciton by MJ
Vocals by Gerrah 
Art by ikachtan

Talk

Epic Hybrid Trailer

Production by MJ
Guitar Solos by Vincent & Jarrett

Behind My Back

just an old project i had lying around. i played and recorded all the instruments back in 2018 and i had my good friend Bernice to do some vocals over it recently

Bernice's insta & soundcloud - bernice.wav
my insta - mj.vst

MJ

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