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MINES OF MIRAK by davajonah by jiguma [Email]

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 736
Comments: 31
Votes: 7
Plays: 72
Last Played: Nov 16, 2008 - 08:54:34 PM
Downloads: 22
Fans: 25
Uploaded: Aug 13, 2008 - 07:35:58 PM
Last Updated: Aug 17, 2008 - 08:27:25 PM
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Description:
I (or rather Retro Plien, my long-suffering identical twin - or "niwt") spotted this track http://www.macjams.com/song/44993 by davajonah (Dave) a week or so ago and really loved it as an ambient piece. It seemed to me that it had huge potential to be taken to another place altogether (Mirak perhaps) by adding bass and drums.

Dave agreed and I set off using midi drums and a beautiful fretless bass sound I found in Logic Studio (I love Logic Studio!) to “add some snat”. Once that was done it was screaming out for a vocal.

I had my own idea for a bluesy lyric, but Dave made the following suggestion in an email: “A SciFi story - about some race trapped on the planet as slaves of the [?] to mine the important mineral [?] . They long to break away from their servitude, but never can. They can only dream - there is no escape. Every evening they are allowed outside, can look to the stars and to where they are from, but during the day they are forced back into the mines and can never see the sun. Could be a first person thing about the thoughts of one of the slaves. Or is that too corny?”

This was so much better than the idea I had, and an hour or so later the lyrics were done – so much easier when someone else comes up with the idea!

Retro Plien will be going on an extended vacation (again) and I’ll be posting all my tunes as jiguma from now on.

Lyrics:
Mines of Mirak
© 2008 David Jones/Neil Porter

Deep in the Mirak mines
They let us out at night
Digging the Mirak seam
We never see the light
We know that we’re here to stay
Spend all day thinking ‘bout the light of day
Deep in the Mirak mines
They let us out at night

It was my father’s dream
To feel light on his ghost-white skin
To see the pea green grass
Of his favourite field again
We know that we’re here to stay
Spend all day thinking ‘bout judgement day
It was my father’s dream
To feel light on his ghost-white skin

I had a dream one day
I saw the sun hanging up in the sky
Every night we cry
As we see our home and wonder why
We know that we’re here to stay
There’s no point thinking ‘bout getting away
I had a dream one day
I saw the sun hanging up in the sky

They rob us of our shadows
They turn our world to night
They work us blind
Then they leave us here to die
We know that we’re here to stay
There’s no point thinking ‘bout the light of day
They rob us of our shadows
They turn our world to night


Hardware:
Dave: G5 iMac, Edirol midi controller
Neil: Yamaha PSR 300 midi keyboard, Rode NT3 mic, Behringer UB802 preamp/mixer

Software:
Dave: Logic, Zebra 2 softsynth, DubStation AU
Neil: iMac G5, Logic Studio, Ozone 3
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!seitsriF &mdash 08/13/08 - 07:44:26 PM

Nice electronic foundation Dave, & Neil, you're really exploring the possibilities of your new software!

Good stuff Gentlemen! Great collab!
!sreehC

flA

;)



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and now for something &mdash 08/13/08 - 09:25:11 PM
completely different. Cool collab some intersting sounds in there. I think your voice lends itself to this very well. Downloaded thanks!

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brave new world &mdash 08/13/08 - 11:45:28 PM
I like the Metropolis theme. and the fact it's so different Neil.

What I really like though is the fact that I have always wanted to do something along this line but have yet to get it together. You beat me to the punch. excellent twist

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Mines of Mirak by davajonah &mdash 08/14/08 - 12:32:13 AM
its so strange but its the good about it ..here again
I can hear the protest accent od G Nash here on your
singing ...enjoyed ...thnx alot for sharin !!

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cool groove &mdash 08/14/08 - 04:33:45 AM
It's the kind of groove that gets me feet tapping and head nodding:)

Are you singing in a higher key than you usually do...? I think it sounds like you've found the sweet spot for your voice in thins tune. Very good:)

Many things going on in this song, and they fall into place very well.



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Thanks Thor &mdash 08/14/08 - 05:54:00 PM
It's funny, but because I haven't used a guitar anywhere here, I haven't even considered what key it's in up til I read your post. Yes it is a little higher than usual for me, and once I got the feel for the pitch it was comfortable to sing here. Not sure how much pitch headroom I'd have though.

Always enjoy your comments,

Cheers,
Neil

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What a &mdash 08/14/08 - 05:30:37 AM
great combination of sounds.... it's worked out perfectly. This could be a new found branching out for you both. Excellent sounds from both sides and the lyrics as always are great Neil. Really original sounding piece, cheers M

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Mines of Mirak &mdash 08/14/08 - 08:46:35 AM
oh wow - this is just such a great listen. Incredible collab and neil, I'm so impressed by what you're getting out of logic - sigh - you're so brave. I LOVE these lyrics - this is a collab team that MUST continue!

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you know? &mdash 08/14/08 - 10:02:28 AM
I love the rich, full sound on this one. Synths are superb.

Your voice is mixed quite well.

I very much enjoyed this. Reminded me a Peter Gabriel, musically.

Have to say, one of your best!

Dave

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Cool Neil &mdash 08/14/08 - 10:31:00 AM
I love your work here... And I wish I had LOGIC STUDIO as well.
I have borrow L Pro 8 from a friend who want to sell to me... I maybe buy it... But right now I don't really now what I'm doing in it..lol
I wish I was better in English terms it's so many things I don't really understand in this app... You're a mix master in it... Cool collab great mix... Cheers

Kenta

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Loving it &mdash 08/14/08 - 12:25:37 PM
Right off the bat I love it. Great groove and I think your vocals on this are perfect. Love the whole lyrical theme. I'll have to go find the original piece you built this off of. From what you said it sounds like you really worked it over. The mix on this is particularly good too.

In the long instrumental stretch at the end I think it would be cool to have some kind of wild instrument solo, something quirky. Imagining Herbie Hancock on keys.

I like this a lot Neil. Very cool.

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THanks Peter &mdash 08/14/08 - 04:40:45 PM
Remiss of me not to mention the link to Dave's original: http://www.macjams.com/song/44993

I've been wanting to do something like this for a while (I miss Massi!), and Dave's piece was perfect.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Neil

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Peter &mdash 08/18/08 - 07:41:07 AM
I asked Herbie, but he was busy.

:)

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Wayhay! &mdash 08/14/08 - 02:07:28 PM
Can you favourite your own song? Well I have anyway. You've done a top on this Neil - I love it.

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I like this one a lot.... &mdash 08/14/08 - 02:53:06 PM
Neil and Dave, this is very cool, different. It totally had my interest all the way through. Great concept and production, according to my "professional recording studio" ears!

cheers,
Jack

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Viva la diferencia! &mdash 08/14/08 - 04:48:11 PM
Another brilliant departure from your usual fare Neil. I too find that working with keyboards/software brings out a different side of me.

Very cool arrangement. I LOVE that trancey mid-section. Strong 80's feel throughout.

Be well!

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It works well &mdash 08/14/08 - 08:40:06 PM
The soundbed is great for this story. Made me imagine a life without any sunshine! Cool collab, guys!

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really cool &mdash 08/14/08 - 10:46:58 PM
But the first thing I thought would be also cool would be if the vocal was entirely vocoderized by the EVOC. It just would make it not jiguma sounding and more Retro Plein. davajonah's stuff is always so cool and I'm just so glad you got a collab with him going, and of course it's really cool just as it is, too. Some of those bell sounds are a bit piercing, but only a bit. It's all good.

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EVOC &mdash 08/15/08 - 12:55:12 AM
I attempted to do the vocoder thing Jim but it sounded pretty average - I think I need to experiment a lot more with it first. Dave is doing some really good tracks, but to me this was a standout.

I'm really pleased that you enjoyed it.

Hopefully, "Close Your Eyes" is next.

Cheers,
Neil

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Mines of Mirak &mdash 08/15/08 - 01:28:40 AM
Nice track Neil.. a different sound for you but it works really well. Is it me or do you sound a bit like a ghostly Simon Le Bon on this one hehe? I half expect the chorus of 'Girls on film' to appear. The bass sounds a bit like 80's band Japan too
cool song
Steve

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Lol, brilliant! &mdash 08/15/08 - 02:44:14 AM
This is a really good track, I really like the original and you have done a very good job with this esp love the lyrics. I love tracks that make me smile and this certainly did. Really impressed, its a very good track.

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interesting tune &mdash 08/15/08 - 06:33:50 AM
nice vox to this weird texture of music which i like. Good collab guys.

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out of the ordinary &mdash 08/15/08 - 06:40:43 AM
thing for you, it seems, but what a nice fit! Nice bed of electronic for you to expand on.

. - Harold

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Very Trippy &mdash 08/15/08 - 09:35:00 PM
Love it !

LTMP.

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Feel that 'snat' &mdash 08/16/08 - 10:58:28 AM
It's good to try something different from time to time - and extra specially good if it works as well as this. The collaboration on lyrics as been very successful too. Perhaps the track was a tadge overlong but it gels strongly and doesn't feel at all like an overlay on someone else's track. That luscious fretless bass sound is well and truly lodged in my brain.

KK

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I got to &mdash 08/18/08 - 07:19:12 PM
get in here too and say, " it really is". All the above and then some like this might replace the Hall an Oats on future scoreboards on the charts.

The vox to me could go up one mm, but then I'm listening to this with really old ears.

Nice work, will stay tuned to this same bat station to see what'cha got next in mind.

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Hey Neil &mdash 08/18/08 - 10:19:20 PM
Haven't been around much. I'm glad I stopped by for this though. Great song and production.
Peace
Guy

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MINES OF MIRAK &mdash 08/19/08 - 12:22:39 PM
groovy collab! the mood and instrumentation sort of remind me of japan (the band), and broken frame-era depeche mode. the vocals are very cool!

cheerz,
-=ez

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Bass &mdash 08/20/08 - 07:34:47 AM
That bass line is soooo cool! Listening again, all the synths and drum beats work well to provide the quirky sci fi atmosphere for those lyrics.

Thanks
Bill

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A lot of cool stuff going on... &mdash 09/11/08 - 06:52:02 AM
The fretless bass line(s) especially... The sci-fi lyrics work for me...

Neil, you've become one of the MacJams masters of the compressor. On this one, though, I find myself wondering if it would work better to have less compression on the vocal, so that in that one area there's more 'life', and so you have to 'work' your voice more and get a little on the edge of wild...

That's only a thought, though. It hasn't even risen to the level of 'suggestion'...

Ed

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What a surprise! &mdash 09/12/08 - 05:57:24 PM
Inspired collaboration. Davajonah laid down a great bed for you to jump in and play on. Really enjoyed this. Great production all round.
Cheers
Len



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