Bryan Gonzalez Perspective on VOICES (In My Head)

This track had a lot going on! I wanted to create an atmosphere in which the Voices were being presented in an almost demonic nature and tone. The images in my head, while creating it involved a sort of dungeon or torture chamber where the protaginist was being tortured. It was fun to visualize it this way and it helped to create all the voices. I changed my voice throughout in order to create characters and those demonic sounding vocals. There is a section in the second verse where I speak as a tortured soul and an old woman possibly injecting or just torturing the lead vocalist haha "why are you doing this?" I ask and she (also my voice) replies with, "Just sit still, sit still!!" I always loved that line! It creates a visual for the subject being restrained. Then on the last chorus there is a mix of many panning demonic voices which I perform throughout, but more so in that last chorus. No voice altering plugins were used to create these effects. I just really enjoy exploring my voice and any new ways of using it. 

This one is simple to answer, when my father was hospitalized many years ago during a life and death situation, I went home and wrote a song for him in less 45 minutes. I wrote lyrics, melody and played it on the guitar, crying throughout. I couldn't believe how fast the song was created. The song is titled, "Por Ti" and can be found on my first released album "Destino".

All types of sounds, from a water bottle, to random sounds made from objects lying around the house, to different enviroments, just anywhere really. Music can come from an endless amount of sources... it would be hard to pin point one. I'll get back to you on that!

Aside from using my voice, I love the keyboard, used to be the guitar, but the keyboard as a midi controller is just unmatched for my productions and so powerful. It is where a great deal of my music is created.

Silence, thought, melody, story, tone, authenticity... not strictly related to production elements necessarily, but it's a good place to start.

I originally released this song back in 2016, but I felt the ideas were still not fully conveyed. So I remastered it and added a few elements throughout. Over the last 8 years I developed skills that were not available to me in 2016, which helped me to create a more accurate representation of what I had in mind and what I felt this song should become.

I enrolled in music production courses at Berklee Online a few years ago, I didn't full realize the importance of having a full well-rounded understanding of your DAW until I completed those courses. My production speed multiplied far beyond my expectations. I would say the best advice after having at least a general understanding of music production and background, is to LEARN YOUR DAW from top to bottom as much as you can! It will accelerate your workflow beyond what you can imagine.

The creation process for this song started with the first line which presents a 2 part question with a twist haha "Does anybody out there want to know, how it feels to live and die... About 1000 times??" Somehow that line lead to the rest of the story and exploring the voices theme. I used Native Instruments Maschine Studio and software to create a rough demo.  I wrote the rest of the lyrics which involved a 'call and response' situation in the chorus and it just went on from there. On "VOICES" I collaborated with a great friend / guitarist / producer, "Camilo Velandia". He recorded guitars, bass, synths and produced it on from it's early Demo form. We then had another friend Gabriel Saientz, record the piano parts and he performed the original mix as well as the original master in 2016. I then remixed and mastered this version for 2024. I also added new vocal sections throughout, but kept the existing vocals.  Currently, I have been working alone on my latest productions, but I'm sure there will be more collaborations in the near future. It depends on what the song requires and where the creation path leads. 

I use Logic Pro, it really does have everything you need to get started and beyond. From there, the endless list of innovative plugins is just immeasurable. Eventually you have to set limits, otherwise we would spend our entire lives and savings in search of the next great plugin! lol. 

I enjoy both, but lately I have been working alone more than collaborating. These days mainly due to developing my skills and craft over the last few years, I work much faster than I used to. But I am always open to collaborating. Sometimes, many times, a song requires it and you always learn something along the way.

This song was born from the opening line, "Does anybody out there want to know, how it feels to live and die...about 1000 times?" That single question opened my imagination up to write the rest.

We all live and die many times in our lives, while the voices in our head push and pull us in different directions, with many questions and thoughts which can drive us mad. Sometimes we just need to stop the madness and simple ask ourselves, "What are you doing?!" What are you doing right now at this very moment? Are you self aware? Are you living in the moment or are the voices in your head making you insane?! That's what this song is all about, with an element and touch of horror. 

With that said, if you hear voices in your head too, save this song to your playlist! lol

I am a singer/ songwriter who has been performing for as long as I can remember. I love music that tells a story and really takes the listener on a journey.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am long time horror movie fan. Horror movie themes and tones sometimes work their way into my music. This is song is no exception and was definitely inspired by this.

I would say there wasn’t really a moment when I decided this, it has always just been a part of who I am. There has always been a driving force in me even as a child, pushing and guiding me to take this path.

I often find it difficult to classify my music into a genre, I don’t follow trends at all, I just create what feels right at the moment. There are some elements of Rock, Pop and some sort of horror movie based experimental aspect to "VOICES". Ok fine, I’ll invent a genre for this one, HPR Music (Horror Pop Rock) or DPMPR (Dark Passenger Madness Pop Rock)! haha

I have been DJing a lot more since Covid, which has lead me to discover a lot of great EDM. My sound and productions have been influenced greatly by EDM of the last few years.

I don't necessarily decide this directly, I express what I feel, while creating it and then it’s up to the listener to take the wheel and go wherever they want to go from there. My only hope is that they connect to it somehow and maybe even tie into their own life experiences and the song takes on a life of its own.

My music usually is created from a place that is closely related to film. I want the listener to feel as if they are watching a movie unfold in their minds as they listen. That is how my mind works, it tends to be extremely visual. I try to bring those moving images into my music. Also, I would like to add that up until this point in time, most of my songs are stories I have created, not necessarily taken from real life. Most of my music is taken from mixed experiences, emotions and ideas that unravel as a new story.  

I enjoy story telling and descriptive writing. One of my previous tracks, “Vigilante” explores this throughout the song. I like to create imagery for the listener in order to bring them along for a ride.  There are elements of darkness, sadness, heartbreak in many of my songs at times, but I also present many of these themes with optimism. High energy upbeat music will also work its way into some of my productions. Every song for me opens a new world to explore.

I feel music is such a main part of my life and who I am. I would go as far as saying, it’s not a choice, it is just a part of me.