Solo Artist from California - now Texas
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The Dark Steps - Ft. Essence
Great track very cool sound and nice mix, love the vocles, very talented, will come back for more, xx
WOW! The tone, vocals, and lyrics is absolutely impressive beyond anything that words could possibly describe. Top notch follow-through with a mood-setting feel. You have a musical gift Dan. Major praise to you, and to Essence's beautiful voice. :)
came back for another listen, really love this.
How did I miss this? Love it you two
I'm so glad I came across this. A great dark start to wonderful haunting music with inspired piano. I love those subtle pads that enhance the mood. The singing floating over that dark beauty. Great ending that leaves the feelings echoing in me. Any chance of posting the lyrics?
Outstanding original trance style track. pro class sound. Awesome work
I had to make a quick stop before i was turning to bed...:) Simply beautiful song. Cristal clear... And all your instruments sound AMAZING. I will check the rest l8 after some rest. :)
WOW Ess/Dan.... I never knew of these tracks... Ess, your voice and piano is a match made in heaven!!.. What a blend. You have a tone that combined with the piano (or strings) sits perfect... Really really cool song.. So much design and emotion, feels empty and lost and thats really good and hard to get over in a song... Really glad you told me about this ess.... Thank you!! Dan..Piano is gorgeous mate...truly!!... such creative playing and passion (i use that word alot i know)... Its late right now and this is perfect listening!!... Thank you both for sharing!!
Hey I remember that video Dan, I must have clicked on it a long while back. Love the piano and Ess is sounding good. Peace.
Yeah man, love this'n. Excellent performances from you both, very evocative piece, nicely evolving. Rated!
Dan man, you have so much music. This one really sticks out for me. I wish I had heard it sooner. It's so lonely and far away like looking out into the distant horizon that never ends. Just gorgeous I tell ya, just gorgeous! -rl
Another match made in the sea!
I can't believe how often I've listened to this but never actually commented. Never mind - there's no time like the present. Mind you, now I'm commenting I really can't think of the right words to express my admiration for this song - great from every angle. Graham
This is great; moody and evocative. Sorry I'm so late on this. It's a beaut and rated
great pianosound, and heavenly vocal roaring on top. melodically both accompany eachoter sublimely. well done, well done!
Congratulations on your No.1 This is a great track. Original and imaginative - just how I like them.
Wonderful job...Beautiful song all the way. Ez rate Eric Bad Love Junkie
Well done both on #1with a cracking track that has lots of atmosphere and feeling.
really good track, my peeps ;) awesome piano and of course, the vox :) congrats on the #1!
o wow this is really awesome, so calm and relaxing, the piano is flowing soo smoothly with those lush vocals, luv the track ~ congrats on the placement! Rated
absolutely lovely job, what does this remind me of, renaissance maybe? essence has done it proud, wherever it came from, deep rolling piano = deep rolling ocean:)
got me last button press cos u guys deserve it:) Sonya Stewart.
Lovely piece, piano is beautiful. And great performance from Ess. Atmosphere created is gorgeous - well done to the both of you! Rated.
I remember that video, Dan, had it replaying in my "mind's eye" listening to this. Couldn't quite make out all the lyrics, but heard enough to know she captured the essence. Well-named, that girl! Beautiful, soulful, and a little disturbing, just the way I like'em....
A beautiful descriptive piece love the lyrics and moody piano and the vocal delivery. Rated.
Lovely opening piano gives way to a really evocative piece of work. Splendid throughout and beautifully done.
Magical piece from the both of you.No need to add anything or takeaway.Great fusion and nice work.Beautiful on all levels.
What a nice track. The piano is moody, but man has essence really added a whole other level to this track. Beautiful guys, deserves a top spot on those goofy charts. This is so beautiful! best performance Ive heard from ess
Oh very well done you 2! As usual miss ess. has pulled off a very focused & emotive vocal. & well done Dan with your emotive piano work. Miss ess. has managed to give this track much imaginative & thoughtful sound with her vox. Think this is excellent work from you both. Much commended. Sonya Stewart.
Great work from both of you. Very dramatic in it's dynamics, especially given the fact it's only piano, synth and vox. Really moody and excellent production. Rated. Craig
:-)
Yes, I had one left! :) Nominated!
Precious is this, omg! How many could close there eyes and this take them back to a time, and a place. I am so impressed with the collaborations coming from you two! Essence, a blue diamond in the sea! (rare and lovely!) Such a beautiful music piece, Dan! Always, my love & respect! Hand to hand, Bravo!!
Essence just sent me this to me with her adding the VOX. Guess Mr. Sofaly remembers it too. This is such a nice place to be.
Always stop by your stuff when I see it up - another nice mellow piece, very nicely orchestrated. Lovely production and feel. I agree with Crock's comments re a feel of the ocean - I can imagine this as the soudtrack to a Blue Planet episode. Very nice and dramatic - has an almost dark edge to it in places. Sounds perfect to me, a must rate track.
Perfecto. Needs nothing else. A masterful mix.
For some reason this reminds me of a rig out in the ocean... years ago with too many buttons to push and too much time between the time when pushing buttons meant life or death or limbo. Give me limbo or give me death! Isn't that what we are taught in school? This is a walk through limbo for me and it is enchanting. Share a French red one day?
There is a majesty about this one, Dan....and the underpinning is responsible for that. The rest is gentler and wonderfully contrasts with this grandeur. Most compelling!!!
This is a real cracker Dan, beautiful sounds and chord structure, just floating away with it all. Sometimes a piece just does it all, and would be frightened to alter anything. Brill ABP.
Howdy! A Southern California artist living in Texas. Go figure. Make em up as I go along. Charter member of the pray and play theory of music...;-). I have been extremely fortunate to have some of the best artists on this site take some of my musical creations and take them to "a whole nother level" . The following artists have been kind enough to do this.
Essence Amy Caldwell James (Andy) Oakwood Saphfire Dawn Sinclair Anton H. Joseph Rodriguez Pete Vines Vince Fidele (Riddle) Tony Miller Andrew Foyston (ANDYF) And the irrepressible : David Joel Carter (Tex Nehilo) Happy New Day An old year withers, a new one sproutsThe people celebrate with spirits and shoutsBut is this something so special to learnPerhaps just a page of a calendar turnedI don’t remember just what I didOne week ago, let alone last April midThis time, it’s funny it goes all so fastAnd never, never seems to ever quite lastThe old they yearn of the days back thenThe young cry for only the days just how and whenIt seems so sad, to wish for much moreOr less is much of the same old kind of boreIf I can be grateful for the breath I just tookThe rose I am smelling or the comfort of a good bookOr the taste and the feeling of my lover’s lips a kiss tookI need not try think that my day is mistookThe world is full of turmoil, war and decayHow can I be happy if I look too far awayIf I am burdened with unhappy thoughtsI need just to start a brand new day now broughtA second, a minute an hour or twoAnd my life will change if I just try to doSomething for someone other than meMy soul and my heart are in sweet harmonyIf I can live in the moment or dayThe blessings that come I can’t even sayToo many lost weeks or months on the vineAre taken away one day at a time
Essence Amy Caldwell James (Andy) Oakwood
Saphfire Dawn Sinclair Anton H.
Joseph Rodriguez Pete Vines Vince Fidele (Riddle)
Tony Miller Andrew Foyston (ANDYF)
And the irrepressible : David Joel Carter (Tex Nehilo)
Happy New Day An old year withers, a new one sproutsThe people celebrate with spirits and shoutsBut is this something so special to learnPerhaps just a page of a calendar turnedI don’t remember just what I didOne week ago, let alone last April midThis time, it’s funny it goes all so fastAnd never, never seems to ever quite lastThe old they yearn of the days back thenThe young cry for only the days just how and whenIt seems so sad, to wish for much moreOr less is much of the same old kind of boreIf I can be grateful for the breath I just tookThe rose I am smelling or the comfort of a good bookOr the taste and the feeling of my lover’s lips a kiss tookI need not try think that my day is mistookThe world is full of turmoil, war and decayHow can I be happy if I look too far awayIf I am burdened with unhappy thoughtsI need just to start a brand new day now broughtA second, a minute an hour or twoAnd my life will change if I just try to doSomething for someone other than meMy soul and my heart are in sweet harmonyIf I can live in the moment or dayThe blessings that come I can’t even sayToo many lost weeks or months on the vineAre taken away one day at a time
D. Michaelson 1/2008
This piece is as most of what I hear from Dan. Ambient by nature on the borderline of new age but really ambient as the passion involved is so thought provoking. The quality of sounds and just enough of structure to keep you guessing where it's going next at the same time, the flow doesn't keep you waiting but going along for the journey. That's magic. Dan has that aplenty and just about anyone wh
Essence is a very talented lady from MP3 Unsigned who I have reviewed once or twice, notably on Towers Are Gone (July 2008) a marked departure from her usual style, and her first (I think) collaboration with Dan Michaelson, an American keyboard player and songwriter. He supplied the music and she supplied the vocals and lyrics and - despite it being in a genre I don't normally care for - I found
What a beauty music...I can see the princess on his room...and walking over all of her palace...a beauty, and magical descriptive music...rated!
Dan Michaelson describes himself as "truly an amatuer". For reasons none other than he is not fully conversant with the mechanics of musical theorem. I suspect as a result of that some people feel the need to explain themselves and somehow belittle themselves when faced with the critics imaginary lack of theory beating stick. What i mean by this is that nobody should call themselves an amatuer, ci