Hmm, what's this? Pop music?! That's right, this is no longer a show just about rock n' roll and heavy metal (and it was never really meant to be, it just took me this long to get to a pop song). In this episode, I break down Billie Eilish's Bad Guy from the album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO. I discover there's many layers to this song, and tons of production work. This song has some of the biggest, fattest bass I've ever heard. It's no wonder that this song and this album cleaned...

In this episode, I sit down and have a wonderful chat with Christian Pulkkinen, a.k.a. Chrism, who is an insanely talented keyboardist and composer. He is involved with a multitude of bands including Simulacrum, Eden's Curse, James LaBrie, Adamantra, and True Cult Club! We talk about his latest release, Genesis by Simulacrum, and some behind the scenes about the equipment and software used to create that album, as well as his other projects, including the upcoming James LaBrie solo album! You...

I've been thinking about covering my thoughts on this song for a long time, and here it finally is! In this episode I discuss the song "Cigarettes" by King's X. This song debuted on their 1994 album Dogman, and it has some really killer production. I talk at length about how the vocals and guitars are hard panned left and right, which adds some depth and emotion to the song. In my opinion, they sound disconnected from one another. This is a great sad, melancholy song, perfect for a rainy...

In this Solo'd episode of Michael's Mixdown, I quickly break down two versions of In The Air Tonight, the first being the original, and the other being a cover version by The Protomen. I talk about how Phil Collins went from being the drummer of Genesis, to being an incredibly successful solo artist. I also talk about the differences between the two songs, and what I like about the cover that they changed. If you recognize this cover of In The Air Tonight, it might be because it was in the...

I got the chance to talk shop with the folks from Reel Foley Sound, Sanaa Kelley and Arno Stephanian! They are Foley recording artists, and that means that they provide sound effects for movies, television, and video games! Believe it or not, most of the sound effects in film and T.V. are actually not recorded on set with the actors, but are rather recorded later on a Foley sound stage, and added back in later! They explain all about what goes into their job, and their favorite props that...

Today, we're listening to music in the key of Geebz! Geebz comes from the YouTube channel "Key of Geebz" where he reacts to some of our favorite progressive rock and metal tracks! Geebz is a composer, and you'll find his videos titled "Old Composer REACTS," as well as referring to himself as the "De-Composer." He is a genuinely good guy and was a blast to talk to. But if that wasn't enough, he is also involved in charity work with children, especially those who are in hospitals battling...

This episode I am joined by a good friend of mine, Josh, who captains a YouTube channel called Josh JX. We discuss his background in radio and other voice performance, which ultimately lead to the creation of his YouTube channel. On his channel, he creates nostalgia videos about games and shows that we grew up with in the 1990's. There is an upcoming episode for Josh's channel that covers Pokemon Red and Blue, that yours truly played a small part on. Find Josh's channel here:...

This episode breaks down the absolutely epic double album "Into The Electric Castle" by Ayreon. What a beast of a subject to tackle. This concept album features multiple characters and dozens of performers and instruments. It took about a month to record and edit the entire thing! And the best part? The creator of the album agreed to answer some of my questions for the show! So come check this out, it will be well worth your time! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest...

In this episode of Michael's Mixdown, I have remote guest Colette Feehan on the show to discuss her exciting research into linguistics and ultrasounds of the mouth and vocal tract of voice actors as they do child-like voices. She started posting on TikTok about her research and went viral overnight. We nerd out about voice actors, discuss cartoons, and we both do some character voices! This episode was a ton of fun, so join us and learn some things about how your voice works!

In this episode, I give some tips that I think will help you get started podcasting, or help improve your sound quality. I give some general advice, including what you should consider in your surroundings, gear, microphones, and editing software. Even if you only have your phone, I have some ideas on how to get better sound. 

Welcome to a new format style episode from Michael's Mixdown. The Solo'd episodes will be shorter and come more frequently than the big deep-dive episodes. Sometimes a song just strikes me in a certain way, and I have an immediate appreciation for the production. Some songs also just do not have all that much detailed history to search for online. So this series was born. These episodes will be more commentary style throughout the song, and just my thoughts and reactions to what I'm hearing. 

In this episode, I tackle one of my favorite albums of all time, Dream Theater's Metropolis Pt.2: Scenes From A Memory. Scenes is an amazing display of musicianship and lyrics, and every time I listen to it, I'm totally blown away. It's one of those feelings that I wish I could go back and listen to it for the first time again. Scenes really is an incredible piece of art, and I hope you all will give it a listen. 

This episode goes in depth on Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, one of the most iconic and famous rock songs ever made. This episode also features an interview segment with a friend of mine who is something of a Queen expert. Come listen to us nerd out about Queen!

This is a really special, emotional episode. Steve Robert (Roh-Berh) was a very close friend of mine, and one of the most caring and loving human beings this planet has ever seen. Steve passed away from brain cancer, but his influence lives on in his community, and in his friends and family. He was a really special person. He was involved in local community outreach programs and advocated for social justice, love, and equality. He was a musician, song writer, guitar and harmonica player,...

This is the second audio terms episode, and this one is fairly short and sweet. In this episode, I talk about most of the same effects, like compression and delay, but this time I apply these effects to the electric guitar so that you might better understand how these effects are used in music. 

I had been getting some questions and feedback from listeners, and the comment I got most was that there were a lot of terms being thrown around in my show that people were not understanding. So I decided to make a two-part episode to explain what some of these terms mean. You'll learn about compression, distortion, reverb, delay, and more! To have examples of these effects make sense, I did some voice over work so that I could manipulate my voice to mimic famous sound-designed big creature...

In this episode, I break down the iconic Thriller, by Michael Jackson. There's a ton of information about this album out there, and there was a lot to unpack. This is a great episode, and you'll learn a lot about what went into Thriller, the best selling album of all time!

In this first episode of Michael's Mixdown, I discuss the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton, and how the record was made and other behind the scenes details!

This episode of Michael's Mixdown breaks down the history and lyrical content of Dream Theater's 1999 epic, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

In this episode of Michael's Mixdown, I tackle the ins and outs of Queen's legendary track, Bohemian Rhapsody. Joining me in an interview segment, is my first guest ever!

Recently, I lost my friend and audio influence, Steve. Here's our story.