The Maldives The Dream Islands become the scene of the karmic love of the soul mate of the tour guide Salia and the local Mohamed. In an odyssey, she battles her heart against culture and religion, and ultimately against herself, against the backdrop of one of the world's last paradises. Love knows no fear. Let your faith in it grow like a flower. Give it water, let the sun shine on it and take care of it. At night you will not be able to see it, but it is still there. It will take time, but you will get a sign ... - "
The song is based on the book PARADIESLEBEN by my girlfriend and author PETRA RIEWE. LIVING IN PARADISE shows only a part of this incredible true story.
When I told DJ LEKICH about my new project, I could only present him with a relatively poor demo. But he went along with it right away anyway. With his help, we first put the song on a completely new musical foundation. When DJ then presented his first vocal track, it was clear that we were on the right path. As a bass player, only Marty came to mind. I knew his great playing style would give the background track the right touch. But I also needed string accompaniment. Especially for the big finale of the song. Since my musical skills are not sufficient for something like that, I asked Shigeki if he would like to join the project. Fortunately, he said yes, because his brilliant work was the missing piece of the puzzle for a fantastic song. I hope you like it as much as we do.
This project has been an extraordinary amount of fun. I would like to thank everyone involved for the great collaboration. ANDI ;-)
Can you hear the waves of the ocean They’re telling us all about our life There are so many fantastic emotions And the love between us must survive
But it’s not too late To say the words to you And I’m feeling happy Cause the words are true
And now I’ll wait Wait for your answer I’ll wait for your smile
We are living in paradise And now I’m ready to sacrifice I’m still loving you Still loving you
I hope that you can change your view So that our dreams can all come true I’m still loving you Still loving you
Look to the sky stars are shining for us Every light a reason for our love Fate’s the only thing that we can trust And for a perfect life you are enough
But it’s not too late To say the words to you And I’m feeling happy Cause the words are true
And now I’ll wait Wait for your answer I’ll wait for your smile
We are living in paradise And now I’m ready to sacrifice I’m still loving you Still loving you
I hope that you can change your view So that our dreams can all come true I’m still loving you Still loving you
We are living in paradise And now I’m ready to sacrifice I’m still loving you Still loving you
Our emotions are jumping high Flying fishes for a lullaby I’m still loving you I’m still loving you
****** Song Summary ************* Title: LivingInParadiseV2 File:LivingInParadiseV2.SGU Key=D , Tempo 80, Length (m:s)=4:45 1 bar intro, 90 bar chorus, from bar 2 to bar 91. Repeat x1 chorus Melody has 2429 notes, Melody harmony is <no harmony>(0) Soloist track has 524 notes, Soloist harmony is <no harmony>(0) Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Song is saved with bar changes for Styles,Volume Changes,RealDrums Changes, Style is _HARTBRK.STY
RealTracks in style: 1839:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopModernGrooveA-B Ev16 075 RealTracks in song: ~~365:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 085 RealTracks in style: 1831:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopModernGrooveBrightA-B Ev16 075 RealTracks in song: 1037:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065 RealTracks in song: 3438:Guitar, Electric, Soloist BritPsycPopBallad Ev 065 RealTracks in song: 1543:Synth Pad, PopBelieve Ev16 065 RealDrums in song: RockBritDrivingEv16^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
Pretty song with a great intro! I like the different type of chord structure in the verses! Nice work with your synth sounds! Vocals sound really good Deej! Marty once again delivers some great bass work! Andi, I feel this is some of your best work that I've heard! It's a very good song!
Thanks, Torrey
Edit: I didn't realize that the strings were done by Shigeki. They are wonderfully done!
We enjoyed the backstory and know you must be very proud of your girlfriend’s book.
Deej’s passionate lyric interpretation is great. Marty’s bass is smooth as butter. Shigeki’s strings truly were the icing on the cake.
And, of course, your lyric and BiaB tracks are the wonderful cake. Great drums and a very good mix.
Awesome collaboration!
J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos are here on our website.
Andi...what a gorgeous piece of music...and super arrangement...Deej's vocals are killer and you can never go wrong with Marty playing bass...I love ethereal songs with sound effects if their done right and the ocean sounds are so appropriate to lead in and out of the song...love the melody and you're right the strings always cap off a soaring chorus...just super all round!! BRAVO!...Dan
www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10
You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
Great collaboration. The vocal is a little strident and could be EQ'd to deal with that, (some where between 750Hz & 1.2Khz), though it might also be the result of limiter clipping - it's a hot mix.Lots of dunamics - so not brickwalled or crushed but HOT. Shigeki's strings are cool & inventive as always, Marty's bass is solid with the right notes in the right places and cool phrasing, Deej's voice and expression are always a joy. Very cool song Andi. The backstory made me think I was reading a Justanoldmuso post for a moment but it didn't end in caveats so was refreshing.
Lyrically the "...I'm still loving..." bothers me as it suggests impermanence or, even worse, a situation that'll change if circumstances don't suit the narrator. That's just me grinding against modern idioms like impermanent verbs and "being there".
The whole mix is solid though the rhythm section does come in quite strongly & suddenly plus the rim shot is really loud and dominant.
The intro sound FX were, to me, vaguely amusing/ominous given that The Maldives is slowly, but inexorably, being inundated by rising sea levels.
I came back to listen again as it's a sweet song. I tried to tame the distortion/clipping and the rim shot with EQ across the stereo mix. It was interesting that with everything flat and no gain it popped into the red a fair bit. with the EQ subtraction it wasn't as often so the unpleasant sounds may be in the player rather than the mastering but the high level would cause that in most players until the volume is reached for. I've inserted an image of the EQ I used. The deep notch for the rim shot is over doing it but all I could do in a stereo mix...in the mixing project it's be a simple level thing I assume.
Last edited by rayc; 07/18/2205:30 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Well you did it again, finding the right musicians for your song. You are very good at that! And they are very good in what they did, Marty, Deej and Shigeki!
I enjoyed the song and it's build upo very much. At first Deej sings a bit under his favorite key, but that was needed for the finale. And what a finale it was! Marty is always steady in what he does. Playing the bass creativly. And Shigeki's strings were indispensable in this epic song. Still, the thunder at the end didn't promise much good...
Hi Andi really great work on this peace the best to date so well done love it thanks for sharing Eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
Very nice to read that you have got so many talented musicians to join your project. The end result sound really good, excellent collaboration, everything and everybody works together, romantic story with beautiful melody, enjoyable chord progression and great selection of instruments and artists. Deej's vocals are great as always, but I agree with Hans that the song key was bit low for his range.
Fantastic Andi. Great ideas and loved the process - two writers to draw from with you and your girlfriend make a great and original story. You cannot ever go wrong with Deej on vocals. The mix was perfect (IMHO). Marty always puts down a great bass line, but I loved the way you had it stand out in the mix - and the strings - terrific! The modulation at the end was great, and though I didn't understand if the thunder was trying to bring out something more of the story, but I hadn't expected the ocean outro and it sounded good. Another great collaboration project!
3m12secs on very nice....loved the high vocs at the song outtro.
happiness. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 07/20/2201:14 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
Hi Torrey Thanks for your great words To get praise from such a top musician is already great I think I speak for everyone involved when I say I'm glad you enjoyed it. By the way: If I had composed the string accompaniment, your feedback would not have been so positive ;-)))) Many greetings Andi ;-)
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
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Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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