|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
The Bottle Of Solace Just a song about the search for solace from a bottle in a lonely and harsh world. Surely not everyone's cup of tea, but sort of one of my favorites, the BIAB instruments provide a perfectly raw soundscape for the melancholy depicted in the story. I could have used a more rock oriented Synth V voice, but I thought Saros presents more of an ordinary man... I wrote this song already 8 years ago, but recently heard that my ex-colleague had died from drinking, I thought he was very successful in life and work, but who knows, it could happen to any of us. RealDrums: RockThrashHalfTime RealTracks: #387 Electric bass #2743 Synth Bass #1595 Acoustic guitar pick #1257, #2681, #573, #838 Electric guitar ##2585 Electric guitar DI (+Amplitube 3) #2650 Electric guitar solo DI (+Amplitube 3) #2704 Synth Organ Vocals: Synthesizer V SAROS (lead), JUN (Harmony) Mixed in Adobe Audition (music) & Cakewalk by Bandlab (vocals & mastering) Lyrics: [Verse] A child is crying out for meal the feeding bottle is her treat little hands are reaching for the teat. maybe someone's taking care comforts just by being there doesn't judge but removes the feeling of scared. [Chorus] Why is home an empty place? who could fill my hugging space? I get solace from the bottle there is no more lack of grace. [Verse] I was full prepared to opt to share my life around the clock but you chose to invest in some safer stock. Dealers sell drugs at the door but nothing for my chronic sore I do not want to pressure you anymore. [Chorus] Why is home an empty place? who could fill my hugging space? I get solace from the bottle there is no more lack of grace. [Bridge] There's no need for blaming me I'm just languishing in loss if I'm offered a cure against it I'll be ready to bear its cross. [Verse] When the world serves pain and pox I've put my best friend to his box the carrion is attracting vulturous flocks. On this lonely New Year's Eve one thing keeps me company and doesn't list all my flaws cold-bloodedly. [Chorus] Why is home an empty place? who could fill my hugging space? I get solace from the bottle there is no more lack of grace. -------------------------- Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,864
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,864 |
Heavy feel. Nice crunchy guitars. I like the groove.
You made some rather unique chord choices in the chorus. And an abrupt change of direction in the bridge. Interesting .
All in all, nice job on this song.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,197
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,197 |
Hi, Janne.
A dark sounding song with dark lyrics. Saros was a good choice.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 3,039
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 3,039 |
Dark and sad, and your backing tracks with those unexpected chord choices support the lyrics perfectly. I like sad songs, and I think this is one of your best ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,065
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,065 |
Oh, you're so right, Janne. Every aspect of this production points to and adds to the melancholy. Man, the chord changes and the melody give us that feeling, even if we just hear the lyrics as notes rather than words. Those vocals are perfect, too. I really like the drum track too. Sad event that made you resurrect this one, but so appropriate. Even the song pic is a special piece of the whole. Loved it all, Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,699
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,699 |
Well, dark, but NICE and dark. Great chord progressions. They create a twisty-but-cool musical path for the twisty lyrics. Also like your inventive use of BiaB guitars and how you used the DI RealTracks to get the right tonal colors. I need to do that more.
Saros sounds fine, but to my ears he only sounds like an "ordinary man" if that man was a cabaret singer. Ha! Just kidding! I'm not sure what style of voice would best suit this style of song. It's quite its own niche.
Condolences for your departed colleague. I've reached an age where those wakeup calls are occurring with alarming frequency...
Well done, Janne!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,975
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,975 |
Janne,
I love the heavy & moody feel of this song. Great vocal from SAROS. Also, some really nice production throughout.
Excellent work!
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,224
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,224 |
This is terrific, Janne. The guitars were perfect for the dark atmosphere you created. Saros sounded great. So sorry to hear about your friend. All the fancy, tricky drugs in the world, but alcohol is still taking its share of victims like liquid plague.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 2,241
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 2,241 |
Love the instrumentation in this. It's a really well formed gritty song with great lyrics. It's a personal taste thing, but an alternative singer, real or AI, would have made it that much better. It really needs a gritty vocalist. Excellent song all the same.
Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
Heavy feel. Nice crunchy guitars. I like the groove.
You made some rather unique chord choices in the chorus. And an abrupt change of direction in the bridge. Interesting .
All in all, nice job on this song. Thanks Herb, I appreciate your pleasant feedback  Glad you noticed those chord choices, GbMaj13 | Ebm69/Gb | F7b5 just to mention the first ones, choices that don't always work with another set of instruments, but usually the most fitting ones are found by using the current set, so it could be said that the initial band choice is a collaborator. Janne
Last edited by jannesan; 06/29/25 05:01 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
Hi, Janne.
A dark sounding song with dark lyrics. Saros was a good choice. Thanks David, glad you liked Saros, I tried to make him sound a bit more darker as the sound and the lyrics wanted. I was tempted to remake the song with HXVOC, but it would probably have been too obvious choice... Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
Dark and sad, and your backing tracks with those unexpected chord choices support the lyrics perfectly. I like sad songs, and I think this is one of your best Thanks BD for your kind and supportive comment Glad to hear that the chords, tracks and lyrics fit together so well. Good to know that sad songs speak to you, I guess I have to please my few listeners  Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,703
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,703 |
Janne, an outstanding song.
Super groove and arrangement
That synth vocal was so real sounding that if you hadn't said anything I would have thought it was a human.
Super mix
PS - I did a song in 2015 about a friend whom drank himself into a nursing home at the age of 50 and died from drinking a few years later. If interested it is on Soundcloud and called Demon. So yes it can happen to anyone.
OK, a random thought;
Why does toilet paper need a commercial? Who's not buying it?
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,666
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,666 |
I love those dark guitars. Saros was a good choice, fits in well. You put a lot of tension in the chorus with those chords---very good!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,921
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,921 |
Janne,
Good Music.
It is obvious you put thought into the arrangement and production. Well Done!
A Great Sound. Throughout the entire production. An impressive, big sound. (with dynamics)
Interesting write.
I really enjoyed this.
Impressed.
fj
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,134
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,134 |
Thoughts:
That is a great band and an excellent solo.
The distorted vibes are perfect.
Love the dynamics in the fine mix.
Saros and Jun are a good pairing for this dark lyric.
The harmonies and chord changes in the chorus are outstanding.
They perfectly provide both tension and the melancholic feel.
We’ve had friends in similar circumstances and it is very sad.
We could go on, but this is, simply stated, a tremendous epic production.
Exceptionally well done!
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060 |
Janne,
I always look forward to you posts because I know I’m going to hear something fresh, unique, and well-executed. No exception here. Excellent work with the synth vocal. But it’s really the complete production, all its elements, that make this tune shine. Compelling write as well. Really top-notch stuff!!
Deej
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
Oh, you're so right, Janne. Every aspect of this production points to and adds to the melancholy. Man, the chord changes and the melody give us that feeling, even if we just hear the lyrics as notes rather than words. Those vocals are perfect, too. I really like the drum track too. Sad event that made you resurrect this one, but so appropriate. Even the song pic is a special piece of the whole. Loved it all, Janne Thanks Marty, your positive reviews are always the special moment of my day Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
Well, dark, but NICE and dark. Great chord progressions. They create a twisty-but-cool musical path for the twisty lyrics. Also like your inventive use of BiaB guitars and how you used the DI RealTracks to get the right tonal colors. I need to do that more.
Saros sounds fine, but to my ears he only sounds like an "ordinary man" if that man was a cabaret singer. Ha! Just kidding! I'm not sure what style of voice would best suit this style of song. It's quite its own niche.
Condolences for your departed colleague. I've reached an age where those wakeup calls are occurring with alarming frequency...
Well done, Janne! Thanks DC for your heartwarming feedback "Nice and dark", yep, that's how I feel, somehow comforting despite the sad subject. This could be the only time I've used DI realtracks and I did it to get even darker sound different from normal smoothed BIAB sound. Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,596 |
Janne,
I love the heavy & moody feel of this song. Great vocal from SAROS. Also, some really nice production throughout.
Excellent work!
Bob Thanks Bob for your positive review Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,200
Posts801,880
Members40,066
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean