From The Mountains — Micah Rodriguez
Micah’s new EP of four unique covers of popular worship songs is out! I had the opportunity to work with him again on the back end mixing and mastering the project.
His sound blends acoustic, indie, and experimental genres into a truly one-of-a-kind presentation of familiar songs. From working with Micah, I get the sense that he feels the pull to redeem a genre that has, for many people, lost its originality. In creating From The Mountains, Micah took songs we know and made them sound completely new and unexpected.
You’ll hear a variety of instruments (some of his sessions were over 100 tracks), but what stands out the most is the complex background vocals he uses to bring an other-worldly, or as some have described, haunting atmosphere to these songs. The more you listen, the more layers you will hear below the surface, calling to the depth of thought he has put into these songs.
When I first started mixing for Micah a few years ago, it was clear that his music was different. You will be hard-pressed to find music that sounds like his, especially in the Christian worship arena. That is what drew me to his music.
Above that, Micah’s music is raw and authentic, trading neat production for a dynamic creative emphasis. You’re not going to hear digitally clean pop covers. You’re going to hear all the tiny nuances that come from the ideas that flow into his head.
To add to that, Micah tracked and edited this all in his home studio with a minimal setup. I’m so excited that everyone gets to listen to these songs and enjoy them, and if you like what you’re hearing, I encourage you to follow his work because it is just the beginning of his musical journey!
Listen on Spotify
TRACK NOTES
All The Poor And Powerless
This track is complex and organic. Micah brings in the cello from the very beginning calling back to the original riff, but it is saturated with effects bringing this arrangement right into alignment with that ethereal soundscape he so consistently creates. To change it up, Micah brings in the background vocals as the foremost instrument in the first chorus, and the rest of the arrangement has stark feel changes to keep the listener moving forward, never expecting what will come next.
I love the way he brings the bridge into a completely different environment. It literally feels like you're underwater, and I think the effect draws the listener into a moment of contemplation. He keeps the whole project moving forward with a 16th note groove in the guitars and other percussive instruments, calling to the song's message that stirs us into worship and kingdom action.
Highlands (Song of Ascent)
The more I worked on this song, the more it grew on me. The most challenging part in mixing this song was the number of voices and timbres that collide into one composite sound. Micah made sure to pay attention to little details like when a kick sample needs to be changed or when a background vocal section needs to change tonally.
Micah and I work in different DAWs. I work primarily in Ableton Live, and he works in Logic Pro X, so I downloaded Logic Pro X to make sure I could catch all his ideas as accurately as possible.
This track is the most high energy of the EP, and it gets stuck in your head. He adds to the song's structure with pop background vocals and tight electronic grooves. This track is loaded with lofi effects and a ton of harmonic distortion. There is so much color and range, especially at the song's climax, and we took it even higher in the mix and master.
Fix My Eyes
Fix My Eyes brings the EP back to an acoustic-driven style. As always, Micah's music is not staying in one place. While the track begins in simple chords and melodies, more variations are waiting as the song progresses. As soon as we hit the bridge, we have a return to the dense and driven chorus of background vocals that serve as a transition to the more diverse and experimental presentation of this worship song.
Even with all the added effects, Fix My Eyes continues to be a relaxing experience to the end, contrasting the energy and power of Highlands.
Purpose
I get a sense that this is a special song for Micah. Purpose is the perfect way to end this EP with a surprisingly simple arrangement that draws the listener in. Throughout the song, the sound of waves crashing against the beach can be heard. This song is presented as is, and it is just right. While nothing like the first project we worked on, this song shares an emotional appeal to Micah's first release, "This Is My Pain, This Is My Love." The background vocals call out in the back as an echo of the Father's love for his children.
