Chapter 721: Recording Album II

The opening notes came through Dayo’s headphones as he stood inside the recording booth. He adjusted the headphones slightly and waited for the music to settle before beginning. Wayne sat behind the production desk, watching the recording levels while one of the engineers kept an eye on the session from the other monitor.

The first few seconds went smoothly. Dayo followed the melody, keeping his voice controlled as he moved through the opening verse. His delivery was steady, and the words came naturally because he had spent so much time working on them before entering the studio. By the time he reached the chorus, the engineers had settled into listening rather than simply checking the technical side of the recording.

Wayne watched the screen, following the levels as Dayo continued. He knew the song already, having heard the arrangement the previous day, but hearing Dayo perform it brought a different quality to the track. The melody sat comfortably with his voice, and the lyrics were clear without sounding forced.

When the instrumental faded, Wayne waited until the recording had stopped before speaking through the microphone.

"That was good. Let’s listen to it once."

Dayo removed one side of his headphones and looked towards the control room. "All right."

Wayne played the recording back. They listened through the opening, the chorus and the final section without interrupting. When it ended, he moved the cursor back to one part of the song and played it again.

"I think we have it," Wayne said. "There are one or two small things we can adjust, but the take is good."

Dayo looked at the screen. "The second verse sounded a little different from what I had in mind."

"Which part?"

"Just before the chorus. I think I held the last word too long."

Wayne replayed the section, listening carefully. "I hear what you mean. We can try another take and see which one works better."

Dayo returned to the booth without complaining. He adjusted the microphone position and waited for Wayne to start the track again. This time, he changed the delivery slightly in the section they had discussed, keeping the rest of the performance consistent.

The second take was shorter because they only needed to record the part they wanted to adjust. After listening to both versions, they agreed that the new one worked better. Wayne saved the recording and made a note of the adjustment.

One of the engineers checked the file before looking towards Dayo. "That was a clean take. We shouldn’t have much trouble with the rest of the song."

"Thank you," Dayo replied. "Let me know if you hear anything that needs to be corrected."

The engineer returned his attention to the screen. He had worked on several sessions since joining JD Records, but this was his first time working directly with Dayo. Like some of the other people in the room, he had known about Dayo’s success long before the acquisition. However, most of his knowledge had come from hearing the songs and following the achievements of the label. He hadn’t spent enough time around Dayo to understand how he approached his work.

Wayne saved the session before Dayo stepped out of the booth. The first song was nearly complete, and they only needed to make a few production adjustments before moving on. Dayo took a bottle of water from the table and sat down beside Wayne while the engineers checked the recording.

"How are we doing?" he asked.

"Good. The first track is in a good place. We’ll finish the remaining adjustments after we’ve gone through the next one."

Dayo took a drink of water. "All right."

One of the engineers moved away from his monitor and joined the conversation. He had been listening closely throughout the session, and there was something he wanted to ask.

"Can I ask you something, sir?"

Dayo turned towards him. "Go ahead."

"With the album having twelve songs, I was wondering why you didn’t bring in any other artists. I mean, there are no features at all. Was that a decision you made from the beginning?"

Dayo smiled slightly. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked him about collaborations, and he understood why the question had come up. He had worked with other artists before, and there were plenty of musicians who would have been interested in appearing on an album from JD Records’ founder.

Forget his title as JD Record founder even his name JD would make many flock and even waved the apperance fee after all non of his songs his solo feature or even the one he was featured not only that but every song increased both his popularity and that of the artist. 

"I considered it," he answered already guessing what the engineer had in mind. "But when I was putting the songs together, I couldn’t find a reason to bring someone else in. I wanted to keep the album the way I had written it."

The engineer nodded, although he still seemed curious. "Was there a particular reason? Sometimes another artist can bring something different to a song, especially when the album has several tracks."

"That’s true. It depends on what the song needs." Dayo placed the bottle on the table. "For this album, I wanted the emotions to come through in a particular way. I don’t think anyone else could portray them the way I need them to be portrayed. I know what I want the listener to feel, and I want to deliver that myself."

The engineer considered his answer. "You don’t think another singer could get close to it?"

Dayo gave a small smile. "I don’t think it’s about whether someone can sing the song. There are many talented singers who could perform the notes and follow the melody. But the emotions behind these songs are very personal. I know where they come from, and I know how I want them to sound. I don’t think bringing someone else in would give me what I’m looking for."

A couple of the engineers exchanged brief looks. They respected Dayo’s talent, but the statement still sounded like a bold claim. There were singers with remarkable voices and musicians who had built their careers around emotional performances. Saying that nobody else could deliver the feelings he wanted was a difficult thing to accept without hearing what he meant and all those that had this doubt were the new engineer just joining JD label from MK label.

Wayne noticed their reaction but didn’t interfere. He knew Dayo well enough to understand that he wasn’t making the statement to impress anyone. The album had come from experiences Dayo had lived through, and the songs carried feelings that were difficult to explain to someone who hadn’t been part of those moments.

"Well, we’ll see how it goes," one of the engineers said, keeping his tone respectful.

Dayo didn’t take offence. "That’s fine. You’ll hear the next one soon enough."

They returned to work, and Wayne opened the session for the second track. The arrangement was already in place, and the recording files had been prepared earlier. He checked the settings before sending the track through the studio speakers.

"Do you want to listen to the instrumental first?" Wayne asked.

"No, I’ve heard it enough times. Let’s go straight to the recording."

Wayne looked at him through the glass. "All right. Take your time."

Dayo entered the booth again and adjusted the headphones. The lyrics appeared on the screen in front of him, although he barely needed to look at them. He knew every line, every pause and every change in the melody. He had written the song after spending time thinking about the feelings he wanted to put into it, and he had gone over the arrangement until it carried the mood he had imagined.

The second track began with a softer introduction. The music was restrained, leaving enough space for the vocals to carry the song. Dayo waited for his entrance, then began.

His delivery was different from the first track. He didn’t approach the opening with the same ease or familiarity. There was a weight in his voice, and the way he handled the first lines made the words feel close to him. He wasn’t forcing the emotion or trying to make every line sound painful. Instead, he allowed the feeling behind the song to guide the performance.

Wayne stopped looking at the recording levels for a moment. He had heard the track before, but the performance was bringing out something he hadn’t experienced in the same way during the first listening session. The lyrics had already told him that the song was personal. Hearing Dayo sing it made the feeling much clearer.

The engineers also began to pay closer attention. One of them had been following the vocal levels, but he gradually stopped making notes. Another sat back in his chair, listening through the speakers as Dayo moved into the next section.

The emotional weight of the song grew as it continued. Dayo’s voice carried the sadness in the lyrics, but there was control in the way he delivered it. He knew when to soften his voice and when to let it become stronger. The pauses felt deliberate, and the changes in his tone gave the song a depth that hadn’t been as apparent when they listened to the instrumental.

For some of the people in the room, the effect was immediate. One of the former MK Label engineers lowered his eyes and reached for a tissue beside the console. Another quietly removed one side of his headphones, then put it back when he realised he was still following the song. The emotion in the performance had caught them off guard.

Wayne remained seated, listening until the final section. He had known about the difficult period Dayo had gone through, and he understood some of the feelings behind the album. He remembered the conversations they had shared and the things Dayo had told him about Jennifer’s kidnapping, the fear surrounding her disappearance and the strain that followed. He also knew about the separation from Luna and how much Dayo had wanted to put things right.

Dayo had never told him every detail, but Wayne knew enough to recognise that the song was coming from a place deeper than imagination. Even with that knowledge, hearing the performance affected him differently. He could hear the emotion in the way Dayo sang, and it was difficult to separate the music from the experiences he knew had inspired it.

The song came to an end.

Nobody spoke immediately. The final notes faded through the speakers, leaving the room quiet. One of the engineers looked down at the desk and wiped his eyes. The other had leaned back in his chair, his attention still fixed on the screen.

Dayo remained inside the booth, waiting for feedback. He adjusted the headphones and looked through the glass towards Wayne, who was still seated at the production desk.

"How was that?" Dayo asked through the microphone.

Wayne didn’t answer immediately. He looked towards the engineers, then returned his attention to the controls. "Give us a moment."

Dayo waited, taking a small drink of water while the people in the control room collected themselves. He wasn’t surprised that the song had affected them, but he hadn’t expected the reaction to be so strong during the first take.

One of the engineers finally spoke. "That was something else."

Wayne turned towards him. "What did you think?"

The engineer took a moment before answering. "I honestly wasn’t expecting that. I knew the song was emotional from the arrangement, but hearing him sing it is different. The way he delivered those lines..." He stopped, searching for the right words. "It got to me."

Another engineer picked up a tissue from the desk. "I had to look away for a moment. I don’t even know why I reacted like that."

Wayne understood. "The performance carries the feeling behind the song. That’s what makes it work."

The engineer who had asked about the features earlier looked towards the booth. "I think I understand what you meant now."

Dayo heard him through the microphone. "About what?"

"About not wanting another artist on the album. I thought you were saying nobody else could sing the songs, but I understand what you meant now. It’s not just about singing them. It’s about delivering what you’re trying to express."

Dayo smiled from inside the booth. "Exactly. That’s what I was trying to explain."

The engineer leaned back, still looking towards the recording booth. "I don’t think I would have understood it properly if I hadn’t heard that."

Wayne played back a short section of the recording, allowing them to hear the performance again. This time, he paid closer attention to the vocal details, checking whether the emotion had affected the clarity of the words or whether anything needed to be corrected.

The recording was clean. Dayo had maintained control throughout the song, and the emotion had not taken away from the technical quality of his performance. If anything, it had made the song more convincing.

"Let’s listen to the whole thing," Wayne said.

They played the track from the beginning. Nobody interrupted. The engineers listened again, this time with a better understanding of what Dayo had meant when he said the song needed to be delivered in a particular way. By the end, the room was quiet once more, although the reactions were less unexpected now.

Wayne leaned towards the microphone. "Dayo, that was good. I don’t think we need another take."

Dayo stepped out of the booth and came into the control room. "You’re sure?"

"I’m sure. We can make the final adjustments during mixing, but the vocal performance is good."

One of the engineers agreed. "The recording is clean. I don’t think another take would give us anything better."

Dayo looked around the room. He noticed the tissue on the desk and the way a few of the engineers were still unusually quiet. He didn’t comment on it, although he understood what had happened.

"All right. Save the take, then. We can move on once everyone is ready."

Wayne saved the file and made a few notes about the session. "I think we should take a short break before the next track."

"That’s fine."

Dayo returned to the table and picked up his water. The engineers began checking the recording and organising the files, but the conversation around the room had changed. The earlier question about featuring other artists no longer seemed important to them. They had heard the second song, and they understood why Dayo wanted to perform the album himself. Few of the engineers were whispered among themselves saying that they had not seen many recording session this smooth without hiccup they had recorded two song in just a day which was amazingly. 

One of the engineers approached him while Wayne was checking the session notes.

"Sir, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but did you find it difficult recording that song?"

Dayo considered the question. "Not technically. I knew how I wanted to sing it. The difficult part was getting into the right place emotionally before the recording."

"Because of what inspired it?"

"Yes. Some of these songs come from things I’ve experienced, so I have to be careful about how I approach them. I don’t want to force the emotion, but I also don’t want to sing them as though they mean nothing to me."

The engineer listened carefully. "I think that’s what came through."

Dayo thanked him and returned his attention to Wayne, who had finished preparing the next session. They discussed the recording briefly, agreeing that the second song did not need another take. The engineers had also made a note of the vocal levels and the sections that would require attention during mixing.

Wayne looked at the clock. "We’ve made good progress today. Two songs, and both are in a good place."

"That’s what we planned."

"True, but I think the second one has given everyone something to think about."

Dayo gave a quiet laugh. "I noticed."

Wayne glanced towards the engineers, who were still talking among themselves about the performance. "I don’t think they’ll question your decision about features again."

"They can ask whatever they want. I don’t mind explaining."

"I know. That’s one thing I like about working with you. You don’t make people feel uncomfortable for asking questions."

Dayo shrugged slightly. "There’s nothing wrong with asking. They hadn’t heard the songs, so they couldn’t understand what I meant."

Wayne agreed. He had watched the engineers change their opinion during the session, not because Dayo had argued with them or tried to convince them of his ability, but because they had heard the music for themselves.

The second song had given them the answer.

After saving the session, Wayne began preparing the files for the next recording day. Dayo checked the lyrics once more before closing the document, making sure the recorded versions were properly labelled. The first two tracks were now recorded, and there were ten more waiting for them.

He knew the work ahead would take time. Each song would require its own attention, and some would be easier to record than others. For now, he was satisfied with what they had achieved.

Wayne closed the session and turned towards him. "We’ll continue tomorrow. I’ll make sure everything is ready before you arrive."

"All right. Let me know if you need anything from me."

"I will."

Dayo picked up his things while the engineers continued working. As he left the control room with Wayne, he could still hear them discussing the second song. He didn’t need to ask what they were saying. Their reaction had already told him enough.

The album was beginning to sound the way he had imagined it.