Track-by-Track: Moxxy Jones Dices Through Their Record ‘Unnoticed’

There’s nothing going ‘unnoticed’ about Moxxy Jones’ debut album. In fact, it’s going very much ‘noticed’ in the best of ways. Released last month, the record is a true statement from the independent duo and an exercise in genre-bending. It features eleven original tracks with special guests, including vocalists Trent Park, Elle Rhodes, and Mariami. Recorded in Los Angeles, Unnoticed pulls together modern pop with industrial, R&B, and alternative rock. For fans of different musical eras, there is a lot that’s reminiscent of the ’80s and the ’90s. Thus far, the album has been met with nearly universal enthusiasm.

Part of the magic behind Unnoticed is Moxxy Jones’ focused and relentless creative approach. Genres and boundaries are left at the door. It’s all about pushing those perceived boundaries out of the way and discovering what lies beyond. The songs are untraditional but modern and familiar enough to pique your interest. They are committed to authenticity, which means that art must always come first. This is entirely the duo’s vision of what his music should sound like. First impressions mean a lot in the music business, and in keeping their sights set on what’s important, Moxxy Jones has put out a very fine statement of intent.

The duo joins us today for an in-depth Track-by-Track rundown of Unnoticed. They discuss the ins and outs of each song, breaking down what’s so memorable about this album.

1. “This Time”

“‘This Time’ is an energetic, powerful, explosive, electro-pop, industrial dance, R&B-infused tune. It’s about finding the strength to leave a relationship that is no longer working. Though it may sound a bit like the love child of Roxette and early Kanye West, we hope fans will also hear echoes of music by Nine Inch Nails, Charlie XCX, and New Order. The aim was to create a dynamic song that mirrors the emotions entwined within the narrative of ending a bad relationship.

“Declaring to the listener, ‘It’s so premeditated, let’s make it complicated,’ the song ultimately came together when we layered the powerful lyrics and vocals. The singer’s huge vocal range and adaptability to different genres and styles, from pop, rock, and dance to intimate vocals and classical, was a pleasure to work with and contributed greatly to an emotive, explosive delivery. This really tied together the dissonances and harmonies with the vocals continuing to rise until you get to the emotional release of the chorus.”

2. “Leave The Room”

“‘Leave The Room’ leads the release radar with its distinctive interplay of surprising elements of synth-pop, vaporwave, R&B, and rock, all intertwined with a progressive ’70s dance vibe. At a quick listen, the song mixes familiar themes with custom sounds, a memorable vocal line, and a very accessible yet novel production style.

“In context to the rest of the album, we wanted ‘Leave The Room’ to be a sexy, catchy, funky, playful, spontaneous, dancy track that is intensely visual lyrically and most sonically straightforward. A mashup of live organic instrumentation and modern machine sounds that provide interesting layers for a textured soundscape. The mix paired perfectly with the smooth, soulful, R&B vocals of singer/songwriter Trent Park and world-renowned bassist, Uriah Duffy (Goaplé, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Fantastic Negrito).”

3. “Another Yesterday” (Moxxy Jones, Isabelle)

“For music connoisseurs of ’80s and ’90s pop music, we wanted to showcase our creative range, modern productions, and signature styles. At first glance, ‘Another Yesterday’ maintains many of the same elements of the other songs on the album – clear perspective, accessible melodies, immediate hooks, layering of digital and organic sounds, and subtle harmonies.

“But, this track is also a bit of a departure as it is a more pop-forward tune, and leaves room for Isabelle’s (recognized for her appearance on American Idol, Off-Broadway productions) soaring, powerful vocals. Be sure to give it a second listen as we’ve added some surprising elements and textures. From R&B/funk guitars, industrial guitars, ambient synth progressions, and pulsing bass.”

4. “Sinking Into You”

“‘Sinking Into You’ was one of our first releases. It helped set the stage for our journey into different sonic tones, textures, and musical genres. Starting with a synth-forward bass and electronic production reminiscent of ’80s bands such as The Eurythmics, Duran Duran, and Cutting Crew, the track quickly evolved into a modern rock-pop song deeply layered with electric guitar, bass, and industrial rhythms.

“For the bridge section, we wanted to take a chance by pairing unusual sonic elements that blend vaporwave and gritty instrumentation with a roaring guitar solo that helps paint a unique musical landscape. ‘Sinking Into You’ incorporates the vocals of the immensely talented Courtney Grace. She immediately transports you into a world where you’re completely overwhelmed by the person you’re with and want to keep living in that moment.”

5. “Letting Go Of You”

“‘Letting Go of You’ originated as a ballad with just a few simple chord progressions written on a piano. It ultimately was completely rethought into a big upbeat rock tune. To emphasize the empowerment aspect of ‘Letting Go of You,’ contrast and balance were added between the music and harmonies. We wanted the track to highlight the power of letting someone go through a powerful modern rock track. But behind all of that, there are still pretty harmonies that contrast with the aggressiveness of the music. And some of the harmonies almost have a surprising country-music sensibility.

“By pairing the track with a slight country music storytelling ethos we aimed to add texture to the lows and highs, hopefully taking fans on a powerful ride from ending to liberation.”

6. “Never”

“Singer/songwriter Trent Park and bassist Uriah Duffy are also featured on this release. Working with them was a pleasure, it allowed them to experiment with a broader palette range – industrial, R&B, electro-pop, funk, blues, rock – and darker synth-pop, vaporwave elements. This track is a contrastingly moody, expansive, emotional, introspective, and angst-filled pulsing groove. Sonically, there was a constant push and pull between the clean and dirty, traditional and adventurous, beautiful and broken.

“The blending of different genres and sounds really sets this song apart in our eyes. There are industrial, R&B, blues, and rock elements to the song that all take the lead at one point or another. ‘Never’ combines lots of textures that we don’t often see put together – industrial synths, funk bass, and a harmonic structure that is both simple at points and full of movement at others. We hope you like it!”

Moxxy Jones ‘Unnoticed’ album artwork

7. “Walls Down” (Moxxy Jones, Mariami)

“‘Walls Down,’ features Indo-Pop music artist, singer/songwriter Mariami. For this track, we wanted to pull out all the stops, combining elements – synth-pop, industrial, electro-pop, bedroom pop, indie pop, and vaporwave – that aim to capture traditional pop and cross-genre fans alike. While early versions of the song were very piano-driven and inspired by the styles of Adele and Alicia Keys, we decided to turn it on its head once Milan added driving rhythmic elements along with the addition of a full string section, heavy guitars, and a modern-industrial production. Mariami’s soaring vocals and multiple harmonic layers complete the full musical landscape of ‘Walls Down.’”

8. “Unnoticed”

“With the moody, dark, and ominous ’70s-inspired opening guitar riff of ‘Unnoticed,’ you might think you’re about to hear a modern take on a Pink Floyd song. But instead, we wanted to immediately transport you into a world of gritty textures, deliberately processed vocals, and unique sounds and sonic elements more reminiscent of The Weeknd.

“Again featuring Trent Park, this track was written to express the melancholy that goes with no longer being in someone’s world. The instrumentation of this song is sparse at times, and very layered at others. It really plays off the narrative of sometimes being a part of someone’s life and then later becoming entirely absent. This concept may be best summed up in the line, ‘I see you stepping right in time with the tempo, but the beat is missing one.’ And the rest of the lyrics then highlight the emotional loss that you can feel even while still in a relationship.

“With ‘Unnoticed’ we wanted a track that moves seamlessly between synth-pop, new wave, vaporwave, R&B, rock, and industrial. The track covers themes of heartbreak, loss and empowerment, which feature heavily throughout the rest of the album.”

9. “Change My Mind” (Moxxy Jones, Isabelle)

“This song played around with the concept of pretty and ugly, harmony and dissonance, and ultimately love and loss. The emotionally striking narrative in the song is bolstered by the powerful vocals of singer/songwriter Isabelle, who joined us for a second collaboration on this album. Isabelle’s rare vocal range and intensity are the perfect instrument to explore the emotionally juxtaposed spaces of despair and exhilaration. The theme of love and loss, with the highs of joy and lows of despair that it represents, is a difficult one to express and presents a unique artistic challenge.

“We knew we had a wide-ranging set of emotional notes to hit, and approached the process by embracing that contrast at every step in the process. Lyrically, the song is pretty straightforward, aimed at conveying complicated feelings in a surprisingly simple way. Instrumentally, it is a synthesis of our pop-forward style and its ongoing exploration of contrasting, dissonant sounds.”

10. “Without You”

“‘Without You,’ the final track on Unnoticed featuring singer/songwriter Trent Park, is a ’90s-inspired down-tempo ballad, speaking to the longing, uncertainty, and even pleading that comes from a strained relationship. Musically, we wanted to complement Trent’s vocals, creating tension at every move. From the sparse synthesizer chords at the beginning of the track to the dissonant tones heard across the synths and strings to the vaporwave and electro-pop production that keeps a sombre tone throughout the song.

“While the bridge offers a glimmer of hope, with the vocals and racing string section suggesting that the couple may make it through the turmoil, ‘Without You’ ends it as it began, with the naked prayer that an unrequited love ultimately is answered.”

11. “Fray” (Moxxy Jones, Mariami)

“‘Fray’ is the conclusion to Unnoticed. It’s a nostalgic, emotional pop anthem that was written as both a consistent and a complete departure from the rest of the Unnoticed release. Musically, it fits with the album’s other tracks, being built on a strong harmonic foundation layered with piano, synths, strings, slide guitar, and a pulsing rhythm. And, similar to our other songs, it ultimately jumps into new sonic territory, in this case, by creating an outro that brings in disparate musical and stylistic elements that race toward a fiery crescendo of duelling pianos, electric guitars, and vocals reminiscent of ‘Layla’ or even ‘November Rain.’

“Yet with all the musical consistency with the other tracks on Unnoticed, with ‘Fray’ we wanted to explore an entirely new thematic territory. The incomparable Mariami explores her own deeply personal experience and implores the listener to lift up the women in their lives and help lead them past ‘the fray’ that might be standing in the way of their dreams. What’s left is a song that takes the listener through a unique musical journey while simultaneously telling a story of empowerment and delivering a message of hope.”