Havoc & Harmony

Born September 1976 in Pontiac, MI, is the sole creative force behind Havoc & Harmony, a genre-spanning audio-visual project that began as Newton’s Law of Havoc & Harmony in the late ‘90s. A true one-man band, Michael writes all music, plays every instrument, records, engineers, and programs the lighting for his ambitious performances, blending rock, metal, punk, psychedelic alt-pop, and classical orchestrations into a theatrical experience.

Starting music at 12 and gigging in local bars by 14, Michael honed his craft early, but after struggling to keep bands together, he taught himself multiple instruments and built a home studio. In 1997, he funded sessions at Detroit’s legendary The Disc studio, later releasing The Demonstration in 1999—a 12-song CD previewing the 5-volume Havoc & Harmony Project, each volume exploring distinct genres. 

At the dawn of the MP3 era, Michael’s tracks "HARMONIC: STEEL" and "LOVE / LUST" charted on MP3.com in 2001, outranking Tom Petty, Alanis Morissette, Def Tones, Linkin Park and The Offspring, earning praise from Linkin Park’s Brad Delson: “One phat guitarist! Very talented and creative!”.

In 2000, Michael developed a heavy metal guitar loop library for Sonic Foundry’s Acid software, showcasing his production prowess. He also worked on demos for Alto Reed of Bob Seger’s band for a Jeff Daniels film score, with Reed noting, “This guy knows how to rock!”. Arne Frager owner of the legendary Record Plant Studio in Sausalito, CA was so impressed with Mike's music, he offered free recording time at the studio. Opportunities grew, but life redirected his path—Michael became a single father with sole custody of his daughter, lost his father, and supported his mother, pausing his music career.

Never stopping writing, Michael relaunched Havoc & Harmony in 2021, performing at Michigan’s SOS Music Festival and with POWERMAN 5000. That year, he was the only local artist featured on WRIF’s Midnight Metal New Year’s Eve special, showcasing “Just One Look” in a “best new music of 2021” segment. Now, through Havoc & Harmony Productions, Michael offers audio production and live show design, producing a genre-spanning live show conceptualized since 1999, featuring tributes to his influences. His work has earned acclaim: “Sublime!” says Jack Wall (Myst, Mass Effect), while Dave Mustaine of Megadeth adds, “Not bad kid!”
A father of two, one with autism, Michael’s resilience drives his art: “The world will start turning again. Sometimes you got to get out and push.”