Progressive Rock

Fire and water, Yin and Yang,  
The eternal cycle from which life sprang.  
A wild dance in time's embrace,  
Bringing death and new life, an endless grace.

If anyone is interested: This song is a translation and a progressive rock version of my German pop song: "Wasser und Feuer". 
I was too lazy to think of new lyrics. :-)

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Arrangement and vocals: Volker Redder, Udio, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Loops and samples: Volker Redder, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Editing and sound design: Volker Redder, Auphonic, Sound Studio (Felt Tip Inc.), Unison Sound Doctor, VirtualDJ, GarageBand
Lyrics: Volker Redder, translated with the help of ChatGPT and Google Translate
Cover design: Volker Redder, Adobe Photoshop, DALL-E, Apple's Keynote

Ashes And Rain

In shadows long, the past erased,
From ashes cold, a world misplaced,
Crimson skies light the barren land,
A dawn of hope where ruins stand.

Dawn of a civilization's cry, 
Underneath a fractured sky, 
With every tear, dreams reborn, 
In the light of a shattered dawn.

Whispers echo, ghosts of time,
Silent cities, fate's cruel rhyme,
Mountains mourn in crimson hue,
Chasing echoes of what we knew.

Feel the chill upon your skin,
A fragile hope, the fight within,
Dreams ignite in darkened gleam,
Life reborn from broken dreams.

--
Arrangement and vocals: Volker Redder, Udio, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Loops and samples: Volker Redder, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Editing and sound design: Volker Redder, Auphonic, Sound Studio (Felt Tip Inc.), Unison Sound Doctor,  VirtualDJ, GarageBand
Lyrics: Volker Redder, translated with the help of ChatGPT and Google Translate
Cover design: Volker Redder, Adobe Photoshop, DALL-E, Apple's Keynote

Rise Of Dawn

Night falls, shadows creep,
A strange light, pulling me from sleep.
Cold hands, eyes so wide,
Taken by the unknown, no place to hide.

Alien lights, a frightful sight,
Lost in the void, taken in the night.
Heart races fast, fear in the air,
Abducted by beings from out there. 

Floating high, weightless fear,
Whispers in a tongue I can't hear.
Memories fade, what's real, what's fake?
A nightmare ride, will I awake? 

Alien lights, a frightful sight,
Lost in the void, taken in the night.
Heart races fast, fear in the air,
Abducted by beings from out there.

--
Arrangement and vocals: Volker Redder, Udio, Apple's GarageBand
Loops and samples: Volker Redder, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Editing and sound design: Auphonic, Sound Studio (Felt Tip Inc.), Unison Sound Doctor,  VirtualDJ, GarageBand
Lyrics: Volker Redder, translated with the help of ChatGPT and Google Translate
Cover design: Volker Redder, Adobe Photoshop, DALL-E, Apple's Keynote

From Out There

I was just a wanderer beneath the starry sky,  
When a light from the heavens took me up high.  
Through the cosmic silence, in a ship of silver hue,  
I found myself in places where dreams and fears come true.

They spoke without a language, their eyes a thousand years, 
In their gaze, I saw the wisdom, the hopes, the ancient tears. 

On an alien ship, I learned to see,  
The universe in ways that we could never be.  
They said don't fear, we're watching you, 
Humanity's not ready for the next breakthrough.

They scanned my thoughts and memories, my heart laid bare,  
In their gentle probing, there was no despair.  
Days in their care, a strange serenity,  
A journey through the cosmos, my new reality.

Back on earth, the skies seemed closer,  
With every star, a silent whisper.  
They left a message deep inside my soul, 
We are not alone, there's a greater goal. 

On an alien ship, I learned to see,  
The universe in ways that we could never be.  
They said don't fear, we're watching you,
Humanity's not ready for the next breakthrough.

So I'll keep looking to the stars,  
Knowing we're not so far apart.  
In the quiet of the night, I hear their call,  
We are not alone, not alone at all.

--
Arrangement and vocals: Volker Redder, Udio, Apple's GarageBand
Loops and samples: Volker Redder, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Editing and sound design: Auphonic, Sound Studio (Felt Tip Inc.), Unison Sound Doctor,  VirtualDJ, GarageBand
Lyrics: Volker Redder, translated with the help of ChatGPt and Google Translate
Cover design: Volker Redder, Adobe Photoshop, DALL-E, Apple's Keynote

The Next Breakthrough

The Next Breakthrough (Alpha Version)

I was just a wanderer beneath the starry sky,
When a light from the heavens took me up high.
Through the cosmic silence, in a ship of silver hue,
I found myself in places where dreams and fears come true.

They spoke without a language, their eyes a thousand years,
In their gaze, I saw the wisdom, the hopes, the ancient tears.

On an alien ship, I learned to see,
The universe in ways that we could never be.
They said don't fear, we're watching you,
Humanity's not ready for the next breakthrough.

They scanned my thoughts and memories, my heart laid bare,
In their gentle probing, there was no despair.
Days in their care, a strange serenity,
A journey through the cosmos, my new reality.

Back on earth, the skies seemed closer,
With every star, a silent whisper.
They left a message deep inside my soul,
We are not alone, there's a greater goal.

On an alien ship, I learned to see,
The universe in ways that we could never be.
They said don't fear, we're watching you,
Humanity's not ready for the next breakthrough.

So I'll keep looking to the stars,
Knowing we're not so far apart.
In the quiet of the night, I hear their call,
We are not alone, not alone at all.

--
Arrangement and vocals: Volker Redder, Udio, Apple's GarageBand
Loops and samples: Volker Redder, Apple's GarageBand, Elevenlabs
Editing and sound design: Auphonic, Sound Studio (Felt Tip Inc.), Unison Sound Doctor,  VirtualDJ, GarageBand
Lyrics: Volker Redder, translated with the help of ChatGPT and Google Translate
Cover design: Volker Redder, Adobe Photoshop, DALL-E, Apple's Keynote

The Next Breakthrough (Beta Version)

The kids don’t run, they float in chairs,
With VR pets and pixel stares.
Recess now is ranked online,
And hopscotch got replaced by "Grind XP+9".

It’s so easy to die,
When you stop being alive.
When your thoughts are streamed and pre-approved,
And every word is auto-moved.
Why read a book or draw a line,
When AI paints and plots just fine?
It’s so easy to die—
Just lean back and comply.

No more guitars, no dancing feet,
The bots perform, and always beat.
Diabetes hums like static buzz,
And no one asks the reason—just because.

It’s so easy to die,
When you stop being alive.
The mind’s outsourced, the body's still,
Fed by pills and Dopamine will.
Why make, or move, or feel, or try,
When machines just do it better, their way?
It’s so easy to die!

We built the future not to dream,
But to avoid one single scream—
The sound of effort, fear, or pain,
Now gently silenced in the rain.
And in this padded, glowing cage,
We scroll ourselves out of the age.

It’s so easy to die,
When you stop being alive.
No thoughts to think, no hills to climb,
No messy love, no loss, no time.
It’s so easy to die—
So sweet, so soft, so sly.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye…

We let the machine decide!

—
Arrangement and vocals: Volker Redder, Udio, Apple's GarageBand
Loops and samples: Volker Redder, Apple's GarageBand
Editing and sound design: Volker Redder, Ozone 11, Sound Studio, GarageBand
Lyrics: Volker Redder, translated with the help of Google Translate
Cover design: Volker Redder, Adobe Photoshop, FLUXpro, Apple's Keynote

So Easy To Die (When You Stop Being Alive)

"Redder" is a palindrome. Like "racecar" or "level". These pieces of music ain't.

My name is Volker Redder, online I go by "docredder." It all came about because I studied biology and computer science for a long time and received my doctorate as the crowning achievement of my academic career.
As a child, I sang Bach in the church's „Knabenchor Unser Lieben Frauen“ because my mother thought it was good for my soul. And it was, until, thanks to an excellent teacher, I realized that music is like mathematics. After that, I loved not only music but also mathematics and all sciences based on mathematics: physics, biology, chemistry, computer science. So, I went straight into the natural sciences and engineering. Yes, I studied a lot. However, a university career wasn't for me. I wanted to monetize the findings of the various sciences (you can't live on air and love alone) and founded over a dozen companies. Because who wants life to follow a clear formula? I certainly didn't. In addition to adventurous entrepreneurship, the subsequent career in politics (German Bundestag), and a growing family, I was constantly picking up the guitar or keyboard, which is what you do when you want to escape the chaos of everyday life.
Should I say I'm a virtuoso? No. That would be a lie. I'm just too lazy for that. Laziness, or in modern parlance, "efficiency," is a principle for me. And so I founded my "own studio," consisting of a lot of electronics and software. The hipsters call it DIY. I call it "not wanting to act like a big shot and book expensive recording studios." I'm a one-man orchestra, a chef-d'oeuvre who spends all day producing pop, rock, indie, and ambient mishmash until he finally finds it he likes. My menu? Pink Floyd, Genesis, Supertramp, Muse, Zappa, Miles Davis, and many more. Yes, all at once. I told you: mishmash.
There are guys who write music to become famous. Then there's me. I write music to keep myself from going crazy. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes there's melancholy in it, sometimes it's stories from literature or something sci-fi. Or from Tinder dates my daughters have told me. I mean, who hasn't wondered what "being in Tinder light" is? Exactly. I wrote it down. I use everything I can get my hands on: GarageBand, samples, my voice, AI voices, Udio, VirtualDJ, everything! I don't care if purists say it's no longer art. It doesn't matter, the main thing is that my music feels like a window you can look out of and discover something new again and again.
Every song becomes a little adventure. Sometimes I start with a line, sometimes with a feeling I can't shake. It's like an escape from reality, except in the end, there's no escape. And that's a good thing. This is how I stay grounded. Okay, grounded isn't the right word either. Let me put it this way: I've stayed true to myself. And I'm grateful for everyone who listens, shares, or comments.
It makes me feel like I'm not completely alone in this madness. So if you also like songs that don't follow the rules, I'd be happy if you joined in. After all, the world is crazy enough.
You have to fight that with music. I mean, that's logical, right?