SANDS
Music by Overdrive

An old tune made with Scream Tracker software in the 90s.

Sands

BLAST!
Music by Overdrive
Lyrics by Marc Freak

Check out the promo videos for Blast!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxsubR1OYtf/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxswLPVgfAj/
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17992084141919799/

In one sentence, drum'n bass goes punk.

This song is the result of a team work with the always brilliant Marc Freak, a prolific musician, author, photographer, and oddity. I am an outspoken fan of his fantastic work (two of my favorite songs are by him). His music is definitely worth a closer look:
https://soundcloud.com/marcfreak

The instrumental part of this song was originally created in Renoise, with the program's native samples. Voices and effects were added later in Ableton Live.

The cover artwork is based on the amazing illustration created by Heri Shinato (Cyberpunk: The Future is Made of Flesh and Metal), available on his Artstation profile:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/34aPJ

Hope you like it.

Blast ! (ft Marc Freak)

OPUS ARTE
Music by Overdrive
Guitars by Brian Butts
Narration by Megwaf

In the 1980s, Brazilian TV aired episodes of an anime called King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. However, some episodes mistakenly came without a soundtrack, which forced the dubbing studio to use instrumental music by artists such as Vangelis, Basil Poledouris and Rick Wakeman to fill the lack of music. That's how, around the age of 10, I had my first contact with Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The impact was unbelievable. All the kids at school were praising the anime's epic soundtrack, unaware that this was the result of a mistake that had only happened in Brazil.

Influenced by the anime's soundtrack, I started using my pocket money to buy vinyl records by these artists - and that's when I bought Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth album. The epic orchestrated intro, the wonderful choirs, the exciting narration and the rock music in the middle of the track, everything was fantastic.

Opus Arte is strongly influenced by Journey to the Center of the Earth. The orchestral sections are complemented by elements of electronic music. Brian Butts' incredible guitar solos embellish the rock sections. And Megwaf's phenomenal narration sets the perfect mood for the listener's imagination.

Hope you enjoy the song.

BRIAN BUTTS
I recommend checking out the exquisite work of guitarist Brian Butts, with his complex and exciting arrangements.
https://soundcloud.com/brian-butts-565934842

MEGWAF
Megwaf's extraordinary narrations are really worth checking out. It's impossible not to be impressed by her voice.
https://soundcloud.com/megwaf

Opus Arte

REVOLUTION
Music by Overdrive

Check out the music videos:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18041226151467025/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsyOkhBOD32/

In one sentence, Slayer meets industrial.

Revolution is a typical 80's thrash metal song with a modern twist. Those who lived that era will recognize several references to numerous bands:
(1) The main riff and the complex cadence of the vocals are inspired by Slayer's Haunting the Chapel;
(2) The main riff is also inspired by Destruction's Bestial Invasion;
(3) The riff during the break in the middle of the song is inspired by the break from Slayer's Piece By Piece;
(4) The siren is a reference to Escape by Metallica;
(5) The guitar solo is inspired by the solo from Megadeth's Piece Sells... But Who's Buying;
(6) The explosion at the end of the song is a reference to the explosion heard at the end of Metallica's Fight Fire With Fire.

There are other references, of course, but you'll have to look for the rest yourself. :-)

The guitars are from the VST plugin for Kontakt called Shreddage 3 Rogue. It's the best distorted guitar library I've experienced to date.

The synthesized vocals are from the Solaria voice package produced by Eclipsed Sounds for Dreamtonics' Synthesizer V software. There are free lite versions of Synthesizer V and Solaria's voice on the Dreamtonics website:
https://dreamtonics.com/synthesizerv/

I hope you enjoy the track.

P. S.: Stay tuned for the upcoming remix of Revolution sung by the great @bawl-slant

Revolution (video in the description)

LEARY IN THE AFTER-WORLD
Music & Lyrics by Peter Grimbeek
Remix by Overdrive

Watch the video:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtrNcJAOXVv/

This is a remix of the song Leary in the After-World, a track originally composed by Peter Grimbeek that mixes spoken word poetry and electronic music. The original version can be checked out at this link:

https://soundcloud.com/peter-grimbeek/leary-in-the-after-world

The song is about Timothy Leary, the famous American psychologist and writer who gained prominence in the 1960s for his advocacy of the therapeutic and spiritual potential of psychedelic drugs. Leary saw the internet as a continuation of his earlier beliefs in the power of technology to connect people and expand consciousness.

Writer of prose and poetry since mid-1960s, Peter Grimbeek started on acoustic guitar in 1978 and now uses GarageBand and Logic Pro software to compose electronic music. The incredible cadence of his voice while reciting poetry makes a fantastic counterpoint to his electro-style songs. I recommend a visit to his SoundCloud profile:

https://soundcloud.com/peter-grimbeek

The amazing cover illustration was created by the graphic artist Sword Speed. The original image and other illustrations can be checked out at this link:

www.instagram.com/swordspeed/

Hope you enjoy the remix.

LYRICS

Tim departed this life
Seated on a cloud
Like a long lost Pharoah
Having a glorious time.

He retained his famous cool
He kept his wits intact
He ignored the usual lures
I’ll have none of that.

One life ends
Another begins
Still on the outside
Looking in.

After the endless crowd
He found this place quiet
No more friends-followers
To keep him up at night.

But he couldn’t move on
And this was really hard
He liked being a traveller
Not a bird in a yard.

One life ends
Another begins
Still on the outside
Looking in.

For now Tim is numb
But one day soon
His bus will come
A ride out of this room.

He will find a grotto
Sink in its pool deep
Emerge free of the lotto*
Of post-life sleep.

One life ends
Another begins
Still on the outside
Looking in.

*lottery

Leary In The After-World (ft Peter Grimbeek)

ROCK'N ROLL STAR
Music by Overdrive & Jessica Grotesquew

Check out the promo videos on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFDGvGENUie/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwRQeMnRbia/

Art cover:
https://www.harisnukem.com/

Rock'n Roll Star (ft Jessica Grotesquew)

I'M BORED
Music and Lyrics by Iggy Pop
Remix by Overdrive
Guitar solo by Christopher Hardisty

Check out the music video on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw2608bNaaK/

The splendid image of the cyberpunk girl was created by digital sculptor and character artist JHill, who kindly authorized the use of his incredible artwork for the cover art of this remix (thanks again, J).

I'm Bored

SOMETHING YOU CRAVE
Music by Overdrive & Kristopher Bolin
Words by Megwaf

Check out the promo videos:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CypTXcUNm3-/
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17906010470777543/

Something You Crave

TOO MANY NOTES
A Neoclassical Piece for Violin and Electric Guitar
By Overdrive

Check out the promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18241683715215580/

The title "too many notes" is a reference to these 2 scenes from the fantastic movie Amadeus:
https://youtu.be/hMWy3EpEo_o

The neoclassical movement in music is a 20th-century trend that sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of “classicism”. It had a huge impact on my musical development, especially the album "Rising Force" by Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen -- one of my favorite albums of all time.

Ironically, when guitarists from the neoclassical movement began to emerge, the main criticism boiled down to the phrase "too many notes" -- the same criticism against Mozart in the movie Amadeus. 😄

The cover art features a fun digital montage of Mozart's famous portrait painted by Barbara Krafft.

The IG promo video was created with clips from the great band "Son of Bach" (which I highly recommend) and scenes from the movie "Chevalier".

Hope you enjoy the song.

Too Many Notes - A Neoclassical Piece for Violin and Electric Guitar

X
Music by Overdrive & Smilex
Master by Chris Schlue

This is my reinterpretation/remix of the song X by the awesome English band Smilex. The initial plan was to produce something industrial/cyberpunk, but I was seduced by the idea of making a rockabilly version of X, with hints of punk rock.

Huge thanks to Lee (lead singer), who kindly offered me the invitation to do a remix of the song -- he's probably regretting it by now, but it's too late, man. 😄

Boasting an ear splitting career spanning over a decade, Smilex are the band who have done it all. Several releases on Quickfix Recordings (who discovered Youthmovies) and spots on various compilations & singles clubs, including a split ep with The Young Knives & a collaboration with MC Lars, have made Smilex a band renowned within their native Oxford. Explosive live shows – betraying a tendency for reckless self-endangerment coupled with a drive to put the audience's experience above all else – have led local music bible Nightshift to dub Smilex “Oxford's one band Riot”. Infamous live antics have caught the eyes and ears of musical types across the country, earning them the title of Playmusic's “best unsigned live act of 2010”, whilst securing slots playing beneath (and raising the bar for) the likes of The Damned, The Datsuns, and The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster.

I recommend checking out Smilex's great tracks on their Soundcloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/smilex

Also check out the original song X:
https://soundcloud.com/smilex/x-clean

Once again, Chris Schlue has done a wonderful job mastering the track. Check out Chris's excellent music production on his Soundcloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/chris-schlue

Also check out his latest song as a producer/instrumentalist, OBEDIENCE TOY:
https://soundcloud.com/chris-schlue/obedience-toy

Hope you enjoy this madness.😄

LOUD
Music by Overdrive
Lyrics by Electra Volcana
Guitar solo by Chris Hardisty

Check out the IG promo videos for Loud:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1FlG4lrV1o/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ei_KwuNyR/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3g9tCUxnfC/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3eiCJIM_xv/


This is a track produced by me in collab with singer Electra Volcana and guitarist Chris Hardisty. The song mixes punk and electronic music, serving as a sample of 90s underground in a more modern guise.

Jane aka Electra Volcana's unmistakable punk vocals are the highlight of the track, creating the perfect underground atmosphere with her raspy voice. Discover the incredible work of this French singer on her Soundcloud page:

@user-6008493

Guitarist Christopher Hardisty is a long-time partner in collabs, always delivering brilliant guitar solos. Chris is a member of StillVivid, along with Matt Reeves, and the duo's brilliant work can be heard on their Soundcloud page:

@stillvivid

Also check out StillVivid's new album Saga:

soundcloud.com/stillvivid/sets/saga

The strong influence of the English band The Prodigy is evident here, especially from their album The Fat of the Land. When The Prodigy released The Fat of the Land in 1997, it was a shock. Everyone was well adapted to the industrial genre by then -- NIN had released their debut album Pretty Hate Machine more than a decade earlier. However, TFOTL became a legendary electronic music album for its rawness and brutality. The single Smack My Bitch Up faced boycotts from record stores, the music video was censored on MTV, but the song reached the top of the charts in more than 20 countries, including the US and UK. In 2020, Metal Hammer magazine (a renowned heavy metal publication) included FOTL in its list of the 10 best albums of 1997. Not enough, Rolling Stone featured FOTL in its list of "Essential Recordings of the 90s" and it is also one of the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

The influence of The Fat of the Land on my musical formation at this time is indisputable. It was during this same period that I bought my first physical sampler (Akai Emu E4X Turbo) and started mixing electronic music (techno, dnb, jungle, electro) with underground genres (rock, punk, heavy metal) and more traditional styles (classical music, jazz, new age, pop).

Hope you enjoy the song.

Loud

MERRY EX-MAS
Music by Overdrive & Ian PH Clifford

Check out the Merry Ex-Mas promo videos on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0_l7Vwu3Me/
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18041521363593428/


This is my reinterpretation of the song Merry Ex-Mas, a brilliant piece by Ian PH Clifford. The original version is an absolutely beautiful track, just acoustic guitar and voice. I was so taken with the song that I immediately asked Ian if I could do a different version. He agreed and even after saying that I was interested in doing something punk or post-punk, Ian didn't shy away. So the original acoustic version went from 127 bpm to 160 bpm, and incorporated distorted guitars, pounding bass and frantic drums. It's a complete miracle that there are still people who want to do collabs with me, even though I mutilate songs like this. 😂

Merry Ex-Mas was #4 on the Repost/Exchange rock chart and I can only thank Ian for the opportunity to reinterpret a song that is already fantastic in itself.

Check out the beautiful original version:
https://soundcloud.com/ianphclifford/merry-ex-mas

I also recommend checking out Ian's incredible work on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/ianphclifford

Hope you enjoy the song.


LYRICS
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot this week
Is you’ve been in his arms longer than you were with me
As the snow falls down outside and I’m sliding past your drive
And I can see that you’re home
But I am paralyzed, I won’t even try
To say hello
This winter feels longer than lifetimes
I feel like I’ve lived and died a hundred times
But I don’t cry anymore that wells dry down to the floor
And now I’m outside of your front door
And I’m not sure what I’m doing here
Merry Christmas I guess
I miss you to death
The ribbon on my wrist is turning my hand blue
I can’t wait till Christmas
No I can’t wait till Christmas
I said I’d never live another day without you
No I can’t wait till Christmas
No I can’t wait till Christmas
Something I’ve just figured out
Is why you had to leave
Your heart is colder than ice
And mine began to freeze
As the snow falls down outside and I’m sliding past your drive
And I can see that you’re home
I am paralyzed, but I know I need to try
To say hello
This winter feels longer than lifetimes
I feel like I’ve lived and died a hundred times
But I don’t cry anymore that wells dry down to the floor
And now I’m outside of your front door
And I’m not sure what I’m doing here
Merry Christmas I guess
I miss you to death
The ribbon on my wrist is turning my hand blue
I can’t wait till Christmas
No I can’t wait till Christmas

I said I’d never live another day without you
No I can’t wait till Christmas
No I can’t wait till Christmas

Merry Ex-Mas

I DON'T KNOW AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN
Music by Overdrive & Lux Mala
Guitar solo by The Boilerman

Check out the promo video on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-EjErMuerv/

Listen to Lux Mala's amazing music on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/lux_mala

Also, check out The Boilerman's great material on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/boilerman-615719656

I Don't Know And I Don't Give A Damn

SHINING
Music by Louis Cyphere & Overdrive

Check out the promo video on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFDGFuwxuB9/

Shining is my reinterpretation of the wonderful song Nevermind by the talented French musician Louis Cyphere. It's also my foray into the musical genre of ska-punk, which blends punk rock and jazz brass (a very interesting style of music with two extremely unlikely components). And of course, many people will notice that the guitar riffs are clearly inspired by the exciting songs of Motorhead, with an obvious touch of rockabilly. 

Hopefully, having all these different ingredients in one song will make young musicians curious enough to look for these references. If that happens, I will consider my job done.

The song Nevermind, from which Shining evolved, is a masterpiece that deserves to be heard:
https://soundcloud.com/user-221701764/nevermind

Check out Louis Cyphere's incredible material on his Soundcloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/user-221701764

Hope you enjoy the track.

Shining

UNDERGROUND
A Tribute to Metallica's Kill'Em All Phase
Music by Overdrive

Check out the IG promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2AFHGkOJG7/

This is an original track inspired by Metallica's Kill'Em All phase, which features James Hetfield's AI-generated vocals. It's a non-commercial/experimental track made as a tribute to the band and created under the fair use permission of copyright statute.

The use of AI-generated vocals is still a source of much controversy and heated discussion. I've been following the issue closely since the beginning of 2023, when French DJ David Guetta replicated the voice of American rapper Eminem during a concert, causing a wave of immense buzz about it.

Also in early 2023, the track "Heart on My Sleeve", which used AI-generated vocals from Canadian rappers Drake and The Weeknd, went viral before being taken down by streaming services. 

In September, John Lennon's voice was removed from a demo tape recorded in 1978. The poor quality audio was processed with AI for a new Beatles recording, giving rise to the song "Now & Then".

During this period, there was an eruption of websites focused on voice cloning, which, in October 2023, led RIAA to request the inclusion of such websites on the government's piracy watchlist -- and the main target became Vocify.ai. 

On the other hand, Aditya Bansal, a 20-year-old UK student who founded Vocify.ai, claims that several record companies have already contacted him wanting to make models of their own artists for demo tracks, "as drafts before the full recording process".

As MusicBusiness rightly pointed out, "major record companies hate AI voice-cloning platforms that don't pay".

I myself have had some very interesting personal experiences on the subject. A demo track of "Underground" was posted on a Discord server dedicated to vocaloids and synthesized vocals. The track was deleted less than 24 hours later by the moderator, who made a point of publicly censoring me on the open channel, stating that he didn't accept what he called "unethical" methods. I tried to explain that it was an experimental track, with no commercial purpose; that it was made as a tribute; that I had also sent the link directly to the band on their official Metallica Instagram, and so on. But the mere act of replying got me summarily kicked off the server.

I honestly believe that merely using tools like Voicify.ai and Kits.ai is not an unethical activity when the aim is to test the potential of a new technology. And the track "Underground" worked exactly as an experiment. It taught me that AI-cloned vocals need a lot of filters on the daw to mask defects derived from the cloning process. It served to show that the quantity of examples provided during the training of the AI is essential for improving the quality of the model. It served to show that training the model is better with vocals recorded in mono than with vocals in stereo; better with vocals recorded dry than recorded with reverb; and so on.

Moreover, I'm particularly happy with the AI-generated commercial voices I already use with Synthesizer V software, so I have no intention of replacing them with cloned voices of famous singers.

Hopefully, this small initiative will at least serve to dispel a little of the immense prejudice that has arisen around a technology that will soon become commonplace in the music industry. Nowadays, no one remembers all the controversy caused by the emergence of radio, when record company managers boasted that no one would buy albums anymore. It's the same story every time a new technology emerges.

Hope you enjoy the track.

TECH TRIVIA
* The guitar solos were assembled from multiple pieces of isolated audios of Kirk Hammett's solos available on YT.

* The rhythm guitars and the bass are Kontakt libraries. 

* The original vocals were created in Synthesizer V with NineZero voicebank. The NineZero's isolated audio was then converted into James Hetfield's vocals.

Underground - A Tribute to Metallica's Kill'Em All Phase

TIME TO GET BUSINESS STRAIGHT
Original song by Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
Rock'n roll reinterpretation by Overdrive

Syncopated vocals have become something of a rarity these days. Most singers prefer to create melodic lines that fit perfectly into the tempo of the song -- because it's much simpler, the vocals can be created in one go, on the same day, without too much effort. But every now and then a talented singer comes along who decides to break the tempo of their vocals in an absolutely original way. 

This is the case of soul singer Nicole Willis in the song "Time To Get Business Straight". 

The first time I heard this song, I was absolutely fascinated by the broken rhythm of her vocals. And the way the second part of the song repeated the first part made it clear that those vocals were far from improvised -- on the contrary, each intricate part was designed to be there, as if it were a mathematical structure.

Check out the original version:

https://youtu.be/5fYKRt6ZtJk

I extracted the vocals using Ultimate Vocal Remover and realized that the melodic line fit very well into rock songs. In fact, they were even the provisional vocals for the song "Rocket", before the amazing singer Sumi took over the microphone and did a brilliant job. But the idea of using Nicole's vocals remained and after the good response to the cyberpunk reinterpretation of "I'm Bored", I thought it would be interesting to attempt a rock'n roll reinterpretation of "Time to Get Business Straight".
 
Of course, I tried to get in touch with Nicole Willis during the process of creating the song and after the track was posted on Soundcloud. She currently lives in Finland and is still active as a singer in her sixties. Here's one of her most recent performances:

https://youtu.be/Q9AAF-QRQ5o

Her social networks, on the other hand, seem to be rarely accessed and I've had no success in contacting her. Damn, it would have been an unforgettable collab, I'm sure of it. 😄

Hope you enjoy my rock'n roll version of this soul music classic.

Time To Get Business Straight

IF THE KIDS WANNA DANCE
Original song by Marc Freak
2023 Remix by Kris Bolin
2024 Remix by Overdrive

Check out the IG promo videos:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8_63ARNlJx/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C89rzJwsoRu/

The initial idea was just to create a video of Kris Bolin's remix of the fantastic "If The Kids Wanna Dance (Let Them Dance)" by Marc Freak. These two guys are geniuses and tbh I still think Kris' remix is the definitive version of the song -- which, of course, didn't stop me from making another remix just to celebrate one of the tracks that makes my top 10 playlist (I'm still capable of listening to it ten times in a row).

I started creating the video in Premiere and, out of pure curiosity, increased the bpm and added techno beats. It all went very well with the footage of young Ukrainians dancing at a rave party. After that, I rushed to ask Marc if I could do another ITKWD remix (lol).

Check out the original version of "If The Kids Wanna Dance (Let Them Dance)":
https://soundcloud.com/marcfreak/if-the-kids-wanna-dance-let-them-dance?in=marcfreak/sets/if-the-kids-wanna-dance

Also, check out the 2023 Remix of ITKWD by Kris Bolin:
https://soundcloud.com/marcfreak/if-the-kids-wanna-dance-let-them-dance-2023-kb-remix

The 1st Instagram promo video was created with scenes from the fantastic documentary "Exploring Ukraine's Underground Rave Revolution", produced by Kate Villevoye for i-D's YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/P4G1r2u8m9g

A prolific musician, author, photographer and (as he defines himself) oddity, Marc's influences range from the lo-fi pop of Guided by Voices to the gothic melodrama of Nick Cave, via the glam of Bowie and the rawness of Iggy Pop. Former frontman of Freak Circus and Dead Joe, an experiment in DIY and lo-fi. A visit to Marc Freak's Soundcloud page is an absolute must:
https://soundcloud.com/marcfreak

Some of my previous collabs with Marc:
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/dont-care
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/blast

Kristopher "Kris" Bolin is a virtuoso at creating polyphonic vocals, so if you want a collab with him, be prepared to receive a pile of audios that form a choir as complex as a baroque cantata (lol). Kris is the lead singer and guitarist of the amazing band The Bawl Slant, one of the most active and respected bands in the Soundcloud community. Their sound ranges from garage rock to grunge and punk rock, always with impeccable quality. As one of the band's fans, I highly recommend checking out their excellent material:

https://soundcloud.com/bawl-slant

Some of my previous collabs with Kris:
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/something-you-crave
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/code-fish

Hope you enjoy this new version of ITKWD.

LYRICS

If the kids wanna dance
Hot shoes - tight pants
High spirits - cheap bear
My eardrums - Can't hear or won't hear
I'm not here

[Chorus]
If the kids wanna dance let them dance, let them dance
If the kids wanna dance let them dance

I'm tired - so what?
Party - I forgot
Can't take the pace
But I'm trying to catch the bass, deep bass
In yer face

[Chorus]

One step, one fall
I'm proud I've gall
Raise your finger in the air
Let the world know you care
I don't care, I don't care

[Chorus]

If The Kids Wanna Dance

BROKEN GENERATION
Music by Overdrive, Stop Sleeping & Chris Schlue
Mastering by Chris Schlue

Check out the IG promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_cUIDsPnW/


STOP SLEEPING

Punk flunky, indie drop out, marginally mathy, spacewards or maybe just some 80s fan, Stop Sleeping isn't just a synth and guitar wizard, but also an extremely versatile american singer who can emulate different vocal styles with impressive ease. BROKEN GENERATION's driving force is the Johnny Rotten-style vocals of Stop Sleeping and I believe this is the first of many collabs in the near future. Check out his great songs available on his Soundcloud page:

https://soundcloud.com/stop-sleeping

CHRIS SCHLUE

Chris is an incredibly talented German guitarist and composer, and as if that weren't enough, he's a walking encyclopedia on all things mixing and mastering. Believe me, his ears are absolutely insane for detail and Chris is responsible for the exquisite technical quality of BROKEN GENERATION's mastering. Our next collabs are already in the works, but in the meantime, check out his great individual and band tracks on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/chris-schlue

Broken Generation

WAR DOG
Music by Overdrive & Suzi Sonic

Check out the IG promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAc2xbFMJ8_/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_4NfF0Rdwh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_80BNQs7wh/

I've always been a big robot enthusiast since I was a kid and this fascination persists to this day (I still play with my old robot dog Aibo from time to time). But now that autonomous military robots have started to become a reality, it's impossible not to be worried -- a dread that affects even someone like me, who has always dreamed of seeing artificial beings come out of science fiction books and into the real world. “War Dog” is about this grim reality that is rapidly developing in the form of robot dogs built to be soldiers of war.

Suzi Sonic's fantastic vocals are back and give the song the dark tone it needs. Her EP “Machine Love” is a masterpiece and I recommend everyone to check out her incredible music:

https://soundcloud.com/suzisonic

Hope you enjoy the track and the promo videos.

War Dog

TURN AROUND
Music by Overdrive
Lyrics by Overdrive & Pink Crystal

Check out the IG promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCFNWa7t1Ve/

PINK CRYSTAL:
https://soundcloud.com/pink_crystals

Enjoy the song.

Turn Around

BOTOX BABIES
Original version by The Dream Eaters
Remix by Overdrive & Marc Freak

Check out the promo video on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFHN_rItT0a/

This is a reinterpretation/remix of the song BOTOX BABIES by the duo The Dream Eaters. The original version is only 12 seconds long, and even with that short duration it's absolutely brilliant. So in November 2024, I contacted Jake Zavracky via email, told him I couldn't get Botox Babies out of my head and asked if I could do a remix of the song. In a completely irresponsible act, he agreed (lol) 😄 So I called in the talented singer Marc Freak to do the vocals and you know, when you put two guys together who like B-52, you can't come up with anything that doesn't have a strong B-52 influence.

Well, Jake, the only thing I know is that it's too late to regret it. 😄

Hope you like the remix.

THE DREAM EATERS:

The Dream Eaters can be defined as The Carpenters meets Slayer. Formed by the duo Jake Zavracky and Elizabeth LeBaron, the band is a full-on video art project with an extensive catalog of quirky, darkly humorous music videos of their catchy pop songs, and has a cult fan base. I'm a big fan of the band's work and highly recommend a visit to their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wearethedreameaters

New EP Deathbed Visions is out now. Check it out!
https://thedreameaters.bandcamp.com/album/deathbed-visions

MARC FREAK:

A prolific musician, author, photographer and oddity, Marc's influences range from the lo-fi pop of Guided by Voices to the gothic melodrama of Nick Cave, via the glam of Bowie and the rawness of Iggy Pop. Former frontman of Freak Circus and Dead Joe, an experiment in DIY and lo-fi. A visit to Marc Freak's Soundcloud page is an absolute must:
https://soundcloud.com/marcfreak

Some of my previous collabs with Marc:
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/blast
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/dont-care
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/if-the-kids-wanna-dance
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/skinny-jeans
https://soundcloud.com/overdrive_music/i-am-a-punk

Botox Babies

QUEST FOR PEACE
Music by Nick Ray & Kibeatzer
Remix by Overdrive

Check out the IG promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDyEPGTsqT-/

Quest For Peace

WE LUV CHAOS
Music by Overdrive, Chris Schlue & Leandro Bastos

This is a typical early 80s punk rock song, but with a modern twist. Chris Schlue's cutting rhythm guitars add an aggressive edge to the futuristic drum'n bass foundation. And this unlikely musical backdrop provides the perfect setting for Leandro Bastos' incredible vocals.

LEANDRO BASTOS
Leandro Bastos is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and enthusiast of the rock genre (metal, hard rock, melodic, progressive, alternative, acoustic, etc.). He has been playing and recording with rock and metal bands for the past 20 years. I am a fan of his work and enthusiastically recommend visiting his pages on Fiverr and Instagram;
https://www.fiverr.com/leandro_bastos
https://www.instagram.com/leandrobastosmusic/

CHRIS SCHLUE
German musician Chris Schule's spectacular technical work in mastering songs is only overshadowed by his brilliance as a guitarist and music producer, both in his solo work and in the various bands he plays in. Check out Chris's great tracks on his Soundcloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/chris-schlue

Hope you like the song.

We Luv Chaos

FAST LIFE
Music by Overdrive & BrownDogGames
Mastering by Chris Schlue

Check out the IG promo video:
www.instagram.com/p/DEnHX7RsKgy/

The title "Fast Life" is a reference to the expression "fast food" and carries a connotation of frenetic, hectic and unhealthy living, something that has become characteristic of the modern world. Hence the cover art, which makes a visual pun with the title by showing a girl in a futuristic city sitting on a modern high-speed motorcycle.

This is an experimental track -- a crossover of rap and electro. The Beastie Boys influence is obvious here (especially the song Sabotage). And of course Fast Life's main attraction is BrownDogGames' incredible vocals with his accent reminiscent of punk singers (whenever I hear his amazing voice, I immediately imagine a guy rapping with a giant mohawk on his head and a leather jacket full of studs... lol). 

Hailing from the vibrant streets of Merseyside, BrownDogGames is a dynamic music producer and artist who makes a unique fusion of dance, rap, and electronic music. I recommend a visit to his amazing Soundcloud page:

https://soundcloud.com/browndoggames

[Update: Unfortunately, BrownDogGames deleted his Soundcloud account and I don't see any recent movement from him on Spotify. I've seen this kind of thing all too often lately -- very talented people giving up. Please hold on tight and persevere. In this kind of game, the one who gives up last wins.]

Another incredible mastering from German musician Chris Schlue, not only one of the best sound engineers I've ever met, but also a skilled guitarist and talented composer. I highly recommend a visit to his Soundcloud profile:

https://soundcloud.com/chris-schlue

Hope you enjoy the song.

Fast Life

I WANNA FEEL BRAND NEW
Music by Overdrive & Gaëlle
Mastered by Chris Schlue

Check out the IG promo video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGpTqlWtuPr/

One of my old projects was to write a song in the style of 1970s disco music, with its unmistakable rhythm, swinging instrumentals, inspired singers and exciting backing vocals.

Creating the instrumental basis for the song was a slow process because I depended on finding samples and Kontakt libraries with the very peculiar sounds of that time. Also, the chord progressions of disco music were insane -- and it was the ideal time to revisit the incredibly well constructed songs of KC & The Sunshine Band (KC was a genius).

But the vocals were by far the biggest problem. Brilliantly syncopated vocals were a hallmark of the era, an art almost forgotten in today's music world. The powerful voices of female singers, heavily influenced by soul music, ruled the charts in those days. I spent a long time searching for a singer who could take on this challenge.

GAËLLE

French singer Gaëlle (Sandrine Charrier) shines with her incredible voice and captivating backing vocals, capturing the disco vibe of the 70s. Gaëlle is also the author of the lyrics that give the song its title. You can see a small sample of her fantastic work on Fiverr:

https://www.fiverr.com/gaellebacking

CHRIS SCHLUE

Chris is an incredibly talented German guitarist and composer, and as if that weren't enough, he's a walking encyclopedia on all things mixing and mastering. Believe me, his ears are absolutely insane for detail and Chris is responsible for the exquisite technical quality of the song's mastering. Our next collabs are already in the works, but in the meantime, check out his great individual and band tracks on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/chris-schlue

Hope you enjoy the song.

LYRICS
I WANNA FEEL BRAND NEW

The past is behind, now here’s a new chance
You know it’s never too late
I feel fine, only positive thoughts in my head 
I will learn from my past mistakes

I will do my very best Will improve myself
Now can you hear me, its’ my new request 
I want to feel my heart beating hard
Hard in my, in my chest

When I look in the mirror, I accept who I am
But I want to feel like a fresh newborn baby
Now I start once again, there will be a lot of blare 
I feel giant and filled with new energy

I wanna feel brand new, brand new 
I wanna feel brand new, brand new

The past is behind, I’m breaking through
You know I feel brand new
I’ve been through the storm, but now I see
A different side of me
I’m willing to move forward to the finish line 
I’m motivated, I will try
I’m walking on clouds, I’m on the right, right track

I feel brand new, yeah Like I’ve just been born
A heart full of hope, no longer torn 
I’ve got the strength to start today 
All the past is fading away

I wanna feel brand new, brand new 
I wanna feel brand new, brand new

I Wanna Feel Brand New

WHY
Music by Overdrive & Moladoen

No AI music generation platforms (Suno, Udio, or others) were used in the creation of this track.

The vocals were created note by note in Dreamtonics' Synthesizer V Studio Pro, and the timbre was altered in SoundID's VoiceAI.

Various musical instruments are Kontakt libraries.

MANIC MONDAY
Original song written by Prince & recorded by The Bangles
Version by Overdrive & Antoine Guigan

"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). It was written by American musician Prince using the pseudonym "Christopher" and was originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday so she could continue relaxing. The single, released by Columbia Records on Monday January 27, 1986, received generally positive reviews from music critics and some comparisons with The Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday". It became The Bangles' first hit, reaching number two in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in Austria, Canada, Germany and Ireland, and peaked within the top five in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. It was later certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
(https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2356591/bangles/manic%20monday)


KINDNESS INC

Musical project by French singer and instrumentalist Antoine Guigan, a musician heavily influenced by hip hop, electro, and folk. He has an incredibly powerful voice and is a skilled melodica player. I recommend visiting his excellent Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/kindnessinc

Antoine's first EP is available on all platforms: ffm.to/sailors-ep

LYRICS

Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino
By a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late
'Cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days
When you wish your bed was already made

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an air-o-plane
I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long
Just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train
But the boss is already there

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

All of the nights
Why did my lover have to pick last night
To get down
Doesn't it matter
That I have to feed the both of us
Employment's down
He tells me in his bedroom voice
C'mon honey, let's go make some noise
Time it goes so fast
(When you're having fun)

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
It's just another manic Monday

Manic Monday

A SHORT PIECE FOR À CAPPÈLLA
Music by Overdrive
All voices performed by Mick Jimenez

This is my small contribution to the à cappèlla music genre. There is no AI here; everything was composed from scratch and in the old-fashioned way. The baroque fugue lessons taught by late Sister Xavier, a cheerful nun who was my piano teacher when I was nine, were especially useful here. 

All vocals were performed and recorded by the talented Argentine musician Mick Jimenez Barr, a baritone singer who also helped choose the best phonemes for this little piece.

In addition to being an exceptional singer, Mick is a bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, and fan of bands such as Queen, The Cars, and The Beatles. Check out Mick's pages on Soundcloud and Fiverr and listen to his unbelievable vocal performances:
https://soundcloud.com/mickyjbarr
https://www.fiverr.com/mickybarr

Hope you enjoy the song.

A Short Piece For À Cappèlla

SO YOU'RE...
Music by Overdrive

No Suno or other AI music generation platform was used in the creation of this track.

So You're...

REVOLUTION
Music by Overdrive

This song is an almost identical version of an old track of mine with the same name and female vocals. In this new version, the synthesized male vocals HXVOC are incredibly realistic and much better suited to the hardcore style.

The vocals were created note by note in the new Synthesizer Studio Pro 2, using the also new HXVOC voice bank from Eclipsed Sounds. It's a gritty, English-native tenor rock vocalist based on the voice of industry veteran Seann Nicols. HXVOC voice bank utilizes advanced vocal processing to provide a highly realistic vocal and it's built for rock and metal songs.

The rhythm guitars were composed note by note using the Kontakt library Shreddage 3 Rogue.

Platforms such as Suno/Udio were not used in the creation of any part of this track.

The cover art was created in Nano Banana Pro and it's clearly inspired by the cover of The Loosers (Book 2), comic book series created by Andy Diggle and Mark “Jock” Simpson, published by Vertigo (DC Comics) between 2003 and 2006.

Hope you enjoy the song.

Revolution

There was a time when boldness was the main characteristic of youth. Young people wanted to be different, and one of the most prominent ways to be different in my day was to listen to different styles of music. It was very striking among Generation Xers, even those who belonged to more radical urban tribes. I remember well, for example, the late Jeff Hanneman, the brilliant guitarist from Slayer, saying in an interview that he loved classical music. This kind of boldness is deeply rooted in most of the guys who lived through that era. And it's a very noticeable characteristic in most artists who came from those years. The late David Bowie, for instance, embraced electronic rhythms like jungle and drum ‘n’ bass on his incredible album Earthling. Iggy Pop said in a video that he loved the then-new branch of electronic music, a genre called industrial. And the world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma played a version of Metallica's “Nothing Else Matters”. The examples are numerous.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed the death of this kind of boldness in the younger generations. Young people enslave themselves to a few musical styles and refuse to listen to the universe of music that exists out there.

Overdrive is a musical project that seeks to explore different musical genres — rap, classical music, techno, punk, death metal, rock ‘n’ roll, new wave, new age, a cappella, you name it. The idea is to introduce listeners to the concepts of musical freedom, musical anarchy, musical curiosity, and bold listening (to new and old styles).

It's a one-man project with the help of countless talented collaborators. So don't be surprised to see tracks of completely different styles with equally diverse collaborators — people like a brilliant English glam singer in shiny pants singing about punks on a post-punk song; or a skilled German guitarist who plays rock riffs on a drum'n bass background; a Russian female singer with an incredibly powerful voice singing a 70s rock song; a young British rapper genius who loves electro; a Danish female singer and harpist who enjoys singing pop music on a Bach background; a French reggae singer who sings disco brilliantly; and many others.

Musical eclecticism is an expression of freedom. I love Sepultura and I love Frank Sinatra. And there isn't a single day that goes by when I don't listen to music by J. S. Bach and the German thrash metal band Destruction. I truly believe that different styles talk to each other when I make music and would love to pass on some of that thinking to my fellow young musicians.

LATEST INSTAGRAM PROMO VIDEOS
JOYBOT
https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6YrdNtML3/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6YEvEgwav/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6Xg71R4lX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6W_ewNPje/
I WANNA FEEL BRAND NEW
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGpTqlWtuPr/
ROBOT DREAMS
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGOn3-IMzzl/
BROKEN GENERATION
https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_cUIDsPnW/
MOTORPSYCHO
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFj1tULRjjI/
WIDE AWAKE
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFRMsQqMK50/
BOTOX BABIES
www.instagram.com/p/DFHN_rItT0a/
ROCK'N ROLL STAR (2nd)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFDGvGENUie/
SHINING
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFDGFuwxuB9/
FAST LIFE
https://www.instagram.com/p/DEnHX7RsKgy/
QUEST FOR PEACE
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDyEPGTsqT-/
TURN AROUND
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCFNWa7t1Ve/
I DON'T KNOW AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN
https://www.instagram.com/p/DA9ES3ZtTWT/
LOVE'S THE LAW
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAhE0DLOMq-/
SKINNY JEANS
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAeOLnIu6bx/
WAR DOG
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAc2xbFMJ8_/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_80BNQs7wh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_4NfF0Rdwh/
I AM A PUNK
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_mTDqvNwTF/
GLOAMING
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_l8esMsElC/
I DON'T KNOW AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-EjErMuerv/
CYBERNETIC LAMA
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9-5-2dO85a/
CRASH'N BURN
www.instagram.com/p/C9-43u3NvVT/

CONTACT
e-mail: muzik.overdrive[at]gmail[dot]com 
Or DM in Soundcloud/Instagram

Overdrive

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