serene jazz using a modal structure that lends a floating quality that became very inspiring to jazz players and composers  since the late 1950s with Kind of blue album from Miles Davis and the result of modal scales and use of fourths to create a different atmosphere and improvisational possibilities. I am still loving this path today.

modal morning  tune

kind of the sequel to the track sloppy, it's so overproduced that you can barely hear the full arrangement

it features subtle microtonality

much of the track were built by my own voice

i itentionally change the mood at unexpected times to give it a jumpscare vibe

jumpscare groove

Drifting low...
Nowhere to go...
Shadows call...
But I won’t follow...
Oh no!
I won't follow.

Falling footsteps, distant chimes,
A fading face erased the time.
The air is thick with things unsaid,
Soft regrets where love once bled.

A silver thread, the night unwinds,
The weight of ghosts still ties me blind.
I reach for light, but touch the cold,
A story lost, a hand untold.

Drifting low...
Nowhere to go...
Shadows call...
But I won’t follow...
Oh no!
I won't follow.

The wind moves slow through hollow streets,
A fading song, a ghost that speaks.
I chase the night, but lose my way,
The past still whispers, begs to stay.

Oh no!
I won't follow.

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

I Won't Follow

the use of modes instead of scales has influenced jazz for the last 60 years and is still going strong in my little studio this morning..it celebrates ambiguity of tonal centres and feels like floating in the dorian mode in this piece today

modal moment

A monthly one-hour specialist radio show including Mr.Z's favorite records. From the unpredictable 70s and the atmospheric 80s and 90s to the chaotic presence of music all over the world. New Age, Ambient, Folk, Electronic, Soft Rock, Jazz, Acid House.
Welcome to Space Afternoons.
*It is cloudy outside. We dig deeper to the esoteric side of the UK jazz scene from the mid 60s to late 70s. For one hour modal patterns follow the intellectual aesthetics of some of the most important musicians of this era.


The Esoteric Side w/ Mr. Z (27.03.2025)

Modal Soda Pop

korg into bitcrusher reverb and delay/looper
tascam 4-track with patchy-bates loop
modded shoebox with OBC loop

ocean bell crush

Jazz Series Vol 8: Smooth Modal Jazz w/Guest DJ Evan - Radio Free Brooklyn Episode 52

Recorded at Romanian Music Festival, 2024
A tribut to the great romanian jazz musician Richard Oschanitzky

Richard Oschanitzky Revedere '85 (LIVE)

2. Don't be sad - R. Oschanitzky (LIVE - Arr. Alex Huțanu)

2 - Rue Des Machines

4 - The End of History and the Last Man

1 - Les Ombres du Quartier Latin (The Shadows of the Latin Quarter)

reed

'So What' (written by Miles Davis and released late 1959) was still 'immature' and unfamiliar to most of the jazz musicians pairing to the 1960 Miles Davis Quintet. This Phil Deutscher Compilation blends together 10 different live performances from (A)msterdam to (Z)ürich recorded over 12 Months of touring Europe into a single 'So What' 2hours runtime masterpiece. 

Miles Davis - So What 02:05:58 (Phil Deutscher Reprise)

Daldalan Barı (Jazz Interpretation by Eşik)

My Favorite Coltrane Things

Private performance at the home of former Cape Town Mayor, Walter Gradner playing "So What" from Miles Davis' 1959 album "Kind of Blue".

So What (Miles Davis)

A meditative sound piece blending saxophone, field recordings, and subtle harmonic motion in AABA form. Inspired by quiet lakeside moments, with a B section that shifts toward urban noir and a visit to a smoky jazz club through rain, thunder, and ticking clocks. Warm, vintage jazz tones meet atmospheric storytelling.

Blue Hour Note

Tonverk is a Swedish music project that explores the borderland between electronic innovation and emotional depth. Behind the name – which translates to “sound work” – is a composer whose main instrument is the tenor saxophone.

His musical journey began with jazz, blues, and improvisation, while the electronic side emerged in parallel from a deep interest in technology. The first electronic compositions were created on an Amiga 500 using ProTracker – a creative spark that laid the foundation for a personal sonic identity.

Tonverk is driven by a fascination with sound design – from textures and frequencies to space and movement. Every sound is crafted with care and curiosity. The music moves freely between techno, synthwave, and retro game aesthetics, occasionally colored by a gentle sense of melancholy.

With custom-built speakers, synths, and drum machines, Tonverk creates a sonic world that balances analog warmth with digital precision, structure with spontaneity. It’s music for the night, for reflection, for those who listen with their hearts as much as their ears.

Avid record collector that makes mixes from time to time

@egostravinsky 

This is for my personal mix listening to fixed or finished track pieces. Enjoy noticing how my spirit is always moving.

For completed works go to the bandcamp link. Or for more live/
earlier recordings go to archive.org
BIO ~
Syd Lewis is a multi-instrumentalist composer based in Brooklyn, NY. Varying in many styles and genres with influences of Igor Stravinsky, Skip James, Guitar Slim, Robbie Basho, Stevie Wonder, Harpo Marx and John Cage

My experimental canvas

All music here are composed, produced, arranged, conducted and performed entirely by myself

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

Hi, I’m Volker – or "docredder"/"redder" when it comes to music. My journey into sound started early: as a child I sang Bach in a boys’ church choir, and that’s when I discovered how music can feel like both mathematics and magic at the same time. Later in life, I studied science and technology, but music has always stayed with me, as a way to process emotions, ideas, and imagination.
I’m not a virtuoso on any instrument, just a little guitar and some keyboard, but that never stopped me. For me, music is not about technical perfection, it’s about creating moods, telling small stories, and experimenting with sounds. That’s why I produce everything myself: the writing, the arrangements, the vocals, the mixing, and even the cover artwork. It’s a DIY approach, but it allows me to keep every piece authentic.
My influences are eclectic. I’ve always admired the timeless soundscapes of Pink Floyd and Genesis, the storytelling of Supertramp, the bold arrangements of Yes, Electric Light Orchestra and Muse, and the free spirit of Miles Davis. From progressive rock and indie pop to touches of jazz, funk, or ambient - I enjoy blending different textures until something new emerges.
Over the past years I’ve released a wide range of tracks, from introspective ballads like "Lament of the Last Generation" and "The End of Our Human Days" to playful experiments such as "Anna Sutter" or "Das Sein im Tinder-Schein". Some songs are melancholic, others ironic, some are inspired by literature, history, or science fiction. What connects them all is that they come straight from the heart - and from curiosity.
Every song is a little adventure for me. Sometimes it begins with a lyric, sometimes with a guitar loop, sometimes just with a feeling. I use simple tools like GarageBand, samples, my own voice and AI voices, but I try to arrange and transform them in ways that keep the listener surprised. My hope is that, even if just for a few minutes, the music opens a window into a different perspective.
I’m grateful for everyone who listens, shares, or gives feedback. Music for me is about connection - and every play, every comment, every message makes this journey worthwhile. If you enjoy honest, handmade songs that mix styles and don’t always follow the rules, I’d love for you to join me on this path.

I have played and loved jazz since the 1960's and now love to share my music with others.

New tracks tagged #Modal Jazz