Songs - Rainer Willeke Music

The Lowdown

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Release date Jul 15, 2022
An R & B/soul/psychedelic/rock track about honesty, integrity, and generally being a good human.
Rainer Willeke (vocals, saxophones, MIDI wind controller, keyboards/synths, guitars, percussion)
with David Ayodele (bass), Paul Kinman (guitars), Simon Miminis (drums), Brett
Smith-Daniels (guitars).
Additional vocals - Anonymous, Caroline Joy, Tyra Juliette.
Written, produced, mixed & mastered by Rainer Willeke.
Cover photo by Connor Danylenko

Listener feedback:

"Good sounding instruments made a good tune. And the voice is nice with a very nice timbre." "Musically, it walks an intriguing line between rock and jazz and pop and soul and funk and R&B and even prog. That's far easier said than done. And even harder to pull off as well as you do here. The performances, production and arrangement are all stylish and understated and tasteful, serving the song without being show-offy. The melody and chorus are certainly catchy, and the lyrics are obviously topical. Bonus points for not padding the track out with extended soloing or repetition. This is obviously a song that would appeal to a more sophisticated and attentive listener -- someone who can appreciate the musical and compositional skill on display here. It reminds me a little of Alan Parsons Project, and other proggy pop-rockers of that era and genre. I added this to my Tinnitist Top 200 playlist on Spotify." "Great sound! Everything complements and builds upon each other for a nice layered, almost atmospheric sound - the guitar, bass, drums, and, of course that sax, which gives it a kinda cool Jazz Fusion vibe. Maybe even a hint of Caribbean? Well, played, well sung, and just a great crisp sound overall." "The combination of dynamic production, compelling songwriting and powerful vocal delivery makes this a lively and memorable listening experience that is sure to resonate with many." "A lavish and glossy white-glove production ornates this subdued and sensual R&B-pop number—interweaving various vocal pipings and alternating elemental verses with climactic and ethereal refrains. While the tune might not display the most original songwriting at its core, it still manages to exhume a somewhat passé breed of courting soulful pop and breathe some new life into it." "I find your music to be very authentic, great topic, well mixed and mastered." "Hi there, I thought this was a good track. I found the lyrics on the track interesting, the vocals done well with a certain passion and uniqueness. Good stuff here, looking forward to hearing more from you in the future." "This is my type of music, OMG one of the best songs I've heard so far, Love the voice, love the instrumental, that's what made it excellent, The message of the song, one of the most important parts of any song, I give a 10 out 10 that's how much I love it." "I love the atmosphere of the track in general." "Wonderful R&B/Soul Mix with outstanding Female and Male Vocals with an outstanding lyrics video." "This song did not disappoint, your artistry as well as your expertise as a musician shows through every lyric and note played. This is a beautiful and well written track. The vocals were layered perfectly and everything fit as planned." "Rich vocals and electrifying guitar driven groove." "Reminded me of Imagine Dragons in the epic kinda tune and style." "The production is well managed, that sounds airy and sexy. I'm in love with the saxo intro. The vocal delivery is unique and fits well the instrumental. Mixing-wise this is smooth and warm." "Cool track and vibe! Love the horns on this!" "Hey there, very interesting sound. I really liked the guitar arrangement, it had a very nice flow to it. Great job on the bassline too." "Absolutely love your record, thank you for your great music, hope you have a great day!" "Hey guys, marvelous arrangement!" "A more than enjoyable listen bolstered by some crisply delivered lead vocals that sit with soul and precision amidst the waves of riffing guitars, dynamic kit backbone drumming grooves, steady bass low end, tightly stacked harmonies, sultry melody lines, immersive lyrics, brass hooks and a clean mix/master." "The tone of your voice is amazing and definitely makes the song stand out from the rest." "Nice and stylish sound along with production, I like this solo at the start and a good vibe overall." "Let me begin by talking about that spanish/jazzy instrumental you produced, love the combination of the saxo and the drums! Both of your voices are great and fit each other so good!"

Spitfire (Termagant)

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Release date Dec 31, 2021
A quirky, tongue-in-cheek track about the challenging personalities we might encounter in life.
Rainer Willeke (vocals, saxophones, MIDI wind controller, keyboards/synths, guitars, percussion)
with Pedro Arbour (drums), Henning Kanstrup (bass), Paul Kinman (guitars).
Written, produced, mixed & mastered by Rainer Willeke.
Cover photo by Bia Sousa

Listener feedback:

"The track opens like psychedelia and the male vocals remind me of a song I've heard and can't put a name to it! However, I am totally nuts about the song - the horns, the f/x, and the loopy femme chorus. I could play this over and over again. It was all over too soon, so I listened to it again." "The lyrics had me laughing throughout the entire song. It was fun to listen to, not too serious. I really liked it and would listen to it again for sure." "Wow I really liked this one to the point where I think I'll add it to my Spotify, it reminded me a lot of the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy of Stewart Copeland. Everything about this song was great, can't think of anything I dislike." "This is so much fun! I love how funky it is. The instrumental and vocals work together perfectly, started tapping my foot right away. Very catchy." "I love this song. The lyrics are so funky and so is the song. The instruments just add to the charm of the voice that is very smooth." "Dope funk groove and brass section. Synth solo at 2:15 is amazing!" "A gritty funky blend of classic rock and pop with some fun vibrant production and a flow that has some great confidence." "Liking the groove here, I really dig the horn section on this track." "Another fun self aware jam of a track that balances mainstream appeal with avant-garde artistry and lyricism." "Playful funk-laden brass and brassy blaring complements the dual-vocal approach with precision and enjoyment..."

Sunrise

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Release date Feb 28, 2021
A chillwave-style pop track about living your best life.
Rainer Willeke (vocals, alto saxophone, clarinet, keyboards/synths, guitars, percussion)
with Pedro Arbour (drums), David Ayodele (bass), Julie Broschard (bg vocals), Paul Kinman (guitars), Kim Willeke (bg vocals).
Written, produced, mixed & mastered by Rainer Willeke.
Cover photo by Sebastian Voortman

Listener feedback:

"Hmmm a real enjoyable track. Has an exotic whimsy to it. Particularly liked the rolling guitar waves. Shuffling percussive backbone. Great use of that shaker for pace. Lead vocals are well delivered. Dreamy. Lyrics uplifting and immersive. Arrangement flows nicely. Cool video. Great brass bits. Sax is always sultry! Great sounding mix and master to boot." "All the instruments but mostly the saxophone are beautiful and perfect. The quality of the sound is very high." "The really chill vibe of this song was cool and comforting to listen to. It had kind of a nostalgic feel to it as it reminded me of early 90's music." "I like the beats and instrumentals that have been used in this song, they are captivating and make me want to listen to the song over and over." "This song is awesome, amazing and captivating, I really enjoyed listening to this song immensely, I would definitely listen to this song again, great vocals." "I really love the background instrumental and vocals. The hook is so catchy! This is a song/band that I would definitely check out again!" "I love how this one had a nice chill and mellow sound and vibe to it. The saxophone was a very nice touch." "I like the lyrics, vocals, and laid-back structure of the song. It's very calming." "It sounds uplifting and true to their style here with a comforting and melodic rock style here, good acoustic guitars and energy here." "This is a very lovely and light song. It is very catchy and has a winding down the day; relaxed and mellow mood. I love the use of the instruments in this beautiful song. It is classy beautiful and gracious. The production is stellar." "I would add it to my chill playlist." "Nice start, it grabbed my attention. It has 60's vibes, but doesn't sound dated. I can see this being used in a movie or show." "I love the lyrics and melody the most. It could be a great road trip song. I can imagine me listening to this traveling with the wind blowing through my hair." "I liked the intro of the song. The instrumental was very nicely done. The saxophone playing was skillful. The bass and drums sounded very good." "I like that the song is not what I expected. It has this almost bollywood sound to it that gives the whole song this interesting vibe." "I enjoyed the vocals. The singer has a nice laid back sound to his voice. The instrumentals were very good too." "This is pretty cool. I warmed up to this one pretty quickly." "Never heard anything quite like it. Very different with lower registered instruments and unique voice. Nice feel from drums. Song catches me right away. Nice instrumentation and nice development and layering of the opening melodic statement." "I love the dream like quality of this song, it's just got such an atmospheric sound that wraps you up in the music. I love the classic rock feel of the song too, it's got a a familiar, yet different sound to it." "I enjoyed the bright joyful tone and your warm emotional vocals, smooth clear instrumental line, solid mixing. It's a nice soft song," "A pleasant and bright atmosphere with a summer vibe, great instrumental and awesome build-up." "Very interesting sound. I really liked the guitar arrangement, it was very engaging. Great job on the bassline too, it had a very distinctive groove." "Lovely track! Thought the production quality was gorgeous..." "I really liked the groovy bass here and the balanced instrumentation." "I like this atmospheric sounding guitar based piece, the calm vocal leads the beat perfectly!" "You have a great groove in your bassline and your song is well produced..." "A top production. The beats are catchy and trendy. The instrumentation is good. The lyrics are nice."

You...

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Release date Feb 18, 2021
A dynamic and emotional indie pop rock track about loss and longing.
Rainer Willeke (vocals, MIDI wind controller, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, keyboards/synths, guitars, percussion)
with David Ayodele (bass), Julie Broschard (bg vocals), Caroline Joy (bg vocals), Simon Miminis (drums), Ben Mue (guitars), Brett Smith-Daniels (guitars).
Written, produced, mixed & mastered by Rainer Willeke.
Cover photo by Rahul Sharma

Listener feedback:

"A pleasant atmospheric composition with soulful performance and catchy overall vibe." "The artist has a very loose and hypnotic voice. The beat and instrumental are very catchy. The overall vibe feels very warm and chill. Cool song." "I love the sentiment here. And, I think that the performance overall is very confident. I'd never know that this was a debut. The lyrics, once again, I think, are great. The playing on here is also solid. Congratulations!" "The song is very progressive, combining elements of psychedelic rock, R&B, funk, and pop to create a cool "fusion" sound. The saxophone and rhythm guitar licks are killer. This sounds like something I'd hear on "classic rock radio". Pretty good tune." "The rhythm of the track is interesting to me though with a calming melody here. It sounds like a soothing jazz rock sound to me. Good stuff." "Good song, enjoyed it. Singer's voice matches the song nicely. Lyrics were thoughtful and meaningful. Would recommend this song." "This song was really good and really reminded me of something by Stone Temple Pilots, especially their later work. I liked the singer's voice in this song and thought that the melody as well as the lyrics were nice and told a really good story. Great song!" "This is a really great song. The band sounds fantastic and the singer has a nice voice for this type of music. The production quality is top notch too." "Interesting song with a great vibe to it. It was just different to listen to and it told a great story. I was really impressed with it." "I really liked the opening instrumental, I couldn't tell what was being played and it was cool. I also liked the singer's voice, it was really smooth." "A smooth, jazzy intro segues into a pop track that's much more inventive than most of what's out there...There's a pretty wonderful horn solo, followed by keyboard solo, and I'd listen to this one again and again." "Very unique and cool song. I loved the spooky beat and the soft vocals. This could easily be on the radio or in a movie soundtrack." "This song sounded almost ethereal to me based on the lightness of the vocal performance and instrumentals. I loved the crescendos since this helped build my anticipation." "I really liked the instrumental portion of this song. Especially during the bridge instrumental break toward the end. It was cool." "I enjoyed the song for sure. Artist has some skill. Production value is on point too. Would listen to it while working out or lifting." "What a great tune and the way it is mixed and recorded is very professional. I like the sound of the melody and the vocals are really good." "I like how the song has a lot of different and unique elements in it that makes it very distinctive. The artist's vocals are emotionally driven." "Beautiful instrumentation on this, and I enjoyed the video. Lovely lyrics and performance all around! The sax solo is a highlight. I'm hearing a mix of Sade style Jazz/R&B and rock elements. Really beautiful all around!" "This song is a whole vibe with that crazy cool sax. Solid riffs too, groovy bass, huge harmonies and nice vocals." "I have gotta say the track here has quite the atmosphere. Its smooth blues-like motion is just super captivating." "I love the pure emotion in this track..." "We like the atmosphere, interesting melodies of the instrumental. Great original arrangement." "Cool mysterious atmosphere with lovely vocals and cool reverb on it, nice soft sound..." "I really like your fresh indie rock sound and of course the the guitar riffs and the sax solos."

Still, No Rain
(feat. Ken Ermter)

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YouTube

Release date Dec 18, 2020
A climate change-themed psychedelic rock journey.
Rainer Willeke (vocals, keyboards/synths, guitars, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, percussion)
with Pedro Arbour (drums), Ken Ermter (vocals), Rafal Szewczyk (guitar), Joseph Sixkiller (guitar), Bil Underwood (bass guitar), Kim Willeke (bg vocals).
Music by Rainer Willeke.
Lyrics by Rainer Willeke & Ken Ermter.
Produced by Rainer Willeke.
Mixed & mastered by Sam Koop.
Cover photo by Rainer Willeke

Listener feedback:

"I really like the poetry of the song. I thought it was inspired and very powerful. It reminded me of Bullet The Blue Sky. Really appreciate all of the work you put into this. It has a really hypnotic feel." "Cool track and I dig that smooth vibe." "Your indie rock sound is fresh and I really like the guitar riffs here." "The overall atmosphere you created feels really good and dreamy and the quality is top notch." "Really cool voice and atmosphere as well as production. The piano, sax and guitar are so sexy." "...really interesting song! I really like that mix between psychedelic, RnB and with little jazzy ambiances...really good performances, they bring some sort of RnB ambiance to the song...a great and chill song...the result is neat..." "Your track has a cool atmosphere and the video as well as the production quality is great."

The Lowdown

Spitfire (Termagant)

Sunrise

You...

Still, No Rain(feat. Ken Ermter)

Still, No Rain
(feat. Ken Ermter)