Rettward von Doernberg

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rettward von Doernberg, rvd@thecaravel.net, https://rettward.com

Rettward von Doernberg Unveils New Single “The Wind in My Hair,” Embracing Ambient Soundscapes and AI-Driven Guitar

Berlin, February 7, 2025 — Veteran composer and producer Rettward von Doernberg today announces the release of his latest single, “The Wind in My Hair,” marking a deliberate shift away from the weighty themes of politics and loss that characterized his previous work. Instead, von Doernberg immerses himself in his longstanding passion for ambient music—a genre he has explored in popular pieces such as “Night Drive”—and introduces for the first time an electric guitar performance generated entirely by artificial intelligence.

“The idea for ‘The Wind in My Hair’ came to me almost by accident,” von Doernberg recalls. “I was collaborating with an AI engine on another track when, out of nowhere, it produced this haunting guitar motif. It didn’t fit what I was working on at the time, but I knew immediately I had to save it for something special.”

That chance guitar figure became the emotional core of “The Wind in My Hair,” which pairs ethereal electric guitar textures with gently undulating electric piano, enveloping listeners in a nostalgic yet cinematic soundscape.

“Using AI to generate the raw material doesn’t diminish my role as a composer,” von Doernberg insists. “On the contrary, it expands my palette. My years of formal training—and the lessons I learned from film composers like James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, and Hans Zimmer—are exactly what allow me to shape AI’s suggestions into something truly musical.”

Active, Prolific, and Forward-Looking

In recent months, von Doernberg has maintained a breakneck pace of creativity, releasing a new track every week on his Bandcamp page. His portfolio spans radio, television, film, and video games, and has been performed by ensembles of various sizes—affording him early and ongoing opportunities to refine his craft as a conductor.

A graduate of the Musicians Institute in Hollywood and the University of California, Los Angeles, von Doernberg combines technical mastery with a fearless embrace of new technologies. “I don’t see AI as a threat,” he says. “I see it as the future of composition—an infinite collaborator that challenges me to think in fresh ways.”

“The Wind in My Hair” is now available on Bandcamp.

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