Racing Heart

The Story Behind the Song

After the release of Racing Heart, something unusual happened.

For the first time since restarting the Fredlite project, I found myself in a genuine creative drought. Weeks passed without any new ideas taking hold, and after maintaining such a productive pace, I started feeling almost restless. I simply wanted to make something.

Around the same time, I had been listening to a lot of classic jazz. Artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis had become regular companions, and after the positive response to the jazz-inspired middle section in Keep On Living, a question kept nagging at me:

Could I make an entire song that actually sounded authentic?

That curiosity quickly turned into another deep dive. I began studying traditional jazz brush patterns, arrangements, and instrumentation, trying to understand what gave those recordings their unmistakable feel. A few days later, I had transformed Racing Heart into something completely different.

Instead of a trance-pop production, the song now sounded like it had been recorded live at a summer street festival, complete with brushed drums, acoustic instrumentation, and an entirely different atmosphere. I even gave the remix its own alter ego, playfully crediting it as the Fredda Freeloader Remix — a nod to Miles Davis' Freddie Freeloader.

Without a label, management, or anyone telling me what was commercially viable, I simply thought: Why not?

So I released it.

Predictably, it became one of the least-streamed songs in my catalog. Even so, I have absolutely no regrets. Sometimes a project doesn't need to become a commercial success to justify its existence. Sometimes it's enough that it teaches you something or simply reminds you why you enjoy making music in the first place.

One moment still makes me smile. I even submitted the track to a jazz playlist curator on SubmitHub, only to have it rejected because the playlist exclusively featured studio recordings. The funny part was that he thought my version had been recorded live. I have no illusion that it would fool seasoned jazz musicians, but apparently it sounded authentic enough to convince at least one experienced listener. I'll happily take that as a compliment.

At its core, this version of Racing Heart isn't really about jazz. It's about giving yourself permission to follow your curiosity, even when you know the result probably won't become your biggest success.

Continue exploring

Every release has a story to tell. Follow the journey through the Fredlite catalog, one song at a time.

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Racing Heart

Next release:

Millennium

I got the offer
And it's time to choose
Stay in the comfort zone
Or risk losing you
Together forever
It's always been us
But this is my passion
I can't give it up

This is my future
This is my life
I can’t go back now
Can’t change my mind
It’s coming together
And falling apart
I need you here now
But it's just me 
And my racing heart

I need to do this
Or I'll never know
Where this will take me
How far I can go
Now I’m departing
Aiming for the sky
I fasten my seatbelt			
With tears in my eyes

This is my future
This is my life
I can’t go back now
Can’t change my mind
It’s coming together
And falling apart
I need you here now
But it's just me
And my racing heart