Rettward van Doernberg – Is That Right (2025)
‘Is That Right’ is an earth-shattering track that punches you right between the eyes. The beauty of music is that it has the capability of transporting you to a certain realm, and often, you don’t need lyrics. There is very little here. This is distorted guitars and layered vocal elements. Van Doernberg describes the track as about “…the powerful people who are shaping the world with their wealth. And no one stops them”.
The music here carries an extraordinary intensity throughout, beginning with thunderous guitars that take no prisoners. This is the kind of EDM that Skrillex would be proud of. Think of his track ‘Bangorang’. There are a multitude of instruments on display here, but they all serve their purpose to make the track what it is – for example, the Arabian flute, which acts as a small respite to the ferocity.
Van Doernberg is a well-schooled composer, producer and arranger. Studying with someone as legendary like Hans Zimmer will do that for you. His education came from the Musicians Institute and UCLA. It is apparent that this artist is obsessed with crafting new sounds. I can picture him sitting at his computer plotting the most minute detail. He even releases a different track each week via his Bandcamp. If you arrive at his page, you won’t be disappointed. The latest upload, ‘Perfect’, is an uplifting track about living in the moment; that track is a marked shift compared to ‘Is That Right’. This, to me, just highlights that van Doernberg is a gifted and varied musician.
He is forward-thinking, who instead of running from A.I., uses it correctly. It was used as a tool to reduce the time needed to sculpt the track. Van Doernberg explains, “People think A.I. handles the hard parts. But in truth, it gives you raw ideas. Shaping those into music takes just as much skill as ever.” Van Doernberg’s work has long been heard on games, TV and film; this track would be an ideal cinematic piece. The anarchic nature of it would make it the perfect soundtrack, or even whatever uncertainty we as humans are facing in these troubled times.
Find out more about Rettward van Doernberg on his Bandcamp.
