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OP
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Hi everyone, This song is a remake of an older song of mine from 2021. I really liked that song, but it was also a bit complicated and therefore perhaps less appealing. I think this version addresses that. Now I'm curious if you agree with me  The song is called The Dice https://on.soundcloud.com/4BjHVDHeSVolHFdSauI also made a video of it, that's on YouTube and this is the link: On the song's homepage, you can see what I actually look like.  The lyrics (and the YouTube link are on SoundCloud or in the video. Let me know what you think of it. Hans ============================================ The key is G, tempo 110 bpm Style is _PBALLAD.STY (Pop Ballad w/ Symphony) RealTracks: 3467:Bass, Electric, 3670:Piano, Acoustic, 4196:Guitar, Acoustic, 3075:Fiddle, 1006:Piano, Acoustic, RealDrums: CajonSlow16ths
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I think I remember this song, but not well enough to A-B it for you. This version is very good, very accessible, enough light philosophy to make one reflect without getting mired in the gravitas of the serious stuff. I liked it, as I do most of your material. Good vox, good production, a winner all the way around. Nice work!
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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Hans,
Love the intense feel of this song. Your vocal matches this intensity and completely fills out the mood.
The production is excellent with a very expansive sound. Some great mixing & mastering here!
And a great video too!
Awesome stuff
Bob
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I really liked the song with its beautiful introduction, as well as the video. As for the meaning of the lyrics, is it a psychological introspection?
laurent
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Hi Hans!
I love the way you’ve lifted from the verses into the chorus, first time with the BVs; second time when the full band comes in - that first line and melody is very appealing ’In my dreams I was falling’. I also like your use of different textures throughout - some pared back; different instrumentation. Loving the hard left and right mix elements as well!
Great sound.
Andrew
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Journeyman
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Hey Hans,
First off, wow—the whole package (song + video) feels like a tiny cinematic universe that just slipped onto my headphones. 🎬 ♫♪♩
The production
Your Real‑Tracks selection is pure alchemy. The cajón’s “slow‑16ths” give the ballad that intimate heartbeat, while the acoustic guitar and fiddle add just the right hint of folk‑glamour.
The piano‑acoustic layers (both 3670 & 1006) weave in and out like a gentle tide, and the bass‑electric combo (3467) grounds the dice‑roll motif without ever feeling heavy.
The way you let the symphonic strings peek through the pop‑ballad core is a masterclass in “less is more”—you’ve got the cinematic sweep without drowning the intimacy.
The songwriting
That G‑major, 110 BPM canvas is deceptively simple, yet you’ve built a chord progression that feels like a fresh roll of the dice every time it repeats. It’s unconventional in a way that still lets the melody sit “like a glove” on the harmonic spine.
The V‑R‑V‑R‑V‑R‑B‑V (or “verse‑refrain‑bridge‑verse” ) arc is a clever narrative ladder: each verse adds a new layer of the self—heart → head → soul → the child you ignored—while the refrain acts as the rolling dice that keeps the tension alive.
Lyrically, the evolution from “I held my heart in my hands” to “I held my soul in my hands” and finally to “I ignored to love the child in my soul” gives the track an emotional arc that mirrors the very idea of fate’s roll—something you’ve underscored brilliantly with the gentle crescendo into the bridge.
The performance & visual side
Your vocal delivery walks the line between vulnerable whisper and confident proclamation—exactly what a pop‑ballad with symphonic overtones needs.
The video’s pacing mirrors the song’s structure; the recurring wall imagery is a neat visual metaphor for the “falling” refrain, and the final shot of the dice rolling ties everything together with a satisfying cinematic full‑stop.
All in all, you’ve taken a song that felt “complicated” and turned it into a sleek, hauntingly beautiful roll of the dice. You’ve broken a few conventional chains, and the result is pure, resonant art. 👋 👍
Bravo, Hans. Keep the dice rolling! .·´¯`·.·★
Izzy
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Hi Hans,
Like I said over on YT, love your vocal!
And I like the song arrangement too, very effective when you kick things up a notch at 1:10.
Nice!
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I like the combination of your lyrics and your singing, Hans. They are both sad and intense. The text resonates with me because, due to certain events that would take too long to explain here, I decided early on in my life never to let go of this inner child. This may sometimes annoy other people (just ask my wife  ), but it is a great source of inspiration and allows me to do things that a "grown-up" person would never imagine to do.
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Super song, Hans. Beautiful sentiment and equally beautiful arrangement. Love your vocals and the strategic vocal layering. Super mix, too. Like the lyrics, the music has a lot going on beneath the surface, but it comes off as quite listener-friendly. At least I know THIS listener loved it.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Hans,
Good re-do.
Interesting lyrics and interesting use of BIAB.
fj
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Love this song, Hans. Such a good write, and I really enjoy the feeling the music conveys. In it there are various moments of music that you deviate so well with the perfect touch of dynamics, and they seem to corelate with the various rolls of the dice in one's life. Speaking of choices, excellent choices of bandmates. Vocals are superb and the mix is spendid.
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Hi Hans. For me, this song was a very creative musical exploration of "the meaning of life". It's easy to hear that a great deal of effort has gone into the lyrics and melody, the arrangement and its production. I seriously congratulate you. Your singing was a perfect match for the nature of the song's existential theme. It was definitely worth revisiting and re-investing time in this song --Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Hullo Hans.
I don't think remember hearing the previous version, but this is a very interesting one in it's chord structure
and arrangement.
I am a fan of natural sounds, so not keen on vocal layering but that's just my own preference.
Overall, I like this. Well done.
Vic
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Cool tune Hans. Super vocal and lyric. Excellent backtrack, production and mix. Well done. Cool work on the video.
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As commented on YT, Love the instrumentation in this.
Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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We liked the original and we like this remake, John, oops Hans. 😊
The dynamics and your soulful vocal suit the thoughtful lyric so well.
Great group of BiaB session guys.
That piano really shines as does the entire mix.
Again, the lyric is so good and it reminded us of our mothers.
And how thankful we are that they encouraged us to keep our “inner child” alive and well.
The video clips were very supportive of the narrative.
Loved it!
J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Hi Rob, Bob, Laurent, Andrew and Izzy, After posting this song, I realized I was supposed to be on vacation with my wife. I'd completely forgotten about that. So I quickly packed my suitcase, found my shoes, and off we went. But of course, I didn't really have a chance to reply to your messages. Yes, I had my iPad with me, but our days were filled with sightseeing, and back at the hotel, I'd be knocked out from the exertion. Making a song takes—almost—less effort... So that explains my delay in replying. But, thanks a lot for your very nice comments on this song. I think I remember this song, but not well enough to A-B it for you. This version is very good, very accessible, enough light philosophy to make one reflect without getting mired in the gravitas of the serious stuff. I liked it, as I do most of your material. Good vox, good production, a winner all the way around. Nice work! Hi Bob, I think the first version was a bit heavier, otherwise you could have sung along now ;-) I think what you wrote is very nice! It is, after all, a sad song. Not everyone likes sad songs. But as a child, I actually had dreams about falling off a wall. I think many more people have/had that. The best part was that I learned (in my dreams) how to cope with that "falling." And then the dreams disappeared. Hans,
Love the intense feel of this song. Your vocal matches this intensity and completely fills out the mood.
The production is excellent with a very expansive sound. Some great mixing & mastering here!
And a great video too!
Awesome stuff
Bob Hello Bob, thank you for this! I always liked the song, but decided to do a remix for reasons I mentioned. And while experimenting with various instruments, I liked those you now can hear. They give some other dynamic to the song; make it less heavy. And see, now you like it too! I really liked the song with its beautiful introduction, as well as the video. As for the meaning of the lyrics, is it a psychological introspection?
laurent Hi Laurent, Thank you for your compliments. Yes, in a sense it was a form of self-reflection. Read what I wrote to Bob (above). But it's mainly about that image of the falling child. And I connected that with "the child in my soul." My mother often told me to think of the child in my soul and cherish it. I didn't understand her well enough, because I was still a child myself. Which child should I love then? Well, in a nutshell, that was the basis for the lyrics. Hi Hans!
I love the way you’ve lifted from the verses into the chorus, first time with the BVs; second time when the full band comes in - that first line and melody is very appealing ’In my dreams I was falling’. I also like your use of different textures throughout - some pared back; different instrumentation. Loving the hard left and right mix elements as well!
Great sound.
Andrew Hi Andrew, you know, I just listened to my song and its structure again based on what you wrote about it. For me, this is just how I make these kinds of songs, or songs about "heavy" topics. But I found it interesting to read your perspective on it. Thanks for this moment of insight! Hey Hans,
First off, wow—the whole package (song + video) feels like a tiny cinematic universe that just slipped onto my headphones. 🎬 ♫♪♩
The production
Your Real‑Tracks selection is pure alchemy. The cajón’s “slow‑16ths” give the ballad that intimate heartbeat, while the acoustic guitar and fiddle add just the right hint of folk‑glamour.
The piano‑acoustic layers (both 3670 & 1006) weave in and out like a gentle tide, and the bass‑electric combo (3467) grounds the dice‑roll motif without ever feeling heavy.
The way you let the symphonic strings peek through the pop‑ballad core is a masterclass in “less is more”—you’ve got the cinematic sweep without drowning the intimacy.
The songwriting
That G‑major, 110 BPM canvas is deceptively simple, yet you’ve built a chord progression that feels like a fresh roll of the dice every time it repeats. It’s unconventional in a way that still lets the melody sit “like a glove” on the harmonic spine.
The V‑R‑V‑R‑V‑R‑B‑V (or “verse‑refrain‑bridge‑verse” ) arc is a clever narrative ladder: each verse adds a new layer of the self—heart → head → soul → the child you ignored—while the refrain acts as the rolling dice that keeps the tension alive.
Lyrically, the evolution from “I held my heart in my hands” to “I held my soul in my hands” and finally to “I ignored to love the child in my soul” gives the track an emotional arc that mirrors the very idea of fate’s roll—something you’ve underscored brilliantly with the gentle crescendo into the bridge.
The performance & visual side
Your vocal delivery walks the line between vulnerable whisper and confident proclamation—exactly what a pop‑ballad with symphonic overtones needs.
The video’s pacing mirrors the song’s structure; the recurring wall imagery is a neat visual metaphor for the “falling” refrain, and the final shot of the dice rolling ties everything together with a satisfying cinematic full‑stop.
All in all, you’ve taken a song that felt “complicated” and turned it into a sleek, hauntingly beautiful roll of the dice. You’ve broken a few conventional chains, and the result is pure, resonant art. 👋 👍
Bravo, Hans. Keep the dice rolling! .·´¯`·.·★
Izzy Hi Izzy, I think I should also start with "wow" because of the way you wrote/analyzed my song. It was really thorough! I'm impressed. And you know what? Your analysis really cheered me up. Your words made me happy. I just didn't quite know how to answer as comprehensively as you did. You really put it perfectly! My approach to the lyrics is pretty much the same as what you described; I approach the elements—heart, head, and soul—in the same way to reach a final conclusion. In this case, not a happy one. Ignoring the child within me indicates that I consciously chose the way the dice were thrown that determined my fate. In my real life, it's not that bad. I still cherish the child within me! But thank you so much for your detailed analysis and compliments. So again, thanks for all your comments! Hans
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Beautiful lyrics, excellent musical writing. One of your best, I think. Well done.
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