Participants 2025
About the TEAM
Erkan is an artist who has been creating with artificial intelligence for a long time. Last year, he won the “Best AI Song” award with a Turkish-language track in a competition organized by one of Turkey’s most renowned rock bands, showcasing both his creativity and technical skills in blending music with AI. Later, he met Büşra, a musician, and their collaboration brought a new dimension to his work. The songs they produced together became richer in both spirit and structure, strengthened by the synergy of teamwork. With her ongoing vocal training, Büşra is further developing her voice and is preparing to establish a music band soon. This partnership represents not only an individual achievement but also the beginning of a creative journey as a team, aiming to produce even greater works in the future.
About the SONG
“Iron Velocity” is a 2:11 high-energy heavy rock/metal track inspired by the image of a spark striking steel. It opens with a cinematic impact, moves into a tense verse, and rises into a chorus marked by raw gang shouts. Space is left for both voice and instruments: two contrasting guitar solos—one melodic, one virtuosic—framed by a short clean arpeggio interlude that builds toward the finale. Drums propel the track with skank beats, stop–start accents, and sharp double-kick bursts. The bass maintains a steady “rail,” while guitars deliver tight down-picked walls and a bright, focused lead. Vocals are deliberately dynamic, shifting from whispers to gritty belts. The theme is clear: choice and resolve under pressure. Direct and impactful, the song is designed to hit hard on stage as well as on record.
About the HUMAN-AI PROCESS
“Iron Velocity” was created through a structured collaboration between human composition and AI generation. We began by defining the artistic vision: a 2-minute and 11-second heavy rock/metal track with a cinematic opening, powerful riffing, two contrasting guitar solos, and a decisive ending. This concept was distilled into a detailed yet compact prompt, specifying tempo (166 BPM), key (E minor), structure, and vocal directions.
Using ElevenLabs Music, we generated multiple variations of each section. Human input was essential throughout: we selected the strongest takes, refined prompts to emphasize tight down-picked riffs, syncopated drums, and dynamic vocal shifts, and ensured that the solos combined melodic phrasing with virtuosic passages. Iteration was central—each cycle involved critical listening, adjusting instructions, and balancing instrumental density with vocal clarity.
Lyrics and vocal guidance were written manually, with clear emotional cues such as whispers, shouts, and belts. Mixing and mastering were handled outside the AI system, with human judgment shaping loudness, EQ, and overall balance. No copyrighted material or voice cloning was used; all content originated from original text prompts and curated outputs.
The result shows how AI can serve as both co-writer and performance engine, while human creativity provides narrative focus, structural coherence, and emotional depth. This partnership achieved a sound that is technically precise and artistically expressive.
Lyrics
Under the floodlights, steel in the rain,
Footsteps on faultlines calling my name.
I chew the thunder, swallow the doubt,
Count to four—then break out.
Move or break—make it real.
Turn the night at iron velocity,
Sparks on the rail of inevitability.
If I go down I go loud, not quietly—
Strike once, burn bright, carry me.
Sirens in crossfire, clocks out of sync,
Every last warning pushed to the brink.
Adrenaline pulses, no turning back,
Downstroke assault on the beaten track.
Breathe… aim… ignite.