Dick van der Heijde releases new album Locked-in

“Locked-in” is more than an album: it is a philosophical statement about what remains irreducibly human in the age of AI.

Dick van der Heijde suffered a brainstem stroke at the age of 28, leaving him completely paralysed and unable to speak: a condition known as Locked-in syndrome.

Since then, he has communicated letter by letter using only his eyes, a remarkable process through which he has gone on to write several books and contribute numerous CD reviews. Before his stroke, creating and composing music (particularly progressive rock) had been his great passion. For more than three decades, however, his connection to music was limited to his work as a reviewer, as making music himself was no longer physically possible.

The arrival of AI technology transformed that reality entirely. Discovering its creative possibilities sparked what he describes as a volcanic eruption of creativity, enabling him to compose around 40 songs and reconnect with a deeply important part of his identity. This ultimately led to the creation of a concept album centred around his experience of Locked-in syndrome. Drawing directly from his own thoughts and emotions, the lyrics offer an intensely personal and authentic insight into his inner world.

AI did not replace the artist here; it restored a bridge between imagination and expression. Through technology, Dick was able to surpass the limits imposed on his body and reconnect with the deepest part of his identity: composing music again.

What emerges is not artificial emotion, but profoundly human testimony: a concept album shaped by resilience, consciousness, and the refusal of silence. “Locked-in” reminds us that art has never been about the tool itself, but about the human will behind it.