This one's pretty typical of how I tend to compose music - I often create a drum beat I like, then add a bass and build around that. The main inspiration for this ditty was basically to play to a less common time signature, in this case a 7/8 rhythm. That reminded me of the funny 'yes, but yellow' meme circulating out there on the internet, so I whipped up this quick image in Photoshop to go with it (note the yellow slice is 1 eighth of the pie).  😊

I'm playing all instruments here on keyboard, except the slide guitar (dobro?), which is made up of several short loops in Garageband, sliced up to fit the 7/8 pattern I wanted)

Thanks for listening; hope to ketchup with your stuff soon!  


INSTRUMENTS:
-bass
-drums
-percussion
-Wurlitzer electric piano
-slide guitar (loop)
-tenor sax
-trumpet
-clavinet
-B3 organ

Most of the Time (Funk in 7/8)

Sideways

Hearing shots again
What can be done?
Sometimes it feels
like there is no room for reason.

In the days of punk
'79
Wine and dine, all seemed fine 
but times were changing

  Sideways down the slope
  Sliding into the rope

They pawned the truth out
and bartered the facts
These moodswings hit me sideways
no happy ending these days.

Cover my back, wipe the tracks
It seems wise, 
not to blow 
this disguise yet 

  Sideways down the slope 
  Sliding into the rope 

You cancel me
I cancel you
what we're gonna do now?
try to get out somehow

Fingers crossed
hope for the best
but prepare for the worst
in these present troubled times

  Scattershots matter not
  Sideways down the slope
  Sliding into the rope

Sideways

Illusion

Some thoughts that have been percolating in my mind lately (cover photo:  photo of my halloween skeleton edited with a not to scale termite and silver spoon: adobe stock images)

***
Copyright 2025
Vocals , Chords and Lyrics by Joe Stroffolino
Organ (playing my midi keyboard with sound from Logic Pro BeBop Organ)
Single Strum track  (playing my Taylor 114ce)
Second fast strumming track: PG music real track
Bass: PG Music real track
Piano:  EZ Keys2 (with sound from Native instruments Piano uno)
Drums: EZ Drummer 3
***
They say that life is a test but not everyone’s dealt the same hand
Some are born into privilege, while others struggle through quicksand
We play the cards we’re dealt as we try to find our way,
Doing our best to keep our heads above water as we go about each day.
People born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they’re rich and the die is cast
Other’s get a wooden spoon, which the termites eat, and it’s struggle not to finish last
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to put a smile on your face
When the game is rigged and you can’t even get to first base.
How many billions do you have to accumulate before you’re just running up the score
At what point do you decide that you don’t need anymore
Telling rags-to-riches stories, so the common man believes it’s true,
“Keep those taxes off the billionaires cause someday that might be you.”
 People born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they’re rich and the die is cast
Other’s get a wooden spoon, which the termites eat, and it’s struggle not to finish last
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to put a smile on your face
When the game is rigged and you can’t even get to first base.
 Politicians smiling and acting like they share your blues,
But they’d collapse in a minute trying to walk a mile in your shoes.
Lottery tickets selling hope, though the odds are that you’ll never win
You’ve got a better chance of being struck by lightning than ever cashing in.
You’ll be paying off those loans for the rest of your life from that useless college degree
As the corporations implement AI trying their best to replace you and me
 The universe is billions of years old; we come and go in a flash.
We spend our short lives obsessing over cash.
 People born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they’re rich and the die is cast
Other’s get a wooden spoon, which the termites eat, and it’s struggle not to finish last
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to put a smile on your face
When the game is rigged and you can’t even get to first base.

Life Is a Test

QUAN YIN // Don't we all need compassion and mercy...?
@docfritz // All Musical Stuff, Rhythm Design, Drums, Artwork, Mix & Production
@rock-flexible // Irish Tin Whistle, Irish Low Whistle, Armenian Duduk, Jew's Harp, Hurdy Gurdy, Frog Buzzer
Composed, Arranged & Performed by DOCFRITZ @OESJ 
© 2025 // All Rights Reserved by @OESJ

QUAN YIN

QUAN YIN ft. Rock Flexible

85_ Lost Art Inspirations from Brüder Selke - released on 14 September 2025

I was at the Lost Art Festival Vol. 3 in Berlin on 13 September 2025. Light and sound installations and performances were shown in a soon-to-be-abandoned industrial facility. Music acts were also there, of course. 
The first gig I attended by "Brüder Selke" blew me away. The mix of classical & pulsating sounds is exactly my thing! #ambient #modernclassic #trance #nodrums #onlypercs #liverecording

(produced with BlocsWave & LaunchPad)

Lost Art Inspirations from Brüder Selke

The Earth Love

Paper Tiger (Remix)

Sine Motion (2025)

Finest trombone effect by the wonderful joerxworx: https://soundcloud.com/joerxworx

Forgotten Glacier feat. joerxworx

Small Magic Carrots

This is a short soundtrack piece I did with the EX7 just last month. I've called it "dark light" because a small portion of it reminded me of the music from the late 90's PC game "darklight CONFLICT". I haven't heard the soundtrack to that game in a many years, but just a few notes, or the timbre of the sound, or in this case both, can bring back a memory. 

I had a lot of fun making the very deep space looking photo to go with it too! 🚀

#SoundCloud ☁️

dark light

dark light ⋆ ⭒ ⌲ ˚ . ⋆ (Yamaha EX7 Synthesizer, Recorded August 2025)

Latest Updates: 
I do not use AI on any of my work, just blood sweat and tears, and a lot of emotion/feelings. The reason I have so much music on SC is that I love making music and it is my life. Also I love to share my work with you all, please enjoy.
Have recently discovered some old tracks which I did back in 2009 but have never been previously released or worked on further. Decided to let them see the light of day, unedited and unpolished. Hope you enjoy them and can see where my humble beginnings started.
Also new for Autumn 2025, a collection of classical piano pieces which I composed back in 2010, in memory of my late father who inspired me to play the keyboard in the first place. Under the title of Magician In Private, hope you will allow my indulgence into a special world of just simple piano, no frills.
Please checkout my vast collection of playlists. All my best music is on there in one place. Is free to listen to or sleep with.
From 1st June 2025, celebrating 10 years of KORG KRONOS music with lots of brand new music showcasing the wonders of this iconic workstation in all it's glory. Also as a nod to the release of the KRONOS 3, which will take KORG into the next generation.
All my albums in full quality are available on Bandcamp, please check out the link below.
Have recently taken a short holiday to recharge my batteries and top up my creative juices. Thank you to all my followers for your continued support and encouragement, means the world to me.
Over 10K minutes uploaded, over 1500 tracks - am sure there is something in there for everybody to enjoy. I love making music. Hope it matters to you.
Am posting some Jarre sounding pieces as homage to my lifelong hero of electronic music, using some of the sounds and instruments he has used along the way. Jar of Jarre is my collection of memorable sounds which have changed the way we appreciate modern electro.
Keep an eye out for my new collection of 2024 Remastered best of tracks, coming soon.
New year, new start. Back on the search for good music and inspiration. Will be featuring a lot of my older work remastered this year, seems like a long time since I began my composing journey back in 2000.
Happy New Year to all my followers, May 2025 be filled with musical magic. 
Thank you for all your kind comments and support throughout 2024 I do appreciate it. Stay safe and love each other.
All my remastered best tunes from 2015 to 2023 are now available to buy on Bandcamp.
Am back to making regular music now but sorry no Christmas songs this year. This time of year is very hard for me as it is when my father became very ill and died in the new year 2010. I still miss him very much but hope he would be proud of my musical journey, he is my number one inspiration.
Just a quick personal note on AI and music. I think it is not a good thing for the creative side of music and a lot of it comes without feelings or soul. Creativity is a gift, and should be greatly valued, cherished and nurtured. Music is what makes us human and can never be replaced by a computer.
Finished remastering up to and including 2023 now. Has been a mammoth task but well worth the effort. Next year I shall be working on a remastered series of my pre KORG days 2000 to 2008, in 8 volumes, as well as celebrating in style my 10 years of KRONOS magic, can't wait for 2025.
Have now amassed over 1000 tracks on SC (that's over 8000 minutes of music) and it has been a blast sharing them with you all. Next year 2025, marks the 10th anniversary of the start of my KORG journey.
Am currently putting together a remastered Anthology collection of all my best tracks from 2015 onwards. 2015 consists of a 3 volume set (Now available on Bandcamp). 2016 consists of a 4 volume set. (Also available on Bandcamp). 2017 consists of a 4 volume set. (Available on Bandcamp) 2018 consists of a 4 volume set. (Also available on Bandcamp). 2019 consists of a 4 volume set. (Now available on Bandcamp). 2020 consists of a 3 volume set (now available on Bandcamp).
If you would like to listen to more of Magician, especially retro older tracks please checkout Bandcamp (see link below).
Have recently been rediscovering some of my older music pre KORG days and remastering for uploading to my cloud. Hope you like. Seems such a long time ago now.
I have been lucky to have music in my life, and now the time to explore how it can affect other people. I have discovered many new talented artists on SC and am happy to encourage and support their work; from small beginnings come great things. Please be inspired to be your best, inspire others too, encourage those who lack the inner courage to move forward, and together we can make music make a difference in all our lives.
Am spending a lot more time on my music now since retiring from work in July 2020. Always learning new techniques and honing my craft. Am comfortable now with all chord sequences throughout the scales and loving improvising with the help of my mighty KORG still. Am still trying to give my full support and encouragement to all SC users and some latest (you know who you are), are developing nicely. Be good to one another, be gracious to others, leave your ego out of your life and above all else remember there is always someone worse off than yourself. 
Please be kind to each other, to be happy with our lot without jealousy or greed; to give without asking the cost; to love as if there is no tomorrow; to share and inspire others who may be less fortunate than us; most of all to enjoy life for the joy of living, for we know not what the morning brings - stay safe my friends, be strong and always stay positive; remember life changes - DON'T let it change you!!  
Music is my life - has helped me through many dark places, is a big part of who I am. I put my heart and soul into every single piece of music I produce. I have found many wonderful friends on SC and many exciting talented people.  Been writing and producing music now for 40 years plus. Specialised in electronic based orchestral compositions. I have created my own genre which I call 'electrorchestration'.
Favourite artists/bands include Gary Numan, Little Boots, Jools Holland, Eno, Edgar Froese (1944-2015), Jordan Rudess, Kebu, Madis, Keith Emerson (1944-2016), Rick Wakeman, Richard Wright (1943-2008), Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, M83, Public Service Broadcasting, Dream Theater, ELP, Yes and Mystery to name but a few.
Click on link below to Bandcamp for more music from my collection

Sine Motion (2025)

Magi©ian™ (Making music make a difference)