DUBIOUS COMFORT

OKKO

I like prog for its ability to take the listener's imagination on a ride. And I like prog's tendency to skip traditional styles, opting instead to create somewhat unorthodox soundscapes. My track Too Late was born from decades of listening to music from this prog universe. The idea behind the song is basically this: an astronaut is outside his ship when something goes wrong, and the ship must leave him there, suspended in the vastness of space. All he has left is his thoughts, memories and a dwindling supply of oxygen.

Too Late

GOC is a dark wave, electronic prog rock instrumental. The title is a reference to people consumed with greed and power, who devour everything in sight until there is nothing left for them to do but turn on each other.

I love this track, and hope you will too. Thank you so much for listening (and sharing).

Gluttons Omnivores Cannibals

I originally wrote and recorded this track in 1993. I recently decided to rework the original idea and record an updated version, presented here. Thanks for listening! And for the 20 or so people out there who either had (or still have!) a cassette of the old version - hello!

The Memory Well

It started simply enough. I was just looking to put down some quick beats and a bass line to improvise over. It turns out the two-part formula (first Dm and G, then Dm and C) is incredibly easy to riff over. And I couldn't stop. I kept adding more and more parts. The result is a completely gratuitous, self-indulgent, vintage synth overload. Of course the first solo is a Jupiter-8, followed by JX-8P, along with some heavy lifting from Junos 60 and 106, and a manic SH-101 riff, not to mention the driving arpeggiations (and quick solo) from a Prophet 6. The track is seven minutes long, but you can believe that the "jam sessions" leading up to recording went for days at a time.

Miles 2 Go

Nebulous began with me just messing around with my TB 03, and loads of reverb - mainly a Space Echo pedal. I wanted to see what sort of sounds I'd get just hitting the same note over and over while manipulating the controls and reverb. Eventually l added (a little) more to the patterns and layered various sounds over the top.

Nebulous

Fear and Wonder is part of the forthcoming album Traveler, a conceptual album about a man who takes an unexpected journey. Fear and Wonder refers to his initial reactions in his new surroundings. The music is largely inspired by classic synth-driven sci-fi movie soundtracks. Other tracks on the album will venture into prog, acid and dark wave territory.

Traveler

Fear and Wonder

The Crossing is the opening track for the Traveler album, which will be completed and released in its entirety in 2024. The song is largely influenced by long-form, conceptual prog rock music from 40 to 50 years ago. (Fortunately, there are some bands keeping this style alive today, too.) Over its 14-minute run time, the song moves through very different and distinctive styles and arrangements, contributing to the sense of narrative, atmospherics and mood.

The Crossing

Everywhere I turn
Distant fires burn
Is this ring of flames
A shield or just a cage

Outmaneuvered

Originally recorded several years ago, Red Light is one of my favorite songs. With some more experience now working in DAWs, I wanted to update the mix a little bit, and remaster the whole thing. I thought the song was about someone getting some warnings, or red flags, about a significant other. But now I wonder if the red light reflected on the glass is a hockey reference....


The window blinks a red light, reflected
Your words are leaking answers, deflected

Red Light XX24

Silent Dusk is a 17-minute electronic prog track recorded all in one long take. The classic Roland TB303 sounds play a pivotal role, giving it the distinctive acid flavor throughout much of the song. But the arrangements go further than that, melding cinematic and atmospheric themes into the track. Best to just turn the lights down low, sit back and get lost in the vibes.

Silent Dusk

Sweet Fool is an emotionally-laden, instrumental track that relies on the unique quality of vintage synthesizer sounds to convey feeling. The song builds toward a strong, beautiful chorus at the end.

Sweet Fool

Escape Plan is the fifth of six tracks on the conceptual album Traveler. The protagonist learns some unsettling details about his predicament, and the difficulty he will have escaping it.

Lyrics:

The irony runs deep, traveler. You seek to escape a world that you created.

You could not let go of your pain. Now your pain will not let go of you.

Escape Plan

Upbeat, good energy, feel-good song. A modern take on synth pop vibes. $20 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM143

Calm, peaceful track. Mellow, feel-good and comforting vibes. Good for inner satisfaction. $15 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM729

Atmospheric, calm track. A blend of ambient and drone qualities, good for peaceful reflection. $15 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM605

The glorious 1980s -- this is track is like retrowave comfort food. Upbeat energy with signature 1980s Juno sounds. Happy nostalgia vibes with beautiful arpeggiations. $20 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM837

Slow burn, tension building atmospheric track. Atmospheric qualities, like a soundtrack from a movie. Heavy use of the classic 303. $25 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM303

Soundtrack from a club scene in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world. Some strange, industrial and futuristic sounds happening, moved along by a steady beat and dissonant arpeggios. $15 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM091

This is a mellow, piano-driven track, with an instrumentation setup that hints at jazz. Along with the piano, there's a brush kit for drums and an upright bass playing along. $20 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM556

Calm, relaxing and meditative piano track. Very chill ambient music. $15 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM554

Dark, ominous ambient track. Perfect for a suspenseful, cinematic undertone. $15 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM401

I liked the idea of a track that sounded a little like street-level ambient music. It's a little dirty, a little atmospheric, and the song keeps shifting through different gears. If you like the cover, you can get a smart phone wallpaper at my J + C Vortex site via the Linktree.

Hidden Alley

Live performance of the song Hidden Alley on the podcast Crunchy Something. The episode of the podcast featuring the performance will begin streaming later in June 2025.

Hidden Alley Live

Retro sounding rock. A little heavier, classic distortion. $15 to license for an unlimited number of times.

4RM023

Elixir

I have used this track many times as background music for various video or podcast projects that I have done. Usually those adventures involve me wandering off and/or exploring some area previously unknown to me. The simplicity of the sound -- a Juno 106 doing nearly all the work -- has always appealed to me.

Mapless

aka Jeff + Content. Music. Photos. Mental Candy.

J + C

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