Compared to recent episodes, this is a lazy collection of music. As I am getting ready for the 1994 show, my attention has been on listening to music from that era, but with all of this research of the past, I am missing the newest material. As a result, this episode is all about catching up, mostly blindly. Still, we collected some great new material for you to listen to, and threw in some older stuff when possible.

On April 23rd we will peruse the music of 1994.

If I had lots of extra time, I would run a show specifically based on Jam and Improvisation. In the live and spontaneous creation of music is where we can find the greatest adventures in sound. There are certainly moments in which the fruits of the labor come back without the treasure that they were seeking, but the times that our musician friends do find their way out into the chaotic cosmos and find the gold in the shadow, that is when you can really get turned on and tuned in, and perhaps if you are lucky dropped out. I have tried to provide some examples of amazing jams for those who don’t seek out such journeys. I have included Jam Bands and Jazz Fusion, but there is so much more out there to explore- suffice to say, we will come back to this theme in the near future.

That said we have some upcoming shows to look out for: On the 9th we will have a more spontaneous show featuring some of the newest music that is coming out- as well as some old favorites, and then on the 23rd we will turn our attention to the year 1994 as part of our continued drive towards 2024.

Some time in the past I started counting up to the best of the year show. That meant going back across the decades, maybe to compare years. Well, 1984 in prog holds no comparison to last year whatsoever. Many will argue that there is much more prog to pull from than I pulled from here, that is likely true, but this was an endeavor to give you some of 1984 that I found the most meaning and joy in. That means that new wave rears up along with other genres, but I always tried to make the connection to prog rock. There were a few misses. For instance, I could have been more careful with the break in Roger Waters- it is hard to find a stopping point in the album as it all bleeds together. The best way to listen to Pros and Cons is all the way through, with headphones, in a blacklit room. There is also that the Russ Ballard song I chose is not in fact from 1984- my mistake.

The next show will be held on March 26th and we will feature jam bands and improvisational prog.

Here is the 1984 setlist:

Let me preface this episode by pointing out, I don’t believe I am a fusion fan. What this means for you the listener is that you may not find my taste in fusion is similar to yours. Despite this obvious detractor from a fusion and jazz prog tour, I believe we put together quite a nice set of fusiony goodness in this episode.

The next show will be 2/26 and we will be heading back to the music of 1984.

We nod to our past, by decade, as part of our countdown to the music of 2024. It’s an interesting way to view the music we love decade by decade. It’s not a best-of-show but instead, an attempt to give you a small swath of the music that emerged in 1974. As part of creating a theme, I find pleasant surprises and long-forgotten music, and if I feel some connection- you get the music. So join us for this all-too-short trip back to the year 1974.

Next time, we will jaunt merrily into the world of jazz rock and fusion prog.

With the start of the new year, we wanted to harness some shamanic energy for the voyage forward. That’s why we open the year with a 3-hour-long drum ceremony. Drummers are the powerful backbone and structure for the music we enjoy. They can provide the subtle shifts needed to move us forward, or the power to get us through those challenging moments. The collection provided here is so far from exhaustive. We missed so many great drummers, and some we doubled up on just due to the amazing work that they have done in prog. Still, a fine collection of musicians is presented here and we hope you will enjoy what they have given us.

The next time around, we travel to 1974.

Another Christmas episode from Soundscape with an attempt to present only new material (well at least previously not in a Soundscape Christmas episode). The music is a mostly mellow cache of holiday bits and pieces. Your DJ was exhausted and anxious but I stand by my choices.

Suzi and I would like to take a moment here and express our gratitude that you continue to explore our episodes. It is our heartfelt wish that we can continue to provide you with new and interesting episodes in the coming year. Some of the upcoming episodes will feature a focus on drums, a look back through the years, a celebration of the music and finds of 2024, and of course a return to Norway- with perhaps a sidequest to Switzerland. Either way you slice it, we are looking forward to the next year with you all and we wish you happy holidays and a new year of meaning making and peace.

Many of us live in the sense of conflict with others. It would be easy to pick a pack of songs that further sowed division, but I thought, why not instead focus on values. The goal then was to pick songs that expressed values of hope, kindness, empathy, compassion, and understanding. We can surely agree that these are the lofty goals of our humanity rather than the daily division sewn into the fabric of our world right now. Hopefully, this set of music will bring some sense of salve to the wounds you feel.

In a previous episode, we were so taken by the presence of the piano, that I decided to devote an episode to just piano. I of course unearthed a treasure trove of piano music from the progsphere and my listening tastes. There was no way to include it all, so stay tuned to our Instagram page for songs from the cutting room floor.

There was also a desire to add AI as a podcast host, but that did not turn out as planned. I am still working on that setup, but I think it will be a lot of fun when we get there.

Greetings fellow travelers,

After much gnashing of teeth I present to you The Hell Rail- our newest episode of Soundscape ready in time for your Halloween listening pleasure.

The next episode of Soundscape will air on November 20, and we look forward to seeing you as you peruse your afterlife options.