Disquiet

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

I’ve looked up and across at these San Francisco buildings for as long as I can remember, and I love how at night their edges are lit up all rectilinear style, like something out of Tron, and I only just this week came to recognize that the magic comes do…

Still strikes me as a classic example of the thing you’re being warned against looking more interesting than its alternative

“A temporary shelter from the static” is the title of a new live set from Thomas Ouf, who has joined the expansive ranks of YouTube modular synth streamers, recording himself playing ambient music out in nature on a portable unit.

On Sundays I try to at least quickly note some of my favorite listening from the week prior — things I would later regret having not written about in more depth, so better to share here briefly than not at all. ▰ One guitar, one incredible guitar pedal, w…

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

If you’re new to the Disquiet Junto music community, did you know: There’s a complete list of all 773 weekly projects to date.

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

A few quick things: 1: The 15th anniversary of the Disquiet Junto is coming up in early January 2027.

Among the myriad live performance channels on YouTube, Roulette’s consistently presents some of the most interesting sets from the world of out music, and part of the reason the offerings are so great is because the venue’s broadcasting predates YouTube i…

Wonderful little progression from Keinseier, a little beep of a rhythm slowly unfolding amid static and alternating chords.

On Sundays I try to at least quickly note some of my favorite listening from the week prior — things I would later regret having not written about in more depth, so better to share here briefly than not at all. ▰ Saxophonist Josh Johnson is part of both t…

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

Have a good weekend

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

Now, this following message affects the tiniest fraction of Junto members, but unfortunately I have to mention it prominently, so no one can experience what they might otherwise feel is a surprise.

I first met the Japanese street photographer Yoshi Yubai back in late 2022 at the apartment of V.

Nine is a very small number but sure I’ll play along, and I no doubt will have a half dozen to switch in tomorrow.

On Sundays I try to at least quickly note some of my favorite listening from the week prior — things I would later regret having not written about in more depth, so better to share here briefly than not at all. ▰ I really love the zone where jazz and cham…

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

I caught the great Bill Orcutt last night, opening for Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 at the Great American Music Hall here in San Francisco, and he was incredible.

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

I’ve been looking forward to this.

I’ve been slowing reading, backing up, and re-reading the novel The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad.

I recently attended a celebration of life event for Om Malik, who died back in June, and whom I got to know a bit over the decades.

Had the great pleasure this weekend of taking in several performances at the annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park, and the highlight was a late Sunday set, October 4, by Robert Plant and his band, Saving Grace, which includes Suzi…

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

This week’s Disquiet Junto project explores reverb.

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

This will appear in the October 1, 2026, edition of the weekly project instruction announcement email for the Disquiet Junto.

If you’re making music and are concerned your creative efforts are being buried in an avalanche of rote AI-produced and AI-promoted competition, the bad news is you’re not wrong.

Been spending a good amount of time lately surfing through ambient videos on YouTube of people putting synthesizer patches up using the virtual modular software VCV Rack.

On Sundays I try to at least quickly note some of my favorite listening from the week prior — things I would later regret having not written about in more depth, so better to share here briefly than not at all. ▰ Drumcorps (aka Aaron Spectre) has been bas…

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

In a corner of the gallery at the Et al. bookstore in SF

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

That little bird-like beeping noise at the corner when the street light changes used to mean “it’s safe to walk” but now it means “you can put down your phone because now you can walk.”

This isn’t the first ambient tuba music I’ve heard, not by a longshot, but like previous ambient tuba music, it is deep as can be, with digital processing taking the inherent low-end tones and making them reverberate out into the ether.

Love a good “electpic” horn.

On Sundays I try to at least quickly note some of my favorite listening from the week prior — things I would later regret having not written about in more depth, so better to share here briefly than not at all. ▰ There’s a new album out, Friendship Surviv…

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

There’s an endless and growing corpus of live recordings of synthesizer music on YouTube by highly skilled and informed musicians, and I particularly enjoy this ongoing channel called Modular Ambient, named for the modular synthesizers that are the focus…

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.

Someone might need a refresher course

Shazam but for blurry image of surface of vinyl album in old photo of bedroom.

When I write for hilobrow.com, there is usually a pretty clear assigned length, and I usually push right up against it.

On Saturday one of my favorite local bands played just a few blocks from home (in San Francisco, down Balboa Street).

At the end of each week, I usually collate a lightly edited collection of recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad.

The excellent website hilobrow.com has an ongoing feature titled Media Diet in which they ask people for … you guessed it, their media diet.

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions.