Departure by Keith Kelly

“Speculative fiction” covers a number of genres in literature, from various types of science fiction, futurism, horror, and other supernatural and/or imaginary stories. “Jazz” has served as a similar all-encompassing term in music – often adopted to connect Black American Music, improvisational-based musics, and whole host of so-called art musics not easily categorized.

The music I love to listen to and love to create sometimes often has no clear boundaries. I’m not a purist or sycophant. I can’t stomach the ‘jazz police’ – or whatever they are called in other musical traditions. I’ve got no patience for the conservative elements that seek to put it behind glass or gatekeep.

I’m not sure that this is not a ‘soundtrack’, but that word seems a quick way to avoid genre conversations in certain musical circles or to quickly flare tempers . “Oh, it’s a soundtrack? Well, then you can work without too many rules. You wanna call it ‘ambient’ – well it doesn’t sound like Eno to me so…NOPE.” I don’t really know what to call this record, so I claim “speculative music” as a stand in.

This record is made of sounds and ideas and compositions and improvisations that all relate to an imaginary story about my two kids accidentally causing Earth to explode. And what happens in the time immediately after and in the near-future. It’s a good story. I might share it, until then these titles and sounds represent the entirety of the narrative. Feel free to fill in the blanks. - Keith Kelly

improvised music from the southwest