Thoughts from ESCAPE

The Space
Between the Notes

Notes from 140 acres of high desert, by Roc Gardner.

“The Mojave Desert is about finding the space between the notes.”Hutch

Studio One at dusk

3 November 2026  ·  2 min read

The Rooms We Lose

Another great studio is closing, and another is for sale. The work isn’t stopping. It’s leaving town.

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An empty vocal microphone in front of a red curtain

30 October 2026  ·  2 min read

Nobody Asked

Spotify wants to rent out artists’ voices for a few dollars a month. Nobody asked for it, and nobody will say what the artists get.

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U2 in the Mojave Desert beside a Joshua tree

27 October 2026  ·  2 min read

Who Holds the Door

U2’s new album has its week before anyone has heard it. With every eye on AI, it is worth asking who still decides what we hear.

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Kim Bullard and Alana Hil working in Studio Two at ESCAPE

20 October 2026  ·  3 min read

What a Song Is Worth Before It Is a Song

Amazon wants to pay songwriters less. From outside the room where the price is set, it is worth asking what the price is for.

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A new note most weeks.