The word “robot”, as it is known today, derives from the Czech robota, which translates to “servitude” or in cruder terms, “forced labor”. It was brought into the modern vernacular by the playwright Karel Capek (1880-1938).

30 years … as a (founding? foundling?) member of the then-nascent Conway, Arkansas music scene in the mid-1990s, the person who would become J.Robot started the long journey of figuring out what to do with his (then pre-ADHD diagnosis) creative impulses and pent-up energy. In 1999, he would move to Memphis, Tennessee with a friend and worked at a CD Warehouse while making friends and enjoying a much larger musical landscape with a rich history.

A string of bands and projects emerged – deftly avoiding widespread interest – followed by a prolific phase as a solo artist performing under his given name.

Then 2020 happened. No point in explaining that, is there?

Adding to that, a decade-long online harassment campaign reached what seems to have been a peak, and the decision was made to adopt an alias … one that honored his life-long fascination with synthesizers and sci-fi … and J.Robot was born.

2025 brings the first ever J.Robot album, BLOOM. BLOOM is a story of creative rebirth, the loss of friends, and adaptation. “Personal growth”, maybe – that’s what corporate psychology might call it.

So to come full circle, it’s safe to say creativity is a compulsion to many, and that J.Robot works dutifully in service to its ever-changing whims. Melodies, oscillators, and purposeful beats? Sounds fun to me!