Geoff Westen is an artist. That artistry - tempered with a little cynicism and obsession - exemplifies not only his outlook, but his method and his music.
His latest album for Disturbing Music is MUSIC FOR MY FRIENDS (2025), the latest chapter in Westen's Rock Pop adventure and capitalizes on his spirit. Hey! It's the songs, stupid! Geoff writes Pop Songs! Just like we used to hear them in the car, on the turntable and in the club.
These songs are always original, with a hard-pop backbeat, grungy guitars and a few synths sprinkled here and there. Add to that a hummable hook and melody — and you've got Hard Pop at its most accessible.
Most fans know him as a Power Pop artist. Four of his previous albums, The Pigs – OINK!, Vidiots – Tune In!!, I'm Not Crazy and Random Acts of Music, showcase his distinctive Neo Wave sound and his often-touted dark humor and sarcasm.
Geoff's musical history stretches waaay back. He first recorded for GNP Crescendo Records as a member of San Francisco's raucous guitar band, The Other Half — known as the loudest band to take to the San Franciso stages in their day. (Check out the Rhino Records compilation Original Artyfacts and the in-depth anthology by Ugly Things). Then, back to L.A. as a member of Epic Records' infamous blues–rock band C.K. Strong (re-released last year in Germany). His last foray recording for others was for Towerbell Records in London as The Balls. That LA to London trek brought new life to this band as they recorded an album there under the guidence of their British managers. Their name and their single "I Love The Balls" got them promptly banned by the BBC, so they released their follow-up, "I Never Dress Right" under the name The Scoop.
As a firm believer in escapism and endless possibility, Geoff expanded his publishing company, into an independent music label, Disturbing Music in 2003. In that pursuit, Geoff remains highly unpredictable. It's been said that "it doesn't matter what kind of music he takes on, he beats the crap out of it. His work may sometimes seem chaotic, yet for those willing to stick their heads and ears inside the chaos, there lies a safe haven."
Oh yeah…let's talk about Digital Activity. Geoff has also released three albums of Rock Ambient soundscapes — Birth!, Activate! and Xmas Vol. 1. He describes each DA track as an "instrumental painting" with its own palette of colors and its own storyline. He applies layer–upon–layer of sonic pigments until a work is complete. The experience of listening to Geoff's Rock Ambient instrumental work can be described as passively cerebral — each track is a journey that moves and shifts organically, yet, under scrutiny, yields a wealth of hidden sounds and meaning that bear listening to again and again.
GEOFF WESTEN CHIMES IN
"One of the things I look for while listening to new music is whether or not it continues to hold my interest. You have to listen to a lot of bad shit, to find the good stuff."
As you might expect, GW has a serious studio addiction and will remain there for weeks at a time. Describing his obsession, "I love it. I can't wait to get going every morning, knowing that by the end of the day, I will have created something exciting that didn't exist when the day began. That gets me off!
"Because technology has given me the tools to record what and when I like, my little digital bandmates are always 100% behind what I am doing. They're never late, they never get tired, they never complain. They'll play the same 8 bars a thousand times in a row and be ready for more. I love my 'guys.' But that being said, I've been very lucky to have found a few wonderful musicians who put their own egos aside and played it like I asked them to. Thanks!"
A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT OZ STUDIOS
You should also know that Geoff is equally obsessed with both visual and audio design. He launched a recording lab/creative shop called Oz Studios to provide one-stop audio/visual services hosting notables from David Bowie and Dr. John to Iggy Pop.
Other creative professional services included graphics for established and upcoming artists. Those included designing award-winning album covers (Steely Dan's AJA comes to mind), and logos for The Pointer Sisters and Contemporary Security, the world's largest event security company who uses that brand to this day. You've seen it a million times but you don't know it. Tons of billboards and hordes of other music-related ephemera, showcase his visual acuity, and are part and parcel of Geoff's artistic story.
Thus, he can't help creating and editing all Disturbing graphic elements under his Oz Studios imprint, to make sure everything is kept consistently —
Disturbing.
Oz Studios has also been commissioned for commercials, websites, advertising and graphics for numerous other artists, companies and products.
