SPONGE is a collection of raw and improvised instrumental music. It is a unique sonic roller coaster ride crafted by just two obscure, but very creative musicians residing in the Philadelphia area, Audric Jankauskas and Dave Miller.

SPONGE is a one of a kind phenomena since no other musical collection of tunes came to be in quite the same way. As you listen to and experience the sounds of SPONGE, you may think that you're listening to a compilation of several different bands. Perhaps you may get the impression that you're listening to a mix of impromptu jams with guitarists like Pat Metheny, Alan Holdsworth, Scott Henderson or Jeff Beck, and bass players like Paul Jackson, Stanley Clarke, Alan Gorrie or Jimmy Jamerson. Even if you've decided that SPONGE is none of the above, you may still be tempted to believe that this unpredictable musical journey was somehow carefully planned out.

Well, first impressions can be deceptive. None of the above is true! The real story of how SPONGE came to be is actually quite unusual and has been called inspirational by many fellow musicians. It all starts off like the typical story of an ordinary musician calling on a fellow musician to jam, just to blow off some steam at the end of a long day. In the case of Audric and Dave, it usually was a Wednesday evening after a hard day’s work. Rarely did they have any preconceived idea of how their jam should go. Typically there was no agreement made on what key, style, or feel they wanted to embark on. Many times they would simply start the session off by randomly selecting a rhythm from a drum machine, the only other musical element involved in the jam. After a few moments to settle into a groove, the two would invariably bring forth the interesting musical ideas that would end up being the foundations for the SPONGE tunes. Audric would expand the musical boundaries with his guitar while Dave would masterfully lay down the foundation with his bass. It was a wonderful balance of extremism and simplicity. Sort of the Yin and Yang of musicianship.

After the recording tape would run out, the SPONGE duo would review the recorded session and find the most interesting sections in their jam.... a framework waiting to be filled in. Keep in mind that at this point the SPONGE “tune” consisted of just guitar, bass, and the random rhythms and fills of a drum machine.... nothing else. With little hesitation, Audric and Dave would bounce some ideas back and forth, and use the remaining tracks on their 4-track cassette machine to add all kinds of chords, melodies, and sounds. This was the essence of the SPONGE process.... locating that special spot during the jam.... recognizing the potential.... and exploiting every little aberration and nuance by supporting, accenting, and layering onto it.

A unique piece of music was produced almost every time they jammed.... from conception to recorded status within hours! It would not be until several months later, when these two busy guys would find the time to reunite once again for another SPONGE jam. Remarkably, every piece of music that they constructed was so fresh, contrasting so vividly from the last, that an outsider would believe that each tune was performed by a different set of musicians! Thankfully, a bunch of these impromptu exposes were preserved on the original 4-track cassette tapes, or sometimes just on 2-track digital tapes. It was many years later that these wonderful creations were digitally edited and mastered. A really cool thing about the SPONGE collection of tunes is that what would be considered mistakes or marginal recording quality to some, is proving to be a beautiful element that enhances the entire SPONGE musical journey.

The whole time Audric and Dave were just having fun with the SPONGE process, never taking anything seriously. Coming up with some money making tunes never crossed their minds. They just played music from their hearts and souls, and that's the beauty of SPONGE! By the way, for those that are wondering, Dave Miller nicknamed the process "Sponge" very early on, and the name has been with them ever since. That was way before the other Sponge band came out and made a name for themselves. All things considered, the SPONGE tune collection reveals musical creativity, communication, and intuition which deserves a listen or two!

Thanks for checking out SPONGE!