Sam Trenholme’s blog
In memorandum: TJ Porter
October 15, 2026
I remember a musician, one TJ Porter, who died a couple of years ago. But first, a Chess puzzle.Chess puzzle
In the following position, White has an overwhelming advantage. Indeed, White can deliver mate in only three moves:
Remembering TJ Porter
Back in early 2015, I discovered an artist by the name of TJ Porter. He had just released an album called “A World Adrift”, and I downloaded this album on Bandcamp, and enjoyed listening to it a lot in those days, which were just a few short months after my first wife died.
Later on TJ Porter made many more albums, and since the album was a “name your price” download, Bandcamp apparently had a quota about how much free music he could have on their servers, so this album got deleted to make room for his newer albums.
A few years after that, TJ Porter passed away.
His newer music is still online at https:/
While “A World Adrift” is no longer on TJ Porter’s Bandcamp page, I downloaded it back then and am making available MP3s of his songs Gasterbeiter II and Velvet Hammer from that album so that these excellent songs are not lost in the sands of time.
Some more information about this album is in a Gearspace thread announcing the album, as well as a third party description of the album.
TJ Porter used the following synths to make this now-lost album: Moog Minitaur, Arturia Minibrute, Korg R3, Korg EMX, Korg Volca Bass, Waldorf Pulse 2, Waldorf Streichfett, Waldorf Rocket, Novation BassStation Rack, Roland JV-1080
Solution to mating puzzle
-
1. Qb5+ [any legal move] 2. Qb8+ Kd7 (or Bc8) 3. Qc8#