About Timothy Murray (1952-2025)

Timothy Joseph Murray was a highly talented, tender-hearted 73 year-old keyboardist, composer and digital music producer who passed away on December 22, 2025, after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.  Shortly before onset of his illness he had completed his new album, Sans Vox, and a new version of his first album, THE ZOA FACTOR-REMASTERED.   Just weeks before his death Tim was excited when informed that his albums were scheduled to be released in January 2026.   He said, “I just want people to hear my music.”

Timothy solely composed and produced his albums and created the associated artwork himself.  He remarkably plays nearly all instruments virtually through use of advanced MIDI-based technologies (keyboards, hardware and software).  As a meticulous composer he adds complexity, depth and texture to his works through a variety of methods including intricate harmonies, concurrent melodies and use of interesting structural devices like unexpected modulations and theme development.  He often builds complexity gradually by adding layers as a song progresses.  His scrupulous attention to dynamics consistently enhances texture and depth.   Sometimes he surprises the listener with clever use of non-traditional approaches such as the morse code that plays in the background throughout his song “Free  Dominion” (THE ZOA FACTOR-REMASTERED).  He shrewdly integrates multiple musical genres within the same album, and sometimes even within the same song.  He incorporates crafty intricacies so seamlessly that the listener may not be aware of why a song sounds so interesting or different.  

All of Tim’s songs reflect his own personal character; he had a kind, loving and tender soul; he was introverted, deeply reflective and philosophical; and he had an amazing encyclopedic knowledge of music.   

The result of these musical skills, knowledge and personal character is beautiful, thought-provoking music that spans multiple musical genres including rock and roll, classical, progressive rock, flamenco and New Age.  

Despite his introverted nature, Timothy spread joy to others during his life by sharing the sweetness of his heart and soul through his music.  Following his death Timothy hopes to continue sharing his joy with the world.  

“I just want people to hear my music.”

Timothy began his professional music career in 1973 when he joined a Rock & Roll band, Red Pony, as a keyboardist while attending the University of Nebraska.   He left college during his junior year when the band began touring across the nation.   Over the next three years Red Pony opened for several notable bands including Kansas and The Monkees.  In 1975 they recorded a self-titled album, Red Pony, on the independent Artco Records label. When the band broke up in 1976 Tim returned to his hometown, Omaha, Nebraska, where he studied music, composed at the piano and continued performing on keyboards with a local commercial rock band called The U.S. Kids.

 Seeking more opportunities, Tim moved to Minneapolis in 1979 to join Boyd Hunt Enterprises, a music production company where he played in experimental studio bands.  Having developed his “chops” and accumulating a quality keyboard rig, Tim left Boyd Hunt in 1982 to play in public again with a band called, Pulse, which he describes as the most talented band he had been associated with so far.   This band tackled challenging progressive songs (e.g. by Kansas, Yes, and Emerson Lake & Palmer) as well as three of Tim’s original songs.  As Tim’s ambitions for stage performance reached an apex in 1985, he turned toward new personal goals and changed the direction of his career.  It was not only time to start earning money regularly at a “real job” but also, more importantly, to re-direct his passion for music to composing and recording.   A Brown Institute certification in 1985 led to a computer mainframe operator occupation which predominately involved nighttime working hours.  This schedule afforded him time during the day to fulfill his true passion and hone his musical craft.    

MIDI synthesizers and affordable computer sequencers were emerging at this point in his career.   Frustrated with the dependency on other people and their varying degrees of commitment and skill, Tim decided to not only write lyrics and compose, but also build a home studio so that he could perform and record all the instruments himself using a MIDI keyboard.  During the 1990s he experimented with and learned the fine details of digital music production using these tools.   After completing 13 songs he collaborated with a few friends and a mix engineer to produce and release his first solo album, Field of View/The Zoa Factor, in 1998, which features a mix of instrumental and lyrical songs and spans multiple musical genres including progressive rock, classical music and hard rock.  He also incorporated a variety of futuristic and “other-worldly” sounds and rhythms. 

 In 2006 Tim retired from his “night job” and began to work exclusively on instrumental songs.   He expanded his home studio by purchasing a new OASYS-88 workstation, a Korg Kronos and Cubase/Native Instruments (software and samples) which opened additional musical avenues for him to explore.  Over the years Tim composed a variety of instrumental songs involving multiple genres including rock & roll, classical sonata, experimental rock, flamenco and progressive rock.  Sometimes he integrated different genres within the same song.  Upon completion of an eclectic mix of six songs in 2025 for the Sans Vox album, he worked with a master engineer, Greg Reierson from Rare Form Mastering (who had also worked with Prince in the past), to put on the finishing touches.  Sans Vox was scheduled for release in January 2026.

As Tim worked with Greg Reierson on Sans Vox, he also had him listen to and re-master the1998 Field of View/The Zoa Factor album.  Tim was so pleased with the richer sound of this remastered album that he decided to re-release it as a new album, THE ZOA FACTOR – REMASTERED.  It will also debut in January 2026 along with the Sans Vox. 

On Sans Vox (2026), Murray performs every instrument and drum parts himself, recording via MIDI on Korg OASYS and Korg KRONOS keyboards, using Cubase and Native Instruments tools to shape the final sounds.

His debut release, Field of View: The Zoa Factor (1998) was produced using the same methods and similar tools.   Remastered in 2025, it will be reissued as THE ZOA FACTOR – REMASTERED.  

These two albums, THE ZOA FACTOR-REMASTERED and Sans Vox, represent Tim’s legacy.  His meticulously composed, thought-provoking music brings joy to those who listen and contemplate.  Tim just wants you to hear his music.  

Written by Matt Murray

matt.murray59@gmail.com

12/28/2025