Jim Simm

Composer and pianist. SOUNDkiosk

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The Occultaria of Albion: The Audio Files - Seance On A Train

An Egyptian pendant, a renowned clairvoyant and a trainline connected with mysterious energies, it could only be a tale from the Occultaria

I strongly recommend this podcast!

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Two new albums from SOUNDkiosk.

1. The Denizen Manifesto. Indoctrination Tapes.

Book available on Amazon.

2. 5 Cityscapes (I turn my back to the water)

Music for piano.

More details to follow.

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England Is Mine.

I biopic of The Smiths' Morrissey.

I managed about 20 minutes.

If things were that bad in Manchester at the time, then no wonder it was worse elsewhere!

I'll watch the rest tomorrow.

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Listening to Paul Lansky's Idle Chatter. https://youtu.be/Lfq2OZ8lpA8

Really worth a try...

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I need to learn about hashtags. Lesson 1. They look like sharps.

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The first day with my Uno synth + manual today. It doesn't look too complicated so it should be fun.

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I didn't expect to be sitting in Waitrose Café at 2pm today, in Hereford, listening to a podcast about the women's revolution in Iran, but here I am.

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I'm watching a film where these Towny people go into a wood, then take a wrong turn. Now there's a bear trying to break into their tent and bloody EAT THEM. Too many whys! WTF?

What are people like?

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I define abstract music as that which has an absence of Song, Dance or Narrative.

I locked onto the term "Style Sheet" as something that states in an idiosyncratic way my concerns in advance of composing a project, or a way to begin a project.

First of all we need to begin with the central concern of the music. That is, whether that is harmonic, rhythmic, or conceptual, for example.

Secondly, what variations there are of this. A cross-rhythm, a harmonic variation, a melodic variation, for example, used in the composition process.

After that, there are music-specific concerns; scale/key concerns for example.

In my Style Sheet, I state my interest in Octonic Scales. Not the one defined just as the Octotonic Scale (i.e. the two consisting of alternating tones and semitones). Octonic Scales are any made up of four of each, tones and semitones, in any order.

Next, for me, rhythm. I don't think of rhythm as something that risks the "dance", taking my music away from abstraction I desire to achieve.

I have the concept of a "core rhythm" which is rarely stated in its entirety but at which any pitch/event may be represented.

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Before I begin a major project I write a Style Sheet. This consists of everything that defines a forthcoming project, or at least a starting point.

For me currently, this involves 'colours' which are musical intervals, or 'binaries' or two note harmonies.

How these colours exist within an eight note 'octonic' tonality.

How 'core rhythms' work, and so on.

All very simple with just a rudimentary musical knowledge.

Keep the ideas simple!

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Robson Green is perfect in Val McDernid's Wire In The Blood.

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Don Sutherland obituary

Other lives: Pacifist, Quaker and conscientious objector who was the last surviving member of the ‘conchies’

Such a good man. Such a lovely man.

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An archetype of a mid-twentieth male can be seen as one embracing the sexual male in the imagination of someone 'trapped' in gay a stereotype.

This is the subject of my latest visual project. Send your thoughts and how this might impact the LGBT orthodoxy we now see as the way forward.

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I'm planning a winter holiday break with my head buried in various synth manuals!

One composer's idea of fun.

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When heading into the winter holiday season I always aim to take away any pressure. This means that it's time for a creative burst. The ideas flow, the work starts to flow.

I always hope for a relaxed time for creative work.

So, I've written a Style Sheet for the Cityscapes project. Now it's time to use the sheet to create my first set of pieces.

Also a time to truly get to grips with the Uno, the Skulpt and the OP-1.

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I feel a weight has lifted. Such prejudice from family. The last contact has severed ties. It sounds awful, but the consequences are ultimately good.

Merry Christmas! 😊

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I've just abandoned Twitter, and this is my new home online.

I'm a composer, and I have a growing Patreon presence.

Http://www.patreon.com/JimSimm in case you're curious. I'm just starting up, so most things will be free-to-view, public posts.