Tim Simenon
Encyclopedia
Tim Simenon is a musician
, composer
, record producer
, and label boss, most famous for his work as Bomb the Bass
.
's Wag Club. However, inspired by his hunger for new music, and following early experiments with keyboards and beatboxes, and a short stint on a music production college course in North London, Simenon was quick to take up the offer of a two-day recording session. Working alongside Pascal Gabriel, who would later go on to become a major name in programming, the fruit of the pair's labour became Beat Dis
, the debut single by Bomb the Bass
.
Reputedly costing £500 to make, the track followed the emerging, hip-hop inspired cut-and-paste method of collaging samples together. According to the BBC
, which featured Beat Dis on their clip-based TOTP2
show, the track contains an alleged 72 samples, including lifts from old school hip hop
, funk
(including The Jimmy Castor Bunch), alongside samples from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
and Thunderbirds
soundtrack
s.
Whilst Simenon continued to earn money stacking supermarket shelves and DJ'ing, Beat Dis first appeared on the Mister-Ron imprint: a ruse designed to suggest that the record was a U.S.
import, fresh out of New York
. The record went straight into the UK singles chart
at number two when released by Rhythm King records. Its smiley
artwork - borrowed from the Watchmen
comic books - influenced much of the imagery surrounding the 'acid house
' and 'rave
' scenes.
ese hip-hop label Major Force
, New York
producer Steinski
, UK
artists Massive Attack
/ Wild Bunch and the 23 Skidoo / Ronin collective.
However, it would be with the wildly popular single Buffalo Stance
by Swedish/African artist Neneh Cherry
- which Simenon produced - that his future reputation as a hit-maker began to take shape. The song, which featured lyrics name-checking Simenon ("Bomb the Bass
, rock this place") reached number three on the UK singles chart
and number 1 on the US dance chart. This was followed by several further hits in succession, courtesy of second single, Manchild
, and the mother album, Raw Like Sushi
. Despite the latter not being fully produced by Simenon, it would follow the same urban template, pre-dating the American hip-hop revolution to come.
trend by incorporating ever greater amounts of live instrumentation into his sound: Unknown Territory would set raw rock guitars against its breakbeats; whilst Clear
would strike out even further, blending reggae and dub into the mix courtesy of various instrumentalists from the On-U Soundsystem / Tackhead
collective.
Despite scoring another huge hit with the trip-hop pioneering Winter In July single, the second album Unknown Territory was marred by delays; not least when Pink Floyd
refused to clear a sample of "Money
" included on one of the tracks. However, the most contentious delay was when the band had to briefly ditch their Bomb the Bass tag, due to media censoring out of context references to warfare during the first Iraq war. (The collective would briefly release under the singular title, Tim Simenon.)
Across his first three albums, Simenon would also continue to indulge his eclectic aesthetic fascinations by repeatedly borrowing from non-musical popular culture sources: with samples from both The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
and Death Race 2000
soundtracks, and films like Videodrome
and Blade Runner
peppering tracks on Unknown Territory. Clear
on the other hand (released on the Stoned Heights imprint of Island Records
), bore heavy references to the writings - and infamous lifestyle - of William Burroughs: the cover was an homage to the advert poster of the Naked Lunch
movie; Bug Powder Dust
was a mish-mash of Burroughs references and mirror of the author's cut-up writing method; whilst the constant references to drug use, and the reliance on spoken word across most of the albums tracks would suggest an updated return to the Beat marriage of music and poetry. Said spoken words came courtesy of Justin Warfield, novelist Will Self
(continuing the Beat tradition of mixing heroin with writing), and writer/musician Leslie Winer.
as Nation 12 (which enjoyed a measure of success in clubs and raves across the UK), other acts included Björk
, David Bowie
, Massive Attack
, Ash
, Seal
, rap act Consolidated
, French producer Hector Zazou
, Gavin Friday
and Depeche Mode
.
The latter two projects would both have a major effect on Simenon. The Gavin Friday
project,Shag Tobacco
, not only catapulted Friday into the mainstream (spawning the track Angel
which found its way onto the hugely successful soundtrack of the Romeo & Juliet movie), but also caught the attention of a pair of British musicians on the look out for a new producer: Dave Gahan and Martin Gore
of Depeche Mode
. Says Gahan, "There was loads of names being thrown at us (to produce Depeche Mode's next album after Songs of Faith and Devotion
), but in the end we picked (Simenon) because Martin (Gore) and I really liked the Gavin Friday album that he did. Shag Tobacco is an absolutely brilliant album, (and) we really loved the sounds he produced."
As a result, Simenon was brought on board to produce what would become Depeche Mode's first album without multi-instrumentalist and production-strong Alan Wilder, Ultra; a project that would demand eighteen months, due to worsening divisions within the band acerbated by Dave Gahan's battle with heroin addiction. Upon release, the album went straight into the UK charts at number one, selling 40,000 copies in its first week of release, and launched a number of singles, including Barrel of a Gun, It's No Good
, and Home
However, despite being a hit and going on to achieve over three million sales worldwide, the project would have another - less positive - effect on Simenon.
Quoted in the biography, Depeche Mode: Black Celebration by Steve Malins, Simenon confessed, "I just felt f*cked by the end of the recording, and I carried on working in January and February 1997, which was the worst thing I could have done. I started to feel really ill. So I took a break and had a few months off. I was just mentally and physically exhausted."
The work in question, which took the form of recording sessions with Jack Dangers
from Meat Beat Manifesto
(which later surfaced as the Tracks EP) would - with the exception of a further single with Depeche Mode, Only When I Lose Myself - be the last Bomb the Bass outing for many years. "It’d been non-stop for more than 10 years, and I was just burnt out. It all just caught up, and took its toll; just left me feeling very, very uninspired." Stepping down, Simenon moved to Amsterdam and took what would become an extended break; diverting some of his attention into setting up and running the independent Electric Tones
label.
Launched in 2000 as an outlet for "electronic and left-field releases", the label was initially designed to showcase acts Simenon thought deserved attention, however, he has also contributed several tracks to Electric Tones compilations under his experimental alias, Flow Creator.
The following year, Simenon was nominated for an Ivor Novello for his work on the theme to the BBC TV series, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
alongside David Arnold
.
based electro clash band Futon
, as well as initial tracks with the Scottish band, Fangs.
More significantly, Simenon also re-activated Bomb the Bass, with the collective delivering the critically applauded Future Chaos album via !K7 Records in 2008. Written, recorded and produced in collaboration with Paul Conboy (formerly of A.P.E. and Cooper/Conboy), the nine-track album also contains contributions from Toob, Jon Spencer, Fujiya & Miyagi
, and Mark Lanegan
. Simenon also put a live version of the act together, built around himself on samples and live mixing, Conboy on live keyboards and vocals, plus two brothers as live DJ (Claudio) and visual scratch artist (Valerio).
Having wrapped the Future Chaos campaign after the third single, Black River (featuring Mark Lanegan
on vocals), Simenon returned to the studio to begin work on the next Bomb the Bass album, due for release in late 2009.
Toob - Pirate Teeth w/Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass - Black River w/Mark Lanegan
Bomb the Bass - Butterfingers w/ Fujiya & Miyagi
Bomb the Bass - So Special
Bomb the Bass - Future Chaos (album)
Fangs - Fangs City Rockers
Fangs - Panik Attak
2007
Futon - Strap It On
Futon - Love So Strong
Futon - End Of Friend
2006
Primal Scream - Sometimes I Feel So Lonely (remix)
Dot Allison - Quicksand
Dot Allison - Paper Rose
Biggi - Sofdu Med Ljosid A
Biggi - Reason to Grow
Biggi - Perfect Sunday
2002
Robot Finger (as Flow Creator)
Ikara (as Flow Creator)
2001
Bomb the Bass - Fast w/Shawn Lee
Bomb the Bass - Clear Cut w/Lali Puna
1999
Bomb the Bass - Lost Your Soul
Bomb the Bass - Disco Bob w/Justin Warfield
1998
Depeche Mode - Only When I Lose Myself
Curve - Sweetback
Curve - Something Familiar
Curve - Recovery
Curve - Killer Baby
Curve - Dirty High
Curve - Coming Up Roses
Alpha - Sometime Later (remix)
1997
Depeche Mode - Ultra (album)
Depeche Mode - The Bottom Line
Depeche Mode - It's No Good
Depeche Mode - Insight
Depeche Mode - Home
Depeche Mode - Barrel of a Gun
1996
One Inch Punch - Secrets of the One Inch Punch (album)
1995
David Bowie - Heart's Filthy Lesson (remix)
Gavin Friday - Shag Tobacco (album)
Gavin Friday - Caruso
Gavin Friday - Angel
1994
Gavin Friday & Bono - In the Name of the Father
Sinéad O'Connor - You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart
Sinéad O'Connor - Fire On Babylon
Sinéad O'Connor - Famine
Sinéad O'Connor - Thank You For Hearing Me
Massive Attack - Sly (remix)
Bomb the Bass - Clear (album)
Bomb the Bass - Empire w/B Zephaniah & Sinéad O'Connor
Bomb the Bass - Dark Heart w/Spikey Tee
Bomb the Bass - Bug Powder Dust w/Justin Warfield
Bomb the Bass - Brain Dead w/Justin Warfield
1993
Björk - Play Dead (remix)
1992
Cheb Khaled - Didi (remix)
1991
Bomb the Bass - Winter in July w/Loretta Heywood
Bomb the Bass - Unknown Territory (album)
Seal - Krazy
1988
Neneh Cherry - Manchild
Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
Bomb the Bass - Into the Dragon (album)
Bomb the Bass - Megablast
Bomb the Bass - Beat Dis
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and label boss, most famous for his work as Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
.
Debut
Tim Simenon's music career began aproper in the mid 1980s, DJing at LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Wag Club. However, inspired by his hunger for new music, and following early experiments with keyboards and beatboxes, and a short stint on a music production college course in North London, Simenon was quick to take up the offer of a two-day recording session. Working alongside Pascal Gabriel, who would later go on to become a major name in programming, the fruit of the pair's labour became Beat Dis
Beat Dis
"Beat Dis" is a track by British act Bomb the Bass, a studio production formed by producer Tim Simenon, from the act's album Into the Dragon. It, like other hits of the era such as "Pump Up the Volume" by M|A|R|R|S and "Theme from S'Express" by S'Express, largely consisted of samples.The single was...
, the debut single by Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
.
Reputedly costing £500 to make, the track followed the emerging, hip-hop inspired cut-and-paste method of collaging samples together. According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, which featured Beat Dis on their clip-based TOTP2
TOTP2
Top of the Pops 2 is a British television music show broadcast on BBC Two, showing archive footage from the long-running Top of the Pops show, some dating back to the 1960s when the programme first aired on British television....
show, the track contains an alleged 72 samples, including lifts from old school hip hop
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
(including The Jimmy Castor Bunch), alongside samples from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
and Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s.
Whilst Simenon continued to earn money stacking supermarket shelves and DJ'ing, Beat Dis first appeared on the Mister-Ron imprint: a ruse designed to suggest that the record was a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
import, fresh out of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The record went straight into the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number two when released by Rhythm King records. Its smiley
Smiley
A smiley, smiley face, or happy face, is a stylized representation of a smiling human face, commonly occurring in popular culture. It is commonly represented as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing the mouth...
artwork - borrowed from the Watchmen
Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
comic books - influenced much of the imagery surrounding the 'acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
' and 'rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
' scenes.
Initial success
Simenon went on to follow up the track with three more singles taken from a hastily recorded album Into the Dragon. Into the Dragon acknowledged the debt it owed to the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese hip-hop label Major Force
Major Force
Major Force is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is a supervillain that first appeared in Captain Atom vol. 3, #12 .-Early life:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
producer Steinski
Double Dee and Steinski
Double Dee and Steinski was a duo of hip hop producers, composed of Doug "Double Dee" DiFranco and Steven "Steinski" Stein. They achieved notoriety in the early 1980s for a series of underground hip-hop sample-based collages known as the "Lessons"....
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
artists Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
/ Wild Bunch and the 23 Skidoo / Ronin collective.
However, it would be with the wildly popular single Buffalo Stance
Buffalo Stance
"Buffalo Stance" is a 1988 song that peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart recorded by Neneh Cherry from her album Raw Like Sushi, produced by Tim Simenon and Mark Saunders.-History:...
by Swedish/African artist Neneh Cherry
Neneh Cherry
Neneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
- which Simenon produced - that his future reputation as a hit-maker began to take shape. The song, which featured lyrics name-checking Simenon ("Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
, rock this place") reached number three on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 1 on the US dance chart. This was followed by several further hits in succession, courtesy of second single, Manchild
Manchild
Manchild is a British television comedy / drama series that ran for two series on BBC Two between February 2002 and April 2003 with seven episodes in Series 1 and eight episodes in Series 2....
, and the mother album, Raw Like Sushi
Raw Like Sushi
Raw Like Sushi is the debut album of rapper Neneh Cherry, released May 2, 1989 on Virgin Records.An early version of "Buffalo Stance" appeared on the B-side of the Morgan McVey single "Looking Good Diving"...
. Despite the latter not being fully produced by Simenon, it would follow the same urban template, pre-dating the American hip-hop revolution to come.
Keeping the beat: Simenon's first three albums as Bomb the Bass
With each successive album, Simenon moved to buck the accepted dance musicDance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
trend by incorporating ever greater amounts of live instrumentation into his sound: Unknown Territory would set raw rock guitars against its breakbeats; whilst Clear
Clear
Clear may refer to:* Clear, Alaska is an unincorporated community in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States-Music:*Clear , a 1969 album by Spirit*Clear , a 1995 album by Bomb the Bass...
would strike out even further, blending reggae and dub into the mix courtesy of various instrumentalists from the On-U Soundsystem / Tackhead
Tackhead
Tackhead are an industrial hip-hop group that were most active during the 1980s and early 1990s, and briefly reformed in 2004 for a tour. Their music occupies the territory where funk, dub, industrial music and electronica intersect...
collective.
Despite scoring another huge hit with the trip-hop pioneering Winter In July single, the second album Unknown Territory was marred by delays; not least when Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
refused to clear a sample of "Money
Money (Pink Floyd song)
"Money" is the sixth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Written by bassist Roger Waters, it opened side two of the original vinyl LP, and is the only song on the album to enter the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" included on one of the tracks. However, the most contentious delay was when the band had to briefly ditch their Bomb the Bass tag, due to media censoring out of context references to warfare during the first Iraq war. (The collective would briefly release under the singular title, Tim Simenon.)
Across his first three albums, Simenon would also continue to indulge his eclectic aesthetic fascinations by repeatedly borrowing from non-musical popular culture sources: with samples from both The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
and Death Race 2000
Death Race 2000
Death Race 2000 is a 1975 cult action film directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth and Sylvester Stallone. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, where the murderous Transcontinental Road Race has become a form of national entertainment...
soundtracks, and films like Videodrome
Videodrome
Videodrome is a 1983 Canadian science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg, starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and singer Deborah Harry. Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO of a small cable station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal featuring...
and Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
peppering tracks on Unknown Territory. Clear
Clear
Clear may refer to:* Clear, Alaska is an unincorporated community in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States-Music:*Clear , a 1969 album by Spirit*Clear , a 1995 album by Bomb the Bass...
on the other hand (released on the Stoned Heights imprint of Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
), bore heavy references to the writings - and infamous lifestyle - of William Burroughs: the cover was an homage to the advert poster of the Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959. The book is structured as a series of loosely-connected vignettes. Burroughs stated that the chapters are intended to be read in any order...
movie; Bug Powder Dust
Bug Powder Dust
"Bug Powder Dust" is a song by Bomb the Bass, released as the band's eighth single in 1994 as the first single from the Clear album. Featuring Justin Warfield on vocals, the track is primarily Dance music blended with Rap and Breakbeat.-History:...
was a mish-mash of Burroughs references and mirror of the author's cut-up writing method; whilst the constant references to drug use, and the reliance on spoken word across most of the albums tracks would suggest an updated return to the Beat marriage of music and poetry. Said spoken words came courtesy of Justin Warfield, novelist Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
(continuing the Beat tradition of mixing heroin with writing), and writer/musician Leslie Winer.
Simenon as producer
In between Bomb the Bass projects, Simenon continued to produce, remix and collaborate with a wide range of artists. In addition to collaborating with John Foxx on the 12" single RememberRemember
-Music:* "Remember" , a song by Irving Berlin* Remember, a song featured in an episode of Danny Phantom* "Remember ", a 1964 single by the Shangri-Las* "Remember", a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience...
as Nation 12 (which enjoyed a measure of success in clubs and raves across the UK), other acts included Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
, Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
, rap act Consolidated
Consolidated
Consolidated may refer to:*Consolidated *Consolidated Aircraft , an aircraft manufacturer*Consolidated city-county*Consolidation...
, French producer Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists...
, Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter.-Career:Gavin was born in Dublin and grew up in Finglas, a neighbourhood located on Dublin's Northside...
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
.
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter.-Career:Gavin was born in Dublin and grew up in Finglas, a neighbourhood located on Dublin's Northside...
project,Shag Tobacco
Shag Tobacco
Shag Tobacco is the third solo album from Gavin Friday. Once again, Friday teamed up with musician Maurice "The Man" Seezer. Bono and The Edge contribute backing vocals on "Little Black Dress."This album features a cover of T.Rex's "The Slider"....
, not only catapulted Friday into the mainstream (spawning the track Angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
which found its way onto the hugely successful soundtrack of the Romeo & Juliet movie), but also caught the attention of a pair of British musicians on the look out for a new producer: Dave Gahan and Martin Gore
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, remixer and DJ. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode and has written the vast majority of their songs...
of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
. Says Gahan, "There was loads of names being thrown at us (to produce Depeche Mode's next album after Songs of Faith and Devotion
Songs of Faith and Devotion
Songs of Faith and Devotion is the eighth album by the British electronic music group Depeche Mode, released in 1993 on Mute Records. The album incorporated more guitar textures than previous releases. Upon its release, Songs of Faith and Devotion reached number one in both the UK and US album...
), but in the end we picked (Simenon) because Martin (Gore) and I really liked the Gavin Friday album that he did. Shag Tobacco is an absolutely brilliant album, (and) we really loved the sounds he produced."
It's No Good
"It's No Good" is Depeche Mode's thirty-second UK single, released on March 31, 1997 , and the second single for the then upcoming album Ultra...
, and Home
Home (Depeche Mode song)
"Home" is Depeche Mode's thirty-third UK single, released on June 16, 1997, and the third single for the album Ultra. It is also the third UK single with Martin Gore on lead vocals, and the second stand-alone single with him on lead vocals .Though it was...
However, despite being a hit and going on to achieve over three million sales worldwide, the project would have another - less positive - effect on Simenon.
Quoted in the biography, Depeche Mode: Black Celebration by Steve Malins, Simenon confessed, "I just felt f*cked by the end of the recording, and I carried on working in January and February 1997, which was the worst thing I could have done. I started to feel really ill. So I took a break and had a few months off. I was just mentally and physically exhausted."
The work in question, which took the form of recording sessions with Jack Dangers
Jack Dangers
Jack Dangers is an electronic musician, DJ, producer, and remixer best known for his work as the primary member of Meat Beat Manifesto. He lives in San Francisco.-Career:...
from Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
(which later surfaced as the Tracks EP) would - with the exception of a further single with Depeche Mode, Only When I Lose Myself - be the last Bomb the Bass outing for many years. "It’d been non-stop for more than 10 years, and I was just burnt out. It all just caught up, and took its toll; just left me feeling very, very uninspired." Stepping down, Simenon moved to Amsterdam and took what would become an extended break; diverting some of his attention into setting up and running the independent Electric Tones
Electric Tones
Electric Tones is an independent record label owned and run by British composer and producer Tim Simenon. The label, which is based in Amsterdam, was launched in 2000, and is dedicated to the release of electronic-based compositions, generally fitting into the field known as Electronica.Because of...
label.
Launched in 2000 as an outlet for "electronic and left-field releases", the label was initially designed to showcase acts Simenon thought deserved attention, however, he has also contributed several tracks to Electric Tones compilations under his experimental alias, Flow Creator.
The following year, Simenon was nominated for an Ivor Novello for his work on the theme to the BBC TV series, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall & Hopkirk is a British television series, produced by Working Title Films for BBC One. It is a remake of the 1960s television series Randall and Hopkirk and stars Vic Reeves as Hopkirk and Bob Mortimer as Randall, Emilia Fox as Jeannie, and Tom Baker as Wyvern.- Background :Two series...
alongside David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
.
Back to the front: Simenon as performer again
Over the last few years, Simenon has slowly but surely returned to active duties: producing for Dot Allison, BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
based electro clash band Futon
Futon (band)
Futon is an international band based in Bangkok, Thailand.Gene & Oh are both from Thailand. Bee and Simon are both from England. Futon was started by Bee and David Coker , who were running the Bangkok nightclub, Rehab...
, as well as initial tracks with the Scottish band, Fangs.
More significantly, Simenon also re-activated Bomb the Bass, with the collective delivering the critically applauded Future Chaos album via !K7 Records in 2008. Written, recorded and produced in collaboration with Paul Conboy (formerly of A.P.E. and Cooper/Conboy), the nine-track album also contains contributions from Toob, Jon Spencer, Fujiya & Miyagi
Fujiya & Miyagi
Fujiya & Miyagi are an English band formed in Brighton in 2000. They are currently signed to Full Time Hobby Records in the United Kingdom.-Career:...
, and Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
. Simenon also put a live version of the act together, built around himself on samples and live mixing, Conboy on live keyboards and vocals, plus two brothers as live DJ (Claudio) and visual scratch artist (Valerio).
Having wrapped the Future Chaos campaign after the third single, Black River (featuring Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
on vocals), Simenon returned to the studio to begin work on the next Bomb the Bass album, due for release in late 2009.
Production credits
2008Toob - Pirate Teeth w/Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass - Black River w/Mark Lanegan
Bomb the Bass - Butterfingers w/ Fujiya & Miyagi
Bomb the Bass - So Special
Bomb the Bass - Future Chaos (album)
Fangs - Fangs City Rockers
Fangs - Panik Attak
2007
Futon - Strap It On
Futon - Love So Strong
Futon - End Of Friend
2006
Primal Scream - Sometimes I Feel So Lonely (remix)
Dot Allison - Quicksand
Dot Allison - Paper Rose
Biggi - Sofdu Med Ljosid A
Biggi - Reason to Grow
Biggi - Perfect Sunday
2002
Robot Finger (as Flow Creator)
Ikara (as Flow Creator)
2001
Bomb the Bass - Fast w/Shawn Lee
Bomb the Bass - Clear Cut w/Lali Puna
1999
Bomb the Bass - Lost Your Soul
Bomb the Bass - Disco Bob w/Justin Warfield
1998
Depeche Mode - Only When I Lose Myself
Curve - Sweetback
Curve - Something Familiar
Curve - Recovery
Curve - Killer Baby
Curve - Dirty High
Curve - Coming Up Roses
Alpha - Sometime Later (remix)
1997
Depeche Mode - Ultra (album)
Depeche Mode - The Bottom Line
Depeche Mode - It's No Good
Depeche Mode - Insight
Depeche Mode - Home
Depeche Mode - Barrel of a Gun
1996
One Inch Punch - Secrets of the One Inch Punch (album)
1995
David Bowie - Heart's Filthy Lesson (remix)
Gavin Friday - Shag Tobacco (album)
Gavin Friday - Caruso
Gavin Friday - Angel
1994
Gavin Friday & Bono - In the Name of the Father
Sinéad O'Connor - You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart
Sinéad O'Connor - Fire On Babylon
Sinéad O'Connor - Famine
Sinéad O'Connor - Thank You For Hearing Me
Massive Attack - Sly (remix)
Bomb the Bass - Clear (album)
Bomb the Bass - Empire w/B Zephaniah & Sinéad O'Connor
Bomb the Bass - Dark Heart w/Spikey Tee
Bomb the Bass - Bug Powder Dust w/Justin Warfield
Bomb the Bass - Brain Dead w/Justin Warfield
1993
Björk - Play Dead (remix)
1992
Cheb Khaled - Didi (remix)
1991
Bomb the Bass - Winter in July w/Loretta Heywood
Bomb the Bass - Unknown Territory (album)
Seal - Krazy
1988
Neneh Cherry - Manchild
Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
Bomb the Bass - Into the Dragon (album)
Bomb the Bass - Megablast
Bomb the Bass - Beat Dis