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Sound design is hard to represent in the highly visual form of the internet. It's also hard to put audio files up as most sound design work is meaningless without its context. The Chokey in Matilda maybe a great cue but its hopeless in isolation. Below are some clips of more music based things Simon has created for shows.

Note - Sound Cloud (who host these files) have a very strange data compression so the tracks often sound different to the original.

Steptoe Opening Q

Heres the final opening q of the show.

Steptoe Early R and D Example

When starting a new show that has a large world to devise Simon often starts with a long piece of music that will set the mood but also allow ideas to be pulled from. The whole track is never meant for use just a scrap book for ideas for the director.

La Bete London and NY

Here's the opening cue from La Bete London. Clare Van Kampen wrote the music for this.

La Bete - Final Moment

Umbrellas London

Simons & Emma Rice's idea was take the old 1960s jazz score and release it into the contemporary world. The show ended with our story teller (Meow Meow), leaving 1960s France and entering modern Soho as if the dock door shutter was just opened.

The vocals are the London Cast and also feature samples from the original movie. The main drum pattern is better known as Masive Attacks Teardrop but is actually a treated sample from Les Mcanns track Sometimes I Cry. Not only is Simon a theatre sound designer but a proper sample/breakbeat geek. and a regular contributor to sample library database whosampled.

Wild Bride - International Tour

This is the early pre CD press mix. Simon mixed and produced this album for Kneehigh.

The album was recorded "as live" at Kneehighs Asylum.

Batman Live - International Tour

The opening montage to set up the story - Simon also constructed the rhythm for this.

Deathtrap - Opening

Music by Gary Yershon, produced and programmed by Simon.

Brief Encounter - Final Image NY

When Brief moved from St Annes Warehouse to Studio 54 some minor changes needed to be made. The main sound one was in the end edit of the music (Rachmaninov). This piece had already been cut around a lot and another edit couldn't be found. In the end Simon remade the middle section using virtual samples and then glued it all back together.

I am Shakespeare - Final Cue

Mark Rylance and Sean Foley devised a piece about the non-existence of Shakespeare - directed by Matthew Warchus. The set up was that Mark ran a web hosted chat show in his garage called "Who's there". Sean was his neighbour that used to help out - his training being that he had once had a number one hit record so was therefore technically savvy. He was the "house band" on the chat show. This involved him playing Greensleeves on a Korg M1.

A complex show to do that involved a live phone link, text messages and the arrival of Bacon through a wall. Chaos and fun.

Anyway - a curtain call was needed so Simon and Clare Van Kampen made this - Sean's fake number one from the 80's - Sputnik Love God.

And for the train spotters - the kick is sampled from Art Of Noise and the snare is from Lets Dance.

From The Vaults

There are 3 things here Simon found recently whilst clearing out some CDs.

The 1st is the Boeing Boeing Curtain Call Music. This is the remix that was done for the restaging for the Broadway production of the calls by leading director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall. Claire Van Kampen wrote the original version of this for London but wasn't really available for the Broadway transfer so Simon did the counts and accents for this new re-work. The original track was 1 min 30 long and this version counted out at 2 min 44. Thats a lot of re-work. The original percussion and instruments were recorded at Autograph (London) and the remix and re structure done in Simons hotel room in NY. Claire added the Marimba part towards the end of the process. The percussion break features almost every Samba record Simon could find and sample whilst scouring the shops of mid -town. Playing the new structure against the new staging the 1st time was one of Simons most nerve wracking moments in a rehearsal room. However it worked - the sound for this was Tony Nominated in the 1st year sound was recognised at the awards.

The 2nd track is from the UK touring production of Patrick Marber's Closer. Patrick had directed the original himself and Paddy Cunneen had written the music. In a change around for the tour Paddy directed the show. The music is a re-work of Paddy's original score. This was the days when shows were constructed on Akais and Ataris - hence the William Orbit sounding filtered piano and drums. The internet dial up tones date this piece perfectly.

The 3rd is from The Cripple Of Innishman at the NT Cottesloe directed by Nick Hytner before he was Artistic Director. The Uilleann Pipes were samples recorded at the old Autograph Studio and then reassembled at the old Dubbing Room at the NT. The rest of the samples are old Akai library things. Music by Paddy Cunneen again.