Ian Simmonds

Ian Simmonds

Ian Simmonds 2009
Background information
Birth name Ian Simmonds
Also known as Juryman
Born 1966
Wales
Genres Electronica, Jazz, Nu Jazz, Downtempo, House
Occupation(s) Disc jockey
music producer
Singer
Years active 1987 – present
Labels Musik Krause
Associated acts Wise in Time
Website www.ian-simmonds.com

Ian Simmonds, Juryman (born 1966), is a Welsh-born electronica and jazz musician whose music oscillates between more acoustic works of nu jazz or downtempo and heavily produced electronica, as Juryman the sound is interwoven with hip hop textures. Ian Simmonds is certainly one of a few talents "to successfully breach the chasm that keeps DJ culture from more tangible, organic realms."[1] His complex musical landscapes are often accompanied by his deep calm voice, making poetic, political and social statements at the same time. He is a self-taught musician, singing and playing trumpet, bass guitar, piano and is a producer with numerous releases, contributions and co-productions.

Biography

Background

Ian spent part of his childhood following his trumpet-playing dad around the world. When he turned 18, he moved to London and formed a collective called Sandals with three other friends. This collective came together in the late 1980s to start a club in London Soho called "Violets", a response to the emerging acid house scene and early rave culture. Events in several other clubs followed. In the onset of the 1990s the "Sandals" were formed in that humus and became a little success, suddenly publishing for London Records. Ian Simmonds started publishing his own deep, vibrant music in 1995 first under his pseudonym Juryman, later on under his real name Ian Simmonds.

Music

In the mid-1990s, Ian Simmonds began recording a series of EPs. In addition he produced his own tracks for the then totally unknown Leftfield and Pressure Drop, which were to influence his later productions. During these recordings he met musician Luke Gordon aka Spacer. 1997 SSR published a collaboration LP Juryman vs Spacer: Mailorder Justice His solo debut LP published in 1999 by !K7 Ian Simmonds: Last States of Nature was well perceived and consolidated his reputation as an innovative producer. It was soon followed by the LP Juryman: The Hill, published in 2000 by SSR Records. 2001 Ian Simmonds: Return to X released at !K7; another Juryman LP got released in 2002 Escape to Where.

Since the midst of the 1990s, he worked with several other artists Leftfield, Goldfrapp, pressure drop on various collaborations, remixes, accompanied by appearances on dozens of compilations. He also contributed the music to Adam Smiths Channel 4 documentary A.I.P.S.

In 2005 Ian moved to Germany to work with local musicians on his Jazz project Wise in Time, since then he publishes as Ian Simmonds for "Musik Krause" a sublabel of "Freude am Tanzen", where five EPs got released and his recent LP Ian Simmonds: Burgenland Dubs.

Discography

Albums

The Sandals

Juryman

Ian Simmonds

Wise in Time

Singles and EPs

Sandals

Juryman

Ian Simmonds

Wise in Time

Labels

Remixes

Juryman

Ian Simmonds

Tracks on compilations, soundtracks and miscellaneous releases

Contributions

References

  1. ↑ (XLR8R, USA)

Interviews


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