Lee Simeone

Lee Simeone is a British self-taught multi-instrumentalist who has mastered his own unique style since he first arrived on the music scene with his debut album ‘The Dream Weaver’ in 2009. Signed to Le Coq Musique, the record label of Adam & The Ants, Kevin Mooney and Renegade Soundwave frontman Gary Asquith, the album received rave reviews.

As well as music, Simeone has a keen interest in graphic design and visual arts. As a member of the Electric Dreams collective in London, Simeone appeared as an extra in the BBC’s hit series ‘Ashes To Ashes’ alongside pop and fashion guru Steve Strange, where the production team recreated the iconic 80s club. He also produced the award winning documentary ‘You Better Take Cover’, the story of Australian band Men At Work and the Kookaburra plagiarism controversy. The film won best documentary short at both the Melbourne and St Kilda Film Festivals.

The new album, ‘Before The Internet’, sees Simeone going back to basics using instruments from the 70s and he wishes, if anything, that it will inspire his listeners to step away from their screens, put their phones down, and just listen…

Hi Lee, welcome to DMC! Congratulations on the release of your new single ‘Today Is Yesterday’, how does it feel to have it out in the world?

Well, glad it is floating around the loony verse.

For readers that may not be familiar with you yet, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your sound?

I see myself as an accomplished mix engineer, sound designer, music programmer, engineer and performer. Playing drums/percussion since I was nine years old and a self-taught keyboardist/guitarist. I have produced various patch libraries for software developers. And the development of the; VSP-330, a vocoder plugin. I am always on the lookout for new timbres and textures, which gets me to my other passion; analog synthesizers, a partnership I have had since my late teens and have owned just about every machine on the planet!

I am a firm beliver that the silence between notes is more important than the notes themselves, and always fascinated by sound synthesis & unique chord structures. I got introduced to it all at a very young age resulted in ten years of performing and recording/mixing with various artists:

◥ Kevin Mooney (Adam & The Ants)

◥ Gary Asquith (Rema Rema. Renegade Soundwave)

◥ Karel Fialka (Electropop pioneer)

◥ Simon Gibson (Abbey Rd Studios)

◥ Paul Reynolds (A Flock of Seagulls)

◥ Ron Strykert (Men at Work)

◥ Milton Reame-James (Cockney Rebel)

How did the track come together for you, and which artists have inspired your sound so far?

It came from a collection of songs that I was writing around the death of my friend David; thought I heard you laughing, spinning, swinging madly across the sun.  It’s such a wonderful place, the loonyverse, full of majik and mystery. In the fullness of some future, we will hear those rhythms again, and finally be lifted. There will always be, that one song. Sound inspires me and not inspired by any artist in particular.  Only a Jupiter 4 synthesizer. My only world is sound – spinning – magnetic fluctuations, waves of wave configurations that dance between the poles of sound and bind my world to my soul.

Your forthcoming album is titled; ‘Before The Internet’. What was the inspiration behind this project?

I once lived in the Millenium Village, and the place became like a depot, way too many home deliveries.

What does a typical day look like for you? We’d love to get an insight into your creative process when in the studio?

Soldering iron on! Having a bit of a contrarian spirit, I sense the form & time of music deeply & I am able to play within – and outside of it. I always try to put some element of stark reality into my productions, a little patch of the big sky if you like.

Any up-and-coming artists that you recommend we check out?

Chris Ozkan

Mr. Maxted

What else can we expect from you in the coming months?

Some more live dates. A new single is due for release soon, and the album will follow.

Finally, what are the big five tunes you have on repeat at the moment?

Short & Sweet – Roy Harper

You be the Judge – Karel Fialka

Dirty Fingers – Molly Nillson

Urban Foxes – Search Party

Weathering Heights – Kate Bush

Thank you so much!

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