Simon Raymonde

Simon Raymonde
Born (1962-04-03) 3 April 1962
Tottenham, London, United Kingdom
Genres Alternative rock
dream pop
ambient
Occupation(s) Record producer, musician, Record Label owner
Instruments Bass guitar, piano, guitar, keyboards, violin
Associated acts Drowning Craze
Cocteau Twins
Snowbird

Simon Philip Raymonde (born Simon Philip Pomerance, 3 April 1962, London) is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer Ivor Raymonde. He is best known as the bass guitarist and keyboard player with the Scottish band Cocteau Twins from 1983 to 1997.

Career

Raymonde began his career as bassist for London-based post-punk band Drowning Craze, who released three singles on Situation 2: "Storage Case" (1981), "Trance" (1981) and "Heat" (1982).

In 1984, Raymonde joined Cocteau Twins,[1] filling the void left by the departed bassist Will Heggie. He remained as a core writer in the band until its dissolution in 1997. As well as his work with Cocteau Twins, he also contributed to the first two albums by This Mortal Coil, another 4AD project.

Raymonde's debut solo album, Blame Someone Else, was released in 1997, and featured contributions from Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins.

Raymonde runs the Bella Union record label, which has released music by Fleet Foxes, Treefight For Sunlight, I Break Horses, John Grant, Laura Veirs, Midlake, Lift to Experience, Howling Bells, Stephanie Dosen, Beach House, Hannah Cohen, Dirty Three, Marques Toliver, Mountain Man, The Low Anthem, Veronica Falls, Vetiver, Andrew Bird, J Tillman, Wavves, Abe Vigoda, Peter Broderick, Department of Eagles, Zun Zun Egui, Lanterns on the Lake, Alessi's Ark, Sleeping States, The Dears, Explosions in the Sky, Fionn Regan, Cashier No 9, Jonathan Wilson and Philip Selway.

Raymonde has acted as producer and mixer on many records, including Clearlake's Cedars, James Yorkston's Moving Up Country, the first two albums by John Grant's first band The Czars, The Duke Spirit's Cuts Across the Land, and The Open's Silent Hours. He co-produced the posthumous album from Billy Mackenzie. He also mixed the Fionn Regan album The End of History, which was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize, and the debut album by Lift to Experience. Raymonde remixed tracks for Archive, Tristeza and Departure Lounge. His more recent output includes work with Anthony Reynolds, Lucas Renney and Archie Bronson Outfit.

In 2007, he made an appearance in the documentary film Scott Walker: 30 Century Man.

In 2009, Raymonde formed the group Snowbird with Stephanie Dosen.

In 2011, he was asked to be the music supervisor for Jonathan Caouette's documentary Walk Away Renee, which was accepted for Cannes Film Festival and was released in May 2013

In 2012, Bella Union celebrated its 15th year, and the label was asked to host and curate the Friday lineup at the End of the Road Festival that September.[2]

Since February 2012, Raymonde has presented a show on Amazing Radio on Monday evenings, and is a regular stand-in for John Kennedy on his Xposure show on XFM.

He was vice-chairman of the board at the Association of Independent Music in 2013, and speaks regularly around the world about his experiences in the industry over the last 30 years. He recently did a weekend workshop with music students at QUT in Brisbane, and has also done master classes at the Academy of Contemporary Music at UCO in Oklahoma City as well as at Middlesex University, and has been the keynote speaker at Big Sound in Australia, Going Global in New Zealand and Norwich's Sound & Vision (where he was interviewed by John Robb).

Simon won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2012, presented by AIM, to add to the Best Independent Label of the Year awards in 2010, 2012 and 2014, as voted by all of the UK's indie retailers.

In February 2013, Raymonde filmed the first three pilot episodes of his television show, Live at the Village Underground, introducing new bands each week.

On 27 January 2014, he released his first music in 17 years, with the band Snowbird. Their album Moon was issued as a vinyl package with one black vinyl and one white vinyl, with artwork designed by Vaughan Oliver and a bonus electronic dub remix album by RxGibbs called Luna.

In summer 2014, he started a new musical project with musician Richard Thomas (formerly of Dif Juz and Jesus and Mary Chain).

Personal life

Raymonde married Abbey in 2013 in California, has two sons Stan and Will, and divides his time between UK and USA.

Discography

Albums

References

  1. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles; Peel, John (25 October 2004). The great rock discography. Canongate U.S. pp. 312–. ISBN 978-1-84195-615-2. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "Bella Union's 15th Birthday". bellaunion.com. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
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