“Meteor Showers and eclipses – Here in the UK we have been experiencing a period of astrological events, mainly obscured by clouds! It begun by being told about the moon eclipsing the sun, which we were not to look directly at as this would cause severe damage to the eyes. So I decided that it might be safer for me to observe the night sky and see if I could spot any of the predicted meteor showers. I am not an astronomer but I do appreciate the wonder of the night sky especially when I experience full views of the wonderful array of star formations. I am reminded of the composer Gustav Holst and his music titled The Planets which as you may know is a seven-movement orchestral suite and I begin to think about which instruments in the percussion range emulate that twinkling effect we get from the stars. The closest I can imagine is the sound of the Simtak. This simple instrument made from a car exhaust pipe, which I named after my percussion technician at the time (Simon) and the type of sound the pipe produces (tak tak) can be used to create the most incredible organic sensations. In the track “Shadow Behind Iron Sun” I’m wielding a couple of triangle sticks across the whole length of the Simtak. This one pipe found in a scrap yard is a never ending source of discovery for me. Perhaps you have played one before?”

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