Nick Didkovsky (born 22 November 1958) is a composer, guitarist, computer music programmer, and leader of the band Doctor Nerve.[1] He is a former student of Christian Wolff, Pauline Oliveros and Gerald Shapiro.[1]
Nick Didkovsky | |
|---|---|
 Nick Didkovsky at The Stone | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 November 1958 |
| Genres | Progressive rock |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Website | www |
Career edit
Didkovsky formed Doctor Nerve in 1984.[2] He received a Masters in Computer Music from New York University in 1987 and went on to develop a Java music API called JMSL (Java Music Specification Language).[3] JMSL is a toolbox for algorithmic composition and performance. JMSL includes JScore, an extensible staff notation editor. JMSL can output music using either JavaSound or JSyn.[4] He has presented papers on his work at several conferences.[1]
Ensemble activities include founding the blackened grindcore band Vomit Fist in 2013.[5] He was a composing member of the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet for the ten years of the band's tenure, and has also played in John Zorn's band.[1] His Punos Music[6] record label is a harbor for his more extreme musical projects such as "split",[7] a guitar collaboration with Dylan DiLella of the technical death metal band Pyrrhon[8][circular reference].
His debut solo album was released in 1997 and featured contributions from Frith.[9] His second album, Body Parts, came out of a collaboration with Guigou Chenevier.[10]
Didkovsky has composed for or performed on a number of CDs including:
- 1987, Doctor Nerve Armed Observation, Label: Cuneiform, produced by Fred Frith
- 1988, Rascal Reporters Happy Accidents
- 1995, Doctor Nerve SKIN, Label: Cuneiform
- 1997
- Every Screaming Ear, Label: Cuneiform (January 21, 1997)
- Ayaya Moses, with the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet
- Binky Boy
- 1999, Upbeat, with the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet[11]
- 2000, Ereia, with Doctor Nerve and the Sirius String Quartet
- 2003, Bone - uses wrist grab, with Hugh Hopper and John Roulat
- 2015, Vomit Fist Forgive but Avenge
- 2017 Alice Cooper Paranormal
- 2019, Vomit Fist Omnicide
Didkovsky's music has also been arranged by the experimental music group Electric Kompany. He is a co-owner of the "$100 Guitar", a guitar which was circulated amongst many musicians (including Alex Skolnick, Fred Frith, and Nels Cline) for the recording of a concept album about the guitar.[12]
Solo discography edit
- Now I Do This (1982), Punos Music
- Binky Boy (1997), Punos
- Body Parts (2000), Vand'Oeuvre
- The Bright Lights The Big Time (2005), FMR
- Tube Mouth Bow String (2006), Pogus
- The $100 Guitar Project (2013), Bridge
- Phantom Words (2017), Punos
Notes edit
- ^ a b c d Dorsch
- ^ Taylor, Graham "Doctor Nerve" in Buckley, Peter (1999) The Rough Guide to Rock, Rough Guides, ISBN 978-1858284576, pp. 302-3
- ^ Didkovsky, Nick & Burk, Philip L. "Java Music Specification Language, an Introduction and Overview", in Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, Computer Music Association, 2001, p. 123
- ^ Dean, Roger T. (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Computer Music, OUP USA, ISBN 978-0195331615, p. 127
- ^ "Vomit Fist - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives".
- ^ "Punos Music".
- ^ "C H O R D / Dylan DiLella - "split"".
- ^ Pyrrhon (band)
- ^ Jurek
- ^ Couture
- ^ Schultze, Tom "Upbeat" in Bogdanov, Vladimir et al (2002) All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz, Backbeat Books, ISBN 978-0879307172, p. 443
- ^ Kozinn, Allan (2013) "A Generic Guitar Inspires a Distinctive Project", The New York Times, April 2, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2014
Sources edit
- Couture, François "Body Parts Review", Allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2014
- Dickenson, J. Andrew: "Electric Counterpoint", Urban Guitar, July 2006
- Dorsch, Jim "Nick Didkovsky Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2014
- Jurek, Thom "Binky Boy Review", Allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2014
- Ross Feller, Ice Cream Time: The Raunchy and the Rigorous [1][permanent dead link]
- Rose, Joe, A $100 Guitar Makes A 30,000-Mile Odyssey, [2], National Public Radio, 4 December 2012