Simulacrum
Replicants
Excerpt From Liner Notes by PEK
“… This is a solid set from Simulacum which shows the overarching concept of this unit transcends the original core lineup since Bob and Eric are both absent. The electronics are superb from Robin and Shauoul (who also brought guitar this time). The horn section was super tight and so was the rhythm section. We all did a lot of doubling on the auxiliary instruments in the studio including the synth bank, so there is often more electronics present than just the two specialists… Great development and sonority all the way though.…”
Simulacrum
Evil Clown Headquarters, Waltham MA
18 July 2025
1) Replicants – 1:10:05
2) Unicorn Dreams – 5:47
PEK – clarinet, contralto & contrabass clarinets, alto, & tenor saxophones, shenai, piccolo oboe, English horn, tarota, goat horn, melodica, sheng, game calls, novation peak, moog subsequent, Linnstrument controllers, nord stage 3, lfo violin, ms-20 syntrx, noise tower, gravichord, daxophone, [d]ronin, 17 string bass, nagoya, spring & chime rod boxes, Tibetan bowls & bells, almglocken, crotales, glockenspiel, chimes, wood & temple blocks, brontosaurus & tank bells, gongs, plate gong, orchestral anvils & castanets, log drums, cow bells, Englephone, spiral cymbal, taxi horn, orchestral castanets, triangle chimes
Michael Caglianone – soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, flute, melodica, game call, penny whistle, slide whistle, clown hammers, flex-a-tone, balafon, xylophone, almglocken, Englephone, wood & temple blocks, gravichord, crank siren
John Fugarino – trumpets, flugelhorn, trombone, French horn, melodica, nord stage 3, prophet, ms-20, array mbira, log drums, spring & chime rod boxes, balafon, xylophone, almglocken, Tibetan bowls & bells, noise tower, gongs, wood & temple blocks, 17 string bass, seed ped rattles, crotales
Robin Amos – studiologic sledge, waldorf blofeld, electric zither
Cyrus Shauoul – guitar, novation peak, moog subsequent, Linnstrument controllers, lfo percolator, nord stage 3, gong
Jonathan LaMaster – violin, electric upright bass, balafon, xylophone, almglocken, electro-gadet
Michael Knoblach – festival drum, dumbek, frame drum, ocean drum, Tibetan bowls, flex-a-tone,wood blocks, seed pod rattles, orchestral castanets
Joel Simches – live to 2-track recording, real-time signal processing
Full Video
Video Shorties
Liner Notes by PEK
Simulacrum is an offshoot of Metal Chaos Ensemble that was conceived just prior to the Virus shutting things down. The ensemble has generally featured 3 core members PEK on all my stuff, Eric Woods on analog synth, and Bob Moores on space trumpet, guitar, and electronics. The basic idea of this band is to increase the amount of electronics, to keep the ancillary percussion and loose the drum set, along with PEK and Bob holding down the horn parts.
Replicants was originally scheduled to be an octet. We had three synthesis gurus: Robin Amos, Cyrus Shauoul, and Eric Woods; we had the Evil Clown power three horn front line: PEK, John Fugarino and Michael Caglianone, and we had Scott Samenfeld on bass and Michael Knoblach on percussion. A solid octet of Evil Clown regulars! As often happens though, we had an illness and Eric Woods did not make the set.
No worries. One huge advantage of pure improvisation is that ensemble size and makeup is much less critical than bands that play repertoire and rely on fixed ensembles. Bands in more popular styles, would not be able to continue with a planned event with late change to the planning. In pure improvisation, the aesthetic problem posed to the improvisors is comprised of the players, the instrumental resources, the setting and circumstances of the event. Changes to the unit change the problem, and therefore the solution to the problem, but do not mean that the music is less in any way or can’t continue in the face of even radical last second change.
This is a solid set from Simulacum which shows the overarching concept of this unit transcends the original core lineup since Bob and Eric are both absent. The electronics are superb from Robin and Shauoul (who also brought guitar this time). The horn section was super tight and so was the rhythm section. We all did a lot of doubling on the auxiliary instruments in the studio including the synth bank, so there is often more electronics present than just the two specialists… Great development and sonority all the way though.
Anyway, I like this set, and I bet you will too.
PEK Out – 7/18/2025
Paul Brennan Photos
and Vidoe Screen Grabs
