Simon Hurst - Where To Now? (A Sort Of Suite)

​Simon Hurst

Where To Now? (A Sort Of Suite) 
​self-released; 2024

​By ​Dino DiMuro

Simon Hurst of Devon, UK, has been writing, recording, and performing music for many years, both songs and commercial jingles, and has worked with both bands and orchestras. Having built his own recording studio, he’s moved into a whole new direction, releasing seven instrumental albums including his newest, Where To Now? (A Sort of Suite).

Hurst describes his composing method this way: “Like much of the music I now write, this album emerged out of some initial doodling at the keyboard. Playing around with a sequence of notes (a minor pentatonic scale for those who are into the theory side of things) led me off in all sorts of different directions. And because I couldn’t decide which one to follow, I decided to follow them all across a wide variety of genres and styles.” Having previously reviewed 2023’s "Vintage Reflections", I have an inkling of how far and deep Hurst likes to go!

Recording, mixing, and mastering took place at Hurst’s home studio using Cubase Pro 11 and a variety of virtual instruments. Each song is titled “Where To Now” followed by the track number.

Part One begins with a miasma of keyboards, both realistic-sounding digital and cranky analogue. Hurst performs variations on a cyclical melodic pattern that evokes a kind of alternative universe circus. After barely a minute there’s a prog-like tempo change, sort of like a less-intense Keith Emerson. The fuzz lead guitar melodies add a Steve Hackett-Genesis feel. Part Two switches to the kind of smoky, dark jazz tempo you’d expect in a film noir, with piano and drums predominant. The second section lays down a thick carpet of heavenly synths before returning to the Henry Mancini-like jazz theme.

Part Three is a kind of percolating stew of Crimson-like keys and dramatic flourishes. The middle section is like a lost theme from a 1980s Australian movie, before moving into a ping-pong section of digital horns and cool stereo mixing effects. Part Four seems to start with overlapping fanfares, then moves into a jolly, skip-time section where the synths almost seem to be smiling. I’m noticing that Hurst is combining two or three very different ideas into each section, and this one has a surprising tendency to echo Aaron Copland and even Brian Wilson’s “Smile.” In fact, Part Five recalls “Smile” even more explicitly, with circus-like melodies and tempo; there’s even a harpsichord-like patch on the keys.

Part Six sounds like an arrangement for horns and woodwinds, then adds interacting melodies that slowly build on top of each other, taking us to the heavens on a musical stairway. Part Seven returns us to orchestral mode, with fairly convincing banks of strings and bells, before settling in on a wandering prog-rock melody against a fairly conventional rock beat (think early Collins-era Genesis). The strings can’t help but add an Electric Light Orchestra sheen. This is probably my favorite “part”! The concluding track takes just four and a half minutes to wrap up, with familiar-sounding melodies and many of the sounds we’ve grown accustomed to.

​If you’re a fan of keyboard prog, prog-like soundtracks, or just awesome music, there’s plenty here to get lost in!

Tweet