Here and There - The Music of Simon Wood

I have come to believe, having listened to a healthy share of HandPan music in recent years, that playing HandPan tells a man’s (or woman’s) story, like no other instrument I’ve ever heard. The initial ease of play allows beginners to start writing, while the later addition of skills, allows the player to refine their story into a masterpiece. And it never ceases to amaze me, just how many beautiful stories that there are to be told.

Simon Wood

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, Simon Wood, uses his music to bring a little light into the lives of those most needing, frequently working with, and playing with, children in care, older folk, substance abusers, asylum seekers, and seemingly anybody else, who could use a friend in their corner. That is, when he’s not travelling the world, playing Hang, and HandPan with the likes of Davide Swarup, Spyros Pan, and Colin Foulke.

Here and There

Featuring both PANArt Hang, and BEllArt BElls, ‘Here and There’, Simon Wood’s debut
HandPan album is eight tracks of awesomeness. Eclectic to some degree, but very much keeping pace with itself, in terms of mood, and ambience. Which, if I were forced to some up in only three words, I would describe as being, ‘peaceful’, ‘transcendental’, and a little bit ‘mournful’ in places too. And the mix of solo HandPan tracks, with some of the best HandPan and electronic mash-ups I’ve yet to hear, really works for this album. From the gentleness, and fragility, of tracks such as ‘Three Times’, and ‘Always Searching’, through to the uber-cool, ‘Ten Thousand Suns’ (a track that the ‘repeat’ button on your media player was very much made for). Music to have an epiphany to!


To preview and/or purchase Simon Wood’s album Here and There, you can visit him over at his BandCamp page: HERE, or for more info on the man behind the music, you can visit Simon over at his personal website: HERE

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