Simon Popp
Music
Trained in jazz drumming and polyrhythm, Simon Popp draws on an extensive collection of instruments, from balafon and slit drums to singing bowls, bells and tuned metal percussion, each and all used as a means of telling stories. Intricate patterns of acoustic percussion melt into electronic processing, smoothing into ambient textures amongst minimalist repetition. At once earthy and weightless, his finely wrought structures leave room for chance and unexpected turns: experimentation is the flavour he favours, unfamiliar timbres welcomed to bring compositions into new realms. Popp is also a member of Munich jazz quintet Fazer, part of the percussion duo 9ms with Florian König, and a frequent collaborator with artists including fellow Munich-based composer Polygonia. Their meeting is a fluid one, acoustic rhythms weaving through shifting synthetic environments. Popp received the City of Munich’s Advancement Award for Music in 2023 and was nominated for the German Jazz Prize in 2025.
Apiformes, by Polygonia, Simon Popp
Apiformes, by Polygonia, Simon Popp