Timothy Didymus (born 1966, Portsmouth) is a British artist and musician based in Brighton. He is considered a pioneer in the field of generative music.[1] Didymus has collaborated with artists such as Brian Eno, Cornelia Sollfrank, Emilia Telese and presented at institutions and festivals such as ZKM,[2] Ars Electronica,[3] International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA),[4] Werkleitz Biennale of Multimedia Arts,[5] Liverpool Biennial,[6] De La Warr Pavilion,[7] Fort Process.[8]
Didymus began writing and performing music in 1980, primarily as a drummer. In 1993 he began creating generative electronic music using SSEYO's Koan software, producing algorithmic breakbeat and drum and bass, and ambient music.[5][9] Didymus contributed to the development of the Koan Plus and Koan Pro software during the 1990s, initially as a beta tester and later credited as Koan's 'Principle Musician'.[10][11] Koan won the ‘Technical Innovation’ category at the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards in 2001.[12]
Didymus uses generative composition in the contexts of live concerts,[13] radiophonic works,[14] sound installations,[15] and generative multimedia releases, including Float in 1997.[11] In 2003, Didymus curated Dark Symphony in Linz, a 96-hour generative sound installation commissioned by Ars Electronica.[3] The installation featured a 250,000 watt sound system positioned on the banks of the Danube, which played generative music by Didymus, Brian Eno, Tim Cole, Mark Harrop and others.[16]
In the 2010s, Didymus developed Kosmische Glass, an instrument and musical automaton that produces acoustic tones from glass by means of friction.[17] The instrument is an automated, electronic development of the glass armonica invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. An LP, also entitled Kosmische Glass, was released by Beatabet in 2017.[18]