Nick Didkovsky

Nick Didkovsky (born 22 November 1958) is a composer, guitarist, computer music programmer, and leader of the band Doctor Nerve.^[1] He is a former student of Christian Wolff, Pauline Oliveros and Gerald Shapiro.^[1]

Nick Didkovsky
Nick Didkovsky at The Stone
Background information
Born	(1958-11-22) 22 November 1958 (age 66)
Genres	Progressive rock
Years active	1984–present
Website	www.didkovsky.com

Career

Didkovsky formed Doctor Nerve in 1984.^[2] He received a master's degree in Computer Music from New York University in 1987 and went on to develop a Java music API called JMSL (Java Music Specification Language).^[3] JMSL is a toolbox for algorithmic composition and performance. JMSL includes JScore, an extensible staff notation editor. JMSL can output music using either JavaSound or JSyn.^[4] He has presented papers on his work at several conferences.^[1]

Ensemble activities include founding the blackened grindcore band Vomit Fist in 2013.^[5] He was a composing member of the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet for the ten years of the band's tenure, and has also played in John Zorn's band.^[1] His Punos Music^[6] record label is a harbor for his more extreme musical projects such as "split",^[7] a guitar collaboration with Dylan DiLella of the technical death metal band Pyrrhon^{[8][circular reference]}.

His debut solo album was released in 1997 and featured contributions from Frith.^[9] His second album, Body Parts, came out of a collaboration with Guigou Chenevier.^[10]

Didkovsky has composed for or performed on a number of CDs including:

• 1987, Doctor Nerve Armed Observation, Label: Cuneiform, produced by Fred Frith
• 1988, Rascal Reporters Happy Accidents
• 1995, Doctor Nerve SKIN, Label: Cuneiform
• 1997
  • Every Screaming Ear, Label: Cuneiform (January 21, 1997)
  • Ayaya Moses, with the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet
  • Binky Boy
• 1999, Upbeat, with the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet^[11]
• 2000, Ereia, with Doctor Nerve and the Sirius String Quartet
• 2003, Bone - uses wrist grab, with Hugh Hopper and John Roulat
• 2015, Vomit Fist Forgive but Avenge
• 2017 Alice Cooper Paranormal
• 2019, Vomit Fist Omnicide

Didkovsky's music has also been arranged by the experimental music group Electric Kompany. He is a co-owner of the "$100 Guitar", a guitar which was circulated amongst many musicians (including Alex Skolnick, Fred Frith, and Nels Cline) for the recording of a concept album about the guitar.^[12]

Solo discography

• Now I Do This (1982), Punos Music
• Binky Boy (1997), Punos
• Body Parts (2000), Vand'Oeuvre
• The Bright Lights The Big Time (2005), FMR
• Tube Mouth Bow String (2006), Pogus
• The $100 Guitar Project (2013), Bridge
• Phantom Words (2017), Punos