ORCHESTRALMETAL.COM

Jon Phipps MA is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and production assistant who creates virtual orchestra, choir, and synth parts for award-winning metal bands and industry-leading producers worldwide.

Chart-smashing metal bands who's albums Jon has contributed to include Moonspell (Portugal), Amorphis (Finland), Hatesphere (Denmark), Angra (Brazil), and DragonForce (UK) among many others.

He has worked for the legendary producers Jens Bogren, Tue Madsen, Brett Caldas-Lima, and Scott Atkins, transforming their artist's creative visions through virtual orchestration and pre-production consultation.

Stream Jon's portfolio on Spotify by clicking on the album collage below:

Scroll past the PORTFOLIO below for the BIO & BLOG-FEED!

PORTFOLIO

For specific album tracks on YouTube, click the album art below.

(double-tap the back button to return here on a mobile device).
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Check out Jon's bandcamp page if you're looking for the highlights!

Human Future - 'Flat Earth Blues'

(more coming soon!)

BIO

Jon Phipps on stage with The Kuru Smile (UK)

Virtual orchestration for metal requires an intimate knowledge of this style of music (and its various sub-genres), which Jon gained through playing guitar and singing in various local death, black, and progressive metal bands throughout the 2000s.

This was also a period in which he attained a Master of Arts degree in Music from the University of Essex, and began teaching private guitar and theory lessons in both Colchester and his home town of Ipswich, where he still provides tuition to this day. 

Whilst studying, he honed his composition and performance skills as both a modern classical composer and metal guitarist. This professional development was also enriched by his employment as a digital engraver and transcriber for the world-renowned composer David Fanshawe. 

Jon Phipps & Moonspell during the pre-production of '1755'
(Lisbon, Portugal)

Pre-production involves a mixture of songwriting and arrangement, in partnership with either the band or their producer to transform their demos into production-ready songs. In this context, Jon applies his extensive experience as a guitarist, bass-player, vocalist, and drummer in combination with his expertise as a composer to enhance the music with his own creativity and imagination.

All of the albums presented here in the portfolio feature either orchestral, choral or synth arrangements created with virtual instruments by Jon Phipps, with the exception of 'II - The Mephisto Waltzes' by Devilment, for which he was only involved in the pre-production of the album.

​Jon was also entrusted with both the pre-production and virtual orchestration of his second collaboration with Moonspell, '1755', which required him to work closely with the band on multiple occasions at their Lisbon studio, where they conspired to create a concept work that tells the story of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake through the bewildered eyes of a lone survivor.

Jon Phipps on stage with Daniel Merrill & The Flowers of Evil (UK)

​Alongside working with bands in these contexts throughout the 2010s, Jon also produced library music in a broad range of styles for Alibi Music, which resulted in successful track licenses for NASA, Hershey, and Carhartt among many others.

If you wish to contact Jon regarding his rates and availability to work on your projects, you can reach him easily through the social media links at the top and bottom of this page.

Click on the BLOG-FEED below
for the full blog-posts!