Dr Nik is a Welsh based composer. In the late 1970s he began working as an itinerant (rock/punk/ska/folk/jazz…) drummer, and in the 1990s studied composition with Jonathan Harvey and Martin Butler et al. at Sussex University. In 2024 Nik completed a PhD in music composition at Brunel University. PhD Thesis Title ~ LIE Scales: Composing with Scales of Linear Intervallic Expansion (Thesis PDF here).

Nik began using the term “LIE Scales” in 2017. This term describes collections of intervals that may extend “beyond”, and do not necessarily repeat “at”, the octave. In brief, Nik has developed a unique compound-chromatic scale theory that uses extended fixed pitch fields (FPFs) as source scales for numerous pieces, from orchestral works to solo pieces.

All of Nik’s scored compositions (2017–2024) are composed for acoustic instruments. An academic portfolio with videos can be found here.

Since the 1980s Nik has been performing under the pseudonym Sputnik Weazel and has released 23 independent albums thus far.