Jonathan Coleclough - Makruna · Minya (ICR / Siren Records, 2004)

1 Makruna 38:20
2 Minya 29:37
3 Makruna Coda 1:53

From all the UK drone meisters (I never understood why they are called 'meisters', but anyway), I think Jonathan Coleclough is one of the best, with a most diverse catalogue of music available. In this new CD, a split release between ICR and Siren, he offers two very lengthy tracks that take his sound a little bit further. Whereas
until now, much of his music was multi-layered aspects of similar sounds, here he extends his already richly layered sounds by multiple, different layers. In "Makruna" there is an ongoing deep, repeated bass sound, embedded in stretched out structures with, as icing on the cake, various field recordings of water and rain.
Changes are there, but as usual with this kind of music, the developments are slow. However, as said, Jonathan is a meister, and he knows how to keep the listeners attention and prevents from leaping into boredom. "Minya" is not unlike his older work, as here too he works with multiple layers of similar sounds, but unlike his
previous work, his sounds are more upfront, more present. Sharply mixed, with lots of attention for colour and detail. Quite a blast!
Vital Weekly

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Jonathan Coleclough & Andrew Chalk - Sumac (ICR, 1997 (1999 reissue))

1 Sumac 71:06

Released a few years back as a one-sided piece of vinyl, Jonathan Coleclough and Andrew Chalk's "Sumac" has been one of those hidden gems within the deep listening realms of music that has continuously amazing us. Fortunately, "Sumac" has re-emerged from obscurity with this lengthy 70 minute cd version. Andrew Chalk is a veteran of the noise / drone scene who has recorded with Organum, Ora, and Feral Confine. Working with upstart dronologist Jonathan Coleclough, Chalk has conjured a breathtaking memser of bowed metal wires, cymbals, and other pieces of metal with shifting chunks of backward masked slow aerated sound. "Sumac," shrouded in a glistening darkness, is one of the all-time great drone records.
Aquarius Records

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Jonathan Coleclough & Tim Hill - Beech For John And Miho (Seal Pool, 2003)

1 Beech For John And Miho 74:32

"Beech for John and Miho," another collaboration for Coleclough with saxophonist Tim Hill, does nothing to change our high opinion of this composer, and we highly recommend everybody who has been interested in Coleclough to pick this one up!
Coleclough was originally commissioned to construct a short piece for a private wedding CD compilation alongside Joe Weismann, If Thousands, Jliat, and Space Machine. From what I can gather, there were a few copies of that compilation circulating around eBay at extremely high prices; thus, the release of "Beech" at this normal price should be a welcome relief for die-hard collectors. Furthermore, Coleclough has unravelled the original 15 minutes of sound into an epic 74 minutes, a time frame much better suited to the material at hand. Despite the lack of information about this composition, the sounds that Coleclough and Hill have been able to muster resemble those found on their previous collaborative album with Nurse With Wound's engineer Colin Potter entitled "Low Ground," opening up the possibility that the sources for "Beech" are saxophone and cello. Regardless of origin, Coleclough has stretched out the source material's intrinsic tonalities into a Phill Niblock-meets-Organum piece of maximalism. Coleclough presents a steady flux of sustained drones that may have been doubled, tripled, and quadrupled from a bow rippling across the strings of a cello. It's a beautiful hum that waxes and wanes on top of a constant background field of rapidly streaming glistens, shimmers, and miniature ruptures. This undercurrent of sound clangs like a distant school bell that rattles indefinitely, but situates itself as a transcendent, environmental complement rather than a toxic abrasion. "Beech" ultimately is an exceptional piece of dronemusic that is as good as Coleclough's universally acclaimed collaboration "Sumac" with Andrew Chalk.
Aquarius Records

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Ora - Rosea (Hic Sunt Leones, 1996)

1 Golden Hemisphere (12:37)
2 Sadness Of Beauty (11:11)
3 The Forgotten Well (10:38)
4 Rosea (8:49)
5 Flowers Of Tan (16:05)

The inscription for Ora's "Rosea" states that this music is "full of Elves and Gnomes" and those of you familiar with the little things in life that we here at Aquarius love, you know that gnomes and elves fit right in (last list's "Ancient Forest of Elves" anyone?). Although the notes on the back, provided by the ususally tight lipped recluses Andrew Chalk and Jonathan Coleclough, share none of the valuable insight into the music of gnome and elves that the inscription implied. Anyway, Ora is the textural drone collective that features Darren Tate, Lol Coxhill, Colin Potter (Nurse With Wound), as well as the aforementioned Chalk & Coleclough. This 94-95 record's loosely structured field recordings of geese and what Byram thinks sounds like someone rolling around on a couch with contact mics taped to their latex t-shirt coalesce into signature patterns of sound that fade in and out of delicate drones. Texturally, Ora has always been quite adventurous, and "Rosea" is no exception.
Aquarius Records

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Jonathan Coleclough - Windlass (Korm Plastics, 1999)

1 Windlass (41:06)

In this korm plastics introductionary paperback, jonathan coleclough presents the meandering 41 minutes of windlass. His sound construction turns slowly, pulling in worlds of aural wonder.

A rippling drone and higher pitched effervescence tinged with faint digital grit swirl in almost-orchestral movements as the intertwining elements coil and release, slowly writhing in time and space. A visitation from a softly warbling entity ensues, along with other organically chittering lifeforms heard from within the placidly roiling mix. Things lull somewhat with deeper undertones surfacing, their lows blurting out occasionally and spreading over the quietly buzzing backdrop. More minimal arrangements follow, with only (intermittent) bass and (continual) buzz exerting their forces, to be swept over by a faraway windstorm (and once or twice maybe a truck?). Another almost imperceptible transformation evolves as feedback tendrils spiral through the atmosphere; the bass and buzz seem to join forces, growling together in unison beneath screechier frequencies, which also eventually more-or-less synch with the resonant droning. The united soundwaves surge together in a powerful organ-like resplendence, then fade to reveal familiar tones from the intro, which disappear as well.

Intriguingly abstract, jonathan coleclough's windlass cycles through assorted phases, reeling in long tonal scenes and radiant drones, as well as an AmbiEntrance 8.6 rating.
AmbiEntrance

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Jonathan Coleclough & Lethe - Long Heat (Second Part) (ICR, 2005)

1 Long Heat (Second Part) (38:14)

Comes with the 250 first copies of Long Heat....

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