Jumble Hole Clough: You're Our Prisoner Now (and other dreams)

English avant-garde musician Colin Robinson is taking chances quite literally on You're Our Prisoner Now (and other dreams), the new album by his one-man project Jumble Hole Clough. Relying on aleatoric methods - that's random in plain English - he had to use the bits and pieces that came as a result out after perusing something generative, serial, Euclidean, tape loops to get him started. Robinson then had to rack his brains to make it into a tune of sorts.

Linked thematically to his previous release Don't Say Nowt (and other dreams) it is the second part of a trilogy that explores and documents that his mind comes up with in his sleep. As such it is a free-for-all lyrical wonderland. The listener is treated to the sight of A policeman is brushing his teeth in the river, a confused eyewitness report of the huge battle between Hungary and its allies versus the Ottoman Empire (Mohács 1526), and being Intimidated by architecture. The latter is quite feasible actually. Do a search for "brutalism" and there you are.

Robinson acts like a chef in a kitchen where the appliances have gotten sentient, and he has to play along to keep up with them. Lucky for him the result is a smörgåsbord of unexpected musical, bite-sixed flavours: a dark orchestal mood (In the forges of Dux), tinkling weirdness (Where did he get his swimming trunks from?), a bluesy guitar on top of a skewed back beat (I asked if it was a nice part of Scarborough)... He always ask himself where he could go next to keep himself entertained. It appears he is not running out of ideas soon. The third part of this trilogy will be something else again.

You're Our Prisoner Now (and other dreams) is a self-released album. Buy it (pay-what-you-want) from his website.

Tracks:

1. The Usual Ephemera
2. Mohács 1526
3. I asked if it was a nice part of Scarborough
4. The Start of an Adventure (part 2)
5. No Parallax
6. Intimidated by architecture
7. I can only remember a few scenes
8. Just fragments
9. A visit to a junk shop in Shudehill
10. In the forges of Dux
11. Friday 13th Part 10
12. A policeman is brushing his teeth in the river
13. Where did he get his swimming trunks from?
14. There are people downstairs
15. I can't remember my first day at school
16. You're our prisoner now
17. Stumbling along as fast as I can
18. Worried in case it went off
19. But the Carthaginians marched on

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HCTF review of Don't Say Nowt (and other dreams)