Cake – Jonathan Coleclough

The photos adorning this release all depict snow-encrusted, silence-laden landscapes, bleak but icily beautiful. The single piece that makes up the disc is clearly in sync with those photos, possessing a degree of chill but also a fascinating wealth of detail and a deeply ruminative conception. The term dronecore has been applied to Coleclough's music and the drone is certainly a central element. It permeates the composition with an odd timbre both muted and metallic like a felt-covered gong, slowly fluctuating, swinging languidly from one tonal base to another. Throughout the work, this drone is juxtaposed against field recordings consisting mostly of bird sounds, subdued yet somewhat harsh. Together, these give the strong impression of walking through an open, wintry field, the drone taking on the characteristics of wind or, better, some faraway unseen but massive generator. If anything, Cake might remind the listener of aspects of Brian Eno's pioneering ambient recording On Land, though Coleclough's vision is more precisely focused. Subtle, richly textured, and enthralling, Cake is an obscure release (limited to 500 copies) that is well worth seeking out. ~ Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide