Spotlight: Phil Mouldycliff, Colin Potter and Jackson Mouldycliff (MPM)

I want to draw attention to Phil Mouldycliff, Colin Potter and Jackson Mouldycliff's collaborative efforts because they simply need to be heard. I don't see much online about their work together and I find that surprising. So, I will see if I can provide some amplification.

I first stumbled upon MPM because I was curious what Colin Potter's label (ICR Distribution ) had been up to. For really no reason, I had stopped following Potter's work along with any of the other English Drone Lords (Jonathan Coleclough, Darren Tate etc) – something I have since rectified. Which is a funny thing, because early into my musical education, I saw the English drone scene as something mysterious/slippery and artifacts from the scene were sought after/hard to come by. You wanted to know more/hear more because the view into that scene (if it can be called that) was obscured at best.

Colin Potter (then and now) represents a true experimentalist. A person not driven by ego but by the need to hone and share their craft (at least from my point view). So I was quite happy to see that ICR distribution had continued and some of the artists I used to follow were still there and releasing music. While browsing the site, the release, Orbits by MPM caught my eye. I don't know if it was the artwork or if I was just curious what or who MPM was. When I saw that Colin Potter was involved, I knew I needed to purchase it and that a pre listen wasn't necessary.

MPM's sound is consistent across their three releases but yet each release conveys a feeling of uniqueness. That there is only this moment and you will never recapture what you just heard - as every listen is different, moment to moment. The word hallucinatory is thrown around a lot when it comes to music but MPM embodies the term and truly provides the experience. Sonically, it is a drone weaving through the swirling sounds of things coming together, falling apart and flowing into oblivion.

MPM's music is especially important now – we need to be reminded of the beauty of creativity and the wonder of losing yourself. Music like this is not easily found and is not part of the algorithm. It forces engagement and deep listening through an endless auditory maze. The music itself is detailed and there are threads to follow but it is easy to get lost. Which for the listener means that there is always something new to discover. The everlasting gobstopper of experimental ambient, if you will (sorry could not resist).

Simply put, it is music that demands your attention and exploration.

Imaginary Conversations

Orbits

Canopies & Cathedrals

Photograph by Daniel De Los Santos, Pelican Point, Sargent TX