Robinson as a Thought Biscuit

I spend a lot of time with other musicians, both socially and for 'work'. Indeed if I'm frank, sometimes I find 'regular' people quite hard to be around, people who don't have a focus on making something individual, or that have something of their own slant on events.

Colin Robinson has become a good friend over recent years and I find interesting as someone who does but doesn't do what I do. Along with his family and former working life in computers, he has spent a good deal of time in music and art. He has a particular interest/specialism in artists from the 70s - a time that also interests me. By no means fixed in 1972, he is always enquiring as to what the latest 'home studio' plug-ins for his computer might do. I find it inspiring that after all these years, he still has a thirst for downloading that new glitch generator. Indeed, it's notable that his enthusiasm and work rate is 10x that of many of the students have worked with in recent years, who from our conversations, (generationally) take the availability of such materials as a given. How/whether this reflects on the quality of my teaching is another matter...!

PRODUCTIVITY: Whilst I've often spent a long time trying to work out and 'get something together', not really sure what I'm doing, or struggling to get the right people on board, or enough rehearsal, months passing, Colin often works very quickly. In the 1960s one or even two albums a year were the norm, these days established artists/the industry generally appear to focus on socials etc. and to have slowed their official album releases right down - they are big events, happening only occasionally and carrying the heavy weight of financial investment - it has to work. As a modern indie artist Colin doesn't do this, he uses the easy access that he has to current platforms to continuously release without financial concern, more than 45 albums now under different monikers. He experiments, tries things and to some extent moves on. Maybe this links with his general desire to keep doing things quickly, he tires of ideas very quickly, he even eats chips very quickly. As such, he also keeps his songs very short - three minutes is a long one. As an improvising jammer usually playing pieces of thirty or forty minutes, this certainly gave me food for thought!

Robinson continues to search for inspiration

SOLO WORKER: While Colin does play in a band who rehearse regularly and gig occasionally, his recorded releases in recent years are almost entirely him on his own, working with the computer. No one else to wait for, no one to consult, no one to argue with. For me, I always want somebody else there - it's the interaction that makes it happen. The moment of flux is shared. If I switch the computer on and start doing some recording, which I can do, I quickly find myself losing interest. Again, the difference gives food for thought.

I hope you get chance to hear some of Colin's work. Though the aims, outcomes and process maybe very different, we share common ground in the seemingly illogical desire to express and create through art. Considering Colin's work reminds me of how different we all are, and how brilliantly human that difference is.

Colin Robinson can be found on Facebook or Bandcamp as Jumble Hole Clough.