Jonathan Crossley

Bio

Jonathan Crossley is a South African composer, performer, and Lecturer in Music Technology currently based at the University of Liverpool where he leads courses in hardware hacking, hyper instruments, and free improvisation. He has a specialised interest in poly-genre musical cultures, creative practices, and mediative technologies. Using the guitar, he explores stylistic outings from classical to improvisation, jazz through electronic and developing instrumental and system innovations.

Early works include albums such as the acoustic album Dreams of Skilia (2001), the chamber jazz album My Friends and I (2004), the rock/funk albums Funk for the Shaolin Monk (2007) and Got Funk Will Travel (2009). Funk for the Shaolin Monk and Got Funk Will Travel toured extensively from 2007-2014 with performances in South Africa, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, and The Czech Republic.

The free-improvisatory album What if the Machines Spoke Back to You (2011) marked a shift away from lead sheet-based improvisation towards systems-enabled free improvisational practices. A range of albums and performances have explored these technologies such as The Settlement (2017) with Mpho Molikeng, Blipz (2018) with Reza Khota and Jonno Sweetman, Deep Spacer – 433 Eros (2020), 3 Cities (2015) with Lukas Ligeti and Sweetman and the four son0_morph albums released during 2021 with Carlo Mombelli, Sweetman, Kathleen Tagg and Cameron Harris.

He has relentlessly pursued innovation in research which led to the development of an extended guitar system or hyper-instrument, the Cyber-Guitar, which extended the capacities of the traditional electric guitar beyond the use of the hands, encompassing the joints of the upper body using a mechanical exoskeleton.

Posts

In The Spring Live At Flame
Coming Up for Air, Live at Flame Studios, 29 January 2023
There's No Invasion - Live at Flame Studios, Johannesburg
Amazing Grace

Videos

In The Spring Live At Flame
Coming Up for Air, Live at Flame Studios, 29 January 2023
Inhale
Amazing Grace
There's No Invasion - Live at Flame Studios, Johannesburg
In The Spring Live at The Tung Auditorium
Bounce - Live at the Tung Auditorium
In the Spring
Coming Up For Air, Live at the Tung Auditorium
Inhale, Live at the Tung Auditorium
Breathe Deep
Bounce
The Reluctant Bride
Love is Blindness
Coming soon, 'Inhale' by Jonathan Crossley
Sarab&03 (It03/03)
Alam&06 (It02/06)
Son0_morph:02 Duo / Piano - 'Falling and Falling'
Deep Spacer '433 Eros'
Deep Spacer '128 Nemisis'
Deep Spacer '94 Aurora'
Deep Spacer '31 Euphrosyne'
Deep Spacer '16 Psyche'
Deep Spacer '9 Metis'
Deep Spacer - '1 Ceres'
son0_morph:01 - '01 Xeno'
The Blipz
Deep Spacer '704 Interamnia'
433 Eros - Video and Album Launch, from the Virtual National Arts Festival 2020
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 5: The Settlement
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 2: Mampe
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 7: The War
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 6: T'sepe
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 4: Senannapo
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 3: Twentieth Century Invasion
Mpho Molikeng and Jonathan Crossley, The Settlement - 1: The River
Ke na le Modisa, featuring Lebo Rameetse
Jonathan Crossley performing Retrato Brasiliero
Valse Sem Nome
I Wish You Sunshine
Hymnus Caesas Obcessionis - The Cyber-Guitar
Cyber Guitar Segment 5
What if the Machines Took Control?

Gigs

ZAJohannesburg, South Africa
In operation since: 
1999

Contact

7485195014
7485195014
Jonathan Crossley
Advert
Apply for showcases