FROM SCRATCH

This is one of two releases by Taylor's Universe in 2015, but in many ways, this is the direct follow-on from 2013's 'Evidence' in that the main core of the band stayed the same, with Karsten Vogel (sax, clarinet), Claus Bøhling (guitars), Thomas Thor Viderø Ulstrup (MiniMoog), Robin Taylor (guitars, keyboards, bass, flute, percussion) and Klaus Thrane (drums). There were also some guests involved this time, including saxophonist Jakob Mygind (who appeared on the other TU release of 2015, 'Across The Universe') and long-time collaborator Carsten Sindvald (also sax). There isn't much in the way of guitar from Robin himself on this album, rather he defers to others while ensuring that the music is going exactly the way he wants it to.

Robin brings in the right people for the right job, so a song may just feature him and Claus, while another has Karsten on bass clarinet, Jakob on soprano sax and Carsten on baritone and well as Finn, Thomas, Robin and Klaus to provide a meaty complex sound. The use of a MiniMoog as the main keyboards provides a distinct style to the overall sound, which as always is complex and constructed in such a way that the tangents always make complete musical sense. Three different singers provide the wordless vocals, but many of the songs are completely instrumental, and when the voices are used it is always for an effect ? never the main driving part of the piece. It is relaxing, it is interesting, it is melodic and can be challenging, yet as with all of Robin's releases one is all the richer for having heard it. Yet another great release to add to his canon.