ROBIN TAYLOR

There is always a problem with labelling music, in that labelling it can mean that the artist can be pigeon-holed which can then mean that people who may enjoy the music don't actually get to hear it, as they don't think that they will like it. Take Burzum for example, I defy anyone to categorise Varg with just one style of music but those who have never played it will say that Burzum are Black Metal ? without actually hearing the many different styles he has produced. And so we come to Robin Taylor ? this was his eighth album and was released originally in 2000 (he has now released nearly 30!). While Robin will always be viewed as a jazz artist, often working within the avant-garde, there is something else going on with this album as well. Those who know me would say that my musical tastes are eclectic (if they are polite ? my daughters often just state that I listen to some very weird stuff), and that I have been known to often play atmospheric black metal along the lines of Agalloch or Negura Bunget etc. I was surprised how many times I kept thinking of that type of band while I was playing this ? there is a lot going on, with the brass instruments particularly winding up and down the scales in a frenetic and frightening fashion. But, the sound I heard most was one of coldness ? this album chills me to the bone, and in that manner it has more in common with atmospheric black metal than anything else.

I can imagine some reviewers and listeners being quite frightened when they heard this for the first time as there is a menace present throughout which makes it unsettling and unnerving to say the least. So there will be many that will feel that this album is to be avoided, but to my ears it is one that is to be welcomed and explored for what it is ? a masterpiece. Maybe Robin ought to reissue it with a darker cover, changed the band to something exotic such as Norbilyator and see what the extreme mags think of this ? I think they would have a blast

This album was inspired by Krautrock of the Seventies, especially bands like Can and Faust, and here Robin has been joined only by Karsten and drummer Rasmus Grosell. All of the song titles are in German to add to the fun, and the result is an album that manages to definitely bring in the Krautrock feel yet for the most part doesn't recreate the carnage of a live Can performance (for example) ? something which does somewhat surprise me given the way that Taylor's Free Universe approaches music. In fact, "Eisenbahn mit Sauerkraut" is quite pedestrian with only Karsten providing some levity.

However, I am quite aware that I haven't played a great deal of the genre (in fact I am only recently being educated in this regard), and I think that my general lack of enjoyment of this CD is down more to my own personal likes and dislikes as opposed to any issues with the music on offer. Looking through the net this release generally gains high praise so all I can suggest is that if the bands mentioned interest you then listen to some samples to make up your own mind.

— First review of this album —

Even before putting this CD into the player, the first thing that one notices is that all of the song titles are in Danish ? unusual as Robin's titles are normally in English. The reason for this is that this CD is actually what should have been Robin's recording debut back in 1985 when he was assisted by Jan Fischer. For whatever reason the songs never saw the light of day and it was only 20 years later that Robin revisited the tapes, cleaned them up with new technology and finally made the music available. This is quite an unusual album in many ways, as Robin appears to be seeking a style and isn't yet sure with this on what he actually wants to do. The result is an album that while interesting actually is fairly disjointed and somehow comes across as being less for that. This is a real shame as there are actually some really good songs here, showcasing just too many styles.

My favourite is probably the most unusual, "Finanslovforslag" which features Robin and Jan on vocals, using them as an instrument and then treating them almost as musical drones. I have returned to this song a number of times and have decided that it is one of my favourites from Robin's many, just not sure why!! This is an album only for the completist, yet it has been released primarily for those fans who wish to have everything that Robin has been involved with and to see where he came from, and for those this is indispensible. But if you have yet to hear albums by Robin then I suggest you start elsewhere.

The 16th album from Robin came about when he decided to revisit material that had been recorded over a number of years (going back as far as 1991) but had not been released for whatever reason. Robin then completed the songs ready for this album. Originally these would have been recorded as Robin Taylor, others as Taylor's Universe and there is also a live song by Taylor's Free Universe. While possibly not as focussed as other albums (this is a compilation of unreleased material from a long period of time after all), yet again the listener is taken into the heady world of the Dane. "Don't Drink and Drive" is less than two minutes long yet is a powerful rock song showing how repeated melodic ideas can build to a climax.

Others such as "Baroque Ideas" are far more electronic in approach, while the final song "Lass Mich Los" is by far the most challenging ? given that it is more than 12 minutes of free form jazz and RIO. For fans of Taylor then this album is of course essential as previously unreleased material is now available, but this may be too much for the casual listener, particularly the song by TFU.

I have yet to hear Robin's seventh or eighth releases, both of which were released just as 'Robin Taylor' or his ninth which was a group effort with Communio Musica, so I have no real way of knowing what the background was leading into his tenth album but I do know that while there are links to his earlier works this is in many ways something completely different. Robin provided many more instruments than normal, including many different types of samples, and he was just joined on this release by Karsten Vogel (saxophones), with Jan Fischer and Loiuse Nipper providing some voices.

This is an album that is very much experimental, but here Robin is going more into ambient and New Age and mixing that with the jazz forms he is more normally associated with. Yes, there are times when Karsten is at the forefront, but often this is just one man mixing together sounds to create a trance-like world of his own creation, one where there are no real rules. This is music to get lost inside ? it seems multi-layered and constructed, yet at the same time those constructs are like gossamer, ready to fly away in the most gentle breeze. I cannot see how anyone playing "BTI" can fail to be moved by the sheer innocence beauty of it all.

This is a truly superb album and while it may not be indicative of his canon, as a piece of art this stands on its' own merits.

Robin's sixth album was released as a solo CD, but containing many of the musicians from previous TU albums. Hugh Steinmetz returned on trumpets, Karsten Vogel (saxophones), Rasmus Grosell (drums), while additional musicians were Peter Friis Nielsen (bass), Louise Nipper (voice), Al Taylor (voice) and Steen Grøntved on guitar. Interestingly this was the first release where Jan Marsfeldt did not make an appearance ? here all keyboards were handled by Robin (along with other instruments of course). Play the second track of this to many people and you are almost guaranteed to hear howls of derision as the free form jazz of "Cello & Hammer" takes music to the limits. The brass instruments dare each other to produce something even more strange and potentially at odds with each other while an incredible piece of bass playing struggles to make itself heard. This is sonically challenging stuff, music that can wear the listener out, but it is compelling and driving something that is incredibly compelling. It is almost as if sanity is being driven out of the brain ? but who cares as to the insane this makes perfect sense.

In many ways this is the 'hardest' album to listen to, but yet is also fulfilling and rewarding. This is definitely not music for those who like their jazz and music in general to be packaged into a neat box but for those who wish to challenge accepted norms of what is good and bad. It may be hard work, but is extremely rewarding.

'Cloze Test Terror' was Robin's second album and was originally released in 1992. He provided guitars, keys, bass, percussion etc and was joined by Jan Marsfeldt (keys), Jakob Mygind (saxophone), Jacob Christensen (bass) and Anders Schumann on drums. Only Jan remained from the musicians who had contributed to Robin's debut album the year before, as I haven't heard that release I can't comment on what musical changes may have taken place. I do know that I find it hard to believe that this album is now some eighteen years old. The production is spot on and again there is the use of space that I have found in so many of Robin's releases. This is an extremely melodic album, mixing jazz almost with loungecore before also treading into areas more usually associated with RIO.

The drums aren't as impressive as they could have been, and in fact if a musician hadn't been listed I would have assumed they were programmed, but that is only a minor niggle as Robin puts together a tapestry of music that is always enjoyable and thoughtful. This is music to drift into and to allow it to wrap you in layers of complexity and warmth. Jakob may not always be allowed to vent forth but the times that he does it is in perfect harmony with what is happening around him. Interesting to hear music from so early in Robin's journey which already shows the trademark sounds of what I expect today.

Danish composer and multi-instrumentalist Robin TAYLOR have been a productive musical persona in the Danish music scene from the early 1990's and onwards, contributing to 30 or so productions by the time of writing (April 2012). "Samplicity" is the fifth CD to be issued under his own name, and was released on Robin's own Marvel of Beauty imprint in 2001.

And as the name implies, samples is indeed an element that is utilized quite a lot on this disc, although I guess that people without a special interest by and large will miss most of them. Some instances are fairly obvious however, and are easily spotted. But when that is said, this isn't a production based around samples as such, at least not as I experience it. Rather I'd say that they have been used and utilized as a musical effect more than anything else, with only a few occasions that see them placed in more of a cinematic context.

The somewhat overly long opener Black Country is perhaps the least intriguing of Taylor's creations on this production. An elegant construction as such, based on a circulating lighter toned motif later replaced by a dampened, dark and brooding guitar motif, backed by steady drums and inventive percussion details and with some nifty organ soloing on top. Rather adventurous too I might add. But also slightly too repetitive to my tastes, which makes me regard this excursion as one that in sum is more of an ordinary on experience wise.

But that is just a bout the only negative remark I can make about this disc, as the remaining sonic journeys keeps me interested and intrigued throughout. Lavender Mist kicks off on the dying echoes of the opening tune, adding a sax solo on top and gradually developing into a refined, dampened, richly textured construction with subdued guitar riffs and textured guitar effects blending in quite nicely, prior to ebbing out again with an end sequence of swirling electronics. A good set up for the following BTI, more of a purebred ambient construction sporting a brooding, slightly unsettling undercurrent that transports this piece of music firmly away from any new age territories one might initially reference mentally when reading the word ambient. Fractalism utilize droning vocal effects as an ever-present feature in a construction that opens as a light-toned excursion with a steady backbeat and circulating simplistic instrument motif on top, with a shift into Frippian territories by way of distorted yet melodic guitar solo textures and rhythm surges, evolving into a multitextured, detailed and interwoven arrangement that I think deserves the description Tayloresque.

February Pain returns to ambient territories of a kind, but again a few lightyears and a couple of universes removed from anything new age related, Burnt Forest Island continues with a different take on this approach with it's slow, drawn out light toned keyboard effects, slowly growing richer by way of instrument and sound additions and then broken up by the chaotic visit of Mr. Gillon as referenced in the complete song title. With an end sequence that takes a brief detour to symphonic art rock territories prior to returning to the opening motif. And concluding the disc we find Ambient Isles. An aptly named construction that. despite some occasional Taylor features of the darker tinged undercurrent kind. might actually find favour among fans of artists like Vangelis and Jarre.

All in all "Samplicity" comes across as a good quality production, as I tend to expect to experience by Robin at this point. And while not an electronic production per se, I do think that a key audience for this particular disc might actually be those who have a deep fascination for adventurous electronic music. In particular those fond of artists utilizing dampened effects and subtle developments rather than dramatic shifts and sounds.

Of all the Robin Taylor albums I bought this was the one I was most looking forward to. I had purchased quite a few through Wayside Music because they had all of them on for 8 dollars each but this one was out of stock, so I ended up finding it somewhere else. This is the album where he plays tribute to Krautrock. Apparently Robin was influenced by KRAFTWERK, CLUSTER, NEU ! and more, so here he wears his influences on his sleeves you could say. In the liner notes it says he uses cheap toy keyboards and i'm not sure if that's a joke but I do not like how they sound.

"Misch Musch" has this rhythm and it gets fuller after a minute with those keyboard sounds. Sax after 2 1/2 minutes. It settles 4 minutes in with the drums standing out then it kicks back in. Not a fan of this one. "Eisenbahn Mit Sauerkraut" again has this rhythm but female vocal melodies join in this time. This is very light-weight. It's better when it turns darker but then it turns light again late. "Karl Splelt Klavier" is a top three for me as we get this melancholic vibe with female vocal expressions that come in before 2 minutes. Male processed vocals follow.

"Noch Ein Zahnartzt" has those cheap sounding keyboard sounds again that pulsate as it builds. Spoken words 2 1/2 minutes in.They stop and the sax comes in. "Neue Stimmen" is a top three. Organ and spacey winds as a beat builds. Those spacey winds remind me of early CLUSTER. This is great.Sax before 3 minutes. "Gesang Der Truben" has keys and a beat then female vocal melodies join in.Sax later. "Das Experiment" is my favourite. We get samples and atmosphere to start. It's building after 2 minutes then it kicks in with sax around 3 minutes. So good. Some insanity here then it settles some before kicking back in at 5 1/2 minutes. A calm with atmosphere 7 minutes in.

This really gets off on the wrong foot for me with those first two tracks but then there are a couple of more that i'm not fond of either. So three very good songs but not enough to offer up 4 stars in my world.

I figured this was the perfect month to review this album so...by the way I used to hate November. Not so much anymore as I prefer it to the weather of December through February up here in Canada but still it's the month where the reality of the end of warm weather is made with an exclamation point. The skies are unsettled and the winds get stronger and summer seems like a million years away. Robin has this caption in the liner notes : "Inspired by another year with five Novembers...". Of Robin's solo stuff this is the best that i've heard so far, and he does it all here. As per usual he notes that there are no synthesizers or drum machines. He does play "wrecked" piano, Crumar Stringman, electric & acoustic guitars, bass guitar, percussions, drum samples, processions & treatments.

"High NRG" sounds amazing with the chunky bass and prominant drums as the guitar comes and goes. Piano helps out as well.Killer tune ! "Lowest" sounds like someone playing ping pong (haha).The weakest link here. "Waiting For Something To Happen" features atmosphere as piano, drums and guitar come and go. I like it ! "A Big Sleep" also opens with atmosphere as sparse sounds come and go. A beat after 2 1/2 minutes. Nice. Other sounds join in too. This is great !

"XR-Cism" has atmosphere as piano joins in and comes and goes. Cool sound here as the atmosphere gets louder. "Rotten PNO / Procession NRG" opens with piano only then drums and more join in at 1 1/2 minutes. Nice. I like when the guitar joins in. "The Dark Side Of Life" is the almost 22 minute epic. Piano to start then a beat and more joins in. A loud atmospheric section takes over then the piano returns before 3 minutes. Such a cool repetitive soundscape here. It starts to wind down 15 1/2 minutes in but then it starts to build late. "Relief" is a short closing avant piece with piano.

A very solid 4 stars for "November".