TAYLOR'S UNIVERSE & KARSTEN VOGEL: EXPERIMENTAL HEALTH

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that Robin Taylor can't make an aveage album but only ones that I would rate 8 out of 10 or higher. He's such a gifted composer and guitar player. He also plays keyboards and bass on this album. This 1998 release is I believe the first to feature fellow Dane Karsten Vogel (SECRET OYSTER) on sax. He will go on to play (I think at this point ) 16 of Robin's albums. There are guests helping out with flute, trombone as well as extra sax, keyboard and guitar parts.

"Man On The Mountain" is the only song that makes me think of SECRET OYSTER. I love when it kicks into a fuller sound with sax. We get some angular guitar after 1 1/2 minutes then the guitar lights it up before 3 minutes. Heavy guitar, sax and drums a minute later then it settles back with sax after 6 1/2 minutes. My favourite track right there. "Elephant Kiss" has this fairly dark rhythm with the flute playing over top. It kicks in after a minute. Love this part but it's brief.In fact from here on out the style of music keeps changing over and over. "Inner Space" is led by cymbals and sax early. Guitar and drums come in then it settles back as contrasts continue.The guitar is more aggressive 3 minutes in. Sax comes in late to end it.

"Base Camp" has these funny spoken words while we get dissonance in the background. "Notkai" is relaxed with guitar, bass, drums and sax. "Milo's Dakdar" is a great tune with the drums and sax standing out. "Kindergarten" has an experimental intro. Bass, sax and drums then breakout after a minute. It's heavier around 2 1/2 minutes. Excellent track. "Therapy" has some darkness and attitude to it. A voice comes in yelling after 3 minutes. A calm a minute later then it kicks back in before 5 minutes with sax. So good ! "Charly & Juliet" is powerful with guitar and dissonant sax. A lonely sax melody ends it. "Experimental Health" has this sampled conversation then there's silence. A repetitive piece of that converstion is played over and over as it gets louder. Music joins in along with experimental sounds. It kicks in around 6 1/2 minutes then stops around 8 minutes as silence ends it.

A very solid 4 stars for this one. We get a good blend of experimental and melodic music here but more of the latter.

''Pork'' was the last time Taylor fully collaborated with Jan Marsfeldt, who completely quit the music business, and Taylor decided to join Hugh Steinmetz'es Avant-Garde project Communio Musica in mid-90's.There he had the chance to meet Burnin Red Ivanhoe's and Secret Oyster's leader and sax player Karsten Vogel, whom he asked if he was willing to follow him in the third Taylor's Universe effort.The answer was positive and along with drummer Rasmus Grosell the trio recorded the album ''Experimental Health'' with the help again by Marsfeldt on a few tracks, flutist Kim Menzer, guitarist Henning Plannthin and singer Jytte Lindberg.The album was released in 1998 on Taylor's Marvel of Beauty Records.

Taylor's mysterious composing combinations continue for another album, that contains hints of 70's Progressive Rock, Fusion and Avant-Jazz, which are once more tightly connected.The main style is again melodic and interesting Prog/Fusion with some symphonic themes, which is enriched by the presence of Vogel, who adds a more loose feeling to the whole album.Good and demanding proggy guitar moves are followed by atmospheric synth-drenched textures, often diluted by Vogel's melodic sax works.In between Taylor & co. decided to throw in some more improvised moments with saxes in the forefront, executed in a complete manner, and supported by obscure guitar distortions.This blend seems quite weird but works really well for most of the album's length.However the mass of the grooves (often having a light RUSH vibe) sound a bit sterile and the reason for this might be the overall average mix of the album.The atmospheres change from dramatic and sinister soundscapes to more pleasant and cinematic passages and allow the listener to dive into a more emotional world apart from the good musicianship.

Vogel managed to add another dimension to the nevertheless unique sound of Taylor's Universe.If quality Prog/Fusion is among your preferences then ''Experimental Health'' should be part of your collection.Recommended.

Robin's fifth album was released as Taylor's Universe with Karsten Vogel, who is probably one of the most well-known saxophonists in the world and is highly regarded for his work in the Seventies with Secret Oyster. TU was this time just Robin, joined by Rasmus Grosell on drums, with Jan now a guest, as was Kim Menzer (flute, trombone, saxophone), Henning Plannthin (guitar) and Jytte Lindberg again providing some vocals. This CD has all that anyone could wish for from avant-garde music with melody interspersed with experimentation, gentle ambience mixed with rock riffs, controlled chaos mixed with lounge core. Songs such as "Elephant Kiss" really show what this band is about with powerful playing throughout and interactive complexity that is quite Zappa-esque.

Sounds effects (as usual) are brought into play but in a manner that definitely add to as oppose to detract from the music as a whole. I would guess that quite a few jazz lovers would have started listening to Robin's work at this point due to the connection with Karsten but it is the guitar at the beginning of songs such as "Inner Space" that really drive home the clarity and vision. While Karsten is a key player and component to the overall sound, this is very much Robin's music. Worth discovering for discerning fans of music.

Experimental Health (Taylor's Universe '98)

Probably the saxiest album in the world!

Enter saxophonist extraordinaire Karsten Vogel of Burnin Red Ivanhoe and Secret Oyster fame: Robin C Taylor is back in strong form as the sole songwriter with a bunch of King Crimson'esque tracks that Vogel's saxes lend great support in the vein of the early sax based period of King Crimson. Yet, 'Experimental Health' also encompasses the later (80's) Crimson and points towards a more Canterbury'ish style, perhaps best exemplified - to these ears - by the Andrew Latimer (Camel anyone?) guitar-led 'Inner Space' (others would probably recollect some Mike Oldfield or even David Gilmour influences).

Whatever, Taylor's Universe are back with the trio form consisting of Karsten Vogel, Robin C Taylor and Rasmus Grosell (drums, percussion) at the core relegating Marsfeldt on keys to a sideman. Grosell excellently adds heavier and punchier drums to the proceedings which combines with the heavier guitar work mainly done by Taylor himself but also by the returning sideman Henning Plannthin on two tracks to end up with a rockier album. Kim Menzer (also of Burnin Red Ivanhoe fame) enhances two of the tracks with his flute, trombone and tenor sax to provide a more eclectic mix than previously.

While the debut combined sax and trumpet and the followup concentrated on trumpet, the third release by Taylor's Universe 'Experimental Health' seems to take the logic step to only employ sax - and to great effect