FROM SCRATCH

Making a new album that reflects new musical roads is starting from scratch, and to a degree, this is what the Taylor's Universe gang have done with their latest album 'From Scratch'. The ever-creative Robin C. Taylor rules the pathway for this band in a way that motivates freedom in an expansion of multiple musical possibilities, and now, bearing in mind that the sequence of the band's previous four releases laid the ground of a golden age for TU, we can notice that this new album's overall strategy is based on the drive to refresh things up. This is a renewed manifestation of a golden age that doesn't seem to know where to end. Good news, indeed! An interesting observation the album's logistics: Taylor decided to restrain his guitarist's role prominently in favor of Claus B'hling (mostly), while he focuses on most keyboards, bass guitar and percussion' also some guitar and guitar effects here and there, of course, it's a 'must' for him. Other stellar collaborators are sax/clarinet maestro Karsten Vogel, drummer Klaus Thrane, while Mr. Ulstrup brings some amazing, electrifying synthesizer solos in a few tracks. Paying close attention to the album's repertoire itself, we start by enjoying the lightful stamina of the opener 'Other Meetings', which bears a robust groove during the installment of its main motif, a robust quality that becomes a bit more constrained during the passages where the guitar and the synth alternate solo spots. 'Beta X' manages to perpetuate the refreshment ethos on the album by displaying a weird and effective mixture of psychedelic art-rock and krautrock: a rhythmic architecture that emulates the mechanized structure of our modern society, eerie sax lines, a special richness of sound for the more extroverted moments, all these elements are craftily combined to cause a pleasant and unexpected listening experience. After the distorted adornments of the ending section of 'Beta X' comes 'Balcony People', a track that may partially remind us of the sonic magic that was tremendously dominant in the previous release 'Evidence', but again the energy expressed in the alternating lead guitar and Mini-Moog solos remind us more closely of the opening track's main ambiance. The epilogue of 'Balcony People' takes us to a spacey marriage of e-bow guitar shades and synth cosmic effects, plus talking voices (through a telephone line, perhaps?...) With a 9 ' minute timespan, track no. 4 'Interrail' is the longest piece in the album. This is the only track where Taylor plays all guitars, and while he's at it, he also decided to play a second drum kit within the overall instrumentation. The recurring motif is candidly simplistic, easy-going in a way, but it also conveys a subtle air of dark tension that the ensemble manages to translate into something dreamy' Dreamy as if waiting for some indefinite nightmare to stir things up in the near future, but maybe it won't. While Vogle's amazing sax solos deserve a special mention, it is also notable how the choral efforts by Jytte Lindberg and Jan Fischer work as an essential element of the composition's nuclear theme. 'F'r Louise' is yet another demonstration of compositional genius, which relies importantly on the amazing syncopated groove created by the rhythm section. Finn Olafsson is the lead guitarists for this piece, while Jakob Mygind and Carsten Sindvald join Vogel in the sax section. Of course, that Mini-Moog solo near the end would have made Happy The Man's hero Kit Watkins immensely proud' but this is TU, ladies and gentlemen. Just like 'Other Meetings' and 'Balcony People', the main theme of 'F'r Louise' is addictive, so it is somewhat frustrating that the end feels too early. But the album must go on and so it does with the floating soundscapes of 'Autumn River' the album meets its definitive epilogue: this closure is an exciting sonic portrait of restless river streams clouded by a thin autumn fog. Conceived as something like Hillage-meets-Fripp & Eno, this track features B'hling's exultant lines with Taylor elaborating powerful synth layers and elegant guitar phrasings. This is how the whole experience of 'From Scratch' turns out to be, yet another gem in the flawless discography of Taylor's Universe, a band that keeps itself strong and healthy in the elite of contemporary Danish prog rock.

Danish project TAYLOR'S UNIVERSE was formed in 1993, and the first CD was released the following year. This project has been going ever since, in different guises over the years, and as of 2015, 14 studio albums are credited to this band. "From Scratch" was released in 2015 by Taylor's own label Marvel of Beauty Records.

"From Scratch" adds another chapter to the quality material created and performed by band leader Robin Taylor and the current members and guests of Taylor's Universe, a well made, and, dare I say, polished, adventurous creation with beautiful instrumental soloing going hand in hand with darker and mystical sounds, eerie effects, and also with beautiful and at times stunning female nonverbal lead vocals in uplifting and joyful movements. With guitars, organ, vintage keyboards and saxophone as vital instrumental ingredients in this rather unique and charming Danish brew.

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.