ROBIN TAYLOR - TAYLOR'S UNIVERSE - "EER-MUSIC.com aka Eclectic Earwig Reviews Music and More for You!"

Robin Taylor: Taylor’s Universe Recorded and produced 1992-1994 Right Tone Records Review by: Doug Millaway, EER-MUSIC.com Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. How could I have been so blind? I was sent this CD a while back to review and somehow it was misplaced and buried in a pile of finished projects. What a disaster! After finding the two Robin Taylor CDs forwarded to me by EER , I am standing here shaking my head wondering which corner I should hide in. After listening to both of these Cds, I have come to the conclusion that Robin Taylor is residing in a place where only a few call home. The compositional fortitude shown in his work is astounding. I get tired just thinking about the effort that was obviously put into creating his music. Taylor’s Universe is a self-titled debut CD that is virtually indescribable. It defies strict genre classification, and that’s what makes it so appealing to me. From track to track I find myself trying to anticipate what may come next. One-hundred percent of the time I am wrong. Robin is master of surprise, and always keeps you wanting more. I don’t think I have ever stopped a CD and replayed a track as often as this one. It took me hours to get through one hour of music. One song in particular just blew me away as I was listening. The Beck-ish/Steely Dan-ish guitar work of Henning Plannthin on Saturday Night is so good that when my recording partners came in to record last night, I wouldn’t let them enter the studio until they had listened to the track. The guitar playing is enhanced by solid performance by Jan Marsfeldt on keys, Jakob Mygind on sax, Mads Hansen on drums and Taylor on bass. (By the way, Plannthin built the guitars he plays on the CD – no small feat). Additional performances on the CD include the stellar trumpet playing of Hugh Steinmetz and additional guitar work by Henrik Andersen. If you’ve never heard Steinmetz’s haunting trumpet work, you’re in for a great surprise. He brings a quality to Taylor’s Universe that is truly unique. As a musician myself, one of the biggest compliments I can think of is to say “I wish I had thought of that!”. I found myself saying that from the opening number “Entering Universe” to the final track “Feel”. In my case, I might have thought of some of these things, but very few could take the ideas and turn them into reality. In this case Taylor’s reality is one in which only a few can venture. My question is what in the world has kept these CDs from becoming major players in the world of progressive rock? The two Cds of Taylor’s that I have had the pleasure of listening to are both nearly 10 years old, but in looking at Taylor’s web page http://www.progressor.net/robin-taylor/, it appears that he never rests. I suggest that you visit, explore, and buy some of these CDs. You will not be disappointed. Robin Taylor: guitars, basses, keys, percussion etc. Jan Marsfeldt: keys Mads Hansen: drums, percussion Jakob Mygind: saxophones Hugh Steinmetz: trumpet Henning Plannthin: guitar Henrik Andersen: guitar Taylor’s Universe: Pork Recorded and produced 1994-95 Marvel Of Beauty Records Review by: Doug Millaway, EER-MUSIC.com Taylor’s Universe is Robin Taylor, and Jan Marsfeldt, with a lot of help from Mads Hansen, Hugh Steinmetz and others putting together a palette of Progressive Jazz/Rock the likes of which you probably have not experienced before. Taylor’s Universe is a project that is as noticeable for it’s virtuosity in editing and engineering as it is in musicianship. This is the second release by Taylor’s Universe, and represents a style of music that is unique and intriguing. A first listen has you wondering what these splendid musicians are trying to prove, but further listening brings it all together. The nine songs on this CD are loosely connected in style, and the recurring trumpet of Hugh Steinmetz gives it a feel unlike any other CD I’ve heard. (It has an odd 70’s spy movie feel at times). Robin Taylor’s compositions are full of short thematic pieces that grab you and then disappear in a flash. The effect this has on the listener is not unlike listening to a classical composition weaving in and out, baiting the listener to see what is coming next. In addition to the composition itself, Taylor and Aage Nipper use dynamic structure to create layers upon layers of aural stimulation through creative editing, processing, and mixing. This is as slick a production piece as you will ever hear. By today’s standards, this is a relatively short work coming in under 50 minutes total, but considering the breadth of what is happening in the mix, you will get far more out of this CD in that time period than you would in most other CDs lasting 20 minutes more. There are nine tracks total on the CD. As I have said previously, engineer Aage Nipper and producer Taylor deserve a lot of credit for the direction of this project. They clearly took the basic tracks as their palette and carefully painted a musical montage that will surely satisfy your wishes. Robin Taylor – bass, guitar, percussion, voice, loops Jan Marsfeldt – Keyboards Mads Hansen – Drums Jytte Lindberg – Voice Hugh Steinmetz – Trumpet Thomas J. Hansen – additional computer programming Doug Millaway Third Level www.thirdlevelmusic.com