" Inspired by another year with five Novembers"
- Robin Taylor
Danish sensation Robin Taylor takes on all duties on November where he plays : "wrecked" piano, Crumar Stringman, electric & acoustic guitars, bass guitar, percussions, drum samples, processions & treatments. The result is a moody, dark, and ambient disc which could only come from the mind of a person from a northern climate where a year of "five Novembers" is an unfortunate reality.
This disc begins with HighNRG. A funky beat acts as a backdrop for odd-time piano chords and fuzzed out Frippian guitar forays. Lowest follows suit. This is a totally "free" track where discordant percussions and guitar plucking come together in a less than cohesive package. Waiting for Something To Happen is an aptly named piece. A chorus of chords from the Crumar Stringman creates an ominous reticence. Four notes on the piano are repeated before giving way to guitar/drum incursions which build in intensity but never really "happen". A Big Sleep is another slowly developping number which blossoms into one of the more melodic numbers on the disc. Lush keyboards counterbalance fuzzed out guitars in near equilibrium. XR-Cism commences with a haunting piano passage over more Stringman chords. Extremely raucous guitar slowly comes to the forefront but never overtakes the main melody. This track is an interesting study in contrasting styles. Rotten PNO/Processed NRG opens with improvisational piano before it segues into a variation of the opening track which sounds more...well..."processed".Now we've reached la piece de resistance the hypnotizing The Dark Side Of Life . A grandiose march-like beat cedes to a poignant piano passage which falls into a repetetive cadence. The Crumar then takes over, creating a low-end wail of strings. The track just seems to hang there for the remainder of it's 21:50 duration. Mr Taylor makes subtle changes to the background, but the haunting chords remain at the forefront. The effect is mesmerizing and lulls the listener into a theta-wave induced state of relaxation. This is a brilliant piece of minimalistic music. To return us to reality Relief closes the disc with a short improvised piano excursion which ends before it really begins.
Having made a name for himself in the world of free jazz, Robin Taylor proves to us that he's not just a one-trick pony. This collection of songs is a bubbling cauldron of melody, melancholy and mayhem all guided by an expert hand. Although not the most approachable disc for the novice, the melodies tend to stay in the listener's mind long after the disc has stopped spinning.
Track Listing
- High NRG 4:39
- Lowest 4:00
- Waiting For Something To Happen 6:18
- A Big Sleep 9:47
- XR-Cism 4:17
- Rotten PNO/Processed NRG 3:40
- The Dark Side Of Life 21:50
- Relief 1:15
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