Danish multi-instrumentalist Robin Taylor's second disc called Cloze Test Terror, recorded back in 1991/ 92, is another trip into his unique, alternate universe. If you've never heard any of Taylor's past work in any shape or form then it's best to be prepared for anything. With an arsenal of numerous musical weapons at his disposal along with various tapes and treatments, Taylor is usually able to weave his own surreal musical tapestries together perfectly.
Cloze Test Terror kicks off in a spirited way with the disc's opening cut "My Fake Persian Carpet" which features ethnic flavored, percussive electronic rhythms underneath Taylor's keyboard and guitar synth work. The pleasant sound of birds chirping begins the second track "Hesteskolen", which is a bit of a melancholic slower track, capped off with a brief bit of wacky guitar work to bring it to a close. "Postman's Nightmare" features straight forward electronic percussion and keyboard work complete with the sounds of dog's barking. Images begin to form in one's head of a postman's worst nightmare as the swirl of barking continues. The track shifts gears a bit into the second half of the track which is called "The Last Ride". This song features some great saxophone work from guest player Jakob Mygind. "Mermaid Theatre" clocks in at just over seven and a half minutes and is basically an ambient soundscape with various noises and voices floating in and out of the mix. The disc concludes with a track called "A Day In Some Kind Of Life" which is spread out over 5 parts. The first part is where Taylor lets his chops loose a bit on the guitar while "Part 2" finds him giving the fretless bass a bit of a workout. Nothing spectacular or extraordinary on either "Part 3" or "Part 4" until you hit "Final Part". This track is the only song on Cloze Test Terror which resembles an ensemble piece as he employs bassist Jakob Christensen and drummer Anders Schumann to add a bit of organics. Taylor actually starts the song off playing a bit of a slow blues and once again gets plenty of opportunity throughout this track to show off his abilities on the guitar. However Cloze Test Terror is unfortunately not an essential purchase in the Taylor catalogue and while there are moments of electricity and excitement, they are few and far between and as a result this one as a whole is merely ordinary.
Track Listing
1) My Fake Persian Carpet
2) Hesteskolen
3) Postman's Nightmare / The Last Ride
4) Mermaid Theatre
5) A Day In Some Kind Of Life: Opening Part
6) Part 2
7) Part 3
8) Part 4
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
