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04 May

Deutsche Schule! by Robin Taylor

Danish guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Robin Taylor might signify a new name to those who reside on these American shores. A killer guitarist who transparently commingles classic progressive-rock with modern jazz stylizations, each album bespeaks a variegated and expansive viewpoint of his musicality. As stated in the liners, this effort ".... was inspired by some of the freakier German Krautrock artists of the ‘70s." Taylor’s adventurous inclinations and multifarious musical influences come to fruition yet again, on this studio date featuring jazz-rock intertwined with Germanic synths and rhythmic stylizations.

With odd-metered cadences and Karsten Vogel’s sax lines, the music uttered here is comprised of layered harmonic processes, intertwined with ethereal backwashes and dream-like passages. In addition, comparisons to ‘70s Krautrock emanate from a sequence of programmatic pulses and kaleidoscopic themes, spiced up with memorable hooks. On the piece titled "Neue Stimmen," Taylor’s somewhat harrowing organ sounds supplant Vogel’s creaky sax lines atop an ostinato underpinning. Then on "Das Experiment," Taylor - performing on electric guitar - lets it rip via a rather punishing hodgepodge of free-form, jazz-fusion licks abetted by manic synths and soaring rhythms. Nonetheless, part of Taylor’s appeal is rooted within his willing to cross-polarize various genres into a distinctive musical aura that yields numerous surprises with each subsequent release.

Additional Info

  • Artist / Group Name: Robin Taylor
  • CD Title: Deutsche Schule!
  • Genre: Progressive
  • Year Released: 2006
  • Record Label: Marvel of Beauty Records
  • Rating: Three Stars
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