Review Summary: Insert coin to begin
Besides drumming for Causa Sui, co-owning El Paraiso Records and designing visuals for several artists or events, Jakob Skøtt has recently found time to develop a solo career too. The results are quite different from his main act's psychedelic rock leanings, as he seeks to channel his kraut/80s synth pop influences into some really interesting experiments. With two releases this year,
Amor Fati and the latest,
Taurus Rising, he developed some lovely, electronic jams, built over his energetic live drumming. With the latter being recorded in only one afternoon, he took most of his time with the production and grooves to provide a complex experience.
The entire
Taurus Rising feels like a manic, updated soundtrack to an old school PC game or even better, a classic arcade game. There are various vintage effects that accompany the sequencers and bass synths, creating a hypnotizing, virtual journey. Opener 'Escape From The Keep' takes its cues from the 1983 horror movie,
The Keep. While more melodic than other cuts, you can imagine Maserati playing the intertwining leads with two keytars instead of guitars. Occasionally, oscillators alter the sound and the hectic drumming adds the necessary boost to the track. Needless to say, they are the heart of the entire record, even though there are a myriad of electronics to complement them. 'Bucket Brigades' feels like a more expansive counterpart to the abovementioned track. The more straightforward beats with multiple fills create some tense dynamics on top of which Jakob adds a wall of synthesizers. The ambient pads towards the end that contrast the analog rhythms keep growing, turning into a lovely climax. The last track, 'Taurus Ascending' is the eerie conclusion, whose ambient intro draws influences from early Ash Ra Tempel, before bursting into a spacey finale.
In some ways, 'Pleiades' echoes Causa Sui only without the organic guitars. The sunny keyboards offer a summery vibe, but soon switch to a more wandering segment that could as well be the path to a boss fight in an old game. On the other hand, 'Sangue Verde' has a more funky feel, where the bass synths share the spotlight with a dissonant saxophone and several background soundscapes. At times, it fools you into believing there's a deeper, more beautiful groove to follow, yet it always jumps back to the discordant mix.
In the end, for a second release in less than 12 months,
Taurus Rising sounds surprisingly tight and enjoyable (for those interested, it comes with
Amor Fati in a 2-CD bundle). Each LP shares its own moments, but it's this one that can entrance you quicker. On a first listen, some might want to call it slightly outdated, still it's not the case by any means. This is an exciting release for 80s synth/kraut fans that manages to beautifully intersperse live drumming with vintage, analog synthesizers. There's always room for improvement, so we can expect a lot more from Skøtt in the near future. Enjoy!
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