This album has been in my queue to review for several months now but due to my hectic schedule and backlog of review requests, it’s taken me longer than expected to get to this. Well, the time is finally here and I must say that this is one of my most anticipated reviews of the year. Jenn Taiga is a phenomenal musician and songwriter and on her latest effort, ‘Plight’, the bar has been raised yet again, as two long-form compositions show strong multi-genre influences including Berlin School, 70’s Progressive Space Rock, Krautrock and avant-garde. In addition, these pieces will take the listener on a retro-futuristic journey like no other.
The opening keyboard arrangement from “Solivagant” sounds similar to an outlandish communication pattern from an unidentified craft from outer space, trying to make an initial contact. After a few minutes of this abstract melody, it dwindles down into a decaying deep tone to make room for a slowly ascending synth pattern that sets a galloping pace while various leads fill the airwaves with crushing sounds of nostalgic audible poetry. At various times throughout this twenty plus minute track, the galloping rhythm in the background changes octaves to match the cacophonous effort that continues to take center focus. At around the nine and a half minute mark, the background sequence is modified into a slightly different rhythm, bringing a new found dexterity to the track. The continued use of various effects on the lead parts are simply exhilarating and it’s just so easy to close your eyes and get lost in this massive adventure. The second and final song on the album is the massive twenty two plus minute long ‘Proteus’. After a few seconds of silence, harsh modulations permeate, creating a sense of isolation, then frantic frequencies spread at a rapid pace before an old-school synth interpretation begins a trotting loop. Layers of lead synths and keys build a massive wall of sound that takes the listener back in the past and forward into the future, as if they’re embedded into an 80’s style video game with modern technological themes. The swaying, saucy synths around the fourteen minute mark are some of the most intriguing works on the album and definitely one of the highlights for me personally. I could listen to this stuff all day! The final four minutes of this track are special as well, as the echoing effects on the keys are both eerie and compelling. As the end approaches, the echo effect increases, becoming louder and more predominant, ending this album on a distraught high note.
Jenn Taiga has created an extremely special album with ‘Plight’. With hints of retro, Berlin School influence from artists such as Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, as well as progressive space rock from the 70’s, there are also modern twist and turns to keep the sound fresh and relevant. This album does an excellent job of absorbing the listener and emerging them into a completely different world for it’s forty three minute duration. Without a doubt, it’s one of my most played albums of the year, and the cassette release sounds even better. I highly recommend checking this out and supporting this exceptional artist! Click on the links below and enjoy ‘Plight’!
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Links:
https://jenntaiga.bandcamp.com/album/plight
Cassette Release:
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