By Irena Stevanovska
The third album of Taxi Consilium comes in its own shape. Just like how the
first two are completely different from each other, this one also arrives as
a whole new version of the quartet.
From the very beginning, the album leans into longer drone sounds, the bass
resembles the tone of artists like Peter Eldh with those deep, heavy bass
lines. What connects all of their albums is that the rhythm section always
feels heavy and deep, while the guitar and bass clarinet have a more playful
energy on top.
Every track holds an emotion that’s tightly connected to its name. The names
seem carefully chosen, almost as if they guide the way one should feel the
music. What the band has written in their description really explains why
every track carries so much inside it. Imagine yourself as a taxi driver,
collecting stories from different people, and as an empath, being able to
feel their pain. Every track is a different ride. Sometimes you collect
sadness and melancholy, and sometimes you get a sense of relief.
The third track — Mouths moving but nothing coming out — gives off a
soothing vibe. It feels like finding your own value, no matter how much the
mouths move; what really matters is what’s being heard. In this kind of
instrumental music, mouths don’t matter at all, it’s the sound that heals
the soul, helping you come back to your own truth.
The enjoyment that Taxi Consilium’s music gives is very rare, something you
don’t get from many full albums anymore. For me, it’s been a while since I
could listen to an album and vibe with every single track. It’s got that
underground, dirty sound, yet it’s deeply satisfying for the mind. Usually,
when I listen to an album, one track immediately becomes my favorite. But
with this one, it was hard to pick.
Still, as the longest one, I’m choosing [orel cat at the door]. It’s another
unusual moment for this kind of jazz record, the track starts with a long
ambient intro (and a cat sample, but pretty enjoyable for cat lovers). If I
connect this to what I mentioned earlier about the taxi driver collecting
stories, this track feels like the longest ride, and definitely the
strangest. Maybe a mysterious cat-person is in the taxi. Not the playful
child from “children longing for discipline,” but a mystic, someone with a
deep inner world. When I write about Macedonian releases, I often try to
point to something from the surroundings that might have inspired the
artists, since I’ve felt those environmental influences very deeply myself.
This one definitely comes from nature. It has an organic, earthy feel, and
its slowness captures all those sunsets on mildly rainy days out in the
open.
After that, the album continues with the familiar Taxi Consilium energy,
that uplifting rush they bring to every live show. If you’ve seen them play,
you know exactly what I mean: the joy and intensity they create wherever
they go.
Possibly the best Macedonian release of the year so far, Workin’ for the
other side — even though it carries the name of a snitch, feels like it’s
got a bright future. One of the most innovative bands to appear on the
scene, making music that’s entirely erratic, with every instrument uniquely
voiced by its player.
This review is cross posted with mono-ton.com.