T.A.P. is an international assemblage of musicians who have collaborated to create an instrumental album that will rank highly amongst the progressive rock instrumental albums of the year. T.A.P. released their debut album, Paradigms, on October 6th , on Melodic Revolution Records. The 8-track album is an “instrumental fusion of progressive and ambient sounds, with a nice touch of jazz, blues, psychedelic, and ethnic influences, stirred in for perfection”.
The band is made up of members: Suzi James on guitar, flute, bass, and oud; Mike Jobborn on keyboards, synth, soundscapes, drum programming, Rhodes and Mellotron; Mark Cook on Warr guitar, guitar, beat construction, synth, Mellotron, baritone guitar, string arrangement and choir; Paul Sears on drums, percussion, and drum programming; and Bill Bachman on drums.
These members got together to create something incredible, and it is amazing to hear. Every track on the album is full of powerful, emotive playing and great rhythms and melodies.
My favorite tracks were: the opener, “Infinite Names”; an over 11 minute showcase of talented guitar, keyboards and drums. Suzi James shines bright playing complex and innovative guitar and oud. Mike Jobborn’s spacey keyboards, synth, and synth soundscapes drive the imagination, especially towards the end. Gayle Ellett’s Moog playing is a wonderful inspiration, taking us back to Keith Emerson. Mark Cook’ s Warr guitar and mellotron, is well conceived, and brings color to this track.
“Initiate Protocol 7”, is full of creative talent and innovation. Suzi James, playing guitar, flute, and percussion, helps to fill the soundscape with over 6 minutes of wonderfully innovative music. Mike Jobborn’s electric piano and synth, also add wonderful texture to the background soundscape.
“Silence From The Storm”, is the longest track on the album, at over 12 and a half minutes. It is a spectacular track, full of Suzi James’s guitar and bass. Mike Jobborn, plays inspired keyboards and synth soundscapes that will have you dreaming of 2001A Space Odyssey or at least interstellar travel. Gayle Ellett’s Hammond organ and Moog playing will take you back to some wonderful memories of ELP. Paul Sears’ drum work and percussion, help keep the song’s flow, well in step.
“The Last Words Of Dutch Schultz”, is the best song on this album. Not only for the music, but for the song title. “As Dutch Schultz, (a famous New York City gangster of the 1920s and 30s), lay dying from bullet wounds on a hospital bed, Schultz uttered strange thoughts that were incomprehensible to the police who were hoping to get information from him. Some of Schultz’s last words were: – “A boy has never wept… nor dashed a thousand kin.” Dutch Schultz’s treasure was said to be worth more than $50 million dollars. Before he went to jail, he buried the treasure somewhere in the Catskill Mountains, where it has never been found. The song is full of bluesy guitar and some very trippy keyboards, synthesizers, and drum programming.
“Terminus”, brings this amazing instrumental album to a close, in a very bizarre and strange way. The flute like sounds are otherworldly at the opening. The fretless bass, keyboards, piano and tamboura, are wonderful. Over 5 minutes of intricate jamming from some very innovative progressive rock musicians.
The bonus track, is a more revved up and faster version of “Silence From The Storm”. It is nicknamed the “Herd of Instinct mix”, for its variation from the theme of the fifth song on the album.
T.A.P.’s Paradigms is the perfect break from what you have been used to hearing for years. There is a surprise around every corner, and on each track you will hear. Amazing sounds that you are probably not used to hearing daily. That in itself makes this, an album to add to your collection; for all those times you want to hear, as Monty Python used to say, “And now for something, completely different”.
Album Track List:
1. Infinite Names – 11:59
2. The Progbient – 5:10
3. Initiate Protocol 7 – 6:01
4. Signal Transactions – 6:53
5. Silence From The Storm – 12:35
6. The Last Words Of Dutch Schultz – 5:05
7. Terminus – 5:44
Bonus track: 8. Silence From The Storm (HOI Mix) – 8:19
Paradigms was recorded in Canada, USA, and the UK. It was mixed and mastered by Mark Cook. The album art was created by Mark Cook. Technical assistance: Gayle Ellett ©2023 T.A.P All rights reserved.
Band Website and Social Media Links:
https://tapprog.bandcamp.com/album/paradigms
https://facebook.com/T.A.P-Prog
https://www.facebook.com/MelodicRevolutionRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/melodicrevolutionrecords/
https://myrevolution.bandcamp.com/music
https://mrrmusic.com/project/t-a-p/
Contact email: t.a.p.bandalbum1@gmail.com
YouTube and Music Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MelodicRevolutionRecordsMusic
Hi, I’m Stefan from Bucharest, Romania.
Many thanks for this wonderful presentation and of course, for this great band. I just have a little puzzle if I may say so: why did you put Mike Jobborn three times in the members line: “The band is made up of members: Suzi James, on guitar, flute, bass, and oud; Mike Jobborn, on keyboards, synth, soundscapes, and drum programming; Mike Jobborn, on Moog, keyboards and mellotron; Mark Cook, on Warr guitar, guitar, beat construction, synth, Mellotron, baritone guitar, string arrangement and choir; Mike Jobborn, on Rhodes, and keyboards, Paul Sears, on drums, percussion, and drum programming; and Bill Bachman, on drums.”
All the best in the future !
Gratefuly,
Stefan Pelin
Thank you for bringing this up to us. We will edit the article to remove the repetitions.