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Taupe — Waxing / Waning
(Bandcamp Minority Records MIN75, 2026, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-03-17

Waxing / Waning Cover art

Taupe is a trio based in Glasgow that is exploring the area between jazz and avant-garde electronics, tossing in math-rock as a bonus. The result on Waxing / Waning is a joyful mess of wild saxophone, freaky guitar, and drums that are spastic and stuttery one moment and rocking heavily the next. Speaking personally, this music hits a sweet spot for me, featuring so many of the qualities I love in music all thrown together. It’s got tricky rhythms cleverly put together between the three players, it’s got unfettered improvisation, weird electronic manipulation, heavy guitar, and technique balanced with imagination. In my book, that qualifies as Top Fun, though I realize it might not be to everyone’s liking. The perpetrators of this madness are Mike Parr-Burman (guitar, bass guitar, electronics), Jamie Stockbridge (alto and baritone saxophones), and Alex Palmer (drum kit, percussion), and the group was formed in 2012, though Palmer joined later, replacing the original drummer. This is their third album, and on its strength I’ll be checking out the other two. The seven tracks range from such energetic blasts as “Lemonade Tycoon” and “Allcapsbold” to the moody title track, which applies their process to longer tones and atmosphere instead of phrenetic activity. Taupe is a great find, and a band to keep an eye on in the future.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Taupe

More info
http://taupe.bandcamp.com/album/waxing-waning

 

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