MANTRA (IMPORT) | 12IN VINYL

Taxiwars, Taxiwars is back after a three-year hiatus with new album Artificial Horizon, released via Sdban Ultra. An intensive collaboration between dEUS frontman Tom Barman, saxophonist Robin Verheyen, bassist Nicolas Thys, and drummer Antoine Pierre, Taxiwars are a mix of lyricism, poetry, and jazz with a rock sensibility. Three years in the making, Artificial Horizon, is a metaphorical step forward from 2016's critically-acclaimed album Fever. Reinventing themselves, Barman and Verheyen came up with something very fresh and personal, tastefully evolving from a cubistic jazz sound to a more melodious direction. The band took their music to the next level adding depth to their compositions, clarity to the beats and efficiency to their overall sound. Artificial Horizon is high on experimentation and creativity and demonstrates a kaleidoscope of styles and sounds. Tracks, like album opener "Drop Shot", are sharp and on point, with a heavy sense of groove, while recent single "Sharp Practice", is an impulsive, energetic vibration that steams jazz with late eighties hip-hop beats. Title track "Artificial Horizon", is both beguiling and insistent with an ingrained punkiness that sets the band apart from the plush jazz scene, all thanks to Verheyen's punchy, melodic lines and Barman's haunting lyrics. "I wanted Taxiwars to be sharp, to the point, punky and trashy - much like the band Morphine. Long solos were no-go," says Barman. The exquisite piano ballad "Irritated Love" complete with smoky sax is an example of the ease in which Taxiwars merge certain traditional elements of jazz with an indie approach to songwriting while tracks like "The Glare" and "Infinity Cove" display Taxiwars' love for jazz musicians such as Pharaoh Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Charles Mingus - full of swing, pulse, and the urge to break out of the genre's confinements. CD version comes in digipack; includes booklet.