From his 2015 self-released debut album The Old Testament, up until his most recent offering Not Around But Through via Portland-based label Beacon Sound, the Asian-American “tape wizard” has been hypnotising listeners with his idiosyncratic blend of cassette tape loops, live guitar FX, sampling and field recordings.
These experimental sounds have seen Taylor tour alongside the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and This Will Destroy You, play stages at Roadburn and SXSW Festivals, and release two collaborative “split” albums with fellow noisemakers Churchdweller and Drowse. The prolific musician has also released eight solo records. Arriving four years after his previous LP, Blooming (2021), Not Around But Through is a shapeshifting rumination on emotional resilience and what it means to face the challenges that life throws at us. It’s an inner journey that Taylor manages to communicate with considered – though at times crushing – grace.
Whether he’s moving through the jagged yet ambient ether on “Veils”, or shrouding listeners in rich, cinematic guitar tones on “Myriads”, Taylor is a benign guiding force with his intuitive volume shifts and emotive crescendos. He begins by plunging his listeners into “Crude Soil”. Layers of glitchy electronics and reverb swell to an unexpectedly ethereal conclusion, gently bracing listeners for the tumultuous sonic terrain ahead. Simultaneously glacial and yearning, yet heavy and opaque, the musician’s consistent use of disarming drones act as a connective force throughout the album, permeating all of the aural territory that Taylor patiently traverses.
“Sun Unseen” and “Infinities” – the first incorporating the eerie tones of Eric Nyffeler’s lapsteel guitar, and the second being drenched in discordant drones – are by far the bleakest tracks on Not Around But Through. Positioning “Lowercase Letters” between them, featuring the rich saxophone sounds of Daniel Kublick, undoubtedly helps to soothe the sting. Contextual details about the events and experiences that shaped Not Around But Through are sparse – but these moments in particular feel mournful. The ambiguity surrounding the true inspirations are perhaps what make this aural reflection from Taylor so affecting. His beautiful collaboration with Colorado-based musician and producer Madeline Johnston aka Midwife provides another pacifying moment on “Lifelike”. Johnston’s solo work is heavily inspired by the transient nature of grief (which she shared with us in an interview back in 2023) so her contribution here makes perfect sense. Her hazy vocals are beautifully underscored by Taylor’s blissful, gauzy reverb.
Taylor’s instinctive understanding of how to manipulate sound to make it into a cathartic vessel for emotional release shines brightly on Not Around But Through. Although it may enter shadowy territory, it is ultimately a hopeful record, which sees its creator reach the self-acceptance he has been searching for, personified beautifully on closing track “Burnt Siennas” which smoulders like the earthy pigment it shares its name with. Peace cannot be found if you avoid uncertainty and discomfort, and that’s something that Taylor has explored and deftly captured on his latest effort.
