ABOUT
The beginnings of T.A.P go back to 2012 when Michael Jobborn assisted Gayle Ellett with some promotion for his Djam Karet band. This brought Michael into contact with Mark Cook when Gayle asked Michael to help Mark Cook with promoting his Herd of Instinct band.
This lead to Michael asking if Mark would work with him on his own music, which started the ball rolling towards the music now being released.
Around the latter half of 2019, through an online radio station chat-room meeting with Suzi James, Michael helped promote the band Fearful Symmetry's debut album, which Suzi co-founded. Suzi was the next musician recruited into the fold.
Then 'the Covid years' happened...
In 2022 it all sparked back into life, and Gayle Ellett was called upon to input his particular skills, and later, drummers Paul Sears and Bill Bachman added some finishing touches to a couple of tracks.
The collective name for the project is T.A.P - but no-one will give a
straight answer to what it means - it's whatever you want it to be.
Maybe it's because all the contributors 'tap' something - drums,
keyboards (musical and computer), and the frets of various stringed
instruments.
The title of the first album, 'Paradigms', might provide a clue...
June 2023: T.A.P signed to Melodic Revolution Records.
MRR band profile: https://mrrmusic.com/project/t-a-p/
July 2023: T.A.P release a single, 'The Progbient'.
Stream/buy: https://tapprog.bandcamp.com/track/the-progbient-2
YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvT1Pr9TNNI
September 2023: T.A.P release a second single, 'Terminus' - available from Friday 8th September.
Stream/buy: https://tapprog.bandcamp.com/track/terminus-2
YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U58uorZkqc8&pp=ygUSbXJyIHQuYS5wIHRlcm1pbnVz
September 18th 2023: T.A.P pre-ordering of debut album 'Paradigms' available.
Same day, T.A.P interview on Progzilla - with Anthony Rowsick.
October 6th 2023: T.A.P debut album 'Paradigms' available on CD.
Much more about the album and musicians can be found on the EPK page, but below is further background on the contributors.
Michael Jobborn has been creating many different types of genres of music since 2003 after getting his first MIDI keyboard and DAW. He became a member of the band Head Joint shortly after. To date his band has created over 800 songs of ambient, progressive rock, fusion and several genres of progressive EDM.
Michael plays stringed instruments, keyboards, synths, reed and wind instruments, and are all self-taught. Michael started promoting progressive rock from around 2013. He has helped and worked with many bands over the years, helping with setting up interviews, getting reviews of the various bands, and posting to various progressive rock Facebook groups.
Michael is about to start his own radio show “The Art Rock Round Table” on progrock.com where he will be interviewing bands each week, doing what he loves, promoting progressive rock music.
Mark Cook, from Arlington, Texas, is a multi-instrumentalist/producer who specializes in playing the touch-style instrument known as the Warr guitar.
His music is a hybrid of progressive rock, art rock, post rock, and psychedelia.Mark has recorded and performed with Herd of Instinct, Liquid Sound Company, Gayle Ellett & the Electromags, Djam Karet, Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Stick Men), Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Steven Wilson), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree, Ork), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), Spoke of Shadows, Nocturne Blue, Dutch Rall, Blood Jet Poetry, The Forever Moment, Hands, and 99 Names of God.
Mark has also composed video game app soundtracks for Acceleroto, Inc. and participated in scoring a modern dance film with Dutch Rall and Diego Martinez Lanz called "Verdesaparecer" directed by Karen De Luna.
https://herdofinstinct.bandcamp.com/ https://herdofinstinct.wixsite.com/herdofinstinct
Suzi James is based in north London, UK. Alongside a full-time career in IT, Suzi started playing guitar semi-professionally in bands in the 1970s, from blues to prog rock, until the 1980s, when she broaden her musical styles and influences, and had the opportunity to undertake some session work.
Since 2015, Suzi has been free to give more focus to music, building her own home recording studio, and adding bass, keyboards, flute, violin, oud, mandolin and some percussion to her skills.
In 2018, Suzi co-founded Fearful Symmetry, with two releases in 2019 and 2022. The latest, The Difficult Second, was awarded joint ‘Best Prog Rock UK Album 2022’ by ProgRock.com.
In parallel with Fearful Symmetry, Suzi played on Checking For Echo Project albums, ‘My Life & Other Short Stories - Vols 1 & 2’. Vol 3 is in progress as well as a third Fearful Symmetry album. Apart from music, Suzi plays cricket, and likes to travel.
Gayle Ellett lives in Topanga, California and has been playing guitar and piano for the past 50 years.
Currently he is performing in 7 bands, has scored music for 60 different television series and films, and has played on over 120 albums.
He is a founding member of the instrumental Progressive Rock group Djam Karet, and currently plays and records with The Electromags.
When he's not busy making albums, he can often be found wandering the mountain trails near his home.
Paul Sears has played and/or recorded with The Muffins, and other well known musos including Andy West , Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Fred Frith, John Greaves, Peter Blegvad, Daevid Allen, Jerry Goodman, TS Henry Webb, Al Bouchard, Judy Dyble, Steve Hillage, Karda Estra, 9353, Henry Kaiser, Bill Laswell, Yochk’o Seffer, Present, Cyrille Verdeaux’s Clearlight, Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott, Michael Keneally, Harvey Bainbridge, Morglbl, The Red Masque, and many others.
He continues to record in his Arizona studio, Garage Mahal, and plays out both in the US and abroad occasionally.
He is also a broadcaster since 2014, presenting weekly The Paul Sears Radio Hour as part of the popular Prog Rock Diner cable and Internet progressive rock show on Radio Fairfax in VA. He has also appeared on KOTO-FM, in Telluride CO, WFMU in NJ, & ZONA 98.3 in Mexicali Mexico.
Drums recorded for this album at Paul's studio Garage Mahal in AZ by Paul and 3rd ear Steve Mitchell.
Bill Bachman is a regular contributing columnist for Modern Drummer magazine and is the author of the books ‘Stick Technique, an ‘Essential Guide for the Modern Drummer’ and ‘Rhythm & Chops Builders’ published through Modern Drummer Publishing (nominated for “Best Product” in their 2018 Readers Poll), as well as the Logic marching percussion instructional book series for Row-Loff Productions.
Bill is the founder of DrumWorkout.com, designer of Vic Firth’s Heavy Hitter pad series and his signature Billy Club drumsticks and the inventor of the patented Remote Speedy Hat.
Bill has played with and instructed many award-winning marching percussion groups, including the UNT drum line and various DCI World Class finalists (Cadets, Bluecoats, Blue Knights, and Carolina Crown).
On drumset, Bill is the drummer for Herd of Instinct, Spoke of Shadows, has toured with progressive rock artist Neal Morse, and freelances playing and recording in the Dallas area. Bachman is an international drum clinician, and he endorses Vic Firth sticks, Remo drumheads, Zildjian cymbals, and Row-Loff Productions products.
Some early reviews and feedback - link to full Review page
“My thoughts on listening to this great album: A seven track album plus a bonus track.
A nice collaboration by Mike Jobborn, Suzi James, Gayle, and Mark. Track one Infinite Names is a 11 minute 58 sec of nice flowing guitars and synths and mellotron, well put together, the instruments blend seamlessly into a sea of soundscapes with nice choir vocals.
Track 2 – The Progbient has a more Jazzy setting laying down a great ambient tune, a happy track.
Track 3 – Initiate Protocol 7, a more darker atmospheric number lovely open soundscape on this one.
Track 4 – to track 8 continue the album keeping up the excellent soundstage throughout this album.
To sum up this is a great effort by the musicians involved and is a great listen, you will not be disappointed.” - Phil Jee (House of Prog)
"What I have heard of your album so far sounds fkn amazing. Totally unique. Can't say it sounds like anyone cause it does not” - Chris Gill (Band Of Rain)
“Really cool! Great atmospheres and cool riffs. At times reminded me of Pink Floyd or Gentle Giant. Fun Prog! Congrats! Really impressed.”
- Dave Kerzner ('Sound of Contact', 'Dave Kerzner Band', 'In Continuum')
“A progressive experimental collection of music that has thrown out the formula book to give way to free form moods, mental atmospheres and innovative sound design. Definitely something to enjoy in its entirety . Digging it!”
- Simon Collins (‘Sound Of Contact’, ‘eMOLECULE’)
“Wow - I love it. Very impressed. Great moods, great progressive grooves, awesome guitar, gritty keys, solid bass, very cool stuff!”
- Matt Dorsey (‘Sound Of Contact’, ‘In Continuum’, ‘Dave Kerzner Band’)
“T.A.P’s 'Paradigm' is a compelling return to the roots of prog with a 7 superb tracks waxing musical tapestries infused with jazz fusion and rock. At times it made me think of the supergroup UK or something from Bill Bruford's 'Masterstrokes'. It is an exciting listen filled with interwoven melodies, rhythms and musical themes.”
- Kelly Nordstrom (‘Sound Of Contact’, ‘eMOLECULE’)
“...an absolute blast... guitar technique and tone to die for throughout, some really inventive arrangements with prog, ambient, hints of jazz fusion, blues, even a bit of carnival haha. Fab keys and orchestration, some very inventive percussion - lots of room for the music to move and groove but never descends into indulgence. It's well outside my usual comfort zone but when everyone brings their A Game like that and creates the right moods and can move seamlessly through those kind of arrangements it's a winner. Production is really good. Delicious basslines. Silence From The Storm! Yum”
- Charlie Bramald (‘Ghost of the Machine’)
“If one changes the perspective from a supporter right into an actor; the result might be: brilliant!
Mike Jobborn and the debut of his latest project, T.A.P, demonstrates this perfectly. An instrumental album to be listened to in many different occasions. You can take a walk with it, or do hot Indian cooking or just lay down on your sofa and listen! Not easy to keep excitement up with an instrumental album, but Mike did it here with Paradigms. Silence From The Storm is the definite proggy highlight of the album (well, for me it is), additionally we have slightly jazzy parts and psych moments on the album as well. Suzi James adds her wonderful guitar skills in the right moments, famous Mark Cook (Herd Of Instinct) shoots Warr guitar tunes as well; excellent! Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet), Paul Sears (Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage) and Bill Bachman (Herd Of Instinct) on drums make this project A Band!
If you like the instrumental corner of the PROG universe, you‘ll love Paradigms.
A neat piece of work!” - Larne Peters - ProgAlley.eu