PRESS

Sarebbero solo in due, Jochen Briesen e Jan Thoben, entrambi alle chitarre steel, ma la collaborazione di Derek Shirley (contrabasso), Michael Thieke (clarinetto), Wilm Thoben (vibrafono) e F.S. Blumm (chitarra) rende la loro musica- altrimenti fingerpicking folk- l‘opera di una band autentica alle prese con una serie di delicati e minimali acquerelli folk-jazz, una specie di versione ‘cameristica‘, timida e introversa ma anche austera e ‘seria‘, della folktronica pop. (7)
Stefano I. Bianchi BLOW UP (I) 02/2008

The ideal Ahornfelder supergroup: Taunus make the more pensive side of the vision audible. Some labels are like families: The physical attributes of their genes can be seen in their spouses. Ahornfelder, especially, has established a recognisably warm and touchingly naive sound, which could not only be traced back to the solo work of founder Alexander Schubert, but to the various projects of his siblings as well. It has given the company a unique face and come close to establishing a genre of its own, and yet it has also opened the door to the danger of repetition. This is why „Harriet“will do Schubert's home and house a lot of good. Of course this is not to say that it represent a complete about-turn. Taunus is the acoustic steel-string brotherhood of Jan Thoben and Jochen Briesen, complemented by a select group of friends for their regular live appearances in their hometown of Berlin or at the Ahornfelder festival in Leipzig. A cross-border intersection of artists from both camps has now been invited for the sessions to this album, involving instruments such as Double Bass, Clarinet and Vibraphone and integrating painter and guitarist F.S. Blumm among others. Technically speaking, this is the ideal Ahornfelder supergroup. In terms of sound, too, „Harriet“ does not decamp all too far from the proven paths. Duo guitar passages create a mellow folk mood, warm wood winds blow through sympathetically clattering scenes of pastoral beauty and polyphonic voices, friendly claps and stomps combine into uplifting moments which require no big message or implicit politics to make an impact. The album has an open ambiance to it, with plenty of breathing space, feeling dreamy and so direct it could have been recorded right in your living room. Field recordings culled from what could have been a visit to the zoo reinfornce the notion of the album as an oasis. And yet, there is an element of darkness, of premonitions and of foreboding to be found as well. While albums like „Diario“ or „Pres de la Lisiere“ were pure tenderness turned sound and constituted a womb of complete harmony for the time of their duration, Taunus make the more pensive side of the vision audible. Just like a sudden rush of cold air and a distant wall of grey clouds can take the easyness from a picnick party for an instant, their music slips in and out of brooding passages, when the rhythms of their guitars loose symmetry, deep drones billow from below the earth or a monotonous computer voice monologises coldly through the subtlelty of their acoustic setting. Still, „Harriet“ has not ended up a depressed record. Reflective and relaxed states take their turn and lend a cinematic and wide feeling to the sounds – despite the album's shortness of 33 minutes. In its blend of the recognisable and the new, it marks Taunus as a band with a lot of stories to tell. And it brands Ahornfelder as a label willing to take risks even though it could sit back and rest on its laurels.
Tobias Fischer TOKAFI 02/2008

Taunus was formed by the Berliner steel string guitarists Jan Thoben and Jochen Briesen in early 2001. They were joined by several guests playing percussion, banjo, harmonium and vibraphone at live concerts. Since their first longplayer Malinche (Schinderwies-Production, 2005) Taunus' lineup keeps changing a bit and is heading towards a more flexible ensemble conception. For the new album Harriet (Ahornfelder, 2007) Derek Shirley, Michael Thieke, Wilm Thoben and F.S. Blumm were invited to play along at the recording sessions. Taunus play acoustic (mostly) instrumental music – you can find elements ranging from folk, fingerpicked minimal structures to improvised and more open forms in their music. The first record Malinche by Taunus was mostly focused on minimal, interlocking folky guitar patterns. Harriet on the other hand features more contrasting elements: Strictly composed passages, which are rigid and static in character, are combined with free, fluid and improvised parts. Dissonances enter a framework of open tuned folk-harmonics. And on top of the warm and immediate sounds of acoustic instruments an artificial voice generator talks about the inconstancy of concepts and theory. By bridging and sometimes even blurring these contrasts and differences, Taunus expand their way of musical expression. Harriet successfully explores new ways of composing interesting, reflective and charming music based on finger picked guitars. The album is named after Darwin's lady freshwater turtle Harriet, which died in 2006 at the age of 175 years. She was mistakenly thought to be a male exemplar of her species for most of her life. Released on Ahornfelder and available March 1st, 2008.
CHAIN DLK (USA) 02/2008

....To 'proof' my point there is also the CD by Taunus, which also has vocals, although not in every track. Taunus' core are steel guitarists Jan Thoben and Jochen Briesen with several guest plays on percussion, banjo, harmonium and vibraphone when they play live. They too have a folk-like sound, but the pieces sound much more interesting, perhaps since the fact that they dwell less on vocals, and more on a wider variety of instruments. Fingerpicking guitar, soft vibraphone passages, this is rather sweet acoustic music. Partly composed and partly improvised, the music in eight tracks is a gentle and merry flow down the stream and one that fits the Ahornfelder catalogue pretty well. Although similar, superficially, similar to Little Wings, a much more mature and complete recording this one and to these ears at least, much more interesting to hear.
Frans de Waard VITAL WEEKLY (NL) 02/2008

Formed in 2001 by Berliner steel string guitarists Jan Thoben and Jochen Brisen, Taunus started as a fairly conventional jazz combo with eccentric folk leanings. The debut, Malinche, consisted of minimal, interlocking guitar patterns that were akin to Robert Fripp surveying the Burl Ives songbook—intriguing but a bit too laidback and studied for its own good. Harriet is another story altogether. Incorporating elements of dissonance along with found sounds and an artificial voice generator, Thoben and Brisen have created an acoustic, ambient record with backbone and substance. Named in honor of Charles Darwin's freshwater turtle that died in 2006 at the age of 175, Harriet features eight sound collages presented without a single note wasted or out of place. Sounding somewhat similar to the pioneering work of The Books, Taunus' improvisational jazz inclinations are much more pronounced, creating challenging music that is imminently approachable. While a composition such as "Dots and Lines" might sound like a couple of guys just tooling around in a studio, the interplay between the duo and the four guest musicians makes even a warm up a matter of interest. When the entire unit takes hold of "Tramin" and the splendid "Concepts & Beliefs," it becomes clear that this is music of uncommon clarity and significance. Mellow to be sure, but Harriet is alive with the fire of whispers and hushed tones: notes, chords and noises in the service of an excitedly unsullied muse.
Darryl Smyers DALLAS OBSERVER (USA) 02/2008