By skyforbes 
Taupe comprises saxophonist, composer, and arranger Jamie Stockbridge (Agbeko, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, John Pope Quartet and more), drummer, composer, and improviser Alex Palmer (Logan‘s Close, Blue Giant Orkestar, Pippa Blundell, SMIRK, and more), and guitarist and electronic musician Mike Parr-Burman (Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra and a variety of projects including Dome Riders and more).
Taupe has performed at jazz festivals, punk clubs, and venues in the UK and Europe. They have opened for Deerhoof, Melt Banana, and Richard Dawson, and have been featured at the 12 Points! Jazz Festival and selected for Jazz North’s Northern Line. In 2023, they received the PRS International Showcase Fund Award to perform at the Sharpe showcase festival in Slovakia.
Lemonade Tycoon is introduced with two sets of repeated phrases, and when the rhythm kicks in, this slightly offbeat tempo permeates the single, creating an engaging dynamic that captivates the mind.
The title, Lemonade Tycoon, is a nod to the classic business simulation game of the same name, where players run a lemonade stand and try to make profits, but really, the sound has nothing to do with the game. It is intense and unique, enhanced by a live drum improvisation in the final sequence, captured via a saxophone clip-on mic and routed through saxophonist Jamie Stockbridge’s intricate effects pedal chain, creating a spectral echo. It is here where the lemonade reference makes sense, as it is sparkling and chaotic like shaken lemonade, simultaneously precise and unruly.
If ever a track screamed skronk, it is this one. Beautifully balanced, Taupe work together to create music that encompasses free jazz with punchy, repeated phrasing that works its way into the mind, like a relentless drill. The switches from precise, intricate phrases to turbulent, chaotic lines are seamless.
They describe their music as having a “wonky charm,” which perfectly captures the joyfully noisy, beautiful sound that resonates. There is a wild section where the saxophone and guitar engage in a rhythmic dialogue, resulting in a dynamic, ever-changing conversation. The pulled-back timings enhance the sense of controlled chaos throughout the track. It starts as one thing and transforms into something different by the end, yet it remains turbulent and glorious.
This single is fun, free, dynamic, and completely beautiful.
Lemonade Tycoon is the single release ahead of Taupe’s third album, Waxing |Waning, which will be released in March 2026 by the Czech label Minority Records.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/XBEZ7JOdw-A
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