Splink - Taklamakan - Progressive Voyages Review
I was offered this album by Vivki Ings, Splink's Violin player as they appreciated my review of the Kozmosis album last year, Well the importance of violin to modern day Prog cannot be doubted as Bands like Solstice, The wood Demons and Kindred Spirit Band all are greatly improved by the fabulous performances of the likes of Naomi Belshaw, Jenny Newman and Stevie Mitchell each of whom bring something unique to their bands and are integral to their sound. Splink are no exception as the band is certainly elevated by the addition of Vicki Ings playing and talents, Not that any of the band are slouches as each are more than competen musicians in their own right.
This latest album Taklamakan is a little different 8n that it is a concept album as fictional tale about a deity and his daughter set in the Far East of China. Whilst the tale is fictional the location of the tale is the Taklamakan Desert which is a realmarea of desert in eastern China.
The album comes in 2 versions one with narration the other just the album, I personally enjoyed both but do appreciate that not everyone will want the narrated version and prefer to hear the music.
There are 17 track in all of which 8 are scene setting narrations there are 3 vocal tracks the remainder being instrumentals, The narration is by Bassist Andy Crickett and is suitably clear and well enunciated.
The rest of the band being Matt James Guitar, Keyboards, Sampler Tongue drum and Vocals, Tim Chapman Drums and Percussion, Vicki Ings Acoustic and Electric Violins, Piano and Vocals and Andy Crickett Bass and Narration.
The album begins with a brief opening narration that sets the scene of our tale, called Palace Grounds, strangely enough Andy's voice is very remniscent of Mark Addy who provided narration fot John Greenwood's First Day and The Boy albums.The narrations tells us of the scene in which the tale is set, A diety has a beautiful daughter and he wants to protect her and keep her safe from folks who may take a advantage of her Innocence so he keps her in the palce grounds although she is given magical key that will open any door in the palace but she cannot venture outside the palace grounds.
The title track Taklamakan is next this is a very graceful track with sweeping violin lines a good drumbeat and basss accompanying and supporting the glorious violin lines, If like me you appreciate the graceful,sound of violins in progressive rock then you will find the album to be right up your street as Vicki is playing withsome truly emotional vulnerability here, it also 8ncludescsnippets of a well known children's nursery Rhyme see if you can spot it for yourself.
After this we have a narration where the daughter becomes captivated by the Army General who reports to her father and he in turnnis overcome with her beauty, Thread Of Fate (yuan Fen) is next another moving instrumental that reflects the fate them keeps them apart as she is bound and 0chooses to honour her father's needs,Whilst the general longs to be with her fully. Thisctracknhas some subtle delicate guitar lines interacting with the violin.
The next installment of the tale follows Wandering Dunes At Midnight in which the daughter is becom8ng aware of the constraints that are upon her and is torn between the desire to be with the general and the demands of being faithful to her father as her mother is not there to look after him.ths piece is mournful and sad in tone expressively performed on the violin by Vicki.
A further narration Spend Together sees the general,becoming bolder in urging the daughter to come with him and thevdaughter finally relenting and agreeing to come with him and travel,together, The Road To Loulan is an instrumental portraying their flight from the palace together. This has gone great guitar lines and drum interactions with violin.
The narration Raged across the land is next and here we hear the deities displeasure and fury when he discovers his daughters departure So in his anger he summons a great storm over the land,
Incantation Of The Storm is a moody instrumental with fiery violin lines and Thunderous drums, this portrays the storm during which the daughter being fearful drops the magical Key never to be found again as a result of this she becomes weak and frail.
The general cries out for mercy as her life drains away, The deity hears this and sends out anothe spell to recant the earlier one sent in his fury which has lessened as he hears of their misery, His daughters life is spared and she is transformed into the vast desert of Taklanakan, Beautiful but deadly to all that enter , The general transforms In to an oasis offering respite to all who come and roam the desert.
Thus end our tale with a few further narrations and three vocal tracks, The Key, Waters Of Jashgar and Forever Bound of these the key is especially fine lasting for over ten minutes alone and givng ample room for the band to improvise freely, a chance they grasp with both hands.
This album really is well conceived and performedcwithva grewatvsound and with the vuolin to the fore although everything is clearly heard, I l8kevhowvthis all sounds thevguitar solos chen they appear arecomcise and fitting, I do like thecwhole album in either version but the narrations makes it for me.
Info here: https://splinkband,bandcamp.com
Author John Wenlock-Smith Sunday 11th October 2026.