Strength In Depth

Robin Armstrong has been creating thinking-persons's music asCosmograf since 2008, and his latest album, The Orphan Epoch, continues to explorethemes of disillusionment and a refusal toconform. The multiinstrumentalisttellsProg about its creation,ruffling feathers and the double-edged sword of a solo project.

- Words: Chris Wheatley Image: Fotozoomi Photography

Robin Armstrong has been delivering Cosmograf’s fine music for the best part of 20 years. Now he’s back with a new exciting approach and The Orphan Epoch — an album that’s set to shake things up and reset the balance.

“I do have a bit of subversive spirit,” says Armstrong, with a wry smile, “in terms of ruffling the feathers of the sometimes dusty prog rock world.”

We're talking about one particular song on the new album, Seraphim Reels — a wonderfully atmospheric downtempo number that periodically explodes into bursting clouds of emotion. It’s a beautiful example of the joy to be found in matching different tones against each other, in this case delicate piano, soaring guitar and, strikingly, smoky saxophone.

“The track itself is a bit of double-edged sword,” he adds. “Dare I say, it’s got a bit of Coldplay vibe in places, which I really like, but then it’s got a Floyd guitar solo thing going on. I’m fascinated to see how that ‘one’s going to go down.”

This is a strength of The Orphan Epoch, and Cosmograf’s music in general; Armstrong isn’t afraid to challenge preconceptions.

He’s a dedicated and thoughtful musician with an meticulous approach, qualities that are perfectly suited to his side-hustle of repairing timepieces.

Although Cosmograf has been a going concern since 2008, Armstrong has been playing since he was 14: “Pye never really known whether I prefer the keyboard or the guitar,” he says. “I’ve struggled to constrain myself to one thing. I’m always drawn to something new.”

This eclecticism provides a clue to his music’s appealing blend of ideas. Armstrong's first loves were Queen, Black Sabbath, and especially Deep Purple.