The Motet – Saturday Nov. 18th at Flamingo Cantina
Instrumental Dissent
by The Motet (2006)
Rating: 
The latest release from the Motet IS VERY GOOD. Imagine if Fela Kuti and Weather Report recorded a jam session full of tag-team grooves, then Thievery Corporation remixed the whole thing, complete with trancy dancefloor bombs a DJ-style song transitions. Then, have a modern day jam-band learn the CD note-for note and play it back with a trump-tight but organic energy only possible with in-the-moment performance. that’s close to the sound. Very impressive junk and you can tell they that successfully merges their already trademark sound of Afro/latin/Jazz fusion with some trippy shape-shifting electronic textures. The track “Anew’ reminds me of an AIR tune with its bleeby resonating synths over sweet rhodes piano comps. Its the kinda sound that could easily fit them in with the other post-rockers like Tortoise or the Album Leaf. But a chill-out record this IS NOT. This is a party record, full of bumpin grooves and disco basslines. Im not saying these guys don’t jam. They are master improvisseurs. But I will say the Motet approaches the electronica flavors a bit differently than other jam-acts that’ve gone in a similar direction. Its well worth a listen for fans of anything from fusion to jamtronica to indie-electro to latin-groove stuff like Ozomatli. Dig in!
1. Afro Disco Beat
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2. Anew
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Just in from Grady at The Flamingo Cantina – Colorado’s the MOTET will stop through Austin this Saturday for a 2 set show at the Flam Can in support of their new disc Instrumental Dissent, their first ATX appearance in at least a couple years. The Motet is hot off the heels of a Halloween tour in which they performed a Madonna tribute set complete with costumes and halter-wearing front-woman vocalist. If you remember a few years back, they did a similar tribute show dedicated to PRINCE. Shit was hot!…the TacoTown Execs plan on walking over to this show immediately after the My Morning Jacket show at Stubb’s, which is also a MUST SEE PERFORMANCE. I had a chance to absorb this new CD and here’s my thoughts.
chappy said,
November 20, 2006 @ 12:03 am
the show at flamingo was excellent…. relentless grooves, creative improv, good energy…. it was great.
special props to the bass player who was very jaco-esque….