Monta, which means “to climb higher,” has been doing just that despite lineup changes the ebb and flow of scenes. Founded by brothers Dedric and Delaney Moore, Monta (originally Monta At Odds), the Kansas City synthpop outfit explores psychedelic soundscapes, melody, and pop hooks with friends and other collaborators.
The effervescent “Looking Back” is pure electronic ear candy, with its delicious synth pads and warm, cozy lead vocals from Mikal Shapiro. It brings to mind the indie chanteuse era of the early-mid 2000s with its indulgence in nostalgia, but takes those memories with them. The song transmits golden rays of sentimentality and the desire to capture fleeting youth in a bottle – to carry in our hearts toward a brighter future.
“The process of looking back never sounded so good,” says the band.
“It’s a strange time to be making music at all. In the midst of this bizarre attention economy, it’s hard to retrain our minds to sit still for an entire song,” says the band. “We are in constant states of flux.” Kansas City’s resident post-punks Monta find themselves in that same state of change now. Kansas City’s cosmic art-rock outfit Monta have reformed and – refined – their sound into a sophisticated dark synthpop. The band’s unique cosmic element remains, but has metamorphosed into a more dance-focused euphoric sound. After having played live frequently last year, the band wanted to bring that energy to their recording process.
The band is finding freedom in the moment, wherever it takes them.
Order “Looking Back” here.
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