We exist in an unusually turbulent time to be creating art of any kind, let alone music. Amidst the spellbinding spectacle of an eccentric attention-starved economy, it’s a demanding task to lull our relentless minds into the peaceful surrender required to engage with an entire song, start to end.
This challenge is especially acute in a world where the core essence of our being is in an unending state of flux, caught in crisis or some other shifting phase. Mirroring this environment, Kansas City’s Monta find themselves surfing the same unpredictable tide. Free from the constraints of the expected, the band is tasting the freedom found in the immediacy of the present, allowing themselves to be swept away to whatever corners the winds of change decide to blow.
This time, the cosmic journey lands them outside the confines of the time-space continuum with their effervescent latest single, “Transcendent,” from their EP Glide Reflection via The Record Machine. Taking a leaf from the ancient Celtic lore that paints heaven as a realm merely three feet above the earth, the song invokes a quest for a passage into this ethereal dimension.
The enchanting vocal interplay between Dedric Moore and Mikal Shapiro beckons the listener toward an introspective journey to uncover this hidden plane. Meanwhile, the crew of Monta underscores this inviting call with a euphoric concoction of rhythmic synthesizer reverberations, spectral disco drumbeats, and electrifying guitar symphonies that bolster their power from these slender, celestial interstices. We hear elements of MGMT, TV On The Radio, and Miike Snow with their sound – the indie synthpop of the mid-2000s, a solid bedrock for something much more timeless.
Listen to “Transcendent” below:
Emerging from the heart of the plains, Monta – a name echoing the ambition to ascend – was birthed by the harmonic synergy of siblings Dedric and Delaney Moore. Monta immerses itself in a synth-pop symphony of the mind dancing between the cosmic echoes of psychedelia, the bewitching charm of melody, and the irresistible magnetism of pop hooks. This imaginative constellation is often graced by the presence of friends and creative cohorts, adding to its already multifaceted brilliance.
Krysztof Nemeth and Lucas Behrens interweave a tapestry of sound, their guitars creating textured strata of harmonies. Dedric Moore, an alchemist of aural aesthetics, teases out novel explorations with synthesizers and electronic equipment. All the while, Matthew Heinrich anchors the ensemble as the percussive heartbeat, guiding the rhythm and catalyzing spontaneous bursts of musical creativity. Songwriter and vocalist, Mikal Shapiro, equips Monta with the capability to pair their throbbing soundscapes with magnetic pop hooks.
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