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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2004)
Manta Ray's 'Estratexa' is masterful The band performs Saturday in Portland at Berbati’s Pan By Carl Sundberg Pulse Columnist Manta Ray is a band to keep your eye on. They may just take the world by storm with their furiously passionate polyrhythms, odd-timed stratospheric riffing and hypnotic, meditative grooves. Much like its peers The Mars Volta, Frans Am, Rumah Sakit or even latter day Radiohead, Manta Ray embodies the often ignored notion of musical progress. This is less akin to some of the other new "post/punk/indie" rock „ bands like Jet or The Strokes. But Manta Ray, coming all the way from Spain, resembles none of the aforementioned bands. It merely fits __ into the no tion that progress is a REVIEW good thing in music. On its most re cent album, "Estratexa," Manta Ray un leashes some of the most innovative riffs, textures and songs in contempo rary rock. Trippy repetitive keyboard bleeps and swirling guitar are surrounded by tribal thunder-drumming and grinding Courtesy Manta Ray’s "Estratexa" has innovative sounds and lyrics in English and Spanish. bass notes as singer Jose Garda croons fluidly in English and Spanish. The songs on "Estratexa" are built layer upon layer. There are no real hooks or verse-chorus-verse formats that are easily picked out. The opening song, "Take a Look," starts out sounding like a telephone left off the hook but is immediately followed by a rolling fretless bass line and vocals, then by a gentle looping guitar and finally some more key board sounds. As the song slowly builds and frolics, the drummer lays low, like the song is being launched into space. About three minutes into the piece, the rhythm changes into PULSE BRIEF Skerik’s Critters Buggin’ will play WOW Hall April 18 Critters Buggin' will bring its acid punk-voodoo-tribal-freak jazz to WOW Hall on April 18 to support a new al bum being released on Ropeadope Records this month. Also on the bill is special guest Piece of Meat Theatre. Hailing from Seattle, Critters Buggin' includes all-star musicians Skerik on saxophone, Matt Chamberlain on drums, Brad Houser on bass and Mike Dillion on percussion. Skerik made a name for himself playing with such acts as his recent Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet, Tu atara and Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Chamberlain has laid out the beat for David Bowie, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. Houser plays with Hairy Apes and freelances around Austin, Texas. Dillion played with Brave Combo and Garage a Trois. Doors open at 8 p.m. and showtime is 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $ 10 in advance, $12 at the door. WOW Flail is located at 291W. Eighth Ave. — Carl Sundberg Special Spring SAVINGS HPizza Pipeline MEDIUM TWO TOPPING PIZZA With One FREE Pmr* 22 oz. Soda / / zug« FREE DELIVERY " — Eugene: 686-5808 valid with any other offer Expires 4/30/04 "7^ 'Pizza Pipeline 26" COLOSSUS ONE TOPPING With Four 22 oz. Sodas I FREE DELIVERY wnt ivrrin HOB |,j £0? Not valid Eugene: 686-5808 valid with any other offer Expires 4/30/04 GOT A STORY IDEA? RES H something completely different, sub tle and flowing, as if the song has fi nally reached the edge of the atmos phere where it orbits until the final dissolving moments of its existence. Immediately following "Take A Look" is the tricky-timed drumming of the title track, "Estratexa." Like the first song, this piece is built with lay ers, giving it an odd, meditative feel. There are no words on "Estratexa," but you don't even really notice be cause before you know it the third song, "Que Nino Soy," is upon you like a rushing animal. The standout tracks are easily "Asalto," an instrumental missile attack lasting just under two minutes, and "Monotonia," which sounds as if it is channeling some sort of dark energy from the core of sound's primal begin nings. It is brief, eerie and intense. What strikes you most about Manta Ray is how they are able to create such complex-sounding songs with the most simplistic of playing. There are no flashy heroes in this band. They work together brilliantly as a good team, as a force, which is able to chan nel the primal sounds of something more powerful than anyone of them could do individually. The atmos pheric textures that Manta Ray create coupled with the shamanistic-like rhythms make for one seriously Student Groups Advertise in the Oregon Daily Emerald. Call 346-3712 to speak with a sales rep. We have great University rates. profound aural experience. However, in some regards, the four members of Manta Ray create more of a visual experience than an auditory one They almost induce visions with their music. In fact, in 2001, at The Gijon In ternational Film Festival in Spain, Man ta Ray composed and performed a con cert entitled "Score" diat later became a record and a video. Since 1994, they have recorded four full length albums, three EPs, and a bundle of singles. They will perform April 17 at Berbati's Pan in Portland, lo cated at 10 SW Third Ave., with the Sword's Project. Tickets are $7 in ad vance and $8 the day of the show. The show begins at 9:30 p.m. Contact the Pulse columnist at carlsundberg@dailyemerald.com. Let's Go Backpacking GENUINE MILITARY BACK PACKS FRAMES CANTEENS FIRST AID KITS POISON OAK SOAP MOSQUITTO NETS BACK PACKS FROM $1999 TO $299 00 Action Surplus 4251 Franklin Blvd, Eugene 746-1301 April 1-30 20% OFF ALL POETRY BOOKS for the month of April No further discounts. 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