EP: “Undo” by Momo:Tempo

Once in a while something truly unusual comes along. Some special. Not your normal listening. Break out of your chosen tribe and genre, and try something else.

For this reviewer that appears to be Bournemouth group Momo:Tempo who have appeared here on RR, albeit very briefly (okay a few sentences). But after there appearance on Hope FM with Tim Heywood, and our very own Chinners, we were able to get a copy of their new single “Undo”, and it has been playing fairly repeatedly for the last day or two. What makes it special? In this day and age it strikes this reviewer as something fairly eclectic, and refreshing. Fusing together elements of jazz, dada, whimsy, and style. The rhythm led sound is offset by Timos’ spoken delivery, and, at times, exceedingly humorous lyrics.

As a reader this probably tells you nothing so far, but one comparison that immediately springs to my mind is that of the Swiss electronic band “Yello”, specifically the Zebra and Baby albums, where Dieters voice just suckers you in. In fact you could perhaps even draw comparisons on the vocal delivery to that of Karl Bartos (without the modulation). The precision layering of the sounds, the strong rhythm, the style injected by the brass section, the strings, all merge perfectly together, electronic and “natural” instruments used by Momo along with the vocals, all having the same effect.

Now, I must be honest, aside from the odd track on their website, and the two tracks on the EP (the third is a re-mix, although different enough to be considered another track), I have not had the opportunity yet to listen to any of their other material. In part this might be due to their infrequent live shows – which only adds to an air of mystique, and possibly leading to them becoming a cult band.

On their homepage they describe themselves as “Alternative, electro, lyrical and world aware – Momo is quite the musical adventure.” – one sentence, more succinct than the paragraphs I have written here. Let yourself go, Momo will guide you!

Right, I am off to dig out my Yello albums, and heading on over to SoundCloud to find me some more Momo…

Links
https://www.facebook.com/momotempo
https://soundcloud.com/momotempo/momo-tempo-undo-preview-mix

Words by Jon.