Ed Motta - Criterion of the Senses (Remastered) (2018/2021) [Official Digital Download 24/192]

Brazilian superstar Ed Motta returns with a new album in the form of ‘Criterion Of The Senses’, two years after his acclaimed ‘Perpetual Gateways’ release and the late 70s ‘Yacht soul’ vibe is in full effect here. Motta masters that balance between AOR and innovation with a nod to the likes of Steely Dan and co. especially on the bobbing groover ‘Lost Connection To Prague’. The Donny Hathaway feel of ‘Sweetest Berry’ gives the set a funky touch while the fusion fuelled ‘Novice Never Notice’ takes its cue from the Beckett/Fagan school of Jazz. ‘Your Satisfaction is Mine’ is a firey, boogie heavy dancer, ‘The Required Dress code’ again borrows from that luxurious, turn-of-the-80s L.A sound while the jazz guitar and brushed percussion of ‘The Tiki’s Broken There’ create a live beachside lounge atmosphere. Motta is a master of the cool, elegant, smooth groove with an edge.

"Criterion of the Senses delivers to the listener eight original songs, with the vinyl market clearly under consideration, given the overall length of the album sitting inside the preferred 40min framework, and all supplied with English lyrics by Mr Motta (nothing new as he was mixing both as far back as 1990). It’s a happy-go-lucky affair, summer breeze open-top car feel-good album. Off the menu supplied, ‘Sweetest Berry’ is more reminiscent of his ‘Poptical’ album. ‘Lost Connection to Prague’ flows atop the guitar with water splashing your face. ‘X1 in Test’ brings a little funky undercurrent, while ‘Novice Never Notice’ is very much typical of the adventurous Motta his fans have fallen in love with. Let’s not compare the energy of his ‘Aystelum’ album from 2005, which touched on the deep jazz, the jazz-funk and the fusion sounds. An album that won hearts in the UK. Let us simply look for similarities in the huge catalogue he now sits upon, with no modern day comparisons other than his own releases, which all, to some degree, have elements of this ’sound’. That’s some mighty achievement to have your own thing going on. Yes there are cheesy references to VCR recorders, Walkman cassettes and Shoulder Pads, but I get it. It’s not trying to be anything other than typical of a sound associated the with late 70s and 80s. So in that, he has mastered the formula without compromising by covering classics. It’s a bold statement to make but Ed Motta has done his own thing now for many years and the world has been watching, listened and adores him. He is an incredible voice for the ‘scene’ we hold dear, a true gentlemen in interview and a wonderful showman on stage. He touches so many people around the world and credit for his continued and varied music can only be endorsed. It’s not so much ‘Soft Rock’, ‘MPB’, or even pop music – it is Ed Motta."

Tracklist:
01 Lost Connection to Prague (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
02 Sweetest Berry (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
03 Novice Never Notice (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
04 The Required Dress Code (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
05 X1 in Test (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
06 The Tiki`s Broken There (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
07 Your Satisfaction is Mine (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)
08 Shoulder Pads (24 Bit Remaster, 2021)


Thanks to the Original customer!