Metavari

Metavari’s sophomore release Moonless caught our attention on WCYT’s chart this week. The album gives an electro-pop twist to the lush soundscapes of their previous work. There is a clear nostalgia for early electronica and ‘80s pop that comes through with some of their vintage synth-tones. - CMJ

Climaxing orchestrations wrapped in a dreamlike blanket—we stood gazing at the magicians letting work-week cares melt away with each chord. - KEXP

Here's a synopsis of the stuff I recommend and use most often: Brian McBride's The Effective Disconnect (he's from Stars Of The Lid and it shows), Flying Lotus' Until The Quiet Comes (cluttered and zingy, but fun), Metavari's song "Pacific Lights" played over and over again (has non-distracting sampled dialogue, and also a harp), Nils Frahm's Screws (slow, gorgeous solo piano), Riceboy Sleeps' self-titled album (an ambient project from Adam Somers and Jonsi of Sigur Rós) and Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks soundtrack (though sense memory makes me think I'm studying for finals in college). - NPR

Placement during Morning Edition programming: "Netflix's Parental Leave Plan Is Groundbreaking — And Unlikely To Spread."

Other syncs during this show: Odesza, Lymbyc Systym, Balmorhea, Gold Panda, Nosaj Thing, - NPR

Placement during episode: The Broadcast Clock.

Description: There’s a term that epitomizes what we radio producers aspire to create: the “driveway moment.” It’s when a story is so good that you can’t leave your car. Inside of a driveway moment, time becomes elastic–you could be staring straight at a clock for the entire duration of the story, but for that length of time, the clock has no power over you... - 99% Invisible

Beautifully crafted, full of depth. - Arctic Drones

Meticulous, handmade, hypnotic. Moonless is an elegant work. - Pórtico, Spain

Metavari have found its niche in the instrumental world. - Redefine Magazine, Seattle

[Moonless] has an incredible sense of depth, both aurally and in its message. Start to finish, there’s not a dull moment. - Midwest Action, Chicago

As a band for which "post-rock" has become a self-confessed dirty word, Metavari have certainly found ways to make that classification feel less stagnant. By paying careful attention to detail, they've crafted a sonically and visually-rich world of projections, vinyls, and instrumentation. But the last factor that's really significant is personality. Somehow, Metavari have managed to add an element of themselves into the mix, personalizing a style of music that is intrinsically hard to personalize... - Redefine Magazine

Metavari are a three piece act from Indiana who have recently released their debut album Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise, a fantastic album which mixes traditional sounding instrumentation with a heady mix of electronic overdubs and vocal sampling, and managing to create some pretty exciting new post rock in the process. I decided to ask them some questions, about some things... - Sonic Reverie, Scotland

...Now Metavari isn’t your average indie-rock band with a heart of gold. What they ARE, is a carefully calculated, borderline minimalist instrumental band with a passion for the juxtaposition of electronic blips and the raw nature of rock and roll. They are also one of the bands capitalizing on the recent explosion of the music scene in Fort Wayne. If you’re looking for a reference point, I’d look to other genre leaders like Early Day Minors (who they are playing with on May 16) and my personal favorite instrumental band The Six Parts Seven. I tend to have a really hard time getting into instrumental bands because I am a lover of the song. I like a good story, and I typically have that desire for arc and emotion which is usually satisfied by lyrics, but there are a few bands out there that are clever enough with their melodies and instrumentation (like The Six Parts Seven) that I don’t ever feel the need for lyrics. Metavari is definitely one of those bands. It’s as if the music would be cheapened by even the strongest of lyrical turns or the catchiest of melodies. And the important thing with Metavari is that this fullness and completeness in their sound is not due to the fact that they are filling every possible space with sound, or stock-piling riff over looped riff again and again, but it is because it evokes and conveys a complete emotional payload- complete with room for each note to breathe... - Backseat Sandbar

...The Indiana threesome’s combination of video projections, introspective chords, sampled beats and climaxing orchestrations wrapped darkroom in a dreamlike blanket. Many stood gazing at the musicians; some took advantage of the comfy booths and let their work-week cares melt away with each chord. In June, Metavari releases its debut LP, Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise. Sounds like an invitation from aliens to enter a magical planet of light and good vibes; based their show, it is... - KEXP Seattle

...Playing this wonderful collection of simple instrumental tunes through headphones will make you feel like your life is a hip indie movie and you’re the star. While listening to this album, the mundane seemed to take on a greater significance, and if Michael Cera had walked through my front door, I wouldn’t have been surprised. These economical little compositions somehow manage to hit all the right emotional notes with just drums, guitar, keyboard and a few vocal samples thrown in every now and then for atmosphere. The tracks themselves are often both soothing and stirring at different points, making complete wordless story arcs contained in a single song... - Synthesis Magazine

...Throughout the album, images of the ocean and sea life are conjured through songs such as “Shimmer Marina”, “Pacific Lights”, “The Priest, The Shore, and the Wait”, and “Cerulean”. Silvery bells create the shimmer of either the sun or the moon on the ocean’s surface, and an acoustic guitar in the background provides images of a sunset on the shore. The album is romantic, light, airy, and smooth, like opaque aquamarine sea glass... - Silent Ballet

...As soon as I say Metavari plays instrumental post-rock, many will assume they sound just like the only other band they know in this genre: Explosions in the Sky. But this would be a false assumption. In fact, Metavari only comes close to sounding like Explosions on the closing track, “Pacific Lights.” Rather, they create a musical experience that is all their own. ... Far from self-absorbed and isolating, these sonic compositions draw you in and make you start writing your own story in which this record can be used as the soundtrack. The careful post-rock blend of electro-pop with straight-up indie-rock creates an atmosphere that is inspiring and unique without being forced, pretentious, or cliche... - IndieVision Music

...There is a very thin line between being overly simple and having too much going on in an instrumental sound that Metavari consistently travels down through most of the album. The band has a very minimalist approach to song writing, and hints of Explosions In The Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor can be found throughout without sounding like an imitation. Just about every track can be on and not demand your full attention, but when you give it your full attention, you discover new layers that you would not have heard before... - Heave Media

...bridges together laptop programming with organic rock arrangements and vintage equipment to create multi-faceted sonic terrain that has allowed the band a good bit of national acclaim ... Nearly every song on the LP is cinematic and seems destined for an art house movie theater ... At various points on the album, most notably "Twilight Over Akashi" and "Cerulean," one can't help but marvel at the trio's technical precision and their inherent intellect. The sincerity, simplicity and sonic savant is far too engaging to ignore. Ethereal and accessible, intimate and opulent, Metavari are a true treasure in the world of instrumental music. If this is just the beginning, the next few years won't be that disappointing after all... - Absolute Punk

There's a profound, lingering calm at the center of the long-playing debut from Indiana's Metavari. Across the course of its 45 minutes the trio creates an alternate, soulful universe, rich in detail and subtle in nuance ... Like a haunting film, a satisfying yoga session or even time spent in the company of a child whose burgeoning intellect reminds you of your younger self, this album leave you with a renewed appreciation for life and your place in it. Is there any greater gift? - Blurt Magazine

Metavari, self-described as an electronic instrumental post-rock band hailing from Fort. Wayne IN, continues with the predominately instrumental laced atmospherics. Rather than the elegant drones of Frank Schweikhardt, however, Metavari’s sound lies in lush soundscapes that are in haunting in their own right. In addition to the textures of keyboards, bass, and drums, a video dominates the walls, syncing up with the intricate moods and tones of the set. The highlight of the evening comes as the band slows down on one of their tunes as the slowly shimmering chords begin to wane. The video behind zooms in on a sun dwarfing a terrestrial planet. All of a sudden, in unison, the crowd cries “Whoo!” and the band explodes again with a dizzying salvo of looped chords and crystalline melodies. - WIUX Indiana University

... Their full-length debut—fusion of post-rock, trip-hop, ambient house and the kind of cerebral mellowness that harkens back to Kraftwerk and Brian Eno. Their use of computers, synths and more traditional rock band instrumentation results in an original sound that, for all its surging, found vocal snippets and methodical beatmeistering, never loses the serenity ... - HM Magazine

Metavari is one of those bands that upon first listen, you experience déjà entendu. Whether in a movie, at a festival, or on your stereo, you’re certain you’ve heard the music somewhere once before. And perhaps you have. The Fort Wayne instrumental trio continues along a steady upward spiral – signing with Crossroads of America Records, releasing a debut LP Be One of Us and Hear No Noise, playing at some of the best indie venues across the country and earning the kind of recognition that could garner “It” band status.

That elusive feeling of familiarity – perhaps even nostalgia –triggered by Metavari stands above all as a testament to the timelessness and universality of their music. At once emotional, meditative and pure, it’s perfect “loner music” for those quiet, latenight hours spent in introspection during the changing winds of autumn or the stillness of winter. And who among us hasn’t encountered such a time at one point or another in their life? Most easily described via comparison to fellow post-rockers Explosions in the Sky or Do Make Say Think, Metavari nonetheless stands alone. The songs are instrumental, but not ambient, each one driven by a steady emotional pulse. The most distinct and constant visual to come to mind is that of a sunset, with keyboardist/guitarist Nate Utesch painting the rhythmic background created by bassist Ty Brinneman and drummer Andrew McComas like streaks of color splashed across the evening sky. - Performer Magazine