La Makita Soma

Andrew Chadwick

Last year’s Monkey Island album from La Makita Soma was a much-loved lucky find. Guitar, bass and drums met vibes, trumpet, and electronics in a post-rock environment, stole each others’ trade secrets, and proceeded to make some intriguing music together. Thus I was thrilled to see that they were at SXSW. They played a small stage in an outdoor courtyard behind a club on a somewhat chilly night, barely beating the downpour of rain. Projectors covered them in multiple images that were ultimately juxtaposed on a screen in the back. They played fantastic, but a lot of their newer songs have gone down a dancier, almost techno road that kinda loses me along the way. While the grooves of past used to be constantly shifting, the newer stuff seemed to be okay with finding a groove and exploring it ad nauseum. It was great to watch them play and merge all the elements together live but I was just a little disappointed in their new direction. Apparently there have been some member changes, which might explain things.

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They still have some unusual approaches and ideas, they just seem to be venturing into territory that, sadly enough, I’m not too interested in. ◼

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