FUTURENOT, Moe Betta – Supernova (Spotify)
“We just love a smooth lyricist laying down fire on top of some groovy jazz cuts. Its intelligent and sophisticated no way to deny it. The message must go on it needs to be heard. The trumpet solo is supreme and you can tell these are the real Jazz Cats. ”
-Nagamag.com
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FUTURENOT continues to drum up the excitement for their debut record Greatest Hits with the release of their third single, “Supernova” featuring Seattle-based MC Moe Betta now available on Color Red. Led by horn mavericks Jason Cressey (True Loves, Monophonics) and Peter Daniel (45th St Brass), the band is rounded out by fellow trailblazers in the Seattle music scene Tim Kennedy (Big Tooth, keyboards), David McGraw (True Loves, drums), Cole Schuster (big bad thoughts, guitar), and Mark Hunter (The Dip, bass). Tonight, the band will celebrate the release of “Supernova” with a hometown performance at Drunky Two Shoes BBQ in Seattle with support from Jaws of Brooklyn and DJ Abe Beeson.
"Supernova" is the densest track on the forthcoming album Greatest Hits. Originally written by Jason, the song started with a simple bass line that evolved into all of the smaller pieces that make up this vibe machine you hear today. Like its title implies, this track is exploding with power and illumination. Massive pocket, deep bass, driving lyrics delivered by a veteran emcee, crispy guitar, otherworldly synth sounds, soaring horn melodies, peaks, and valleys, 'Supernova' takes you on a journey that has something for everyone. The track was the first of three songs the group wrote in collaboration with Moe Betta and one of the newer additions in their repertoire.
Cressey and Daniel looked at the pandemic and their newfound time away from the public performances as an opportunity to hunker down and produce the cinematic, jazz-inspired, hip-hop crossover music they had been crafting together over the past several years. The album title seems like an oddity for a brand new group releasing their debut LP, but as the group explained in a feature piece with Abe Beeson of KNKX’s ‘The New Cool’ it “represents the ‘greatest’ moments from several dozen musical ideas they've been working through even before FUTURENOT was formed.” The album embodies an eclectic musical palette as it incorporates elements of “Theme from Shaft”-like anthems, vibey cinematic soundscapes, and conscious, yet lighthearted hip-hop impressions that appeal to fans of high-profile cross-over projects like Roy Hargrove's ‘The RH Factor’, Robert Glasper’s ‘Black Radio’ and crate diggers mining for old instrumental soul 45s alike. It’s vintage-inspired music realized through a modern lens.
Reviewed by Nagamag on November 17, 2021