{"id":25698,"date":"2017-02-06T18:16:59","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T18:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=25698"},"modified":"2017-02-06T18:16:59","modified_gmt":"2017-02-06T18:16:59","slug":"mothertapes-do-make-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2017\/02\/mothertapes-do-make-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Mothertapes – ‘Do Make Say’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sophisticated special effects in music videos are so widespread that audiences have grown jaded. But sometimes a clip comes along that still has the power to astonish, and to make us wonder: how the heck did they do that? The ‘Do Make Say’ video from Mothertapes is one such clip. Instead of a big budget, the independent rock duo from Portland, Oregon employed a big idea –\u00a0and the element of surprise. Singer and guitarist Pete Bosack\u2019s on-camera transformation seems to run contrary to time\u2019s arrow. Like every viewer, you\u2019ll have a theory about what you\u2019re witnessing. Will you be right? Well, Mothertapes consists of a couple of mischievous guys. They\u2019re not revealing their secrets.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Superficially, the video is straightforward at the outset. A clean-shaven Bosack sits at a table covered with enough hot dogs (complete with all the condiments) to make Megatoad blush. As the sweet-voiced singer eats dog after dog, however, his beard and hair undergo a startling metamorphosis. Meanwhile, we see glimpses of a mysterious man\u2019s urgent journey through a dense, disorienting forest. The tension of these seemingly unrelated scenes builds toward an expected conclusion. By the end of the video, Bosack\u2019s locks run to his shoulders and he sports an immense shaggy beard. The whole thing feels like a terrific prank\u2014an introduction to a band that has always prompted its audience to think, and wonder.<\/p>\n

This strange magic and unique aesthetic are familiar to pop-rock fans in the Pacific Northwest, where Mothertapes has long been considered one of the most enthralling acts in town. Bosack and drummer Tommy Franzen are known both for their creativity in the studio and their mesmerising live performances. Not since the Helio Sequence has Portland seen a duo produce such dense, digitally accented prog rock,\u201d raved arts magazine and local tastemaker Willamette Week. But Mothertapes is a playful outfit, too: their self-titled debut album is buoyed by heavenly melodies, intricate rhythms, and ear-catching effects. It\u2019s immediately approachable, and it\u2019s won the group a national following that continues to grow.<\/p>\n

‘Do Make Say’ is a perfect example of Mothertapes at the band\u2019s enchanting best: it\u2019s ambitious, but also irresistible. Echoes of Animal Collective and Caribou are audible, but the band\u2019s distinctive sonic personality and songwriting sensibility are at the fore. Bosack\u2019s instantly memorable chorus is supported by a network of interlocking guitar riffs and percussion, and driven by a mammoth bass riff. It\u2019s the type of recording that seems to call for an enigmatic video\u2014one that\u2019ll leave the viewer guessing, even as she sings along.<\/p>\n

Find Mothertapes online on Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and their official website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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