Jared DuBach
Daily Egyptian
Headline:
Deckhead:
Much of the dance music that the Carbondale music scene is familiar with is that generated by a DJ spinning on a turntable, or simply by someone pressing play on a stereo. One band has gone the next step, and developed this music from scratch.
The concept of live orchestrated electronica, or dance music, is an idea that came to the members of La Makita Soma while they were students attending SIUC and attending the clubs.
Keyboardist Todd Marek and bassist Mark Ludemann started La Makita Soma in 1996. Also in the band are: Derek Irwin on drums; Travis Stewart on guitar, bass, trumpet and vibraphone; and Mike Whyte also on keyboards.
Marek and Ludemann got the idea to start the band from the fact that they had never seen anyone do electronica live with a band. Ludemann said another facet of performing live dance music is that there is a greater degree of interaction between the band and the crowd.
According to Ludemann, La Makita Soma plays electronic jam, but "not like Phish." He also says the songs can change from each time they play.
"Our music is very layered," Ludemann said, describing the band's sound. "Our songs are very layered."
Lundemann stated that when La Makita Soma first started playing, none of the bars in Carbondale were interested in the band's original live dance, electronica sound. Soma's first show was actually booked at Boo Jr.'s to a surprisingly sold-out show. And when Lundemann says they were sold-out, he means that the bar had so many customers that it actually ran out of alcohol.
La Makita Soma has had some of its songs featured on the soundtracks for such MTV reality shows as the 'Real World,' 'Undressed' and 'Becoming.' According to Ludemann, the group is trying to grow a fan basis not only through its trance-like shows, but also through licensing more of their songs for soundtracks. Ludemann also says that in comparison to a regular DJ, people get the same kind of music, but are also being entertained visually by a live band. The band also has a live light show.
To date, the band has two releases. The first, 'Monkey Island,' was released in 1999 on Abridged Records. 'Brighton Park' was released in December of 2001 on Someoddpilot Records. As far as the future plans of La Makita Soma, Lundemann says all the band can do is work on getting a good fan basis, and follow through with their tour in the winter, because as he puts it, "Our music isn't poppy enough to be played regularly on MTV."
For more information on La Makita Soma, go to http://www.somahq.com
Reporter Jared DuBach can be reached at jdubach@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
