Motenko

In an era where the old and the new clash more rapidly and forcefully than perhaps ever before, Austin’s Motenko offers a musical vision of harmony between generations and perspectives. Deferential to soul’s ‘60s and ‘70s heyday without being overly beholden to it, enlivened by the infinite possibilities of modern technology and production without losing the grit and realness that gives soul its, well, soul, Motenko’s sound is an expression of wonder for the heights of the past and the promise of tomorrow. And on the aptly titled To Grow, Motenko respectfully nods to his past work while showcasing how much more evolved he has become.

Self-described as both his most personal work to date and his most collaborative, Motenko’s To Grow is art in flux in the best possible sense. Written as a musical conversation between Motenko and his late mother, “Free Yourself” is perhaps the most vintage sounding track on To Grow with its Stax rhythm and Philly Soul vocal stacks and strings but its message is thoroughly modern– technology has given us more freedom than ever before to connect yet in so many ways that has pushed us all further apart as we become more dependent on devices and platforms that encourage us to be critical of ourselves and others. 

Motenko’s specific journey this year includes not only the release of To Grow in October, but also on a tour with Wild Child beginning in November on a string of dates in the midwest. Care to join him?

Inspired by the free creativity of the modern home recording process, where he exists in a state of constant play, repurposing sounds as instruments and embracing a liberal use of vocal layering, Motenko’s own recordings have become more experimental. A longtime fan of ‘70s R&B like The Meters and the milestone recordings that came out of the mythical Muscle Shoals, Motenko’s material has evolved to also embrace influences as diverse as Steve Lacy and Mac DeMarco. 

The accumulation of skills supporting other artists while producing his own material has more than paid off for Motenko– the music patronage non-profit Sonic Guild awarded Motenko an artist grant in 2021, leading to official status at SXSW, as well as placement on a CBS series and nearly half a million streams. Those achievements coupled with Motenko’s appearances on ACL Live with both Jade Bird and Pat Byrne helped garner him Best Keyboardist nominations at the Austin Music Awards in 2020 and 2022. 

Motenko’s side work has also helped instill a greater focus on intentional arrangement– in the past, the freedom of the studio could also bring distracting anxiety, with countless hours lost to tinkering with compression settings and getting the right “sound.” Now Motenko has the confidence of a tried and true veteran of the stage and studio, capable of wandering off the beaten path without losing sight of the core identity of the material, letting the arrangement serve the song rather than the other way around. 

That journey continues this year with Motenko serving as both the keyboard player and opening act for Wild Child on their national tour, with time set aside to write and record new songs that further evolve his bedroom soul aesthetic. With a steadily increasing rolodex of painstakingly curated sounds and a growing suite of production and instrumental tools to expand his sonic palette, one thing is certain: Motenko’s only limit is his imagination.