UNSIGNED XMAS SHOWCASE AT THE FEZ
- 17 DEC 2003 'THEN DOWNSTAIRS FOR MANTRA WHO CALLED ON THE CROWD
TO SING AND BE MERRY AND SHOUTED OUT LOUD'.
'THEIR SET IS ACCESSIBLE , HIS VOICE WAS SUPERB
THE GUITAR WAS ROCKING, DRENCHED IN REVERB'
'BUT IT WAS A TOUGH CROWD DOWNSTAIRS IN THE FEZ
SOME OF THE CROWD WERE DANCING LIKE BEZ
SO MANTRA DID WELL LOOK LIKE THEY ENJOYED
AND LEFT THE AUDIENCE FEELING GLOWING AND BUOYED'
reviewed by BBC BERKSHIRE
MOJO'S BAR, READING UNIVERSITY-
27 OCTOBER 2003
MANTRA PLAYED A WARM-UP SHOW AT READING UNIVERSITY LAST NIGHT IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR MINI-TOUR NEXT YEAR.
THIS WAS ONE OF THEIR STRONGEST SHOWS TO DATE
AS THE BAND REVEALED SEVERAL NEW SONGS.
PLAYING A LONGER SET THAN USUAL, THE BAND STARTED
OFF WITH OPENER SHAKE ME DOWN BEFORE LAUNCHING INTO
THE RAUCOUS FUNK OF SONGS SUCH AS FEEL AND YOU GOTTA
BE COOL WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME THEIR TRADEMARK.
THE BAND FINISHED ON BRING IT TOGETHER, THE STRING-LADEN PYSCHEDELIA MAKING A CHANGE FROM THE BEAT-DRIVEN
RIFFAGE
OF THEIR OTHER SONGS.
THE BAND THEN REAPPEARED TO PLAY AN ACOUSTIC
VERSION
OF FORGET TO BREATHE AS AN ENCORE.
THE 12 BAR CLUB, LONDON – 29 AUGUST 2003
THIS WAS THE BAND'S FIRST OUTING IN LONDON FOR QUITE SOME TIME. EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH AND THEY ARRIVED ON STAGE FASHIONABLY LATE BEFORE LAUNCHING INTO A FUNKY VERSION OF SHAKE ME DOWN.
OTHER SONGS FOLLOWED, INCLUDING CROWD FAVOURITE FEEL AND BRING MYSELF BEFORE THE BAND PERFORMED AN IMPROMPTU ACOUSTIC VERSION OF HEART BEATS AS ONE, UNDOUBTEDLY THE HIGH POINT OF THE GIG FOR MANY OF THE BAND'S TRAVELLING FANS.
THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW WAS JUST AS GOOD, IF A LITTLE MORE FUNKY.
THE BAND PLAYED YOU GOT TO BE COOL FOLLOWED BY I GOT THE FUNK BEFORE FINISHING ON THE STRING-LADEN BRING IT TOGETHER. THE BAND THEN RETURNED BACKSTAGE FOR A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE LAUNCHING INTO A PIANO VERSION OF FORGET TO BREATHE.
THE GIG WAS BILLED AS A WARM-UP FOR THE BAND'S TOUR DUE TO COMMENCE EARLY NEXT YEAR AND RUMOUR HAS IT THE BAND MAY EVEN RETURN TO THE VENUE.
WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN review 'Shake Me Down EP'
OUR RATING:
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE DUO MANTRA ARE DEFINITELY A TRIUMPH OF DEDICATION, HAVING WRITTEN, PRODUCED, DESIGNED AND SELF-RELEASED THIS DOUBLE A-SIDE EFFORT THEMSELVES AND ALREADY SOLD 800 COPIES OF IT UNDER THEIR OWN STEAM. IMPRESSIVE STUFF BY ANY STANDARDS, AND SOMETHING WHISPERIN' & HOLLERIN' WOULD BE HAPPY TO ENDORSE IN ITSELF.
BUT AFTER THE PLAUDITS FOR EFFORT ARE HANDED OUT AND RECEIVED GRATEFULLY, ARE MANTRA ACTUALLY ANY GOOD? WELL, THE SHORT ANSWER TO THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS...YES, BASICALLY, IF A LITTLE SCHIZOPHRENIC ON THE BASIS OF THESE TWO TRACKS.
WE'LL COME TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER PRESENTLY, BUT FIRST A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO. MANTRA COMPRISE SONGWRITING/ MULTI-INSTRUMENTAL DUO KESH PATEL AND ALEX ROUTLEDGE AND THEY'RE BASED IN THAT ROCK'N'ROLL MECCA OTHERWISE KNOWN AS HIGH WYCOMBE. AS EVER, THOUGH, IT'S THE BACKWATERS THAT PRODUCE THE CREATIVITY AND - RESULTINGLY - THESE ARE INTERESTING TUNES.
"SHAKE ME DOWN" IS A MAD, BARELY TWO MINUTE HEAFDUCK OF A THING, WITH BONGOS, HOUSE-Y PIANOS, HUGE DRUMMING, SEARING GUITARS LIKE PLANES TAKING OFF AND PATEL DESPERATELY TRYING TO SHOVE THEM OUT OF THE WAY TO DELIVER HIS YOBBY, (SORRY) MANTRA-LIKE VOCAL. IT'S ALL A BIT INDIE-ROCK CROSSOVER -SORTA LIKE A MIXTURE OF "SCREAMADELICA"-ERA PRIMAL SCREAM AND HURRICANE #1, WHICH ISN'T INTENDED AS A SLAG OFF, ACTUALLY. MAD, BUT BLOODY JOYOUS.
AFTER THIS BONE-SHAKING HEDONISM, THE STATELY, PIANO-FRAMED "FORGET TO BREATHE" IS A CONSIDERABLE SLAP AROUND THE CHOPS. BIG, BOLD AND THE KIND OF THING THAT SCREAMS 'ANTHEM' FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP WITH AN INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH MEGAPHONE, IT'S NOT DISSIMILAR TO EMBRACE OR (BETTER) OASIS IN "STOP CRYIN' YOUR HEART OUT" MODE. NOT TRULY THIS WRITER'S CUP OF CYANIDE, REALLY, BUT THAT'S NO COMMENT ON THE QUALITY OF THEIR SONGWRITING.
MANTRA THEN ARE AN INTRIGUING DUO. I'D REALLY NEED MORE TO PASS A BALANCED JUDGEMENT, THOUGH, AS THESE TRACKS ARE POLES APART STYLISTICALLY. STILL, THE FACT I WANNA FIND OUT SUGGESTS THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
AUTHOR: TIM PEACOCK
UNSIGNEDCENTRAL.COM review 'Shake Me Down EP' A MULTI INSTRUMENTAL DUO HERE WITH A SUAVELY PACKAGED TWIN TRACK OFFERING.
THERE IS NO MESSING ABOUT AS WE’RE PRETTY MUCH KNOCKED OFF OF OUR FEET BY THE OPENING TRACK ‘SHAKE ME DOWN’. FOOT TO THE FLOOR IN FIFTH GEAR FUNK MODE, IT’S ONE MINUTE FORTY NINE SECONDS OF OVERPOWERING RHYTHM, MANIC PIANO AND QUICKFIRE PERCUSSION. ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE THERE BUT THE WHOLE THING IS TOO COMPRESSED AND UNRELAXED TO LEAVE YOU ANYTHING BUT DISHEVELLED AND WEARY. CHILL OUT GENTLEMEN AND EXPAND.
SECOND TUNE IS MORE LIKE IT. ‘FORGET TO BREATHE’ IS A RELAXING PIANO/SYNTH SOUNDSCAPE WITH A MELANCHOLIC VOCAL WHICH SLOWLY THROBS AND EXPANDS INTO QUITE AN EPIC MOVIE SOUNDTRACK OF A SONG. THE BOLDNESS OF THE ARRANGEMENT OVERPOWERS THE VOCAL A TAD BUT ITS WARMTH AND STRUCTURE SEE IT THROUGH AND IT HAS A CLEANSING QUALITY AND GENTLENESS WHICH I LIKE.
NOT ENOUGH HERE FOR ME TO GET MY TEETH INTO REALLY, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE A LITTLE STEP BACK WITH THE PRODUCTION AND LIGHTEN UP AND DEVELOP THE SONGS AS PER THE LATTER RATHER THAN THE FORMER.
REVIEWED BY DEGZ
ATOMICDUSTER.COM MANTRA IS A BUCKINGHAMSHIRE BASED DUO WHO HAVE GARNERED A HUGE FOLLOWING THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND AND HAVE STARTED TO FEATURE HEAVILY ON LOCAL RADIO. INFLUENCED BY LEGENDARY ARTISTS SUCH AS THE BEATLES, QUEEN AND JIMI HENDRIX, THE BAND ARE MULTI-TALENTED INSTRUMENTALLY, BLESSED WITH A GIFT FOR SONGWRITING AND EVEN THROW A FUNKED UP COVER OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S "BILLIE JEAN" INTO THEIR LIVE PERFORMANCES IN ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION OF THEIR DIVERSITY. THIS IS OUR TAKE ON THE BAND'S NEW DOUBLE A-SIDED SINGLE:
T: I'M SURE THIS IS A GREAT SINGLE TO DANCE TO AT THE ARTIST'S GIGS, OR TO "SHAKE DOWN" TO, BUT SAT NEXT TO A GHETTO BLASTER IT PERHAPS LACKS THE NECESSARY IMPACT, THE SECOND TRACK "FORGET TO BREATHE" RESCUING THE RECORD FROM THE CRITICISM I WAS ABOUT TO INFLICT ON IT. THE LATTER IS HEAVY ON SENTIMENT, IS OBVIOUSLY A WELL WRITTEN TUNE, BUT COULD RATHER BENEFIT FROM SOME BETTER PRODUCTION OR DIRECTION. IT HAS THE MAKINGS OF A CLASSIC BUT IT NEEDS A MAKEOVER.
N: I CAN'T DISAGREE. PERHAPS A SUPERB LIVE EXPERIENCE, BUT THEY MAY HAVE MISSED THE BOAT COMMERCIALLY - THEIR SOUND TELLING OF MID-EIGHTIES VIBE IN THE OPENING TRACK. THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS TOTALLY WASTED HERE IN ITS POSITIONING (PERHAPS EVEN ITS BEING). HEAD IMMEDIATELY TO THE MORE SUBTLE PRESENTATION OF "FORGET TO BREATHE", PERHAPS A POINT THE BAND MAY BENEFIT FROM, A LABEL TO TELL THEM WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T.
T: IN SUMMARY, ONE EXCELLENT TRACK IN NEED OF BETTER PRODUCTION, AND ONE TRACK THAT IS TOO EASILY FORGOTTEN.
'THE EVOLVING TALENT OF MANTRA'
BUCKS FREE PRESS 25TH JULY 2003
MANTRA'S TALENT IS EVOLVING. THE DUO, FROM FLACKWELL HEATH ARE KESH PATEL & ALEX ROUTLEDGE. THEY WRITE TIGHT, MELODIC SONGS AND PLAY ALL THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE RECORDING OF THE DEBUT EP, SHAKE ME DOWN/FORGET TO BREATHE
BUT ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE WHITE HORSE, THOSE POLISHED SOUNDS DIDN'T QUITE TRANSLATE. I FIGURE THE LIVE NERVES GOT TO THEM BUT THIS WASN'T A DISSAPOINTMENT MORE AN INITIATION. AS IT APPARENT THE CONFIDENCE FOR PERFORMING LIVE WILL GROW.
KESH HAS AN AMAZING VOICE (FULL OF EMOTION AND COLOUR) AND, AS A FRONT MAN ONCE HE FIGURES OUT HIS BODY LANGUAGE THE AUDIENCE WILL FOLLOW. ALEX IS INSTRUMENTALLY COMPETENT AS HE MOVED, LIKE A ONE-MAN BAND, FROM KEYBOARD TO GUITAR AND BACK AGAIN.
IN SUMMARY MANTRA HAVE THE SONGS, THE SKILLS AND THE LOOKS. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THEY'VE PROGRESSED LATER IN THE YEAR
reviewed by Rachel Wakefield
THE BUCKS FREE PRESS - NOV 2002
'COOL SOUND FROM MANTRA'
Mantra are Alex Routledge and Kesh Patel. A determined, talented pair whose single, Shake Me Down/ Forget To Breathe recently arrived at the office.
Shake Me Down immediately grabs the ear with its energetic orchestration of sound. It's cool, it's funky, fun and excitingly it encapsulates a very live feel. Forget To Breathe shows a more raw emotive side with a solo piano refrain and Kesh gently singing the melodies.
Surprisingly the boys, from Flackwell Heath, have taught themselves how to play their instruments bass, guitar, piano and to use the recording instruments and they practice the craft of songwriting every minute of their free time.
This sharpness has paid off because they were approached this year by a management company, Cibola. The company has taken responsibility in getting Mantra noticed beginning with a gig in Las Vegas, USA to putting out the latest release, and setting up Mantra FM but the artistic license still belongs to Kesh and Alex.
reviewed by Rachel Wakefield
THE FEZ CLUB, READING – 15 OCTOBER 2003
MANTRA PLAYED AN EXCLUSIVE SET TONIGHT AS PART OF UNSIGNED SHOWCASE MAGAZINE, PERFORMING SONGS FROM THEIR NEW RECORD TO A PACKED VENUE.
STARTING WITH THE FAMILIAR SHAKE ME DOWN BEFORE SEGUING INTO THE FLUID FUNK OF FEEL, THE BAND INTERSPERSED THEIR SET WITH ACOUSTIC VERSIONS OF BRING MYSELF AND HEARTS BEAT AS ONE.
THE HIGH POINT OF THE SET WAS FANS' FAVOURITE YOU GOT TO BE COOL WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY I GOT THE FUNK BEFORE THE BAND FINISHED ON THE STRING-LADEN BRING IT TOGETHER.
BEFORE VOWING TO RETURN LATER IN THE YEAR THE BAND PLAYED THE LEGENDARY ACOUSTIC VERSION OF FORGET TO BREATHE WHICH HAS BECOME THEIR TRADEMARK.
MANTRA XMAS PARTY – 04
DECEMBER 2004
Mantra ended the year on a high, performing songs from
their new record to a packed and rapturous crowd. The band's first gig
in their hometown was received to great acclaim and the boys hope to
return later in the year.
They kept the crowd entertained with favourites such
as "Heart Beats As One" and "Where's the love" as
well as throwing in a couple of exclusive cover versions.
The band's version of Queen's "Bohemian
Rhapsody" went down particularly well before closing the show
with "Somewhere".
The audience though, encapsulated by the band's show,
coaxed the band into playing an encore. A few minutes later they
returned to the stage to play the blues-tinged "A Little
Peace" to great applause, topping off a great night.
Our special thanks to everyone who came down to the
gig and we hope to return very soon.
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