At first, Motion Cntrl was all talk. Allyce Engelson and Luke Mertz met while working at a creative agency, where, over several years of lunch breaks, they developed their ideal sound. Between bites of Au Bon Pain, they dreamed up a production philosophy. They considered a pallette of potential sounds. They figured out how to blend their vocals. Then, like any good professional creatives, they went to work.
As a result, the duo’s debut EP, Motion Cntrl, arrives fully formed, its synths lightly coloring Engelson’s vocals like a shade being drawn in a bright room. They’ve already shared “It’s On You,” and now we’re happy to premiere “Messenger,” the EP’s second single. The track is made of layers of synth—some stabbing, some arpeggiating—with Engelson’s voice finely integrated among them, another sheet in a carefully cut piece of gauzy sound. “A down and dirty messenger from heaven,” she sings, her voice tweaked by disappointment.
Motion Cntrl track list
1. Heavy Loss
2. It’s On You
3. Messenger
4. You Got Me
5. Say When
6. Crystalline Heat
7. Lonely Weather
Motion Cntrl is out via self-release on August 21. You can hit the band up on their Facebook and on Twitter at @motioncntrl.
