Monta

What kind of music should one expect from two white brothers in their early 30s who were born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, where each owns his own remodeling company? Blue-collar blues? Kitschy, hardcore metal? Eminem-style confessional rap? Thankfully, none of the above. Instead, Dedric and Delaney Moore, the brothers who make up Monta, produce ambient electronic music steeped in dub, house, funk, jazz, dreamy live-instrument textures, mysterious vocal samples and, most amazingly, an international sensibility that belies the stereotypes associated with their native 'hood. Soft and unobtrusive, but sly and complex enough to remain safely above bland mood music, Unsuspecting (the brothers' first album) presents a cohesive collection of original tracks and obscure remixes. The overwhelming emphasis on groove -- rather than art or experimentation -- keeps the recording from being much more than a chill-out accessory, but in a world constantly accelerated by technology, it's nice to be reminded that machines can also be used to slow things down.