MOONRAKER

Creating their own space: The members of Moonraker have built a sound of their own out of their influences
By Carla Di Fonzo
Intelligencer Journal Staff

Boston band Moonraker has a problem with commitment. Instead of finding a home in one genre, they've decided to borrow from whatever musical style tickles their fancy. Electronica, acid-jazz, trance, R&B, trip-hop -- they use them all, creating a gorgeous hybrid of sound that is amazingly polished and soulful. But don't call Moonraker fickle. "We've talked about this a lot, about what we should sound like," said vocalist Kelli Scarr. "But we never narrow it down. We just don't want to be pigeonholed. We don't want to be identified with one genre of music so much that we feel too self-conscious to explore and delve into other things."

Scarr has been compared to Bjork so many times, she said she's surprised she doesn't get the Icelandic singer's mail. In fact, when critics describe Scarr's physical presence onstage, they can't seem to think of anything else to write but "...she is a Bjork-like pixie." "It's OK," she said. "I love her. When the band placed an ad for a singer, it read: "We're looking for someone willing to go the way of Aphex Twin, Portishead and Bjork.' So we're all fans. It's a total compliment." Three of her bandmates, David Moltz (guitar), Kody Akhavi (bass) and Dan Mintzer (drums), came together in 1988 as Boston University students. "They were experimenting as a party band," Scarr said. "Then they realized they wanted to go into a more electronic vibe and needed a singer. That's where I came in." After a successful first run, Scarr decided to invite her fellow Berklee attendee and keyboard player, Dan "Shaolun" Chen to a jam session. An amazing synergy was formed, balanced by Ivy League know-how and lots of instinct. "It's great to have educated musicians in a band," Scarr said.

"But really, it comes from the heart. It's not a mathematical thing." Moonraker is preparing to release its first national album on Immergent Recordings in August, which will include songs from the LP "Nada Brahma." The best of these, "Shalom," is a cascading wave of sexy heartbreak, Scarr's long goodbye to a boyfriend who has decided to skip town instead of stay with her. The word "shalom" becomes her farewell, a way of wishing him peace until she sees him again.

"Night With You" slips a little into R&B territory. Greenberg uses the 1's and 2's to accent the vibe without stepping on Scarr's toes, giving her enough space to sing about staying faithful even when temptation is within arm's reach. In many ways Scarr is like a torch singer, but with more guts. She's not afraid of hitting those unconventional notes that would intimidate most frontwomen who rely on the sex appeal of their voices.

There's more to singing heartache then cooing softly into the mike, she seems to realize. Sometimes, you just have to be forceful. In "The Rescue," Scarr's phrasing may seem seductive, but she's also reminding her love object why he should stay close: "Thank you for my soul you saved," she sings. "So this is where I say OK / take me, lead me, show me the way / I am the root, you are the tree / so whisper quiet only what's necessary."

"You could write a million songs about one relationship," Scarr said, who often writes lyrics with Moltz. "I'd like to say that each song is about someone different, but the fact is I have to get something out of my system before I can go on and write about something else."

Moonraker is also tops at creating meaningful space in their musical tapestries. The pauses in which the virtuoso band keeps still are just as powerful as their soundscapes. "We started out pretty mellow, compared to bands like Portishead," Scarr said. "Then we started to experiment so much, we almost lost ourselves and couldn't define Moonraker's sound. Now we're into a more fluid approach. "Not that we don't play hard," she said. "When we do a set now, we play our asses off and sweat. We like that feeling, like we played our hearts out."