This was my latest purchase. I'd previously heard half of the album on Youtube, so I hoped to buy the whole thing at some point. When my copy finally came in the mail, I put the CD in my player and left it there for about a week. I must have listened to it between 8 or 10 times. As others have mentioned,
Mota Atma can be a challenging listen. Edgar was clearly in Zen meditation mode during its production, so I can understand why the repetitive music has frustrated several fans. That said, I must admit that I enjoyed the challenge. This album is all about subtlety and nuance. Once you get past the fact that there is little to no pop-ish accessibility in the compositions, you can begin to appreciate the sequencers and everything in between. Granted, this type of musical experience is definitely not for everyone. It's an acquired taste.
This is the third TD record off the top of my head (after
Tyranny Of Beauty and
Mars Polaris) that made me think, "Wow, Edgar sure loves E minor!" While that key can get really tiring after awhile, I realized that it made me very appreciative of the F-sharp minor forays in "Royal Way Of Privacy". I agree with those who said this album harkens back to the sequencer-heavy 70s period. I guess you can say it's a sort of modern interpretation of an old style. Apart from the aforementioned track, it's hard for me to decide which track is my favorite. I've gotta say, though, that I loved reading Edgar's comments about a few of the tracks in this interview (
http://www.tadream.net/articles/intervi ... .25-EF.htm) from 2003. Knowledge of Edgar's philosophical mindset has helped me to appreciate the tracks more. The album finishes rather strongly, with some fine percussion in "Brain Offender" and a glorious evocation of 1998's "Red Ocean" in "A Day In Liberty Valley". Excellent work, Edgar!