Public notice to all dance floor occupants: There’s a new beat in town.

For nearly a decade, Moses Mayes has not only been this city’s dance floor bread and butter, but also a vital component in Canada’s funk fusion revolution.

But after two Western Canadian Music Awards, hundreds of live shows across North America and thousands of records sold, founders DJ Grant Paley, guitarist Mark Penner and keyboardist Nathan Reimer have a new groovy vision: LeBeato.

The project has been building since MM wrapped its third record, Second Ring, in 2007.

After playing with Mayes’ ever-rotating band roster, guitarist Penner disclosed that LeBeato will be a much more concise effort.

“We [Paley, Penner and Reimer] became tired of always having to find new players [for the band], and really wanted to start something fresh, just the three of us,” Penner said over the phone last week.

The band’s sound, which Penner described as a melding of the rap, pop and dance of the ‘80s with the more modern French house movement, is indeed something fresh in Winnipeg.

The live show is a visual extravaganza thanks to their frequent collaborator Skot Deeming, a Winnipeg visual artist, whose projections make the live experience a stunning feast for the eyes as well as the ears.

LeBeato’s first audio offering, titled Cherry Mix Vol. 1 and released this summer, is more of a mix tape than an album. The 16 tracks included are a handful of the threesome’s many influences and provide listeners with a sample of things to come.

For months the trio has been earnestly grinding through songs, preparing for their upcoming full-length album. Penner expects it to be ready for release early next year.

“We’re dealing with a considerable number of songs,” he said. “It’s a matter of reinterpreting them so that they work with the album.”

Fans hungry for a new Moses Mayes album, though, may be in for a long wait. Now that LeBeato is the trio’s primary focus, with the project becoming increasingly draining creatively, the future of Moses Mayes is uncertain.

“LeBeato is definitely taking over,” Penner confirmed. “We’re not really sure what will happen.”

So you dance floor junkies out there, don’t panic. LeBeato has your fix.

Published in Volume 64, Number 6 of The Uniter (October 8, 2009)