NSR
A fantastic album, I have listened to it many, many times.. the whole album is incredible - one of my favourites of recent years. I can't wait to hear the next album..
Guatemalan cellist and composer, Mabe Fratti releases Se Ve Desde Aquà (It Is Seen From Here) on October 14 2022, on Unheard of Hope.
Se Ve Desde Aquà (‘It Is Seen From Here’) marks another step in a remarkable run of releases from Guatemalan cellist and composer, Mabe Fratti. It is possibly her most revealing one to date; showcasing a sinuous and tensile sound coupled with a confident and clear-eyed worldview.
Mabe Fratti is always on the lookout for new ways to express herself and to reflect her surroundings; she sees this as a process of continual “sonic transformationâ€. Not that she sees her method as unique: “I believe this happens to a lot of musicians, that in the interim when you finish a record and you release it you learn [new] things and change your philosophy towards what you want to sound like.â€
Se Ve Desde Aquà is a decisive shift away from Fratti’s most recent works, which were more enigmatic in tone. The rich, multi-layered arrangements heard on 2021’s acclaimed long player, Será que ahora podremos entendernos and egoless collaborations such as the fabulous Let's Talk About The Weather with Malaria legend and Monika supremo Gudrun Gut, created a mystery around Fratti which reveal only certain aspects of this affable musician’s character.
Fratti sees her new music as “drier†in texture and more on the front foot in terms of setting out emotion: she describes the results as “less protectedâ€. According to her, the sound is “informed through the aesthetics of rawness, and a ‘dirtiness’â€: sampling expressions within improvisation, or extreme hi-fi dry sound. This noisy instrumentation is set against “the tools of melodic lines and harmonyâ€, leading to a trademark richness, but one now more judiciously applied to set up a moment: “I did layering but it's more in specific moments. Basically my whole idea was to be as raw as possible and try to avoid overdubbing the same instrument as much as I could, of course always leaving space to break my own rules in the process.â€
This “frontal†approach carries over into the lyrical content. Many of the lyrics on tracks such as ‘Algo grandioso’ (‘Something great’), ‘Esta vez’ (‘This time’) and ‘Siempre tocas algo’ (‘You are always touching something’) refer to walls either falling or being circumnavigated. Questions around the use, or value, of time and other lyrical content invoking the senses and the body - as seen in ‘Deja de empujar’ (‘Stop pushing’) or ‘Cada músculo’ (‘Every muscle’) - also seem to suggest Fratti making pivotal individual decisions in her life, whether due to internal or external agencies. The tactile, mercurial and sometimes sparkling arrangements also suggest Fratti knowing where to place her work in the wider world.
Gearheards will be interested to know how such a transcendent sound came about. One key element is a focus on microphones, specifically Earthworks microphones, which Fratti “fell in love with†and saw as an inspiration for the wider creative process. She also fulfilled a lifelong wish and “played a little saxophone on the track ‘Desde el cielo’.†Whilst at WORM Sound Studios, Fratti lost herself with the vintage synths such as “the amazing†KORG PS 3200 and a much prized CS 60. In Progreso Nacional she recorded Mellotron, CS 50, a Jupiter, Solina, Korg M500 and more. “It was too much fun.†The Solina has an interesting backstory: Hugo Quezada found it “dropped in the garbage†whilst out walking with a friend. Quezada has a history of finding instruments in strange places; having found a vintage MS20 once that was being used as a table in a food stand… Regardless: all these provenances, places and people joined to create a truly remarkable work.
credits
released October 14, 2022
Album produced by Mabe Fratti & I. La Católica
Recorded in WORM Rotterdam, Progreso Nacional and Tinho Studios (Mabe’s house).
Mixed by Mabe Fratti Mastered by Mason Le Long
Mabe Fratti: cello, vocals, synths and saxophone (in track 7)
Synths and/or guitars and/or bass contributions in every track by I. La Católica
Synth and tapes in track 9 by Carla Boregas
Violin in tracks 5 and 7 by Alina Maldonado
Drums in tracks 1, 2 and 3 by Gibrán Andrade
Saxophones in tracks 2,4, and 8 by Jarrett Gilgore
Album cover photography and sculpture by Kevin Frank
Album design by Noa Fratti Album illustrations by Beto CollÃa
supported by 145 fans who also own “Se Ve Desde AquÃâ€
Just the kind of gentle soundtrack I need when I am doing simple repetitive manual tasks. Impossible to decide on a favourite track because they are all wonderful. Jeremy Cherfas
supported by 112 fans who also own “Se Ve Desde AquÃâ€
Dearest Arooj, firstly thank you. My brother died this year n what can be said about such loss n sadness. I saw n heard you at The end of the Road in England. I spent many years in India n love all the music, poetry of your heritage. Thankyou Aroojâ¤ï¸ ben1769
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