Mastretta
Mastretta
Minty Fresh
This is a collection of works by Spanish composer and multi-instrumentalist Ignacio Mastretta RodrÃguez, who seems to be fairly well-known and highly respected across the stretch of the Atlantic. Mastretta’s compositions alternate between instrumentals and songs featuring guest vocals (all female), but overall they share a very cinematic feel to them. Mastretta name-checks Nino Rota and Henry Mancini, both of them clear influences, and the closest comparison I can think of to a contemporary artist is Combustible Edison. Mastretta’s musical genius is unquestionable, especially on tracks like “White Sheets, Tight Bed” and the hyper-Afro-Cuban “Trailer.” As if that weren’t enough, his lyrical collaborations with Fernando Mastretta are nothing short of brilliant, although they are in Spanish. On “El Ultimo Habitante Del Planeta (The Last Man On Earth),” vocalist Gema Corredera offers a sardonic look at the last man on the planet and his night out, as he checks what’s playing at the movies and toys with flies. “Luna De Miel (Honeymoon),” with vocalist Julieta Venegas, recounts a passive-aggressive dance of love/hate to stilted cabaret music. Cool, calm and collected, this is the soundtrack to a fine martini, or your secret weapon in seduction.
Minty Fresh: http://www.mintyfresh.com/ • Mastretta: http://www.mastretta.com/
