Originally from Guatemala, the experimental cellist and composer Mabe Fratti emerged as a compelling voice in shaping Mexico City’s experimental avant-rock scene. Since her debut LP, Pies Sobre la Tierra (2019), Fratti’s Cello remains a prominent aspect of her work. With her second album, Será que ahora podremos entendernos (2021), she gradually incorporates vintage synths, guitars, field recordings, and gentle drone textures into her music, which infused unique and prominent features in her style.
In a conversation with Pitchfork’s Philip Sherburne, Fratti reflects on her musical influences, from her early exposure to classical and Christian music to the earliest discovery of avant-garde composers like contemporary classical music composer Gyorgy Ligeti and British cellist Jacqueline du Pré. Her artistic versatility knows no bounds: Fratti's musical journey is marked by an extensive array of collaborations, ranging from the realms of progressive metal to krautrock, dream pop to jazz. Through her hypnotic and captivating performances, Fratti manages to blend these elements and present them in the form capable of sparking a profound emotional impact on the audience. Her most recent projects include a collaboration with the Mexico City experimental music collective Amor Muere and Titanic, her duo with Venezuelan composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Héctor Tosta.
Philip Sherburne describes beautifully the transformative nature of Fratti's artistic journey:
“I feel like I am witnessing her become a completely different artist as she lights into a noisy bowed cadenza, her foot stomping firmly down on her pedals, rendering familiar refrains into incendiary new shapes"
Listen to Vidrio on Bandcamp:
Mabe Fratti performs at Rewire 2024 as part of experimental music collective Amor Muere on Saturday 6 April, and as Titanic on Sunday 7 April