MasTicA: That's us! a band name that holds this Austin trio together. Gum B. sings and plays cello, mandocello and basses - lots and lots of basses. Munkey sings too, and plays sax & clarinet and guitar. And Pat, he plays the drums stuff. Monkey is young and hasn't played with any big shots yet. Gum B. played with Alejando Escovedo, Poi Dog Pondering, Arhtur Brown and Stick People. And Pat, he played with all the big shots like King Crimson, XTC, Michael Penn, Ted Hawkins, David Sylvian, The Rembrandts, Jude Cole, and oh yeah - Mr. Mister. They made this record '99 available on FWD records. It was recorded in Austin, Tx. and mixed with engineers Bill Munyon, (Butthole Surfers), and Mike Mcarthy, (Fastball). It was mastered in England with David Singleton at DGM. The group initially performed live improvisations, and the obvious chemistry between the three eventually led to these recordings on '99, with the focus on songwriting. MASTICA (pronounced Mas-TI-ca) exudes an adventurous spirit that matches intuitive artistry with musical excellence.
from MasticA 99,
released November 11, 1999
Born from the talents that has propelled bands like King Crimson, Poi Dog Pondering and Mr. Mister comes Mastica, an Austin, Texas-based trio. This eclectic threesome consists of bassist, vocalist and cello player Gum B. (who's previously worked with Poi Dog Pondering, Alejandro Escovedo and "the original god of hellfire" Arthur Brown), guitarist, clarinetist, vocalist and sax player Munkey, along with percussionist Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr. Mister, Michael Penn and David Sylvian). Miles from the mainstream, the music on their debut album "99" (actually released in 2000) proves to be a quirky, avant garde rock cocktail that becomes an intoxicating, mind-altering experience.
From the tranquilized "4 a.m.," to the infectious number "Queen," complete with Mastelotto's pounding tribal percussions and Munkey's oddly welcome clarinet, Gum B delivers his cool, sensual vocals in a style that falls somewhere between Bryan Ferry and David Sylvian. The dizzying cello that Gum B. weaves in and out of the modern primitive rhythms on the psychedelic, spanish-flavored "Munecos de Palo" make for a legal hallucinogenic. On "Prison," they've sampled the longing angst of a prisoner, from a 1947 Alan Lomax recording, alongside a deep groove in a similar Eno-meets-Moby fashion.
Munkey adds her seductive jazz-tinged saxophone to the moody "Crescent Moon," while her lush vocals float ethereally above the mix on "Seven Marys." Her vocals also add a rare normality on the beautiful "Day Older," a song that comes the closest to latter-day alt-rock. Mastelotto's richly textured percussions help keep the music from straying too far to the left. He provides the glue necessary to keep things in order, but then also acts as a blank canvas for "outside" melodies and exploring instrumentations to attach themselves to. Not fitting neatly into any music category, Mastica's avant garde approach could be just the creative shot-in-the-arm that rock music needs right now.
(2-CD set) This two-disc recording documents Pat's ongoing love affair with the recording studio. This is Pat's own brand of rock electronica, IDM and world music played with some of the finest. Pat Mastelotto
Another stellar release from this long-lived ensemble. Though the King Crimson influence is obvious & that comparison unavoidable, these guys have made many great recordings that can't be categorized as 'mere copies'. The perfect balance of aggressive riffing and serene soundscapes. Stephen Roberts
A forward-looking record that imagines the future of Rio de Janeiro, built on intimate textures, ambient, drone, classical, and bossa nova. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 4, 2017
The title of this one is a good indication of what’s in store: wonderfully bleak ambient music conjuring funereal atmospheres. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 29, 2022