Sister Mantos

Posted by YoungCreature / at 7:02 PM / /

Sister Mantos is music and performance project that will send you on a spaced out psychedelic road trip from the streets of L.A. to the coolest hidden disco in the hills of katmandu.  We asked Sister Mantos' main mystic Oscar a few questions about djing, performing, his top jams, and other stuff. We also have a couple of tracks for you to check out...so check it out! 

YC: Your music has been compared to everything from Felix the Housecat to
Eats Tapes to Drop the Lime and has been simultaneously described as
"dark and brooding" while also having a "sugar coated accessibility".
With people getting so many different things from your music I'm
interested to know how you would describe the music you make and what
some of your influences are.

SM: I wanted to make something danceable and and at the same time i wanted
to make something that would be good for people who had headphones on
and wanted to trip out and have a psychedelic experience, some of the
descriptions i've heard of our live shows are Psychedelic Tribal
House or Transcendental Tranny Disco Punk or Grunge Cumbia.... i like
that it can be taken in so many ways.
In terms of influences there are TONS, i've been a music junkie since
about age 8. I used to listen to lots of R&B and Hip Hop and Metal as
a kid (Dr.Dre, Snoop, Lighter Shade of Brown, etc)and then i got into
old school Punk (Black Flag, Minutemen, etc) and in college i
discovered electronic music (Aphex Twin, Autechre, Eno, Kraftwerk) so
im really into everything and it all kinda seeps into my writing
process.

During recording of the record i was listening to lots of Suicide,
Brian Eno, John Cale's Vintage Violence, My Bloody Valentine and
classic House like Adonis, Joe Smooth, Ally-Us and Disco as well.
I looked to Eno for textures and mixing ideas and Suicide for
simplicity and lyrics and i looked to House and Disco music to try to
figure out the 'secret' to a dance beat and the placement/sounds of
bass drums and hi hats etc. Also i was obsessed with Los Angeles radio
station K-Earth 101, its the oldies radio station that plays Motown
and other oldies, i tried to disect the song structure of those
classic songs and tried to work that in to my songwriting as well. I
LOVE the Motown sound, it hasn't gotten any better than that!

YC: The videos I've seen of your performances look pretty wild! Do you
approach Sister Mantos as more of a performance/art project rather
than it being a more traditional band or you being a musician? It also
seems like you have a good amount of people participating during your
shows, is that something that is more for the live performance or do
you collaborate on your recorded music as well?

SM: I do approach the live show as pefromance art. I really strive to make
the live show an experience, something real trippy and fun.
The performance is an experiment where i get to let the music take
control and put me in a trance, sometimes i don't even remember what
happens. I also perform without my glasses so usually i can't even see
what's going on. But I still have a sort of trajectory that i want to work with, its
about trying to create a shamanic expereince with a sense of humor and
making people DANCE! Im trying to tap into a primal energy.
The band keeps growing and mutating, its really never the same twice.
When im on tour i've been able to have friends just jump in and im
hoping to do that again!

Recently i've had some dancers/choreographers join the stage show,
It's really a dream come true.
The band members who collaborated on some of the songs and are
featured on the recording are; Strawberry 06, Estebi, Apple Brains,
Larissa James and Trevwa.
I also started writing, recording and performing with some new
musicians; Nadia Comanceci (Alex Black of WEAVE), My Yahaira (of
XXYX)and Flutie Call (of LA FOG).
Its a real community, they collaborate and perform with me and i do
the same with their bands.


YC: Besides making music, you are also a DJ, right? Do you think being a
DJ influences the music you make or vice versa? what are your top 5
jams to play out right now?

SM: Totally. When im working on songs im always thinking "does this song
really bump?"/ "is a DJ going to want to hear this?" and recently i've
been composing songs with transitions and mixes that a DJ might like.
hmmm 5 top jams, these are the ones that are guarantueed booty shakers....

Midnight Magic- Beam Me Up (an amazing new band from NYC!)
Joe Smooth- Promised Land
Material & Nona Hendryk- Busting Out
Brian Eno- Third Uncle
Two Man Sound- Que Tal America



YC: I saw that you are playing some queer festivals in Europe and have a
lot of shows coming up here in the States in the coming months, what
else can we expect from you in the future? Are you working on an
album?

SM: A new album is totally in the works! I've got about 6 new songs almost done!
I've really been doing my homework on production and song writing. Im
also collaborating on lots of songs, it been a blast!
I've been focusing on latin and african rhythms and developing my
Conga playing too! Im writing some songs in Spanish with my My Yahaira
(of XYXX).
Recently i've started playing guitar and bass live at shows. Things
are changing!
Also my debut album, "Tough Love or the Fands of Hate" is now
available on itunes and will be released on vinyl this summer on
Sweetheart Society Records and Manimal Vinyl! ! Im so stoked!!!
I've also been working on taking the stage show to new levels, making
videos for all the songs, working on costumes and props. Recently i've
been working with choreographers and dancers, i'm really excited about
the future of the perfomrance. We're gonna do our best to bring back
some of the magic and insanity of a Parliement Funkadelic or Sun Ra
show. Its a lot of work, but we're READY!!!


YC: So, anything else you'd like to mention?

SM: I'd like to give a huge shout out to all the musicians, dancers and
artists that have joined me in the studio and stage.
Here's some links to these talented mutants!!! THEY MAKE LIFE
AWESOME!!! Im so lucky to have them share their art and time with me!!

Strawberry 06 aka Advanced Beginner- www.myspace.com/advancedbeginner
Of Aire- www.myspace.com/ofaire
Apple Brains- www.applebrainsmusic.com
Estebi- www.myspace.com/need_create
DJ Trident- www.myspace.com/hellomynameisjason
Liv Avatar- www.myspace.com/livavatar
DJ Automaton- www.myspace.com/djautomatonpdx
Ben
Mateo Pinkerton
F Squared- http://felisafunes.com/
Jasmine Albuquerque- www.jasminealbuguerque.blogspot.com
Kristin Campbell Taylor
Kristin Leahy - www.kristenleahy.blogspot.com
Nadia Comaneci- www.myspace.com/nadiacomanecigoespop
Flutie Call- http://www.kellycoats.com/
My Yahaira- http://www.chictopia.com/yahaira

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Thanks so much to Oscar, and be sure to look for Sister Mantos' album "Tough Love or the Fands of Hate" coming out on vinyl this summer! 

Sister Mantos - No God

Sister Mantos - Like I Want 2