Music is confusing sometimes. Manta Ray are an obscure Spanish prog outfit. Manta Raya are a kooky Argentinian electro three-piece. Both make songs in Spanish and English. Yep, it’s enough to make your brain ache. Here we speak of Mecha, George and Quique, a.k.a Manta Raya, whose debut album Yeah! fuses electro, punk, and new wave along with the more contemporary sounds flaunted by Hot Chip, CSS and Simian Mobile Disco. The final ingredient? Muchas alcohol.
With the foundations for every song on ‘Yeah!’ lying in synth heavy melodies and mechanical drumbeats it could soon get tedious. Fortunately things are kept interesting by frontlady Mecha who’s dirty mouth picks up where Lovefoxx left off, at times her voice dripping with so much energy it sounds more like a crazy rant.

‘Show me love before the night is over’ she squeals, talking of drunken hook-ups on ‘Cool Plans’, backed by a barrage of bleeps. Next it’s off to the downright filthy ‘Couche Moi’, which for those not up on dirty French roughly translates as ‘Sleep With Me’. Opener ‘Chula’ is a surreal journey through the life of a dog who ‘only cares for fucking’ whilst ‘Naranjas’ hints at what The Knife’s ‘We Share Our Mothers Health’ would have sounded like had they grown up in Argentine sunshine rather than cruel Scandinavian winters. Weird, filthy and a whole lot of fun.

By Sophie Thomsett

Release Date: Out now
Label: Bougez Vous
www.myspace.com/themantaraya

Manta Raya - Chula
by seanmattison

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