28.1.14

Marsan - Music For Agoramaniacs


Band / Artist: Marsan
Year: 2014
Genre: Chillout, Ambient Techno, Electro-Acoustic

My Review:
I got a new email from a fresh friend. At least he's a friend now. He wanted to share his music with the blog. I listened through and I like it, so I'll let him describe it all, and I'll just share.

"I'm a 21 y/o Chicagoan who's performed in a few local DIY bands (shy guy says, acker). In late 2012, however, I decided to use the resources around me to write music on my own. All parts were written, performed, recorded and edited entirely by myself.

I began with some minimal repetitive pieces for a buddy's film. I recorded some ambient/IDM tracks, but used all live instrumentation, which, to my surprise, gave it a unique energetic or "live" feel. I got the idea to keep using this technique but with a larger variety styles (Post-punk drumming and vocals on "Strain Theory", pop melodies on "Linoleum", "Dominoes" or "Snow Day", saturated jazz/hip-hop on "reawaken", and so on). The result was an intricate, diverse album, which, thanks to my steady lineup of instruments & effects, managed to flow seamlessly.

The album art imposes a setting for the album: a shopping mall. The massive, labyrinth-like landscape is the perfect launch point. The songs navigate through the complex to different rooms and corridors - spaces of all different sizes, moods, attitudes... Really this album is for people who are, like me, obsessed with open space.

Thus the title - Agoramania: a mania for open spaces
Because the whole project began as an attempt to imitate electronic music with acoustic (or "live") instruments, I continued the theme with the artwork. The cover was made by printing out mall blueprints with different colors and photo effects. Then, inspired by the layer options in photoshop, I hand cut and pasted the prints. In the "alternate" cover, I held up the painting of the room, floorboards and background at varying distances and snapped a picture.


I was considering naming the album "Digital by hand" after the technique, but instead used the name for a track. In line with the theme of shopping malls, the lyrics deal with consumerism, contradictory media messages, manipulation, etc."


Alright, well I hope that clears it all up for you. I'm going to be listening to this one for a while. I'll keep a free version of the album online as long as he'd like.


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