“I only care about one thing, and that’s being in love”. So says Aryan Ashtiani, the man of Iranian origin behind Mareux and the guy pictured in a clinch on the album cover .
True to this statement, the nine darkwave disco tunes on his second LP are a celebration of romance and devotion.
The incessant pulse coupled with Ashtiani’s broody vocals lend the tunes a mild sense of threat. The mood is of raw sexuality rather than innocent flirtation or as the PR puts it: ”Like a frilly valentine scuffed on hard pavement.”
The album was written and recorded in his bedroom in LA’s Lincoln Heights neighborhood .
The standout track is Ébène Fumé which benefits hugely from the female voice of ‘Riki’ which transforms the goth dynamics into synth pop with a more seductive flavour.
This striking tune throws into relief the meaner and moodier quality of the rest of the album.
