With major label backing from Warners, Spotify statistics say MAREUX has just under 4 million monthly listeners.
As MAREUX, Los Angeles musician Aryan Ashtiani’s 2023 debut album ‘Lovers From The Past’ wowed synth receptive goth kids worldwide as he rode on a North American wave of darker post-punk flavoured acts like TR/ST, KORINE, DRAB MAJESTY, ACTORS, VANDAL MOON, DIE SEXUAL and GLASS SPELLS. His new long player ‘Nonstop Romance’ is another concept album of sorts about love, celebrating the highs and lows of that most natural of emotions, much like THE CURE and THE MISSION did.
This second MAREUX record is being sold as a work that is rough and unmannered like the lo-fi aesthetics of THE SOFT MOON. The opener ‘Blackmail’ signals this album’s intent; a moody synth instrumental swathed in this modern trend for distortion beyond recognition to give the impression of darkness on the edge and that would have been all very well if there was a hook. ‘Radio Club’ is of a similar demeanour but adds distorted vocals and more metallic textures.
The ‘Nonstop Romance’ title track is much better, more upbeat and melodic but spoilt by the production. But much less harsher and featuring a melodramatic guest vocal from Riki, ‘Ébène Fumé’ does sound like a synthwave reinterpretation of ‘Running Up That Hill’ in places and despite being something of an outlier, is easily the album’s best song.
‘Wild at Heart’ adds guitar and a nonchalant baritone to offer something more gothic but if FM ATTACK had gone full fat goth, ‘Prodigy’ is what the end result would have been. ‘Blue’ tries to mimic THE CURE blueprint that is the template of darkwave, something exemplified by the quite generic ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’. The ordeal ends with another instrumental ‘Snake Eyes’ which despite its melodic promise is again ruined by all the distortion.
Photo By Jason Renaud
‘Nonstop Romance’ tries too hard to be grimy and simply ends up hurting the ears…. just because something sounds like it is recorded down a drainpipe doesn’t mean spiders will crawl up it. One thing often forgotten about the imperial phase of THE CURE is how melodic, romantic AND well produced they were despite their inherent despair. In the present day, MOLCHAT DOMA have proved with their most recent album ‘Belaya Polosa’ that their music is so much better when it doesn’t sound like it has been recorded on a Tascam Porta One Ministudio with dirty tape heads and flat batteries.
It is interesting how synth-based music has evolved in some quarters and maybe ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK is missing the point and too old to get it, but any potential this record has is mushed to the point of illegibility in a manner that is far too contrived. Aural clarity is ok once in a while on gloomier material and even JOY DIVISION had that, as well as past Warmer signings THE SISTERS OF MERCY.
Having said that, from those millions of monthly listeners, those goth kids who wear reissued T-shirts of ‘The Lost Boys’ having watched their parents’ ripped DVD will more than likely love ‘Nonstop Romance’.
‘Nonstop Romance’ is released by Revolution Records / Warner Records, further infomation at https://mareux.lnk.to/nonstopromance
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Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th June 2025
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