Marsmobil Are From The Other Side

From the, What The Heck, pages comes Compost Records latest artist, Marsmobil. Why the What The Heck pages? Well, when you think of Compost Records you generally think of downtempo, jazzy house, chilled house, chill out, etc not psychedelic pop teleported from 1965. But yet here it is, playing before me and sounding like the coolest fish out of water I've ever heard. I'm not sure who or how Compost found Marsmobil (aka Roberto Di Gioia) but they should be given a huge check for their efforts. This German via Italy apparently was well known as a jazz musician before going all rock and has played and recorded with more musicians than he can count. This, of course, has come to his rescue now, as he's learned to play just about every instrument under the sun either through experience or osmosis. This came in handy while he was recording the Marsmobil album (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side.

Recorded by himself while playing piano, guitar, drums, and even sitar he took his time and slowly over the course of two years pieced (Why Don't You Take) The Other Sidetogether. Embracing a theme of struggling to be free from external and internal restrictions or at least question them, the album sets up perfectly for the psychedelic ride it takes us on. Sounding something like The Beatles listening to The Zombies Odyssey and Oracle and then recording their own version of it, Why Don't You Take) The Other Side is a blissful pop album that's a blast from the paisley past. In listening to this record you can't help but be amazed at how out of place this really feels to be on the Compost roster; none-the-less, (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side is an amazingly sunshiny trip into the haze.

With melodic vocals sugar coating fuzzed out guitars, psychedelic swirls, organs, sitars, and of course jazzy piano Marsmobil create a rainbow colored world in which the songs are allowed to fly free and float around on a sea of colors. It's gorgeous, lush pop that's got a message but is so darn happy and fuzzed out it's almost hard to find it. (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side is truly good stuff that brings the 60's bang up to date with a one man show that never ceases to amaze. From the nearly "Strawberry Fields-like," "Never Forget," to the garage rock stuttering of the follow up track, "Lolly," this is the sound of rock and roll the way it used to be made and it's awesome.

The fact that Marsmobil is a one man show is truly spectacular and when you hear just how intricate and well thought out (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side is you'll be speechless. (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side is a fantastic album that's clearly from another time and another place and that's alright by me. Roberto is truly an awesome artist and his diverse background has only helped him become a better artist, songwriter, and musician; you can hear that on just about every track of (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side. If you weren't born for these times then this is your soundtrack and Marsmobil is your new best friend...here's to the past.