After a string of singles that pushed his darkwave sound in a new direction, Mareux’s sophomore album, Nonstop Romance, is here with another show-stopping song in the form of the title track. Aryan Ashtiani, the artist behind Mareux, sought to push himself for what would become Nonstop Romance when he was writing and recording it from his house in Lincoln Heights.
The result is a hopelessly romantic take on darkwave and gothic music that’s far lighter in tone, adding to his capabilities as a producer in the process. Naturally, the title track serves as the epitome of what he accomplished on the album, at first treading familiar ground with the brooding electronic production before it soon transforms into shimmering dance music.
From there, the smooth rhythm, driven by synths and Ashtiani’s digitized vocals, makes for a trance-like listening experience as the instrumentation envelops you into its industrial vortex. Although the album is host to more “upbeat” songs, “Nonstop Romance” is the foundation for what every track before and after builds upon, letting Ashtiani do so much with so little without alienating fans and casual listeners who may have expected something darker from him.
While there’s a good chance Ashtiani could have ridden the hype of previous material like “The Perfect Girl,” Nonstop Romance is a showcase for what he can do now that there’s a bigger spotlight on him thanks to TikTok and internet virality.
See Mareux in LA at The Novo on Dec. 13 and in Pomona at the Fox Theater on Dec. 12.
Visit Mareux on Instagram and his website to stay updated on new releases and tour dates.
Listen to “Nonstop Romance” the new single from Mareux below!
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