Genre/Influences: Electro-pop. Format: Digital. Background/Info: Athan Maroulis will be always linked to Spahn Ranch and…
Genre/Influences:
Electro-pop.
Format:
Digital.
Background/Info:
Athan
Maroulis will be always linked to Spahn Ranch and Black Tape For A Blue Girl,
but the past few years he got involved with a new project called Noir. The
album “Darkly Near” (2013) was a cool introduction to the dark-romantic pop
style of the project. A few more EP’s were released while “A Pleasure”
(released by the end of 2019) is the newest production. Athan Maroulis got some
help from programmer/producer Erik Gustafson (Adoration Destroyed, Grendel),
keyboardist/vocalist Kai Irina Hahn (The Sedona Effect), keyboardist/vocalist
Demetra Songs and cello player Tracey Moth (Antidote For Annie).
Content:
The
title song (cf. “A Pleasure To Burn”) is a dark, bombastic outburst with a
carrying chorus and featuring the charismatic vocals of Athan Maroulis. The
song was remixed by Fires and Seeming.
We
next get another new song (cf. “Luxury”), which has been written by Athan
Maroulis, Erik Gustafson and Jean-Marc Lederman (The Weathermen ao). This song is
more evasive. The last song of the EP is a “Reprise” of “Luxury”, which rather
sounds as a short outro. Last, but not least you also will discover a cover
version of the famous Fad Gadget song “Back To Nature”.
+
+ + :
Athan Maroulis remains a brilliant, charismatic singer. His unique
timbre of voice injects a true spirit into the music. And the music of the
title song is quite interesting for the mixing of bombast and refinement. Among
the remixes I especially recommend the up-tempo edit by Fires. Covering “Back
To Nature” is not that original, but the way the song has been adapted into the
bombastic ‘style-noir’ is absolutely remarkable.
–
– – :
I didn’t experience “A Pleasure” as an absolute ‘hit’, but Noir isn’t
exactly the kind of band achieving poppy-hits!
Conclusion:
We
can’t speak about a come-back, but “A Pleasure” is a good way to put Noir back
on the map!
Best
songs:
“A Pleasure To Burn”, “A Pleasure To Burn – Fires Remix”, “Back To
Nature – Radio Edit”.
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