Photo by Jason Renaud
Among the current wave of goth forerunners, Aryan Ashtiani, better known as Mareux, has established himself as an integral part of the modern era of dark music.
Marking an emphatic arrival on the noir synthpop scene with his take on The Cure's "The Perfect Girl," the track has since become a staple going platinum domestically and securing gold status in vital regions for the genre like France. Quickly asserting his position as a global figure in darkwave, Mareux further solidified his rank with the release of his acclaimed full length debut, Lovers From the Past.
The 2023 LP featured a special guest assist from King Woman and affirmed that Mareux was more than just viral hype, delivering a 9-track collection of modern darkwave that resonated as equally sinister and stylish. The album's lasting impact was assisted by Mareux's mezmerizing live performance, maximizing his reach with a healthy slate of tour dates both home and abroad.
Rather than resting on his laurels, Mareux is back with the confirmation of his sophomore full length release due this summer via Revolution / Warner Records. Nonstop Romance is set to arrive June 27th and is previewed by the fashionable, frigid first single, "Laugh Now Cry Later."
Elaborating on the introduction, Mareux explained why Laugh Now Cry Later provides proper insight on the record. “I started writing this song way back in 2018 and it’s gone through several evolutions since then. At the time, I was coming off of a bad relationship and was feeling bitter. I brought it back recently, not inspired by my own misfortunes, but those of some of my friends. This song is a standout on the album, not because it’s better than the other songs, but because it’s the saddest song on it."
As for the source material for the aesthetic of Mareux's next chapter, his writing routine included a healthy diet of visual stimulation, citing the film variety of Andrei Tarkovsky, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Hype Williams as inspirational nourishment. “I’ve noticed that as artists get better or more seasoned, they go for a more polished, studio sound and lose their grit,” Mareux shared. “I like when music sounds like found footage.”
En route to the arrival of the June 27th release, Mareux is set to make an appearance at next month's Cruel World Festival alongside icons including New Order, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, OMD, Devo and many more.
Nonstop Romance arrives June 27th. Pre-order the album - HERE
