Mars Accelerator
Clouds for Your Y-axis
Billowing layers of guitar, lush aural fractiles, a cereberal euphoria, a sad cumulonimbus making its way across the plains. bendiness, sliding, dreaminess, angularity. some say: mathrock. some say: shoegaze.
While it may be news to some, it is certainly not news to Seattle’s arithmetic-rockers Mars Accelerator that music relates to math. The band appeared on the underground rock scene in the mid-’90s with their debut LP I Am the South Pole. Their signature brand of intelligent guitardominated music features multiple intertwining melody/noise lines, odd time signatures, and the massive use of effects. Mars Accelerator quickly established a reputation for dense, complicated rock with an abundance of musical changes. In 1998, the band released their second album, Frankfurt: Telephonics. Continuing with their sometimes hard-to-digest sonic assault, the group’s appeal would remain an underground phenomenon. Following their second album, RX Remedy Records closed and KC Bonnem (drums) and Victoria Sloan (bass) left the group, seemingly putting a damper on further releases. In 2001, the group reappeared on the Northwest club circuit. With a new set of tunes, all-around nice guy Bobby Nath (vocals/guitar) and his right hand man Mark LeBlanc (guitar) would continue their exploration of complex musical manipulations within the rock format.
-- Solar Marquardt
(All Music Guide)
press //
“Mars Accelerator hinted at greatness on its 1996 debut, I Am the South Pole, then perfectly harnessed its hybrid of Pacific Northwest guitar pop and
Krautrock-influenced meditations on the recent follow-up, Frankfurt: Telephonics (Color Coding and Directional Signals), on hometown Seattle label Rx
Remedy. The Steve Fisk-produced disc skews the Built To Spill/Modest Mouse sound to include spaced-out diversions and even some prog-like
repetitiveness that walk that fine line between esoteric and accessible like a nimble Romanian gymnast on a balance beam. Most signs indicate that
this talented quartet will accelerate past its regional brethren to become the next Pacific Northwest breakout band.” -- NXNW blurb, 1999
“By intentionally fracturing its music with warped time changes and spacey sonic disturbances, Mars Accelerator soundly puts the life back into the
cult of noisy indie-rock. Frankfurt: Telephonics, the Seattle-based quartet’s second album, is teeming with guitar effects and stunning contrasts
between structure and sound ... It’s and indie-rock heart massage: surging from near nothingness to raging vitality in many instances. The band gruffly
disturbs atmosphere using its instruments to create blistering pockets of sound that eventually pop with amazing force. All lingering blemishes and
burns, however, are neatly relieved by comforting strips of guitar. The ultimate tonic in its musical bag is Bobby Nath’s rapturously youthful voice.” --
Kelso Jacks (CMJ)
“... Mars Accelerator are indeed the musical equivalent of a fractal. Their new record, Frankfurt: Telephonics, is a brilliant experiment in the beauty of
chaos ... as each song progresses, it becomes apparent that hidden inside the disorder are brilliant pop patterns. Whether it’s the beautiful single guitar
melody over layers of discordant guitar noise on "Spites Are Looming" or Bobby Nath’s structured vocal lines on "Captains (Then Spies)," Mars
Accelerator ensure that once the hook is lodged firmly in your ears, it stays there. On second and third listens, all the sounds click together and
suddenly it makes sense. Be patient with Frankfurt: Telephonics, it’s entirely too intricate for quick interpretation. Mars Accelerator need plenty of time
to work their magic which transforms the wildest chaos into beautiful order.” -- Tizzy Asher (The Stranger)
“Unquestionably a brilliant pop album (how's that for wasting little to no time at all)? ... Seattle's Mars Accelerator take on every angle with Frankfurt:
Telephonics; from an American perspective on a Loveless England to a pre-Dustbowl Chapel Hill and even the unthinkable in Wilson's Southern
California in the late '60's to assemble future rock; an amalgamation of potencies past, delicately structured into mind altering, swooning predictions
and blueprints for the future. Will this record be picked up on and picked apart as artifact? Hell, no.. maybe someday, but do you own a Lilys record
either? You're far unable to stop, take the time, and notice (let alone care) with all the tradition you've swallowed. But when you're ready; and it may
just be sooner than you think; to spit up what's in you; realize just how wrong you've been for just how long, Frankfurt: Telephonics will be on the
shelf.” -- Number Two
“The truth is, these four musicians are different from and, in many telling ways, better than their musical peers. A listen to Nath and LeBlanc's
space-riding guitar stylings, to Sloan's gyrating bass and to Bonnem's skillful, quirky percussion will leave no room for doubt on this score.” -- Ned
Rust (The Rocket)
“No Seattle band is more appropriately named than Mars Accelerator. Its music conjures images of space-both the cosmic and more earthly
varieties-and calls attention to its own velocity, or lack thereof. Though the band members probably have intimidating record collections (they sample
Nels Kline, for Christ's sake), their music's appeal isn't as conceptual as you might think. Mars Accelerator songs may have de-tuned guitars and little
discernible strucure, but at the end of the day, they just wanna hold your hand. On its second full length, Frankfurt: Telephonics (Color Coding and
Directional Signals), the band takes a tremendous leap from the promise of 1996's I Am The South Pole. Once again, only snippets of Bobby Nath's
lyrics can be scavenged from the vocal effects, which send his words caroming around inside your head till they're just another lovely noise. No matter.
It's enough that Nath's and Mark LeBlanc's guitar sounds stretch like elastic, buzz like kazoos, warp like a vinyl LP left in a car in August. Steve Fisk's
production adds shimmer and depth to songs like the schizophrenic "Zeroes and Ones," and the nervy, bouncy "Jupiter Fell Into A Lapse," which
sounds like a Pixies song that's been left in the microwave for too long. Typical of Mars Accelerator's quick-change art is "Starlxt": Midway through its
dire, Sonic Youth-ish workout, the band suddenly zooms into infinity, all spacey keyboard sounds and happy, ringing guitars. Blast off.” -- Jackie
McCarthy (Seattle Weekly)
Rock: Shoegaze