Release Date: 27 July 2025
Song Count: 9
Duration: 26 minutes, 20 seconds
Rating: 7.4/10
Description:
Today's album is the newest release from Aryan Ashtiani going by the alias of Mareux, an artist who has been on my distant radar for a while but only recently resurfaced when I stumbled upon his breakthrough cover song "The Perfect Girl" for the first time in years, looked into his further work, and discovered this newer album.
Following firmly in the synth-tinged darkwave footsteps of Mareux's preceding discography, Nonstop Romance's sound is defined by its gloomy, mechanical and dark ambience as well as its modernity and slick production, creating a sense akin to action and passion within the shadows of the night. Mareux's signature style of rather simplistic, looping samples, melodies and styles are fully present within each of the nine tracks, and lead to a partially droning yet also partially entrancing sound depending on their executions.
Highlights of the album include the titular song, along with "Ébène Fumé" which features the additional reverbed vocals of Riki and adds in a Kate Bush-like retro pop element into the mix, "Laugh Now Cry Later", and the closing track "Snake Eyes" which picks up the volume and energy a considerable amount and acts as a sum of the musical style provided by the other tracks in the album before it - and though its end is quite abrupt and empty, leaving a lot to be desired, it serves as a fitting conclusion to the set of songs as a whole.
A decent and well-crafted darkwave album with some great songs for when one wishes to set a nightly and tranquil mood.