Rhythm Of Mars

It's not often when I describe a rock group in terms of being reminiscent of new age composer Yanni. Actually, it's very much a rarity. Yet, ROM indeed reminds me of Yanni at times (for example, "Forbidden Dance", "Vague Impression", "Moonlite Bliss", "Romancing The Snake"). This studio only trio is made up of a classical pianist, electric rock guitarist & occasional drummer-percussionist who is also their engineer. The outcome is a modest little rock group that self-confesses to playing with a strong new age inclination, with a focus on soundtrack ambiance. The music moves between a focus on rock guitar lead lines - its a welcome break that there's no riffing as instrumental bands like to relying on - to relaxing piano progressions, often with a light percussive beat & synthesizer deep in the mix for texture. Most of the time the songs are driven by the guitar, though "Forbidden Dance" is only an acoustic sounding piano with synthesizers & occasionally tinkling chimes. But, the group really take things up a notch on the enchanting highlights "Romancing the Snake" & "Rain Ethereal" where the piano & guitar have equal time driving the song. ROM is not about fast or overly technical playing. Even when the drums are present the pace is still more on the laid back side. What ROM are is textured & romantic. This is the group's first album with a desire to do soundtrack commissions. - Aaron Joy's Roman Midnight Music Blog

Not all bands are created by a bunch of teenage boys yearning to be rock stars and play at Madison Square Garden. In today’s society there is music everywhere from TV commercials, to film scores, to elevators, and it is usually not these prepubescent boys that make it. Sometimes the strangest meetings end up creating the most original music to fill these needs. One such story is that of the group that calls themselves Rhythm Of Mars. The chance meeting of guitar virtuoso Aaron Straub and classical pianist Patti Unruh has developed into a musical juggernaut of talent focused on writing instrumental pieces for film soundtracks and similar situations. These two surprising songwriting partners have now teamed up with recording engineer, musician and IndyGo Studio owner Mike Bailey in Fayetteville, AR. He provides the technical recording expertise and rhythm section to bring the music together as a finished piece. The Rhythm Of Mars trio recently released Beyond Dreams, an 8 song album featuring an eclectic mix of songs composed with the hopes of picking up some soundtrack selections or publishing opportunities. It is indeed beautiful background music. The musical talent of all three individuals within the band is what jumps out at me right away. From the piano lines to the high pitched guitar wails this is a sound that I could see behind many different types of visual stimulation. One song that struck me was the sensual ‘Allie’s Song’ with its impressive guitar work over a straight ahead, almost simple sounding piano beat. ‘Spanish Flyze’ reaches out for a different kind of audience with a slow building piano line accompanied by some Spanish influenced guitar note bending. Intriguing to say the least. Bottom line: They must be doing something right because just hearing their music created lush visuals in my head. Their style is perfect for what they are going after. Go listen for yourself at:www.rhythmofmars.com - Keith Pro, The Indie Band Guru

Toeing the line between demure instrumental and Sci-Fi inspired prog rock, Rhythm of Mars, in simplest terms, is the culmination of musical interplay between effects-laden guitar and synth, sans lyrics. The album waxes and wanes between down tempo tracks driven by melody to overt guitar string-ripping anthems in the vein of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. This will strike a chord with contemporary listeners of Coheed and Cambria and throwback units the likes of Rush, Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer alike.

“Spanish Flyze” MP3:

SKOPE IT HERE!
http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/tshu0kgflw/spanish_flyze_rhythm_of_mars.mp3

The EP opens to “Inner Alien” and foreshadows the album ethos of Sci-Fi piano and guitar tandem. The spacey synth intro eventually gives to piano tinkles and wah pedal guitar as the track crescendos to full band. The guitar stands at the foreground of this one with backing piano just beneath the surface. However, the percussion needs to be brought up on the track as it sounds like the kit is being played in another room. “Forbidden Dance” features the piano prowess of Patti Unruh with piano at the front backed by weepy, almost string-like synth just behind. The chimed percussion is slight and the whole of the song is as sad as it is beautiful. Weighing in at more than seven-minutes, title track “Romancing The Snake” again features the interplay of Unruh and Aaron Straub’s bent note guitar work. Through the first five minutes the musical landscape remains the same until slight percussion sneaks in to bolster Straub’s exit solo. While the guitar makes for a soaring outro, the placement and unexpected appearance of the backing drums seems odd and more after thought than deliberate.

Based initially on the packaging, this was obviously a DIY project so to give the benefit of the doubt Romancing is good within that scheme of thought. Both Straub and Unruh are extremely proficient at their respective instruments and their musicality is vast. What the album lacks is the polish of a larger-scale production and better arrangement. While the tracks stand up on their own merit, the album lacks the peaks and valleys that carry a listener through it and on the whole the diversity of the songs suffers. - Chris West of Skope Magazine

"Behold the trippy aura of Rhythm Of Mars! Bold, extra-terrestrial sounds and harmonies emit from your speakers, first note to last on their terrifically produced 8 song EP. Sharp guitar solos play delicately over carefully orchestrated keyboard work creating ethereal gems destined for chill radio and beyond." - Gabor Kleinbloesem, editor of Strutter'zine magazine from Holland

I never quite know how instrumental songs get their names. Does it conjure up a certain image in the creator’s mind prompting them to name it so? No matter the name or idea behind it, Rhythm of Mars does a stand up job on their instrumental compositions recently released. The duo from Arkansas has a goal of getting their music onto TV show and movie soundtracks, and I could certainly see that happening.

If the terms ‘ambient’ and ‘instrumental’ lead you to believe this music will lull you to sleep, think again. It demands to be listened to. Aaron Straub plays electric guitar with passion and conviction and it blends beautifully with Patti Unruh’s keys, percussion and string mastery. With combined influences of Santana and Yanni, you can imagine how awesome this music is. It manages to be soothing and engaging at the same time. The guitar work gives the listener that same unexplainable urge and utter appreciation that comes over them while listening to the end of (or any part of, really) “Stairway to Heaven.”

The ambience is relaxing and commands admiration for the resplendent musicianship these two display track after track. Rhythm of Mars reminds me of a slightly gentler version of Long Distance Calling. They produce music that is universal and can transcend genre boundaries. While I still can’t connect any of the titles to the songs, it doesn’t matter. This music would sound just as fantastic coming through your laptop speakers as it would a backdrop to the silver screen. - Christen LaFond, Assistant Editor - Muzikreviews.com