Album Review: Chez Marrone 'Change'
Date: July 27th, 2009
Writer: Mark Riekenbrauck (Freelance)

Change (verb) - to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone
Change (noun) - a relational difference between states;

On his first full length album Chez Marrone attempts to do just that 'Change'. Change the mainstream. Change our consciousness. Change the norm. These 10 songs sonically travel to different emotional states to the beat of relentless drums. There is a real sense of movement and whether the listener is sitting still, walking, or driving this 40 minute album will take you to another realm. 'Change' creates a soundtrack for life and moves from a seedy underground to an ethereal mountain top.

'Change' is passionately crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Chez Marrone focuses primarily on drums for groove and uses synth for mood and ambiance. This is not your typical bubble-gum pop album - not by a long shot, this is underground at its finest.

Track By Track
These comments are 80% illustrative and 20% content. Imagination and state-of-mind is key while listening.

restart
Sets the path for the journey. Keyboards, bass, and drums create a 'weight of the world' feeling and there is definite apprehension for what is to come. The song cleverly transitions about midway from a sense of apprehension to a sense of urgency.

funkeye
There is alot of kick and drive on this one. At points your heart will want to jump out of your chest. An upbeat track that delivers dance vibes. Depending on the listener and their mood this song may seem out of place with the rest of this album.

haunting
Mysterious, moody, and dark. 'haunting' produces a futuristic feel that continually marches forward like being pulled by something that is out of one's control.

mindbender
A freight train of drums with ambient undertones. A good example of how a minimalistic approach can produce greater depth. One of the standout tracks on 'Change'.

hyrule
Melancholic piano mixed with ethereal Gregorian chants. All of which are mixed with bold break beats. Chez creates his desired emotion and ends the song in a straight-forward, no 'fluff' manner.

cutscratch
Robotic synth loops merge seamlessly with live drums. This is a typical working day on the assembly line. It is methodical to the point where the listener is hypnotized only to be brought back to reality by an abrupt end and switch to the next track....

the reaper
This track continues with the robotic feel except this time it is mixed with a slow groove. Feels like the sadness for reaching the end of a journey and the pride for having made it. The song reaches its climax with a transition to a twisted outro.

meltdown
The albums themes of movement and change continues here. A song best suited for a movie chase scene followed by the 'Big Boss' battle.

twilight
This track is layered with echoed and distant synths. Break-beat drumming creates an 'end of the road' feel. By doing so, a sense that the end of the album is approaching.

the end
Aptly named, this track marks the end of an epic journey. This is the triumphant march into the sunset to the beat of a drum.

Album: Chez Marrone 'A Week Off' (three track review)

Writer: Paul Gary Nixon

Chez, from Ontario in Canada is a another one man band putting together music based on electronica mixed with drum beats. What marks Chez out from the pack is that he does it by foregrounding the drums as the lead instrument.  Which isn’t such a surprise when you realize that Chez is a drummer in a band in his other musical life.  Just three tracks from his EP ‘A Week Off’ to entertain us but all demonstrate that the guy knows how to mix, produce and drum and he promises a full length album of new material soon. The most commercially engaging track is probably ‘Welcome, lets dance’ but my favourite is ‘Exit’. source

Currently #9 & #10 Electronic - Trip Hop @ Broadjam.com (Oct 2nd '09)

Click here to watch video interview with Bill, founder of Arena Underground.com

Chez Marrone #2 for July 2009 CHARTS @ indieglobal.com