Rebound by Marschmellows

Second album of Marschmellows. Sound engineered by the Precision/Megashira cru. Expect sharp down tempo beats.

"A Marschmellows-Album is like a Marschmellows DJ-Set: driving, versatile - but allways of a unique flavour"
Jörg Rosenbaum and his counterpart Thilo "der Kraft" Kraft have each already been involved in the DJ business for ten years, but they stem from very different musical influences. It is clear that the path from club DJ to producing your own album is typical for the 90s. However, Thilo's path from cello player, to singer in a punk band, and then to club-music is quite unconventional. And Jörg's musical awakening in the 80s from heavy metal and punk to club-jazz has also been a long road, though, one that offers the possibility to observe familiar things in different light. The two are connected by a genre-spanning musical understanding which is readily apparent in their eclectic "freestyle" DJ-sets.

Their collaboration as a DJ team began in 1990 in Frankfurt am Main where they spun at both legal and illegal clubs. Their party-scene notoriety gave them entry to the wider network in the Frankfurt club scene. Ultimately this led to their connection to the Frankfurt label INFRACom!

Their unusual name "Marschmellows" produces constant misunderstandings, but this is not without intention. The name is a play on words that combines the German word for "march" (Marsch) and the English word "mellow" to represent the range of their music. And the association with those soft little pillows made of sugar speaks to an element of their music as well.

Following their successful 1996 debut LP "Klangsystem" (sound system) comes the second Marschmellows LP "Rebound." In contrast to earlier Marschmellow productions this album was much more carefully produced. It includes professional vocalists such as Verona Davis, formerly of the Stereo-MCs, and Karl Frierson of De-Phazz. All in all, this new album is "faster" and more "beat-oriented" than their previous work.

Rebound also reflects the multiple layers of the Marschmellows musical understanding as it brings together a number of currents and tastes. Here we find a range of influences from electro and wave to reggae and dub elements, alongside bossa-flavored tracks like "Reloaded," and Big Beat-inspired tracks such as "Buggy."

Commenting on the rationale for the cover versions that appear on this album the Marschmellows, explain that "our roots are the sum of our musical experience" from past to present. In their cover of the old Hot Chocolate track, "Emma," they work through their youthful experiences with old-school break-beat disco in the 80s. On the other hand, the inclusion of the reggae dub-classic "Uptown Top Ranking" reflects a recent musical discovery of Thilo's.

"I try, and have always tried, to focus on the quality and not the particular genre," says Thilo. "Purism is too one-dimensional for me and quickly leads to boredom. That's why you find so many styles on our album."

One thing is for sure, the Marschmellows are not particularists but universalists.