steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Maserati

"Passages" CD

Temporary Residence Ltd.

Genre: "psych-dance-rock-etc-etc-etc"

Athens, GA

December 2009

I was saddened to learn that Maserati recently lost their drummer, Gerhardt Fuchs, to a really unfortunate elevator accident earlier this month, but it can be taken as some sort of consolation that he's left this beast of an odds-n-ends compilation behind him. Despite its inevitable lack of cohesion, Passages sees the band in admirable form, combining titillating rarities (from their split-LP with Zombi and their remix album) with a couple of unreleased treasures.

For me, Passages' defining moments are the two versions of aptly-monolithic "Monoliths." The original is a delectable cut-up of U2 guitar soars and dance-punk energy, whereas the remix by Steve Moore (of Zombi) adds Tangerine Dream synths to produce a mesmeric epic that sounds as if it's been taken straight off the Risky Business soundtrack. Also excellent is the trancey, dancefloor-ready mix of "Inventions" (courtesy of !!!'s Justin Van Der Volgen) and rousing anthem "No More Sages". The microhouse of "The World Outside" doesn't exactly whet my whistle, but it's a minor lapse in an otherwise standout rarities collection. For lack of a superior descriptor (all other attempts seem to be heavily hyphenated generic amalgams), Maserati is an epic band, not in the distasteful internet sense but in that its compositions evoke vivid feelings of adventure and passion.

maserati's myspace

"No More Sages" live:

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 8 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2009]