If you don't come right out and say this is fun music, you're not really listening to Marbert Rocel's debut album "Speed Emotions". The band name is a mixed up combination of its producer/DJs first names, Marcel Aue and Robert Krause. I suppose adding the singers name to the mix, Antje Seifarth would make them Marbertan Roceltje...a little more to remember. If you follow your way down the same mixed up path when it comes to Marbert Rocel's sound you'll find a similar mash of house, jazz, glitch, and a variety of broken up beats, electronics, and sweet moods.

1. Seven Stars
2. Cornflakeboy
3. Eleanor Birdbath
4. The Pack
5. Beats Like Birds
6. Purple Bass
7. Tttictictac
8. Blue Days
9. 'Cause You
10. Roll to Roll
11. Red Shoes
12. The Harder They Come

"Seven Stars" is the lead track and it immediately introduces the endearing sound of this band. It's rhythm is like slow motion broken beat, the instrumentation is informed by jazz but played with the lush synthesized loops and distorted affectations of electronic music, while the vocals just bathe it all in softness.

"Cornflakeboy" comes next with an introduction to Marbet Rocel's more overtly housy sound with 4/4 bass kicks and minimal instrumentation. It's led by Antje's vocal melodies and is squarely aimed at finding a wider (see, pop) appeal for their sound.

Marbert Rocel don't always include vocals in their songs however, and "Eleanor Birdbath" is one such song. Alongside it's house beats and mostly jazz influenced playing, this song uses guitar as its lead instrument which is certainly not the norm on this album.

"The Pack" is among their more effective forays into a poppy, house-oriented space. The interplay of rhythms and melody on this one are sure to get you tapping some appendage. Antje's voice, which plays counter to some really nice piano work fits into the music perfectly, though the lyrics sometimes leave you with the kind of tilted head expression dogs are so famous for.

As you finish listening to "The Pack" and start getting into "Beats Like Birds", the song also chosen as the album's first single, you won't be able to keep yourself from thinking of Telepopmusik. Maybe it's the echoed bleeps and muted house bass kicks combined with Antje's nearly spoken vocal style? Whether this is good, bad or inconsequential is up to you.

"Purple Bass" breaks the established mood with a somewhat darkly played instrumental that is, as you may be able to guess, led by a really fat synth bass line. The moods get somber in "Blue Days", step into minimal territory on "'Cause You" and stay there for "Roll to Roll". "Red Shoes" drops broken beat percussive play under soft, bleepy synths and a vocal duet for a song that really connects to everything Marbert Rocel is about. It should leave you feeling a little more cheerful than when it began if you hear what I do.

I have to end this with the same statement I began with; If you don't come right out and say this is fun music, you're not really listening to Marbert Rocel's debut album "Speed Emotions".

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