Mars Vessl arrived from Europe in 1987 and quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the "underground" music scene. He began collaborating with various local artists, coming up with innovative ways to make as much noise as possible.
He recounts fond memories of loading his friend's van with as much gear as it would hold and driving into the parking garage under Red Square at the UW. He and his various cohorts would plug the amps, effects racks, and other noise making devices into the conveniently provided outlets and promptly turn everything up as loud as it would go.
The echoing roar that was often achieved is still, to him, one of the most exhilarating, and boundless forms of musical expression that he has ever experienced. Back then, the occasional interruption by the UW police entailed a simple request to please turn it down a bit.
In the current era of Ashcroftian paranoia, the concept of entering an underground parking garage at 1 a.m., with a van loaded with odd wiring and electrical gizmos, is rather hard to imagine.
Since then, Mars Vessl's approach to music has become somewhat more refined. His first official release came out in 1999 as a soundtrack to the movie Rewind (another "underground" sensation). In 2002 he released Transfer Station with frequent collaborator by product under the moniker MVP . His latest release Particulates captures the Mars Vessl sound best, incorporating layered drum loops, ambient synth warblings, and other various sampled sounds.
He is currently working on another project with by product, under the name Apehed, which will be coming out sometime this summer.
Contact:mars@basskamp.com