Chocotopia

Electronic Artist ROB ASTOR Releases BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS, A Follow Up Look At A Bright Future Of Space Exploration & Colonization Through Music

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS By ROB ASTOR Is More Than MARSTROPOLIS Pat II

Fusion is the word of the day when talking about Rob Astor’s newest double CD, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS. Successfully, he blends New Age, Dance, Power Pop, Jazz, World, and Rock & Roll, creating an album that is not just a continuation of MARSTROPOLIS, but also surpasses it in every possible way. Rob says, “It’s more than just Marstropolis Part II.”

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS picks up where its predecessor left off, then moves with warp speed into unexplored territory. As with the former, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS was inspired by video games and the musical soundtracks accompanying them. As you would expect from Rob Astor, he steers clear of the norm, driving full force into the future of instrumental music. His best works have a mainstream sound and feel.

Listing the combined influences packed into BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS is no easy task. There’s a wide variety of styles, much more so than on any of Rob Astor’s previous albums. From New Age, Meditation, Acoustic Guitar, and even Rock & Roll, look for shades of Tangerine Dream, Heart, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. Alternative Rock at it’s very best also lends a hand in shaping some of the faster tracks. The musical shades of Biosphere blend seamlessly with the European Club Scene. Smoking Jazz and World Fusion take center stage in spots where the Saxophone is present. Dance makes the perfect partner to 1980s Power Pop. Even John Williams echoes through a combination of Spencer Nilsen, James Horner, and Norm Orenstein, masterfully crafted and mixed to become the sound of Rob Astor.

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS is packed with 28 tracks, two co-written by Rob’s musical friend and partner Harry Grillo of The Lovesick (“1.21 Jiggowatts”, “Dream Of The Amber Guitar”) who also created the very Journey-like cover graphic of the album. “I really wanted to collaborate with Harry on this album and see what we could put together with music. He’s got a lot of vibes going on inside and it’s time the world knew what he can do!”

Two and half hours of escape awaits the listener. Thoughtful and reflective, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS has what Rob calls “bookend tracks”, a connecting New Age thread to MARSTROPOLIS. “The first and last title (‘Red Awakening’ and ‘A Dream For The Sake Of Dreaming’ respectively) were constructed and played in the same way as ‘Trappings Of Time’.” Everything else in between follows its own set of rules.

Playing on the sound of Acoustic Guitars from the 1970s, “Project Delphinus” goes on to weave New Age flavor through its structure. “Flight In Ursa Minor” is simply an Acoustic dream to behold. “Scorpio Inversion” begins with a chiming Acoustic intro reminiscent of early Heart before turning into a mid-tempo rocker. “Dream Of The Amber Guitar” flows in that same kind of direction, turning back on itself following a rock solo. “Endor-9 Aviary” combines Acoustic Guitar to a tribal beat and grinding Bass.

For listeners expecting Power Pop, look for connections to fictional superstar Janet Jetson (a track from MARSTROPOLIS) through the anathematic groove of “Rikku” and the pounding overlays of “Monkey Down”, paying tribute to Janet Jackson’s late 1980s and early 1990s body of work. “Janet is one of my favorite characters. She’s almost the whole backbone of this musical place I’ve created on both albums.”

“BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS has a lot more Rock & Roll on it than MARSTROPOLIS,” Rob says. “There were a lot of things I wanted to explore, including how to create even more hip shaking, head bobbing, fist pumping tracks.”

Most of the second CD is filled with just such compositions. Driving Electric Guitar placed against a Dance Beat forms the backbone of “Monkey Down”, moving with the speed of a jungle hunt chase. The big Drums of Led Zeppelin combine with the dreamy Guitar of Pink Floyd to come up with the pounding “Raion Kapella”. “Get Vertical!” takes the best of Dance, Club Music, and Rock & Roll to bring it into soaring action. And if you’re ready to really rock, take on the wild buzz of “Skyboarding”, the convulsive “Reka Persei”, and total spastic jam of “Chocotopia”.

Never fear, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS also includes a good sampling of video game music. Sit back, relax, and watch the world go by in fast forward while listening to “East Kinsei Kaigan”. Sample some World Fusion in “Aphrodite’s Belly Dance”, “Neon City”, and “Quadrahedron Matrix”. And, if you want drug induced, Rob has that, too! “I started working on ‘Candy Hearts Moon Kid’ right after having my appendix out while I was still on Vicodin.”

Whatever your pleasure may be, BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS has them all. Be sure to pick up your copy of Rob Astor’s latest masterpiece!

*****

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS
Liner Notes

Welcome back to my futuristic utopian society on Mars. Once again, the soundscapes will sweep you away to places only you can dream of. Instead of calling this album MARSTROPOLIS II, I wanted to go for something to show it really is more than just a continuation of video game inspired music. BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS was always the title I had in mind. The music is video game inspired, however, it goes far beyond the music of MARSTROPOLIS. I have explored a vast number more of styles in creating this collection. The upbeat and optimistic tone of the music remains, crafting the perfect counterpart for this CD’s predecessor.

Rob Astor

BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS
© 2007 By Rob Astor
All tracks composed, arranged, performed, recorded, and produced by Rob Astor except “1.21 Jiggowatts (Remix)” and “Dream Of The Amber Guitar” co-written, co-arranged, co-performed, co-recorded, co-produced and co-copyright by Harry Grillo.

CD Number 1

Red Awakening
Much like a sunrise, Mars experiences a brand new era. Life has returned to the red planet’s barren surface, co-existing and thriving with the natural and artificial ecology. As if the spirit of the planet itself has emerged from a long, dreamy slumber, Mars radiates energy, stemming from the primary settlement of Marstropolis while encircling the entire globe. It’s the age of modernization, exploration, and discovery. In every way possible, human civilization has been enriched and is better because of the undertaking to transform the red planet mankind’s second home.

Scorpio Inversion
Please rise for the singing of the Martian National Anthem. Performed by Janet Jetson at this year’s Race To Northpoint Station, this version of “Scorpio Inversion” is one of the most popular patriotic recordings in all history. It has become so popular, the song is a mainstay in Janet’s summer concert set list, opening every show since the race. (What a rise this will get in the Zero-G Auditorium at the Orbital Arcade show!) As a single, the tune is tearing up the airwaves all across Marstropolis. We hear it’s even a crossover hit on Earth.

694 Beta Central
Synonymous with 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Red Square back on Earth, 694 Beta Central is the Capital of Marstropolis. Set among the towering hyperscrapers, the huge Classical Greek style rotunda plays host to the many functions of the Martian Democratic Republic. Often, lively debates take place in the main auditorium as well as some of the most important votes in the civilized solar system.

Tau Kinematic
The next generation of Stellar Cruise Ships has arrived. Constructed in Martian orbit by a company called Tau Kinematic, using ore primarily mined from Mars, these pleasure craft measure a kilometer in length. They are sleek, angular, and wedge-shaped. Long strips of transparent alloy along the length of each ship create scenic viewing areas and add ambience to shopping centers and restaurants. Their hulls gleam white and are trimmed out with yellow-orange, adding a touch of sunshine to their otherwise lumbering bulk. Regular passages to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn are already booked solid for the next six months.

Glyph Obelisk
One of the most astounding discoveries ever made in the solar system took place on Mars. An artifact, left behind by an unknown civilization, stands at the center of Marstropolis University, towering over the main concourse, bearing deep carvings and symbols yet to be deciphered. However, one thing has become clear. Embedded within the symbols, there’s a map, a star map, pointing out several stars all within five parsecs of the Earth. A few of those stars are similar to our Sun, while some are dwarf stars. Every indicated star on the map is also known to have a planetary system. Could it be someone left a tour guide behind for a future civilization to find the most favorable spots to visit? Only time and exploration will reveal the answer.

Aphrodite’s Belly Dance
Health and fitness are increasingly important to the citizens of Marstropolis. So much so, a new craze has taken over a vast majority of the female half of the population. Belly dancing. The Martian form is said to put women in touch with their inner sexuality. Because of this, it’s little wonder the fad has assumed the name “Aphrodite’s Belly Dance”. Why? Well, if you do your research, you will find a book written many decades ago on Earth, Men Are From Mars & Women Are Always Right, or something to that effect. Actually, it was Women Are From Venus, who was the Ancient Roman counterpart of the Ancient Greek Goddess Of Love, Aphrodite. The dance is said to help women, and some men as well, commune with their inner goddess.

Halcyon Dreams
Marstropolis enjoys unprecedented growth and posterity. There’s a true feeling of undisturbed tranquility. Because of this, preprogrammed dreams are the latest trend. To keep your night free of anything undesirable, simply pick up the proper brain wave headset and connect to the Cybernetic Dream Database. You are guaranteed to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face your day everyday.

East Kinsei Kaigan
Sometimes, it seems as if life is on fast forward. People are unable to keep pace, much less catch up with, the speed at which society runs. A few stop long enough to take pleasure enjoying some of the simpler things in life; a gorgeous sunset, the lapping of the ocean surf, the smell of a rose. East Kinsei Kaigan is a sprawling parkway set up for just this purpose, to escape. Here, you can sit on park benches and watch time flicker by in a blur of speed all around while taking time to do nothing more than relax and recharge.

Neon City
Marstropolis at night equals a web of city lights blended from buildings, streets, highways, parks, and residential areas. At a distance, this super metropolis is a glow of neon, thus earning Marstropolis the nick name “Neon City”. Much like Paris, it’s a true city of light. And, like New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, Marstropolis never sleeps.

Candy Hearts Moon Kid
Everyone wants a Moon Kid. No kidding. Candy hearts, imported from Earth to Mars for Valentine’s Day, has been a regular business for decades. No one really paid much attention to the sayings on those chalky confectionaries until some green ones showed up with two simple words, “Moon Kid”. They were the rarest of all sayings. With Martian civilization revolving around space travel and exploration, a Moon Kid fit many people. Some years, there were contests held for those coveted hearts. Other years, they sold for tidy Radon sums. In the recent past, Marstropolis entered the candy industry, mass producing it own sweet treats, including enough Moon Kids to satisfy the entire population.

1.21 Jiggowatts (Remix)
Exactly how much power does it take to make a hovercar fly? Doc Brown from the Back To The Future movies of the late twentieth century would know! It takes approximately 1.21 Jiggowatts; about the same amount of power in a lightning bolt. The skyways of Marstropolis are filled with hover vehicles of every sort, operating on clean energy called Hyperpulsion.

Radial Cybernet 3 (Remix)
Steady communications links between Earth, Mars, and Jupiter have been established using deep space satellites, advanced optronics, and lasers. Now it’s possible to connect to the computer networks of all three. However, the process isn’t instant. Light still has a speed limit. While awaiting your connection, and for the advent of warp speed communications, be sure to browse the Hypernet based on whatever planet you happen to be on.

Wet Socks Dance
No one is sure how this peculiar leg oriented dance got its name. It’s just quirky enough to have stuck. Much like the “Galaxy Groove”, it’s a native Martian thing. Try not to read anything into strange titles and just hop around and have fun.

Project Delphinus
Much of the northern hemisphere of Mars is reverting to ocean now that weather patterns are forming and ice is being mined from the outer solar system. Marine life brought from Earth is adapting inside massive domes along the shore. Intense studies into the languages of dolphins is slowly revealing the complexities of their chattering, squawking communications. Project Delphinus, the leading research facility, has been able to unlock multiple layers to dolphin words and phrases. For example, a simple dolphin greeting includes a basic hello, an inquiry as to the well being of the pod, and a more abstract mention of food, usually in the context of hunger or feeding. The research team won the Nobel Prize and hopes to have a true dialog within the next decade.

Ocean Of Red
After setting foot on Mars, mankind dove deeper into the icy regions of space. Settlements on Mars couldn’t survive without very basic things such as food and water. Mined from the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, ice was brought to Mars in vast quantities, enough to speed up tera-forming operations, create weather patterns, and to begin covering the red planet’s surface while introducing more and more oxygen to the air. Mars’ northern hemisphere is home to what citizens call the Red Ocean, the first truly large body of water to exist on Mars’ surface in untold millions of years.

CD Number 2

Monkey Down
Once Gemini Delta’s hottest music spot, this cultural landmark rose to landmark when a local Jazz singer named Janet Jetson was discovered and shot to superstardom. The club continues to produce musical discoveries, only now they come from many genres including Techno Rock and Dance. The musical pulse of Marstropolis is alive and well at The Monkey Down.

Rikku
It's another perfect day here in Marstropolis' Gemini Delta. Expect plenty of sunshine and temperatures to top out in the mid-seventies. If you’re heading out to Dome’ville, expect some traffic back-ups during the rush hour. Keep it tuned right here to KSIM radio for the afternoon ride home. Tell me, does this woman ever stop cranking out the hits? Here's the latest from Janet Jetson. This one’s called Rikku.

Endor-9 Aviary
Much like the name suggests, the Endor-9 Aviary is home to a collection of the most exotic birds from all across Earth. Thin wooden supports interwoven between glass panels create an arched structure capped with a prismatic glass geodesic dome. Inside, the air is fresh with oxygen and heavy with moisture because the Enodr-9 Aviary is also home to a miniature rain forest.

Flight In Ursa Minor
One of the more peaceful, and certainly the most popular Cybernetic Dreams available is the title “Flight In Ursa Minor”. Dreamers slip into soothing image states where they rise above the planet Mars and drift through animated constellations. Touch stars to make music while walking on paths of stardust. Or, have a conversation with mythological figures personified by star patterns in the night sky. To experience the full potential of this dream, you are only limited by your imagination.

Quadrahedron Matrix
The latest technological advance in the field of building Arcologies is impossible to miss near central Marstropolis. The soaring Quadrahedron Matrix, or the Flying Saucers as they are called, stand on four titanic supports reaching a maximum height of three kilometers. At the top, colossal circular dishes are joined by a network of tubes used for transportation. Under the domes of the central areas are lakes, green parks, and living quarters while the glassy rims include shopping centers and fine dining.

Dream Of The Amber Guitar
Here’s a popular Martian Fairy Tale. Once, there was an Acoustic Guitar who knew he was born to create driving music. However, he was only practiced upon and strummed. Over time, he felt as if there was no reaching his true destiny, to be a Rock & Roll god. Plugging into the Cybernetic Dream Database, the Guitar eventually connected with a real player. They met, becoming the best of friends and closest of partners. From that point on, every night, the Acoustic Guitar was played before roaring crowds of thousands who adored his music. The moral of this story? Keep dreaming those dreams to make them reality.

Sagittarius Proxima
The game show phenomena is alive and well in Marstropolis. The most popular, “Sagittarius Proxima”, is what can best be described as an hour long scramble to win cash and prizes. Contestants answer trivia questions and earn chances to open prize boxes. Round after round, they attempt to trade up in value until reaching a fabulous grand prize package. This is the show’s theme music.

Chocotopia
Marstropolis produces one of the finest, most delicious chocolates in the solar system. Reddish in color, much like Irish Chocolate is green, Chocotopia is silky smooth and delectable. The Chocotapia Corporation also manufactures varieties of Chocotopia teas, coffees, hot cocas, cakes, brownies, cookies, and candies. More than one child has dreamed of being trapped inside the factory overnight to indulge in a tasty chocolate feast fit for a king. Chocotopia’s trademark product is a castle built of chocolate blocks, something very popular at catered events.

Reka Persei
Racing sensation extraordinaire, Reka Persei has won four out of five of the most recent Race To Northpoint Station contests. You can see his face on billboards and in print adds everywhere, endorsing any number of products. He’s the hero of children and sports fans all across Marstropolis. Persei’s vehicle is electric blue with yellow and orange lightning bolts on the side. The move he is best know for is called the flip spin. Charging through tight canyon space in Valles Marineris, Reka often employs this move by accelerating along the jagged wall, passing an opponent while vertically sideways and flipping back down in front of them, soaring away at supersonic speeds. Most recently, Reka Persei’s personal life has received a huge amount of attention because he’s been regularly dating singing sensation Janet Jetson. Next year, Reka Persei will be part of an elite group of racers who will battle each other on the icy glaciers covering the Galilean Satellite Europa for the inaugural IEGC Interplanetary Grand Prix.

Skyboarding
With the advent of Hyperpulsion technology powering cars and public transit systems, it was only a matter of time before Zero-G trickled down to thrill seekers looking for a new sport. From skates to skateboards, Hyperpulsion has created a brand new experience; Skyboarding. Using conventional skate parks, young people soar through the air, spinning, twisting, and dipping in ariel acrobatics displays.

Raion Kapella
Another modern day legend and folk hero of Marstropolis, ex-Marine Raion Kapella will forever be remembered for thwarting a pirate gang attacking shipping convoys enroute to the Jupiter Colonies. The Trojan Raiders, a pirate gang named for the grouping of asteroids from where they launched their ambushes, routinely stole cargo from Kapella. He then hatched a plan to snare them with the help of Marine platoons from Earth and Mars. An entire convoy of soldiers, led by Raion were attacked. However, the soldiers overwhelmed the pirates, successfully ending the pirate reign of terror. Raion Kapella continues to lead convoys from Mars to Jupiter. If you happen to catch him on your side band radio, you’ll probably hear blaring music in the background.

Get Vertical!
A slang Martian expression with two meanings. The first is of mild surprise or shock. The second and better known usage refers to the sport of Skyboarding. Skyboarders will say, “Let’s get vertical,” when they want to head out to the skate parks with their Hyperpulsion boards to catch some air. You mean you didn’t know that? Get vertical!

A Dream For The Sake Of Dreaming
Marstropolis is alive in well, in the vast universe of my mind. For everyone else, it’s a fictional fantasy, an optimistic look at a bright future of space exploration and colonization of your solar system. By the time mankind sets foot on Mars and builds brand new cities and societies in the distant future, hopefully we will all have learned to live in peace. Until then, Marstropolis remains my dream, my hope, for the betterment of all humanity. MARSTROPOLIS and BEYOND MARSTROPOLIS are my musical dreams, dreams created simply for the sake of dreaming.