Mast releases album

Mast – aka Luxembourg/Australian techno-rock pioneer Ivo Reisch – has always cast himself as something of an underdog.

From first picking up an acoustic 12-string as a kid in Belgium, singing along to Springsteen and Bowie when he could barely speak English, to touring Europe with his first high school band, to a return Down Under where he discovered the power of electronic music, Mast has never taken a straight path on his musical journey.

Now, after two decades honing his craft and acquiring myriad influences, he has unleashed his debut solo album ‘…and the spider sings alone’. The album is a tribute to a sound that perfectly blends the rock pioneers that Ivo grew up with and the visceral excitement of the Melbourne techno scene.

There are elements of Bjork, Depeche Mode and even Nine Inch Nails in this record, but it is Mast’s unique sound and unique voice that is heard loud and clear above such influences.

Ivo says himself that this is music that he just needed to get out of him and throw out to an unsuspecting world. But it is music that is good enough for the world to take notice.
Several songs on the album are previously unreleased cuts honed from his time touring and recording with his band The Rush Effect.

The band broke up in 2005 after several successful years touring Australia. Although some bitterness remains that it never reached the heights it deserved to, Ivo has affection for the great music produced in that time. Former bandmates Nick Hemstrom (bass), Joel Mammome (drums) and Derek Shiel (electronics) all feature on some of the stand out tracks on ‘..and the spider sings alone’ but it is Mast’s own – his accomplished guitar playing, complex arrangements and heartfelt songwriting – that makes this one of the great debuts of the year.

What makes it so special is that few, if any records, can capture both the electricity produced by a great rock’n’roll live show with the euphoria of a DJ set. Mast, with this album, does just that.

His is a one-off talent. So much so that he might not be an underdog much longer.