Listen Now: Ice Cream Mission To Mars “Blast Off!”

Fans of experimental electronics and vintage synths will want to put Will MacLean‘s newest project Ice Cream Mission To Mars on their radar. MacLean had previously been working with David Baker (Mercury Rev, Shady) in the band Variety Lights, but Ice Cream Mission To Mars is currently the primary effort for the Chicago-based musician. A quick visit to MacLean’s website reveals the artist’s continuing interest in old school analogue synthesizers, with some very cool pictures of his Rev 2 P5, Minimoog, and OB-8 on display, and everything about ICMTM’s upcoming, self-titled release buzzes and hums with that thick, vintage ambience. Possibly more beat driven than his work with Variety Lights, Ice Cream Mission To Mars conjures up memories of early 8-bit video gaming and even the golden days of techno. “Blast Off!” will surely induce flashbacks of hiding out at the arcade in the strip mall, when adrenaline and sugar were still your only drugs of choice. Put a quarter in the machine, and the rush begins to an ominous and throbbing bass line, before launching you headlong on your maddening Dark Star quest. Look for Ice Cream Mission To Mars to come out on CD and as a digital download on November 20th via Toy Moon Records.