To say that Gary Marx knows a thing or two about music would be something of an understatement. As founding member of the Sisters Of Mercy he helped shape what’s commonly known as “gothic rock”, then he solidified that sound with the equally influential Ghost Dance. Such a legacy would be enough for any artist to retire happily, but that’s not the way Gary rolls. However, having be an artist orientated towards the future, his latest album, Red Planet Blue, takes on a more reflective tone, condensing 54 years of music into 72 glorious minutes, and by exploring music’s rich lineage, Gary has signposted a bright future.

Some music is designed to take you on a journey, and that’s exactly what Red Planet Blue does. The 26 tracks that comprise this album have been segued together for, as the sleeve boldly states, “Your uninterrupted listening pleasure”. The songs are threaded by snippets of sounds, and as such Red Planet Blue has a constant flow, it is not unlike being caught on a river’s current and having no choice than to sit back and enjoy the ride. It’s also indicative of life’s flow; that the album is 72-minutes in length is highly symbolic, Gary became a teenager in 1972 and this album begins with tracks that have roots in that era. ‘High Brighton Rock’ and ‘Elektra Glide’ have a glam rock aesthetic (think Rocky Horror meeting Roxy Music) and whilst they might be performed in tribute to that era, they are certainly not pastiche. What tracks such as ‘Planchette’ do is replicate the infinite possibilities that music from that era offered. Nowadays pretty much every musical avenue has been explored and every configuration of chords in every permeation has been used, ‘Planchette’ takes us back to a time when music was full of territory to be charted and as such Gary will go on to cover a lot of musical ground. It’s impossible to pin one genre tag on this album, and it is also varied in terms of of the moods it creates; ‘Ten Foot Two’ is full of youthful exuberance whilst ‘Summergangs’, belying its title, has a melancholic edge which makes the following title-track explode with effervescence. It’s this constant ebb and flow which makes Red Planet Blue ululate like an old school album, it’s a sprawling vista in which it is quite easy to lose oneself; like exploring America or examining the nooks and crannies of David Bowie’s discography, Red Planet Blue is a puzzle near impossible to unpick, and it is precisely that which keeps the album fresh, even after successive spins.

Those who only know Gary Marx through his work with the Sisters Of Mercy (and to a lesser extent Ghost Dance) where he painted in shades of monochrome might be surprised at the technicolour dazzle of Red Planet Blue. Yet, it’s precisely that what renders this the right move; rather than recycling the past Gary has gone on a completely different tangent and that renders Red Planet Blue a world worthy of your exploration.

• Red Planet Blue is released on 18th September 2026 (available here).

Track List:

1. Anywhere Any Place Any Time
2. High Brighton Rock
3. Elektra Glide
4. Cherry Bomb Love
5. Planchette
6. Tales Of Vermilion
7. Hands Up
8. Ten Foot Two
9. Summergangs
10. Red Planet Blue
11. Tiger Moth
12. Jumbo Mambo
13. East Coast Shuffle
14. Riot
15. Riff Raff
16. Schmaltz
17. Paradigm
18. Next Stop The Moon
19. Sweet Heart Attack
20. Just About Crazy
21. Starsky & Hutch
22. Orbit
23. 73
24. Rattlesnake Boys
25. Crazy Wheel
26. Sand Le Mere