MARRS

MARRS (or M/A/R/R/S, or probably more accurately M|A|R|R|S as they were named on their record sleeves) was a one-off recording act from 1987, a collaboration between the groups A R Kane and Colourbox, with additional input from DJs Chris "C.J." Mackintosh and Dave Dorrell.

However, the collaboration did not go entirely to plan. Once in the studio, the groups' different working methods and personalities failed to gel. Producer Jon Fryer found himself in the middle and unable to resolve the conflict between the two camps. The result was that instead of working together, the two groups ended up recording a track each, then turning it over to the other for additional input.

Of the two pieces completed, one, "Anitina," was an A.R. Kane track with drum programming by Colourbox's Steve Young. The other, "Pump Up The Volume," was a propulsive Martyn Young track constructed largely of samples, including one of A.R. Kane's guitars.

The record was released under the alias M|A|R|R|S — an acronym derived from the first names of the 4AD artists involved in the project: Martyn, Alex Ayuli and Rudi Tambala from A.R. Kane; Russell, an associate A.R. Kane member; and Steve from Colourbox.

M|A|R|R|S' sole release was the single "Pump up the Volume", which was a number one hit in the United Kingdom and a significant milestone in the development of British house music and sampling culture.

"Pump up the Volume" is considered to have been the first U.K. number one to contain samples from other songs. "Pump Up the Volume" is widely credited with giving Israeli Eurovision Song Contestant, Ofra Haza, a worldwide audience for her interpretive modern renditions of traditional Yemenite spirituals and folk songs. Also of note is that M|A|R|R|S were successfully sued in Great Britain by Stock Aitken Waterman for the use of a 7 second vocal element taken from the latter's "Roadblock" and used in "Pump Up the Volume'"s early pressings. By the time the single saw U.S. release, the offending warble (and a few other sounds of dubious provenance) had been edited out or replaced with other elements. The original British version is widely considered the best by fans and collectors alike.

Throughout its lifetime, M|A|R|R|S was an uneasy collaboration, and plans for any follow-up material never materialised as M|A|R|R|S quickly disintegrated in the wake of differences among the members. A.R. Kane gave interviews to the music press in which they explained that while they were proud to have been part of M|A|R|R|S, it was not an experience they were keen to repeat. Colourbox attempted to carry on as M|A|R|R|S by themselves, but were not willing to pay the £100,000 that A.R.Kane wanted for full rights to the name, and the project remained a one-off.