Capsule review: Mitsoobishy Jacson - The confusion of A.J. Schicksal (2009)

It was only a matter of time before some part of the Mauro extended musical family would get into soundtracking imaginary movies. Mitsoobishy Jacson are prime candidates. Actually they give it the intimacy of craftfullness of a radio play. Superior Air or just another facet of the Mauro universe? You decide. I'll listen again, I can never figure it out.

Capsule review: Mitsoobishy Jacson - Boys together outrageously (1999)

Wild bachelor party. Somehow struck a nerve at the time (annoyingly catchy theme song). Not much of it sticks in the mind, but it sure is fun. Mauro recedes in the background of his own band. A tossed off mixtape from some entertaining tossers nevertheless. Kudos.

Capsule review: Mitsoobishy Jacson - Nougat in Koblenz (1996)

Addictive junk record. Songs built out of bicycle spare parts and wirecoat. Mauro sets himself a pattern for collaborations. He's in the background, letting the other guys shine, yet still delivers that knockout moment ('Sun of aerobics'). So it is here: 6 Houben songs, 3 Pawlowski and 4 fragments ('Jazz rock endurance'). Fortunately, Houben shines too. His mind is dark and sardonic.

Capsule review: Mitsoobishy Jacson - Sun of aerobics EP (1996)

The single - a gloriously ramshackle Lou Reed-style stomper - is a Mauro breakthrough, finding a new songwriting voice, free to contemplate her pretty face on a sunny day. Course he turns out to be some kind of serial killer psychopath - 'I've seen your darkness and it shines'. Not quite there yet then. The rest is Peter Houben's show, writing ballads for assholes ('Hometaped my girlfriend') and inscrutable songs of philosophical heartbreak ('Pinetrees do not lose their fur'). All sounds like they've scotchtaped it together in a Limburg shed, but it was recorded at Galaxy Studios. Slackers in control of their craft, then.