here’s always been something different about Mouse on Mars’ music, whether it’s the remarkable diversity of the duo’s earlier work or the outlandish experimentalism of its later releases. Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner, the geniuses (and that term is applicable with them – their music shows boundless, extraordinary creativity) behind such distinctive works as Instrumentals and Idiology, have always strived to separate themselves from the rest of the electronica world, a quality that has made MoM one of the most interesting groups out there.


Recent albums Niun Niggung and Idiology showcase MoM at its weirdest, exploring different sounds fearlessly, with fewer concerns about the final product than about the innovation of the process, but it’s the group’s earlier work that produced some of the best electronic singles of the 90s. And while albums like Iaora Tahiti and Autoditacker may not have been as audacious as later MoM releases, they were still extremely inventive works, albums that featured a uniquely organic sound – one which Rost-Pocks: The EP Collection captures beautifully.


That sound originated with “Frosch”, Mouse on Mars’ first single, and, rightfully, the opener on Rost-Pocks. A lovely, simple melody opens the song and remains as it progresses and builds with beautiful texture and an incredible feeling of being alive, an impression MoM can produce more readily and more effectively than any other electronic group. “Bib”, with its jungle beats and bouncy sound effects, is one of MoM’s livelier tracks, and one of its most captivating, as female vocals swirl around the often-unpredictable background.


“Maus Mobil”, which finds its way onto Rost-Pocks not from one of the five EPs featured here, but from a Trance Europe Express compilation, is an excellent addition, and one that fits quite nicely in between the fast-paced “Bib” and the very danceable “Saturday Night (DJ Crack Mix)”. “Saturday Night Worldcup Fieber”, MoM’s most accurately named song, is also one of the band’s catchiest and liveliest, characterized by all the excitement and glee of, well, a Saturday Night Worldcup match.


“Schnick-Schnack”, one of three tracks from the Cache Coeur Naif EP included here, all featuring Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab on (French) vocals, is another catchy, danceable number, while “Schlecktron (Double Mix)” slows down the pace with drawn-out melodies repeating over a lazy beat for a few minutes. “Lazergum”, another track from Cache Coeur Naif, speeds things up again, though, and introduces a more industrial sound unique on the collection.


“Saturday Night”’s second appearance on Rost-Pocks, the “Fruit Mix”, is largely disappointing, differing entirely from the accessible, lively pop of the DJ Crack Mix or the album version, and abandoning the catchy melody completely. Luckily, “Twift”, MoM’s most tuneful and perhaps best song of all, soon follows “Saturday Night”, recovering the collection’s momentum. Another of Rost-Pocks’ highlights, “Cache Coeur Naif” is a quiet electronic pop song featuring blissfully serene vocals that climax as Sadier chants, “On peut danser/ Pour s’exprimer/ Il faut danser/ On peut danser” (roughly translated into “We can dance/ To express ourselves/ We must dance / We can dance” – it sounds better in French, believe me).


Rost-Pocks unfortunately lulls for a bit after this, with a few quieter, more experimental numbers that, while good, seem out of place on the collection and slow it down more than they should. Nonetheless, “Froschroom”, a darker, longer version of “Frosch” closes the disc as exceptionally as “Frosch” opened it, and most is forgiven.


Rost-Pocks covers Mouse on Mars’ 1994-1997 material superbly, featuring some of the best singles of the era, while managing to capture much of the diversity that makes MoM’s work from that period so fascinating. Although a compilation like this couldn’t possibly adequately represent MoM’s music when the group has such singular, cohesive albums as Instrumentals, Rost-Pocks wonderfully encapsulates the essential material from Vulvaland, Iaora Tahiti, and Autoditacker. This is a great introduction to the band, and undoubtedly the right step to take before delving into the group’s still indispensable albums.