Tangerine Dream – Mars polaris

4 reviews for Tangerine Dream – Mars polaris

1. 

   Flemming Larsen – 1999-11-22

   Mars Polaris has been running on my CD player continously since I got home from Osnabrueck. I love it! Here’s a short review.
   1. Comet’s Figure Head (10:02)
   Strange synth sounds, slow power drums and booming synthbass leads into the track. A classic sequecer fires up and a nice warm analogue synthpads create a celestial background for the nice little intro melody. Analogue brass sounds, also add to the atmosphere. Wonderful intro.
   The rythm kicks in and more strange new synth sounds are added to the track. Wondeful sliding howls or hoo’s. Again the exciting melody. A short break and a new melody line with a slow kicking rythm takes over. The track just goes on and on and you just don’t want it to stop. Unfortunately it does after 10 minutes. Superb intro track to Mars Polaris.
   2. Rim Of Schiaparelli (6:15)
   Again strange experimental synth sounds start the track creating a mysterious ambience on the track. Slightly haunting lead in. What follows is a bit similar to WAB in style, just a little more coherent IMO. This track features classic TD sounds ranging from the harpsichord to pads. New and exciting and old and familiar at the same time. I like it.
   3. Pilots Of The Ether Belt (10:16)
   What a title !! 🙂
   Slow start. Koto-like sequence (may be drums though). Ambient synth sounds lead into a more familiar type of track. WAB + ToB style. Plenty of experimental synth sounds. All in the ambient range. I find this track a little weaker than the first two. The lead piano parts are a little dull. What saves the track is the nice sequence + the experimental synth sounds.
   4. Deep Space Cruiser (4:42)Slow ambient track. Lead voice sounds like a cross between a wailing guitar and a whale singing. Doesn’t really sound like TD IMO. I think it sounds more like Mike Oldfield in texture. This could have been from Songs From Distant Earth. The track is very pleasant.
   5. Outland (9:15)
   Wonderful lead in. Again new synth sounds which also feels familiar. A great rythm kicks in and there’s plenty of exciting sequencer + warm ambient synthpads. This track has a great melody. Great breaks and shifts in style. Again there are new experiments. This is one of the best and most varied tracks on the CD.
   6. Spiral Star Date (6:13)Again a slow rythm track with plenty of ambient synth sounds. Very nice atmosphere and a lead which for some reason reminds me of some old Sicilian gangstermovie theme. Squeeks and howls from synths and guitars and warm analogstyle synthpads. Some of the track also resembles Rockoon wagely. A very nice track IMO.
   7. Mars Mission Counter (5:45)
   Classical style intro that resembles the orchestral tracks on Hollywood Years. The following rythm and sequecer track reminds me of something, but I can’t remember what. Probably DreamMix 1 or 2, though this track never becomes technostyle. The track is a little repetitive.
   8. Astrophobia (5:58)
   Wierd low sample frequency sounds start the track. Eerie atmosphere. Very spacey. Booming space bass and exciting sequencer riffs + atmospheric synthpads and piano lead into the most varied track on the CD. The rythms range synthrock to jungletechno. This track constantly changes but carries it’s main theme through. Strange track. Seems a bit jumpled up. Need to hear this some more.
   9. Tharsis Maneuver (4:31)
   Good ol’ harpsichord. Brass sounds. Rybucon/Pheadra style sequence. This track could fit on any TD album from 1988-1992, I guess.The track is quite good, but not very melodic and also seems a little repetitive.
   10. Dies Martis (4:00)
   Eerie beginning which springs into a piano+strings+clarinet and quiet e.percussion track. This is obviously and ending track to a fine album. It’s quiet and meditative. Gives the listener time to chill-out after hearing an exciting new TD album.

   Overall impression of Mars Polaris. A damn fine album from TD 1999. Plenty of new experimental sounds. Warm analogue feeling to many synthsounds and interesting rythm arrangements. I recommend it.
   Now if only TDI would release the entire concert. It deserves to be released !!

   1999. Flemming Larsen

2. 

   Artemi Pugachov / Encyclopedia of Electronic Music – 2022-11-22

   Tangerine Dream‘s ”Mars Polaris” is a surprisingly good album for me, after all these boring new-age-like efforts from mid-nineties. I think that the collaboration with NASA is a very good idea, I’ve always liked space-themed albums. But, man, musically this albums is VERY interesting and tricky! Sequences, reminding of Phaedra period, cool rhythms, experimental sound – it got it all. This album is one of the Electronic Music masterpieces and has become one of my favorites. The pace changes really fast, it’s all very intense and exciting. The atmosphere is great.
   Nuff said! You cannot describe this music using words – just buy it and listen to it if.

   2002. Artemi Pugachov / Encyclopedia of Electronic Music

3. 

   Stephanie Sollow – 1999-11-22

   I may have said it before, but it seems that a new Tangerine Dream release is out every month. Aside from the reissues of past releases. But, when you create music for soundtracks as well as for yourself, you’re bound to generate a lot of material.
   Mars has almost always been a subject of mystery or speculation – one could name half a dozen authors from this decade alone, I’m sure. And, with our recent explorations, the Red Planet’s profile has gone up dramatically.
   The ten sonic explorations that Tangerine Dream explore on this disc are, in some ways, more of the same. In this case, I’m meaning a good thing. Edgar and Jerome Froese have become so good at this, so adept at their programming, that performance is no longer an issue. Obviously, though, in a recorded setting, if you miss fire a sequence, you can rewind and start over. It would be interesting to see, because I haven’t, if their precision and synchronicity hold up in a live setting.

   Comet’s Figure Head” begins things with the sonic representation of a comet coming closer and closer

4. 

   Jacob Pertou / Denmark – 2022-11-22

   I guess Mars Polaris should be some kind of soundtrack” to a Mars programme by NASA. So the music is very cosmic and floating. The cover looks like the backcover to Zeit