MARS POLARIS

but they're all jumbled up. I find the tracks flow much better for me by starting with Jerome's louder, exciting and rhythmical compositions 'Comet's Figure Head', 'Pilots Of The Ether Belt', 'Outland (The Colony)' and 'Astrophobia' followed by Edgar's transitional 'Rim Of Schiaparelli' and 'Tharsis Manuever', the more relaxed 'Spiral Star Date (Level P)' and 'Deep Space Cruiser' with their melodic guitars, then the soothing voices and ticking rhythm of 'Mars Mission Counter' leading finally to the near ambient, beatless 'Dies Martis (Transmercury)'. The alternation of contrasting pieces works well on the previous year's 'Transsiberia' where it fits the theme of the album, but here it tends to drown out the quieter tracks and make them sound unfairly weak, particularly when reaching 'Deep Space Cruiser'.

Either way the first tune, 'Comet's Figure Head', is a fantastic opener, beginning with layered spacey drones unexpectedly cut by crisp drum and high hat sounds quickly joined by deep, rich synths and sequences reminiscent of the early and mid 80s. These drums are arranged in a looping style like 90s electronica but not as strongly as the electronic dance music of the preceding two Dream Mixes albums and the track actually progresses in more of a rock music structure with melodies, harmonies, quieter and louder sections, even electric guitar parts, forming a satisfyingly well developed piece over what seems a very short 10 minutes. Jerome's other three contributions are of a similar length and quality, and totalling nearly 40 minutes could once have constituted an LP in their own right. They fit together well in a consistently grand and dramatic but foot tapping style with plenty of sequencer use drawing inspiration from TDs classic period but not in a derivative way - this is a new direction for the music, a fusion with more modern techniques.

It would not be unreasonable to press the stop button at this point but by continuing for another 30 minutes one is gradually lowered from the rapidly moving, high energy state, just as the deployment of parachutes in the thin Martian atmosphere gradually slows a hurtling space probe to eventually settle gently in its final resting place. 'Rim Of Schiaparelli' and 'Tharsis Maneuver' continue with the sequencers and drum loops but they're a little more subdued and the keyboards a bit quieter and more atmospheric, not developing as much in what are now shorter although still enjoyable tracks. Conventionally played electric lead guitar, rather than loops, is a prominent feature of the next couple of tunes, 'Spiral Star Date (Level P)' and 'Deep Space Cruiser', still accompanied by the synths, sequencers and older style drum machines, it's all getting rather mellow by the end of these. 'Mars Mission Counter' starts off with an ambient flavour although a rapidly ticking rhythm and short sequencer loop soon appear to keep time moving forward for most of the piece until it's closed by male voice choral sounds. Finally 'Dies Martis (Transmercury)' drops the drum sounds and sequencers altogether in favour of female choirs, piano and synthesised woodwind and xylophone sounds along with the synths, leaving the listener in a quite chilled out mood. Somehow all the tension of only half an hour ago has been imperceptibly drained away which is an impressive testament to the power of this music to establish a mood. This half of the album also works well on its own if in a relaxed mood to begin with.

Overall a welcome return to the more electronic sounds of a decade or so previously but expressed in a contemporary idiom. 4 stars.

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