SOIL FESTIVITIES

I guess this is closest to ambient that VANGELIS ever came. To some degree I'm fond of this album, partly because it has memory links to my first love, and yet it has never been among my biggest favourites by VANGELIS. It was actually the first and second movements only that I taped long ago. Now I'm listening to the whole album again and I like also movements 4 and 5. Still the 3rd one doesn't turn me on: a bit chaotic flights of synths and percussion. What I always liked most about Soil Festivities - or the long 1st movement to be exact - is the strong image of moist and lively worlds of microcosmos, the creatures in the soil. Consider the sleeve pictures and the album title: that secret world is the theme, the inspiration, for this album. Only I'm not so sure if the image remains as strong on all movements.

1st movement (18:32): the repetitious, pulsative synth background with various sharper synth sounds functions really meditatively to the concentrating listener. It's not quite like any other music by VANGELIS but to me one of his best pieces. The sound effects of rain may not be very original but they fit perfectly. The 2nd movement (6:20) has more or less similar pulsative nature. It is slower, calmer and not so strong in evoking images, but its wailing synth melodies are equally beautiful.

4th movement (9:57): yes, it reminds of Mask, the next album, and is among the highlights. And the 5th movement (7:20) could be described as the most symphonic and triumphant one. How on earth I originally missed these two great movements? I recommend this album to those who enjoy ambient music with an orientation to evoke inner images. Especially if you find the theme, the microcosmos of the soil, interesting, check it out! 3½ stars.