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Mars Lasar – AfterWorld review

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afterworldThere are many great artists out there, but very few are in the simply brilliant category. One artist that belong here though, is Mars Lasar. If you want to check out his brilliance, try his 2012 abum AfterWorld. I didn’t know that the post-apocalyptic world could be that great.

There are artists that fans look up to, and there are artists that other artists admire. Mars Lasar might not be the biggest name in our genre, but he is among the very best. Artists often say to me that they are inspired by him. His skills on the keyboard and ability to create interesting atmospheres are truly unique. My favorite albums by Mars are Olympus (1992) and Tahoe Spirit (2009). After listening to AfterWorld (2012), I will add that to my list of favorite albums too.

A Trip to the AfterWorld

AfterWorld has an ethnic sound. It is largely a return to the style of Karma (2002). Mars Lasar uses instruments from the Middle East and Asia. There are also a few African vocal samples. The album has a quite dark atmosphere, fueled by a heavy drum beat. This makes it great for your daily workout sessions.

My favorite track on the album is no. 3, Nine Worlds. The use of an eerie whooshing effect combined with ethnic steel string instruments and a powerful beat make this into a one of a kind song. It has Mars Lasar’s musical fingerprint all over. The next song, the soft Heavenly Footsteps, is a very nice contrast to the heavy Nine Worlds.  As usual Mars is not restriced by genre conventions, and the album ends with a positive ethnic ballad.

The cover artwork is also stunning. Mars Lasar’s photo and design skills are also top notch (see examples here). There is beauty in the AfterWorld too.

If I were to say something negative, it must be about the ethnic samples. I usually love them (I have been a fan of Deep Forest for 20 years), but the outerworldly theme matches badly with the African samples. A synth vocal singing in an “alien language” would have been better.

Simply put, AfterWorld is an amazing album. It is among Mars Lasar’s best – which also makes it into one of the best albums ever released in our genre.

Score: 96/100