Mystified- Red Planet

ARTIST: Mystified

ALBUM: Red Planet

LABEL: Latex Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 7-20-10

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An eight-part suite of experimental music, "Red Planet" is a conceptual and sonic journey through otherworldly realms of ambient techno. To give things a more consistent feel, composer Thomas Park used sounds from his own 60-minute ambient piece, "CircleSlowChime," in each of the tracks comprising "Red Planet," and it really does help to give the album a coherent feel. Whether it's the looping ambient of "Part 1," the cut-up downtempo of "Part 3," or the pulsing old-school techno of "Part 6," the ringing bell-like tones present in various forms unify the eight parts into a singular whole. Thematically, this is a less obvious work; there's little to indicate whether Park was going for a literal or figurative interpretation of Mars. While the industrial-tinged sound collage of motors and muffled radio appearances that makes up "Part 7" suggests a manned mission to the planet in question, rich Tibetan singing bowl loops on "Part 4" suggest a more metaphysical interpretation. Regardless of implied meaning or lack thereof, however, it's a compelling piece of music that will appeal to fans of modern ambient and experimental techno projects like The Orb and Boards of Canada as well as early pioneers like Tangerine Dream and Vangelis.

For more on the work of Thomas Park, visit https://www.mystifiedmusic.com.