ANTARCTICA (OST)

Now this is much better, a true return to form. Lush and melodic, the bright tones and dramatics reflect the cold, hard Antarctic environment. And yes, it is another soundtrack, this time for a Japanese documentary on an Antarctic expedition, which was apparently one of the most popular films in Japanese history. I must watch it sometime if I can find it. The opening Theme From Antarctica is a Vangelis classic, reminiscent of Chung Kuo from China. Antarctic Echoes is the piece, however, that sets the mood for the rest of the album. Kinematic is the weakest track here, but is a hard driving albeit repetitive piece. Song of White has two sections, the first of which features a synthesized flute-like sound that is one of the most moving pieces of music Vangelis has ever done. Even after listening to it for 20 years, it still captures me and sends me off to another dimension, much like certain sections of Heaven and Hell do. This short section, too short in my opinion, segues into a reprise of the theme melody. On special mixes in the past I used to combine this with the actual title piece to render a ten-minute edit. Can't do that anymore with my CD burning software. The next three pieces, Life of Antarctica, Memory of Antarctica, and Other Side of Antarctica perpetuate and amplify the tone of icy isolation. The finale, Deliverance, provides a beautiful haunting melody to cap off the album. This type of piece becomes a formula for many of his later albums. On the cusp between excellent and classic Vangelis, I have to give this one a high recommendation and really consider an essential component of a good Vangelis collection.