Customer Reviews

Iaora Tahiti (Reis)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've steered clear of Mouse On Mars for years now simply because I think their name, CD titles and cover art is a bit cheesy (Vulvaland? Sheesh, as a gay man that title is not appealing) and if that's the case then what will their music sound like?? I resisted buying Iaora Tahiti although the price was cheap, friends recommended it to me and the reviewers here seem to unanimously agree it's their best release. I just couldn't get past their name or the cheesy psychedelic cover. Then one day, with money to burn, I went to the music store to buy the new flanger CD but the release date was pushed back. The new aphex twin wouldn't be released for a couple of weeks and I had money to burn so I said what the hey and I bought it. I tried my hardest to resist liking the music as it slowly unfolded around me. It seemed impossible that MOM could sound as good as they did. I listened to the disc once through and then put it away. Strangely, the next day I found myself humming an unfamiliar melody and realized it was MOM. I plucked the CD off my shelf, put it back in my disc player and there it has remained for the past month.

I'm a newly recruited fan of MOM now. I can't say how enjoyable I find this CD to be.

Omnibuzz sounds like crickets in outer space; kompod and Saturday night worldcup fieber are great upbeat tracks that transcend what dance music is all about; kanu is wonderful, I can't sit still for a minute when I listen to it and papa, antoine is my favorite track. It's perfect in every aspect, in every detail. A spacy, floaty interplanetary trip across the dreamscape of your mind with that wonderful melody that kicks in halfway through. I hear a little bit of the orb, future sound of london, orbital and plone in mouse on mars (well really only schunkel reminds me of plone with that xylophone percussion). However, I must agree with some of the reviewers on this page about die innere orange. It really is a wasted track at 12+ minutes. It sounds like someone accidentally hit the record button in the studio, simply recording white noise and tonal variations thereof while having a brief conversation in german before realizing the record was on, stupidly pushing buttons before finding the off button. SNORE.

However, on a side note after enjoying this disc as much as I did, I purchased their lastest release Idiology. What happened? Certainly it can't be the same group that produced this lovely dreamy piece of music. So now I'm wavering again as far as my feelings towards MOM. Maybe Idiology will grow on me but in any case, Iaora Tahiti was a pleasant surprise. I would recommend it anyonE looking for something fresh and new in the world of electronica.

Iaora Tahiti is Mouse on Mars' second full length, and they shortened the tracks down from the 7-8 ones found on the previous release 'Vulvaland'. Mouse on Mars' electronic manipulations cannot be matched for their ingenuity, catchiness, and overall presentation. On Iaora Tahiti they manage to represent many fields of electronic music, all the while making the release a solid, consistent effort. They manage to incorporate elements of dub, ambience, electro, and drum and bass on this release. They can get you going with the jungle-style hyper bass of 'Bib' and suddenly chill you out with downtempo atmospherics of 'Hallo'. They can incorporate many different ideas and mesh them together on the perfect 'Schlecktron' and they use a variety of sound sources.

In my opinion, this release is around 55 minutes, and not 67 because the last track is a complete throwaway. Being barely audible and quite unimaginative and senseless. Andy Toma and Jan St. Werner should have skipped putting this track on as it's complete filler.

Iaora Tahiti is a great release, and it shows you the highest available end of electronic sounds, beats and textures mixed quite effectively. A great place to start in electronic listening music, and probably Mouse On Mars' best starting point for folks interested in them.

Every time I put this on my cd player and Stereo Mission begins to play, it's as though some kind of warped positive magic floods the room. The following track, Kompod, is spooky, mystic, and enchanted sounding. Then on one of the next tracks (can't remember which) things get real spooky in a funny way and I can hear what sounds like an very angry little mouse complaining about something in mouse-talk. The music on this cd is so inventive and abstract that I'm sure different people read different things into it (like all great art). Go Card is a great little cosmic shuffle -it really boogies! Kanu is more expansive sounding which leads nicely into the soaring Bib. (Where do they get these titles?) Papa Antoine sounds like a soundtrack to a beautiful deep dream and Omnibuzz (a reprise to Stereo Mission?) buzzes somewhat ominously. The next thing you know, a voice says 'Hallo?' as if to wake you up from the dream and what follows is the mysterious and somewhat confounding Inner Orange -I'll let that speak for itself since I don't speak German... All in all it's pure sonic magic, good fun, and at times, one hell of a ride. I love all MOM cd's but this is my personal favorite.

A new and interesting way of blending techno's easy listening, ambient, electro & funk. For those who like Fila Brazilia, Nightmares on Wax, Zaffarano, Ambient Ibiza II, etc... this is a buy.

A beautiful album full of minimal beats, meandering melodies, tripped-out atmospherics and dreamy soundscapes...Some would consider this album weird and off-kilter, but it's really a work of pure, creative genius. The songs make you think and don't impose on your mindset..."Stereomission", "Kompod", "Kanu" and "Bib" are perhaps the most accessible tracks on "Iaora Tahiti(Reis)", while everything else takes a minute to grow on you...nevertheless, when Mouse on Mars throws it down, you're in for quite a few surprises. Makes you wonder if these guys really are from Mars!

the last track has a short bit of dialog in german, otherwise it is as described below. if you know german it is quite interesting. one of the members of mouse on mars describes what he believes consciousness is, using "die innere orange" ("the inner orange") as a metaphor. using his definition of something through which we make "sense" of our senses and experience the world, the first several minutes of near-blank white noise contrasts wonderfully with the last few containing something like beautiful music so distorted and garbled that it is nearly unrecognizable as such.

This is my fav. of the all the Mouse albums. Such wonderful, thematic music. If anyone thinks that electronic is dry, unemotions, and not melodic- listen to this one! They have such a talent of making bleeps and blops (which is basically what they are about, bleeps and blops) and turning them into real songs. Try it out. They make me happy and when i've seen them play live- it seems they make themselves happy too!

Beware though, these guys know how to market and sell albums- i've been dupped into buying a seeming new release and only found it was a re-named release of an import i've bought before....

I played this at a party once and somebody swiped it. I bought a replacement the next day.

As a rule, I'm not a huge fan of either Polynesian-derived exotica nor the bleepy electronica practiced by Mouse on Mars on other albums. More rhythmic than most electronica, and more varied than most exotica, "Iaora Tahiti" far exceeds the sum of its parts. I can't image better background music for the post-modern Tiki Bar.

VERY UNIQUE PIECE OF WORK. TAKES YOU TO A WONDEROUS NEW LAND COMPLETELY FORIEGN TO MY EXPERIENCES. MY FAVORITE PICK FROM THE MOUSE ON MARS SERIES.