Karma

Mars Lasar

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 19, 2001)
• Original Release Date: June 19, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Pgi
• ASIN: B00005KIZH
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #278,326 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Mars Lasar throws in the cosmic kitchen sink on Karma, as Gothic choirs, bleating whales, Indian percussion, and ethereal synthesizer tones converge into a mystic stew. And that's just on the first track. Lasar's music can often sound generic, but Karma is his finest album since 1996's The Music of Olympic National Park, which also exhibited a greater reliance on atmosphere and mood rather than elaborate keyboard orchestration. Pulling from the world-music sample-disc library, Lasar follows the Peter Gabriel Passion model, lacing together didgeridoo, shakuhachi, all kinds of ethnic percussion, and chants with synthesized ambiance. Karma keeps flowing like a collage of ancient images in endless dissolve. One moment, you're in a Middle Eastern mosque, then you're on a southwestern butte as guitarist Kelly Hansen lays down a laconic, Ry Cooder-like slide guitar on "Tara." --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Karma, September 9, 2001

By	Moi (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

I am an artist and a great music lover. I need good music to be able to create my art. I have listened most of my life to classical music until my son gave me a CD as a present; called Karma; from Mars Lasar. Soon as I was alone at home I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down to listen to the music that my son had given to me. It did not take long and an overwhelming feeling came over me, a feeling as if I had left my body to float with the music into unknown dimensions. I was free of lifely burdens and earthly rules. The music had made me to be the creator of my own fantasies. There was nothing earthly left but the wonderful sound of music floating through all the abilities of my mind. Karma has sent an ultimate sensation into my life carrying the strength of beauty in every sound of its existence. Touching the inner peace and wildest dreams of emotions. Karma, capturing the moment of reincarnation in my soul. I am born again, with new ideas; and so I paint and create with every sound that Mars has given me, listening to the wonderful music until eternity. I definitely give Mars 5 stars for his wonderful album called Karma.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible. Mars Lasars best CD in years., February 8, 2002

By	Distant Voyageur "Nicholas Computer" (Io) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I have been a huge fan of Mars Lasar for several years. I had high hopes for this CD but they were blown away by the incredible punch that Karma has. Not since 1992s Eleventh Hour has a Lasar CD taken my breath away upon first listening. While the Eleventh Hour remains my favorite CD by Mars Lasar Karma came close to topping that one. In some ways Karma is like The Eleventh Hour with similar melodies and enigmatic sounds but unlike the futuristic Eleventh Hour, Karma has a far more ancient sound with percussion, chants from Africa, the Middle East, India and Native American sounds as well. If your looking for another Escape, Karma might not be the one for you.

The Great Beast Of Wisdom is a very haunting, ambient almost frightening song that starts off as a Gothic minor note with whales in the background. The first 3 minutes of this song reminds me of a severe thunderstorm with the sky like lead grey with heavy rain. At the 3:16 mark the song morphs from a ominous Gothic minor note song into a mournful major note song almost like the sky turning a fiery red with the sun breaking through low on the horizon. Deep Cavern is a melancholy song with Didgeridoos(Hope I spelled it right), Aboriginal chants, and a mournful flute. At 2:37 the song quiets down into a major note song with just a harp for about 40 seconds before it reverts back into a minor note with the Australian chanting. The song winds down with the sounds of crickets in the background when drums fade in ushering in Seventh Journey. Seventh Journey reminds me very much of Plateau Of The Gods from the Eleventh Hour with the xylophone sounding instruments and the Gregorian Chants. The songs fades out with the crickets once again. Enchantment is a very romantic song with mostly a harp playing. This song is perfect to listen to when walking through the forests in the clear moonlight. When the song itself ends a thunderstorm moves in with a metallic drum of the next combined with the sound of thunder and an echoing flute. Sacrifice is a very intense song with lots of Gothic Gregorian Chants, thundering beats, hounting flutes and a very dark, stormy atmosphere. I could imagine approaching a giant cathedral with the thunderstorms rumbling and the lightning illuminating the purplish skies and seeing monk with candles marching towards the cathedral. Few songs stimulate such vivid imaginations. Give this song a listen. It's incredible. At the end when the song fades out, a frightening ambient almost Gothic hum ties Sacrifice into Thusness. Thusness is a very intense song with thundering drums, Indian percussion, flutes, and the Gregorian humming going throughout the song. Prophecies is a more jazzy song with wordly drums. At the 1 minute mark Indian chanting come in with a Sitar laced with the chanting to create a brilliant piece. A breeze fades in as the song fades down bringing in the next song Doha. Doha is a very chilly song with the sounds of chimes ringing in the background almost like a cool breeze. There are also Middle Eastern chants as well. The ending is creepy. Tara is one of the most energetic songs on Karma. It starts off with the sound of a buffalo growling then almost blues sounding guitars coming with a thundering beat that results in one of the best songs by Mars Lasar I ever listened to. The Holiness features African chants, with maracas, combined with a brighter melody like the sun breaking through the clouds near the horizon bringing light to the landscape. It's almost like a brutal journey or adventure had ended successfully. Inseperable Universe is a very sad song with water flowing in the back ground with birds chirping and synthesizers playing. Then violins start playing with the sounds of an owl in the distance. The song gradually builds up as it progresses with chimes ringing before it ends at the 4:43 minute mark leaving the owl hooting in the distance and the water flowing in the background to bring this musical journey to an end.

I had no idea that Karma would be so incredible. In fact although it might not topple Eleventh Hour as my favorite Mars Lasar CD it's almost as good. Mars Lasar hasn't sounded this good in a very long time. After waiting three years after the excellent 11:02 album way back in 1998 Karma was worth the wait and could rank as one of the best realeases of 2001. I'm not trying to be too pushy about this release but I strongly recommend that you just get this CD and give it a listen. It's breathtaking, powerful, intelligent, evocative, and a work of sheer brilliance. Faboulous work Mr. Lasar!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really excellent, concept CD for thinkers!, September 26, 2001

By	Guardian of the Zen Sea "Indigo" (Looking after the sun and surf) - See all my reviews

I must admit that I only occaisionally like all of the music on a Mars Lasar CD, but this one is a real exception. In the liner notes the artist states that he "thought about this recording for many years", and the effort really shows!! He goes on to write a better description of the music than I could ever provide: "the fusion of ancient instruments from Africa, India and the Middle East, and the ethereal sound design all come together to create a true feeling of oneness, the outcome excited me even more than I had originally anticipated". Well, yeah. Mars Lasar plays keyboards and piano, and provides programming and sound design for all the pieces. He is joined by Kelly Hansen on guitars. This stuffy description does not do justice to the fact that the music itself includes very dense, rich landscapes including natural sounds and samples from middle eastern music. The CD is best appreciated by listening to it from beginning to end, since many of the pieces blend into each other. Make some time to sit down and listen to this music as an experience. You won't be disappointed....