Stylistically "Mask" could be considered a companion to Vangelis's earlier album "Heaven and Hell". Both records adopt a classical style and utilise a choir alongside the usual assortment of keyboards. However, this later record has a much broader sound thanks to the inclusion of samples and sequencer driven patterns. I acquired this LP in 2016 and found it quite fascinating from the outset. Whilst the music might not make an immediate impact, it becomes more impressive with repeated listening.
"Mask" consists of six movements which are divided equally between the two sides of the record. The first movement is a ten minute long, rather grandiose piece that revolves around a synth arpeggio and a complex choral arrangement. Whilst this is an impressive opening, things get really interesting on the second movement.
I find the string arpeggio here rather amazing and it allows Vangelis to drape his melody seamlessly over the top. By contrast "Movement 3" is much more angular and offers more than a hint of the great man's work on "Blade Runner". As well as their dramatic sound, one aspect of these composition I enjoy is the use a string synthesizer.
In the days before poly-synths or ROMplers, string synthesisers were a cheap and convenient way of imitating the sound of an orchestra. Vangelis used many different string synthesisers over the years but he is most likely to have used a Roland VP-330 on this record. Personally I much prefer the sound of these analogue keyboards to the sampled sounds Vangelis used towards the end of his career.
Rather than replicating common or garden acoustic instruments a string synthesizer has a much more intriguing sound. I liken this to the case of the TR-808 drum machine. Yes it was trying to provide an approximation of a drum kit, but it wasn't a direct emulation by any stretch of the imagination. It is the unique sound of the TR-808 that helped make it such a wonderful and unique instrument. I don't see many people waxing lyrical about the sound of a Alesis SR-16 even if it could accurately replicate the sound of an acoustic drum kit.
On the flip side of the record the fourth movement almost reminds me of something we might have heard on "L'Apocalypse des animaux"; yet this time around the marimbas, percussion and double bass all sound like they are coming out of an Emulator sampler. "Movement 5" is another ten minute long opus that uses a choir alongside a synth arpeggio and Vangelis's trust Yamaha CS-80. Whilst this is an impressive piece, it's just a rehash of the first movement and I'm not sure it offers us anything different. Fittingly the record finishes with the drifting string synthesizer sounds we have heard throughout this album and reprise of the standout second movement. 4/5
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