Mars Lasar - The Eleventh Hour Ostensibly a "new age" recording, Lasar's techno opus truly defies category, drawing on rock, avant garde dance, classical, reggae and jazz elements. Many of the compositions are built on hypnotic industrial funk grooves, but Lasar doesn't stop there; an incredible array of synthesized and sampled sounds are laced throughout the 16 songs and almost 74 minutes of music. Especially effective is Lasar's use of the spoken voice, which lends an eerie but satisfying quality to a number of tracks. Songs like "Children of the World" and "Amy's Lullabies" show off the composer's more lyrical side and provide a nice contrast to the more esoteric pieces. There is a philosophical component to "The Eleventh Hour"; it was intended to portray a world in crisis, yet filled with hope. Of course, almost all the music is instrumental, so the inherent messages of the songs are open to interpretation. One thing, however, is clear: Lasar is a creative visionary with the courage to explore unconventional musical landscapes and the talent to make it worth listening to. -- Vince Tieto