New Dogtanian Movie Trailer Drops!

Being a kid in the 80’s, there were certain shows you couldn’t miss as they were either long serials, perennial summer favourites shown during the holidays or were on constant loop- there was The Mysterious Cities of Gold (my favourite), Ulysses 31, Around the World With Willy Fogg, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors and also… Dogtanian!

With one of the most catchy theme tunes in animation history, Dogtanian followed a young pup as he sought to become a musketeer. There were 2 series and a movie made and the property had remained dormant… until now! A new CGI movie of Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds will be release in cinemas on 25th June 2021 and I must admit, my interest is piqued. Now don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t look that great but I do like to support retro revivals so distributors know that there is a market for these old properties. We’ll see how the film pans out but with a budget of $10 million, I’d say it stands a chance.

New He-Man Trailer Revealed

The new trailer for the He-man Netflix revival, Masters of the Universe: Revival, has just released and I am cautiously optimistic. Over the past few years, we have had excellent reboots and revivals of She-Ra and Carmen Sandiego so I am very pleased that He-Man is getting a chance to shine with a new coat of paint and a makeover. I loved the show in the 80s but it was nothing more than a glorified toy commercial, however this revival really has a chance to revitalise the charming but janky animation of old. The series remains true to the character designs and world from that series but hopefully will have a deeper and more fufilling story arc with Head Writer Keven Smith (of Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy fame) at the helm. The show drops on 23rd July so here’s hoping it good!

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors- Soundtrack Review

A warm fuzzy feeling fills my heart whenever I watch television shows and cartoons from my childhood. However, there are only a few that quicken my heart and make me yearn for simpler times, well, t least simpler as a kid and those include Ulysses 31, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Inspector Gadget, Dogtanian, Around the World With Willy Fogg and… Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors.

Thundering across the stars,
To save the universe from the Monster Minds!
Jayce searches for his father,
To unite the magic root,
And lead his Lightning League to
Victory over the changing form of Sawboss!
Wheeled Warriors explode into battle!
Lightning Strikes!

With these words Jayce and his Lightning League battled the Monster Minds and Saw Boss for 65 episodes. Produced by the hilariously named (at least I thought at the time) DIC studios and overseen by Jean Chalopin (of Mysterious Cities of Gold, Ulysses 31, Inspector Gadget and tonnes of other formative cartoons from the 80s) the show was grand and cheesy operatic drama and a big part of this was due to the epic music, created by Shuki Levy.

The soundtrack for the series has never been released… until now. Tele 80 crowdfunded the soundtrack and I backed it. After a seemingly long wait (it wasn’t that long actually but it seemed that way due to anticipation and slight Covid delays) I finally received my vinyl and CD.

I first came across the show when it was first shown in the mid 80s on Channel 4 but I saw it in my formative years again in the early 90s on Channel 4, where it was shown at weekends. I remember thinking how cool and ahead of it's time the animation was and how moody, mature and rocky the synthesizer soundtrack was.

Since getting the soundtrack I've listened to the album a few times now and the majority of the themes I remember are all here, however the soundtrack isn’t as ingrained into my mind as much as The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Ulysses 31 or Inspector Gadget are.

I'm not going to go through every single track here as that would be long and incredibly tedious for you to read so I'll pick out the highlights.

The album starts with the French opening credits. It has the instrumentation that we all know and love but with the French vocals. The track is okay but holds no real nostalgia for me, that'd be track 21, the English vocal track that played over the opening of the show, but this is the extended cut. Track 23 is the instrumentation of the opening credits, whilst track 22 has the ending vocals (‘Keep On Rolling’) and track 24 has the instrumentation of that, so you can get your hair rock on!

Now onto the back ground music (BGM):

Track 2 (The Fight of the Light Force) - starts off all mystical and woozily dreamlike but quickly the synthy beat, violin and jazz flute kick in and it's a veritable smorgasbord of pure 80s euphoria.

Track 4 (The Cunning of the Monster Minds) - lots of oboe and unsettling string picking make this a suitably creepy piece.

Track 6 (A Hope) - a light, chilled piece which wouldn't be out of place in a romance scene from some forgettable 80s movie.

Track 7 (The Fight Against the Monster Minds) - a consistent drum beat which is followed by a fluttering flute before a jazzy brass section comes in to add some uptempo jam before a crescendo of strings swells and hits.

Track 10 (All Together) - a relaxing piece which is sort of like a redux of track 9.

Track 11 (Moments of Clairvoyance) - breezy and airy sounding with a gentle wind chimey sound.

Track 12 (An Unknown World) - creepy and unsettling as a quick rhythmic mood sets in with heavy synthesiser sounds wend their way in and out. This track wouldn't be out of place in a John Carpenter film as it fits his ouvre.

Track 13 (Mysteries of the Universe) - upbeat funk with wailing guitar and jazzy brassy freestyling.

Track 18 (Imminent Danger) - sounds like an end of level boss from a PS1 game which is no bad thing. Heavy drums and waning guitar give way to moody rhythmic guitar.

Track 19 (Musical Bridges)- This track is a collection of 5 to 10 second bridged that are dramatic and concluded fight or action sequences. They are dramatic and bombastic, ending with a flourish.

Overall, there are plenty of tracks here for Jayce fans but the track that I most miss due to its omission is the darkly sinister driving imperial march sounding one that is reminiscent of St. Elmo's Fire/ La Passage Secret from the MCOG soundtrack. It was the track used when a discovery was made and is one of the most spine tingling tracks from the show and the Jayce equivalent, which shares a lot of the same DNA, is missing too. I’ll link it below so you can have a listen to both tracks.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power- Season 5 Review

Over the past 2 years we've had 4 amazing seasons of She-Ra and the the Princesses of Power and now we finally have the concluding season. So does the finale stick the landing and the rebooted She-Ra series become one of the finest animated series  of recent times?

She-Ra started off with usual Heroes Journey fare but then very quickly escalated and grew into something much more epic, featuring time travel, alternate dimensions and pocket universes; heady stuff indeed.

At the end of season 4, Hordak had signalled Horde Prime and Etheria had been revealed to the Empire, losing the protection the previous She-Ra (Mara) had provided it by placing it in a pocket dimension. The sword was broken and Adora's ability to call on She-Ra was lost.

This season the princesses face all out war as Horde Prime looks to leach the powerful magic from the Heart of Etheria for himself, and achieve God-hood by destroying the universe and making everyone left in his image. With the majority of the rebels overwhelmed by the Prime clones, the remaining faction undertake guerrilla warfare, freeing small areas one at a time, whilst battling their friends who are under Prime control from microchips in the neck.

One of the shows biggest strengths is the attention it gives its characters, it has always allowed them a chance to develop arcs that are subtle and true and this holds in this concluding season too. Mermista, Scorpia and Perfuma all get a chance to shine as they undergo their own trials but the biggest character development is with Entrapta. She learns to appreciate and understand her friends as well as continuing her love of tech. She has some of the funniest and most touching moments and is MVP as she has to find a hack to prize the brainwashing microchips off of her friends and most of Etheria.

Married couple, Netossa and Spinarella are heavily featured as they join the rebellion too but their powers are given more credence and their true power is shown in all its might as they fight against each other as the Horde chip has control over one partner. It's all quite heavy stuff but dealt with the usual confidence and honesty that has made this show so popular amongst the LGBTQ+ community and those looking for wider representation in media.

The complex, maybe even toxic, relationship between Catra and Adora is explored as we gain more insight into Catra's motivations. We get to understand her abandonment and attachment issues and whilst not entirely sympathetic, we do start to understand why Catra is the way she is. The CatDora relationship comes to the fore, especially at the 2 part conclusion as they race to the Heart of Etheria against Horde Prime.

Horde Prime is the archtypal supervillian, his motivation is pure power. He is a malevolent gentleman, inviting Catra and Glimmer to dinner whilst serving her food and delicacies from long destroyed worlds. He seeks to rid the universe of emotions, which he sees as a weakness. He cannot be reasoned with and as he has been in power for so long and has succeeded in spreading the Horde Empire far and wide, doesn't need to explain his ideology except for the further acquisition of power.

With the players on both sides set, the various story threads all weave together to a stunning conclusion that will satisfy fans whilst raising the possibility of a movie or one off special. I won't spoil anything here but I felt extremely satisfied with how the series ended, honouring all the character arcs and motivations yet feeling like a real journey.

This season is well written with shades of dark and light incredibly well plotted with never a moment wasted. It doesn't lose its central message that friendship is awesome but can be hard work, whilst delivering gripping and emotional scenes, episode after episode.

I have loved this show and would recommend it for anyone with a passion for animation but also anyone who appreciates well rounded characters and tightly scripted stories.

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Nintendo: My One Constant in My Gaming Life

Manga Exhibition at the British Museum: Review

In Japan, manga has been a part of the culture for a long time. The origins of manga are debated and The Handscroll of Frolicking Animals by Kitazawa Rakuten is considered a major influence, but generally it gained prominence in the post World War 2 era where artists such as Osamu Tezuka brought some levity and lightness to proceedings with Mighty Atom or Astro Boy as he's known in the West. Tezuka was to manga what Will Eisner was to American comics; the medium existed before their arrival but they brought it to the fore and forever changed it.

Astro Boy is iconic and will feature heavily in the 2020 Olympics, which will be held in Japan.

As a young boy growing up in east London, England, I didn't know anything about manga or anime but I was consuming it unknowingly through shows such as The Mysterious Cities of Gold and Ulysses 31.
One Saturday I went into my local WH Smith and saw issue 22 of a magazine called Manga Mania and was taken by the big eyes, spiky hair style and tiny mouth and nose of the cover star that reminded me so much of the animation style I liked. When I picked it up, from the top shelf next to the more salacious magazines, I felt a bit of a rebel but upon opening it the kinetic imagery and artistry blew me away. Flicking through it I saw a mention of The Mysterious Cities of Gold in the letter pages and knew I had found something special. From then on I would buy Manga Mania monthly and purchased graphic novels, VHS films, soundtracks and even anime cels. The shop Forbidden Planet became nerd nirvana for me and I'd visit it monthly. Manga was one of my first true loves and one that has survived to this day, at least to some lesser extent. Manga is in my lifeblood and even though it doesn't feature as prominently in my daily life as it once did for me, it was formative in my youth and for that I am still grateful.

I loved getting my monthly Manga Mania fix.

I loved getting my monthly Manga Mania fix.

Since those heady underground days in the early 90s, manga has grown and thrived and its influence is spreading across the world. So, when I heard that the British Museum was hosting the largest manga exhibition outside of Japan I wasn't surprised and knew that I had to go. The British Museum has dipped its toes into the manga and anime pool before over the years but these have been smaller, more focused exhibition. This promised to be a much larger, grander affair as manga is still developing and evolving, the form has and is still contributed rather uniquely to modern culture and I'm glad that a venerable institution as the British Museum is recognising this. I visited the Kyoto International Manga Museum several years ago, which is the largest repository of manga in the world, and wanted to see how this exhibition would compare.

So the question is, is the exhibition worth visiting? In a word, yes.... but this comes heavily loaded with a proviso, which I'll go into later.

The whole show feels less like a staid exhibition but more like something you'd see at more immersive and engaging galleries, no surprise as manga means 'irresponsible pictures' and what is on show is a riotous walk-through of the medium. Being a family oriented exhibition the more controversial elements have been excised but that doesn't diminish what's on show, rather it still offers a smorgasbord of artists and genres that covers the art-form well without excluding younger generations or upsetting some sensibilities.

The exhibition starts with an introduction about the origins of manga and provides a guide on how to read it, from left to right. Then there is a section on the manga-ka, the artists who produce the manga, and the tools of their trade.

On an impressive display of collected comics are a few televisions with the chiefs and editors of the weekly manga collections which are published weekly and sell in the millions. They offer their insight into the creative, production and distribution process.

Around the corner, there is a brief look at the influence of woodblock and scroll works on the medium. There are a few stunning pieces on show but a couple stood out to me, the one where a recent piece of work by artist Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Domu and Memories) was compared to his woodblock forebear. The current breed of artists have built on the shoulders of giants and their influence is appreciated here.

After that, the bulk of the exhibition is split into little islands where different themes of manga and artists are explored like Love, Sports, Horror etc. This is all quite dynamic and exciting as there are banners and posters hanging from the ceiling and giant murals and original art pieces stuck on the gallery walls.

In the middle of the exhibition, there is an impressive library of manga on offer and many soft seats in which to read at your own pace.

Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

The last section of the exhibition has a couple of art installations. Kawanabe Kyosai’s theatre curtain from 1880 was painted in just four hours after the artist had imbibed several bottles of rice wine. He painted the 17 metres by five metres high piece using a huge brush and it was done in such a rush of inspiration that you can still see his footmarks on it!. It really is an impressive achievement and whilst not manga, it shows the kinetic frenetic art style that would feature in so much manga years down the line.

Kawanabe Kyosai’s theatre curtain certainly is an impressive piece of work.

Kawanabe Kyosai’s theatre curtain certainly is an impressive piece of work.

Near the exit, a large projected montage of Studio Ghibli films at the end is a fitting bookend to an impressive exhibition.

The exhibition is a great primer for the common manga fan or someone with a cursory interest in the medium but someone looking for a deeper look into the minutiae of manga, this is not that. In my opinion the exhibition, whilst well organised and curated, had some glaring omissions in manga-ka such as Rumiko Takahashi (Mermaid Saga, Urusei Yatsura and Inuyasha) and Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Aplleseed and Dominion Tank Police),  but on a personal level I'd have loved to have seen some works by Yoshitoshi Abe (Serial Experiment Lain, Haibane Renmei) and Yukito Kishiro (Battle Angel Alita). I understand that with such a large number of artists it is not possible to get everything in the exhibition but Takahashi and Shirow are titans of the medium and needed some mention or recognition. It’s like having an exhibition on Italian masters and forgetting to mention any of the Turtles; Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, it just wouldn’t seem complete. However, as the first real look at manga outside of Japan this is an excellent exhibition and well worth the 90 or so minutes of your time. It is an amuse-bouche to the promise of something more and for that I’m excited.

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends

LINK- The Moomins 80's Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Inspector Gadget Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Sonic Mania Video Game Vinyl Soundtrack

LINK- Thomas Was Alone Video Game Vinyl Soundtrack Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

Moomins and the Comet Live Re-score

I have a love for the Moomins as many of you may know. I've discussed the Moomins multiple times before, when talking about the 80s stop motion animation, the recent vinyl soundtrack release from the 80s animation, the exhibition at the Southbank Centre and my visit to Moomin World in Finland. 

Well I am excited to announce that one of the original composers for the 80s Moomins show, Graeme Miller, will perform a re-score live at the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room. He will be joined by Jamie Telford and the pair will be using a kitchen table-full of small instruments (including a box of cornflakes), whilst the episode plays on the big screen

This is a rare chance for Moomin fans old and new to experience Film Polski’s charming herky-jerky animation with a live accompaniment. I purchased tickets for my wife and I and am extremely excited to see this score played out in front of us. The show is only an hour long but hopefully will be a joyous celebration of Tove Jansson's marvellous creations.

The recently released vinyl by Finders Keepers is brilliant!

The recently released vinyl by Finders Keepers is brilliant!

Our trip to Moomin World was amazing.

Our trip to Moomin World was amazing.

The Wonder of Moomin World

I have a love for the Moomins as many of you may know. I've discussed the Moomins multiple times before, when talking about the 80s stop motion animation, the recent vinyl soundtrack release and the exhibition at the Southbank Centre. What many people may not know is that my love for the Moomins is all pretty recent. When the Japanese animated show came out in the early 90s I was already too old for the show and was busy being edgy with the X Men cartoon. No, my love for the Moomins came in the mid 2000s with the release of the comics. Tove Jansson's comics were published in the 1950s in the Evening Standard and it was here that the characters became popular, however the collected volumes weren't released until 2006. As a comic collector I noticed the first 4 volumes on sale and decided to buy the set and it was here that the whimsical stories with heart and street philosophy entered my life. I fell in love with these hippo-like creatures that spouted aphorisms and enjoyed the simple things in life. 

When I discovered that there was a theme park called Moomin World, I knew that I had to go, even if it was in some obscure town in Finland. Luckily enough I have an understanding and some would say long- suffering wife who understands (read: puts up with) my flights of fancy and so we decided to visit Finland, catch up with an old friend (as in a real friend, not some homily for something more untangible like 'time' or friendship') and travel to Moomin World. 

When organising the trip I read the reviews and noticed that many had complained about the price and size of the park, so I had my reservations but I remained optimistic nonetheless and decided to visit with an open mind.  

So how was it? Well, in a nutshell... I loved it. This was not a foregone conclusion as many would assumes due to my alleged sunny 'glass half full' disposition and my Moomin fanboy-ism, but rather a viewpoint reached on balance of my personal experience and that of my 2 year old daughter, the primary audience for this theme park. 

The coastal walk to Moomin World is gorgeous.

To get to the park my wife, daughter and I walked around the coastal path from Naantali, a picturesque town with stunning views of the sea. To reach Moomin World you have to cross a long bridge over to Vaski island where the theme park is located. The bridge was beautiful and on either side elegant boats were moored, gently bobbing upon the wave in the glorious sunshine. As an introduction this sight certainly presented an air of wonder as many Moomin stories are centred around the sea and a love of nature.  

The bridge over to the island where Moomin World is situated adds to the excitement and atmosphere.

Once over the bridge we followed an old gravel path through the woods for about 50 metres and came to the entrance, a small wired gate with the Moomin World banner. We waited a few minutes and entered, paying our 28 Euro fee each, children are charged at the same rate so for our party it cost 84 Euros in total, that's a lot!  

Upon entering the park the thing to note were the quirky buildings and lots of shops, lots and lots of shops and stalls where you could win prizes, however at 4 Euros a pop I didn't play any of the games!  

My family and I headed straight to the highlight of the park, the Moomin House. We were near the front of the line and and due to our brisk walking pace were the first to meet Moomin Papa, who waved at us and kindly took a picture. Also walking around were Moomin Mama, Moomintroll, Little My and the Fillijonk. We got pictures with all of them and my daughter, who was initially frightened started to enjoy herself.  

A little while later the whole Moomin family,  Little My and the Fillijonk performed a little play and danced. My daughter joined in with the clapping and boogieing, unaware that they were speaking in a different language, Finnish.

The characters from the Moomins dance away merrily and my daughter danced away too!

The characters then walked around and met people, taking pictures and also performing an interactive performance piece where Stinky, the resident Moomin Valley bad boy, stole the Fillijonk's bag. My daughter was really invested and we followed the story around the area. She found Stinky fascinating yet scary too, every time I went close to take a picture with him she started to cry but if we moved away to another part of the park she insisted on seeing Stinky. Kids!  

We entered the Moomin house and saw the living room and bed rooms. The whole thing was wonderfully realised and as a fan of the comics, seemed quite accurate to the feel and look of the world. 

We then left the house and went on a little trek to see the bathing hut and Edvard the Booble. My daughter loved that and was really excited, calling him a dinosaur. He bobbed on the waves and seemed quite happy moving with the current.  

Moomin Papa's boat faces the sea.

Moomin Papa's boat was nearby and it was a climbing frame with a circular water channel built in that contained boats you could race. My daughter and I spent about 30 minutes here just racing them around and she was ecstatic, pouring out the water from the boats as they filled up on their journey around the circuit and floating them again.  

With the time approaching midday we went for lunch at Moomin Mama's Kitchen restaurant. At 3 Euros 50 the children's buffet was excellent value and included free drink refills. My daughter had mash potatoes, sauteed carrots, grilled chicken and meatballs and scoffed it all up. I'd read reviews which had slated the food but it was typical theme park fare, quick and easy food at a fair price.

After lunch we did the Fairy-tale Trail where we crept past the Witches and Alice's house, entered the labyrinth, adventured into the cave of the Hattifatteners, bravely went into the Groke's house and then climbed the mountain and walked across the suspension bridge. We met Thingummy and Bob and the people playing them were so cute and spoke a sweet nonsense language.  

My daughter loved the whole experience and didn't want to leave but at over 3 hours my wife and I felt like or was time to go as it was nap time. 

So was the money we paid for the 3 hours there worth it? Undoubtedly! If my daughter had her way we would have stayed all day. As an adult I can see why some people may not think it was worth while, people expecting a theme park with rides and fireworks will be disappointed but for those willing to engage with the performers and play in the different settings it is definitely worth your time. Some of the areas are looking a bit tired and could use a lick of paint but for somewhere that is susceptable to extremes in weather like Finland this is to be expected.  

Do yourself a favour, if you have a chance to visit Moomin World, do but don't necessarily go out of your way to visit Finland especially for it as it's great but not THAT great!

The Mysterious Cities of Gold- Retro Soundtrack Review

I am a huge fan of the animated series Mysterious Cities of Gold, it is my favourite programme of ALL time and was a formative part of my childhood; single handedly creating my interest in anime, manga, South and Central American culture and synthesizer music (It's why I love Jarre, Vangelis and Oldfield).

In my mancave I have a MCOG medallion, an original cel, a French book discussing the making of (even though I haven't studied French since my GCSE's 20 years ago) and a model of the golden condor. However no mention of The Mysterious Cities of Gold would be complete without a mention of the mesmerising soundtrack. There have been some amazing soundtracks for TV shows over the years but the synthesizers and futuristic sounds used in the soundtrack gave this series a unique, mesmerising atmosphere all its own.

I made this influence map 7 years ago and as you can see the MCOG features prominently.

I don't know my arpeggios from my elbow but hopefully I'll be able to describe the tracks with such flourishes of description that you'll get the gist of what I'm saying and trying to convey; layman's terms.... don't begrudge me my enthusiasm and flights of descriptive fancy.

I got this CD for much cheaper than it is currently going for... this OST is in high demand!

I got this CD for much cheaper than it is currently going for... this OST is in high demand!

The album starts with the French opening credits. It has the instrumentation that we all know and love but with the vocals of French pop star of the time Noam Kaniel. The track is okay but holds no real nostalgia for me, that'd be track 16, the extended version of the English vocal track that played over the opening of the show. Track 15 is the instrumentation of the opening credits so if you feel like having a Philip Schofield moment this is the one to do it on!

Track 2, Heureux Esteban (Happy Esteban), is the track familiar to many as the 'to follow' music. It played at the end of the show and teased you as to what would happen in the next episode. The track itself is an upbeat and jolly track with a gentle pulsing synth and wonderfully joyful instrumentation.

Tracks 3 and 4, Theme de Zia and Theme de Tao are both French vocal tracks. Zia's Theme is airy and light and the vocals are like a ballad, it suits the character well. Tao's Theme starts with a driving drumming beat and then the riveting rhythmic music kicks in, I don't understand the vocals but the chorus is instantly singable.

Track 5, L'aventure de Tao (Tao's Adventure), is a driving track which starts with a blaring bit of brass and then sounds like a marching band with some triumphalism. It is a very memorable track and often occurred at adventurous moments of the show, usually when the children were enacting out a plan to save someone or get something.

Track 6, L'aventure D'Esteban (Esteban's Adventure) is an instrumentation of Tao's Theme and so this has me thinking that maybe they got the track listing mislabeled for track 5 and 6- the old switcharoo. Anyhow this track sounds like a calypso track with a lush steel drum sound playing over some nice percussive bass.

Track 7, Les Tristes Cites D'or (Sad Cities of Gold), is a bit of melancholia and levity amongst the bombast. It has a flute playing winsomely over some soft instrumental music. Then the chorus comes in and you know that this is a song of reflection. The whole piece is beautiful and evocative of early morning sadness.

Track 8, Le Vol du Condor (The Flight of the Condor), is one of the signature tracks of the show. It’s a work of fragile magic, a hypnotic combination of beautifully breathy sounds and exquisitely gorgeous melodies and soft-spun instrumentation. There is much serenity in this piece of music and it lifts the spirits.

Track 9, En Naviguant (By Sailing), has some of the soundtracks lushest and most organic synthesizer sounds. There are little zephyrs that punctuate the strong synthesizer sound, adding a sense of scope and wonder to this dreamy track.

Track 10, Les Incas (The Incas), is a joyful track that combines traditional flute sounds with Spanish guitar to create vivid imagery of the andes. It is a very evocative piece of music and one of my favourites.

Track 11, Esteban Dans La Vie (The Life of Esteban), is one of the more emotional tracks. It played when Esteban and Zia both meet their fathers, moments of great gravitas. As such it is suitably downbeat and dramatic, verging on melodrama but without the negative connotations that implies. A great track worth a listen.

Track 12, La Grand Tempete (The Great Storm), is a track that was used in the He-Man cartoon series too. It is a swirling whirlwind of drama and conjures up images of storms with its deep resonating sound and brooding score. A truly great track that builds up slowly and spectacularly.

Track 13, Les Dieux Des Incas (Gods of the Incas), is one of the greatest tracks ever written in my opinion. when people talk about soundscapes they discuss Eno, Tangerine Dreams, Popul Vuh and various artists of the same calibre but this track shows that Saban and Levy should be included in the pantheon. This track is an otherworldly journey through a sound cosmos to the higher dimensions of sound. It is so powerful and evocative, almost primal. This is one of my favourite albums of all time and this track is one of the reasons why.

Track 14, Les Aventures Electroniques (Electronic Adventures), is an upbeat slab of pop electronica, it is a fast paced track that surges forward with excitement and vitality. This is one of the best tracks on the album and I remember that it occurred at high octane moments in the show. The track itself is a wonderful flute melody playing over a stirring synth production with several joyful moments and pauses. Another great highlight.

There are a few omissions on this soundtrack that disappoint me though and one of the most glaring omissions is St. Elmo's Fire (also known on other versions of the soundtrack as La Passage Secret), known to many fans as the Song of Mysterious Awesomeness. The sense of awe and wonder this music piece brought in me at the time was palpable, I would shake with excitement as this track was reserved for only the most special moments of the series. It is used when a new discovery is made or when the characters experienced a grand phenomena. The juddering driving synths mixed with the whoozy flow of the main tune lend the piece an otherworldly air which perfectly suited the air of mystery. I have extremely powerful memories of this track as this music was used on the maiden flight of the golden condor. The point when the machine comes online for the first time and flies is etched in my memory. I've seen this episode more than any other (I watch the series annually) but I still get goosebumps when the music kick in. The link to this moment is below and I would recommend you watch it (it kicks in at 56 seconds).

Overall the album is a beautifully crafted electronic masterpiece bubbling with synths and tones, all exquisitely held together with crystalline pop production. It is an evocative suite of synth music which perfectly captures the feel of the show. There are moments of true euphoria but it's not all happy electronic music, there are some moments of menace and levity. I love the whirling feeling of weightlessness on some compositions but then it can be followed up with wafts of dense symphonic mist that emerges floating up from the speakers. For fans of electronic music or fans of the show, this is a must-have. Okay it's not the complete soundtrack but the tracks on here are clean and pristine with no crackle or hiss.