Originally released in 1995, Iaora Tahiti was the second full-length album from the German duo Mouse on Mars. Three years on, it still sounds great, a logical and creative extension of the ideas put forth on their debut, 1994's Vulvaland. They've expanded upon the debut's good qualities (ultra-cool sounds and varied ambient textures) and jettisoned the bad (lame electronic percussion), crafting a wonderfully tranquil listening experience that functions as a stress-reducing mineral bath for the mind. Iaora Tahiti, take me away!

Musically at least, these guys don't really have a dark side; the vibe throughout is positive and soothing. "Saturday Night World Cup Fieber" is so damn light and tuneful it would work as a backing track to a mid-70s PBS Station Identification. When I hear it I feel good, like I'm basking in the glow of "Sesame Street" with a belly full of Crunchberries and a mind free of worry. I think the kids are calling this kind of low-tech programmed rhythm "Casiocore", but whatever the label, it sounds buoyant and fun. Tracks like this lead me to believe that Mouse on Mars could release a Christmas album a la Mannheim Steamroller (Christmas on Mars?)-- the stuff is that accessible.

Most of the tempos are slower than "Saturday Night World Cup Fieber", with a warm, echoing bass to massage your solar plexus, and production that plays up the Jamaican dub element to the spliff-smoking hilt. "Schunkel" bops along on the one and three like a stoned animal from Perry's Black Ark, while "Papa, Antoine" cleverly tosses a pedal steel into the mix. Several tracks benefit greatly from the organic feel of live percussion, a trait lacking in the band's previous efforts.

While it has enough variety to keep people guessing, Iaora Tahiti is very much an album, with one song leading seamlessly into the next and a cohesive overall sound. Yes, it requires a certain mood-- put this on when the party is in full swing and you might as well spike the punch with Quaaludes. But at six in the morning, when the sun is coming up and the conversation's getting deep, you'll be glad that some pioneering soul has discovered a Mouse on Mars.

-Mark Richard-San, April, 1997