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Mars Lasar — Grand Canyon
(Sound Manipulations, 2025, DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-02-25

Grand Canyon Cover art

For unadulterated scenic beauty, it’s hard to beat the Grand Canyon regardless of what vantage point one views it from, the top, north or south side, or from the river itself at the bottom. Mars Lasar is a German born composer and keyboardist, now resident in Australia, with nearly three dozen full length releases to his credit, spanning multiple genres including electronic, solo piano, new age, electronica, jazz, pop, and more. He has previously released a number of ‘nature’ recordings, among them Coastal Escape, Tahoe Spirit, Yosemite: Valley of the Giants, and Olympic National Park. His latest release in that series is Grand Canyon, an album of pieces that seems like it would be appropriate soundtrack one would find for sale at the Grand Canyon’s visitor center, perhaps the accompaniment for a film loop, along with the calendars, postcards, and so on. It’s an expansive and panoramic journey that takes the listener to many of the unforgettable landscapes and vistas that can be viewed across this ancient stone canyon in northern Arizona which the Colorado River has carved over eons, over a mile deep in some places, and the ancestral homeland to a dozen Native American tribes. While Lasar keeps his cards hidden as to how these ten mostly-instrumental tracks were created, one can presume through a casual listen that piano, analog and digital synths are the primary vehicles, although at times one can hear strings, electronic condiments, Native American flutes, percussion, various voices, guitar, field recordings, and much more fleshing out the lush arrangements. I suppose some of it could be software instruments, but my preference is to not speculate and accept it all at face value. Tracks like “Horseshoe Bend,” “Kaibab Plateau,” “Marble Canyon,” “Phantom Ranch,” the opener “Angels Window,” and “Havasu Falls” go far to illustrate how the grandeur and scenic beauty of the canyon can be translated into a veritable sonic experience.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Mars Lasar

More info
http://www.marslasar.com/grand-canyon

 

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