In this soundtrack to a Japanese film about the large white continent, Vangelis the ultimate mood-painter is at work again, using crystal-clear sounds to set up an intense atmosphere of fighting-for-survival and personal reflection, or so it appears, because the tracks alternate in nervous excitement and contemplation.
The opening piece is simply breath-taking, a magnificently orchestrated blend of harmony and percussion. Its drawn-out melody is trademark Vangelis - using only a few notes and achieving harmonic resolution by the simplest of means it's got class written all over it due to its spacious arrangement. A portion of the same piece also closes out 'Song of White' (which starts off with a beautiful wandering melody of a type similar to 'Blade Runner Blues') and its melody is reused in a few of the slow tracks to dream-like effect.
Another track that really stands out is 'Life of Antarctica', a dramatic piece that uses sequencers, various layers of harmony and flute-sounds to set up a dark brooding atmosphere.
In a few aspects of the album one can sense forebodings of the later album 'Mask' but its own overall effect is one of virtuosity, an inspired Vangelis at a high point in his musicianship.
