Arnold Mars
Lost Island
14-song album
- Formats: CD Digipack / Cassette Tape
- Released: September 1, 2025
- Total running time: 32:46
- File under: Exotica / Lounge
- Album onesheet: DA-19 (.PDF)
- Artist's website: Linktree
Tracklist
- Warm Trade Winds
- Marooned
- First Contact with the Natives
- Taken to a Primitive Village
- Joining in Forced Prayer to the Idols
- Invitation to Meet the Chief
- Entering the Grand Thatched Longhouse
- Smoldering Copal Fills the Air
- Carved Totem Reveals Blood Memories
- The Chief Convenes the Elders
- Witness to a Strange Ritual
- Gift of Bamboo and Woven Palm Frond
- Lagoon in the Moonlight
- The Island Vanishes into the Horizon
All songs composed and arranged by Arnold Mars, and published by Discriminate Audio Publishing (BMI).
Info
This is the debut exotica album from composer and pianist Arnold Mars, and features performances by Jocko Greene (Bass), Bobby Cuda (Vibraphone), Rex Rudolph (Percussion), Glenn Jupp (Harp), Don Paine (Bird Calls), Warren Redwine (Calliope), Dick Santo (Saw), and Icelyn Warner (Vocals).
Recorded by Moe Dutch. Cover photograph by Arnold Mars.
The compact disc edition of this album is presented as a matte finish CD Digipack (limited to 100 copies). The cassette tape edition is manufactured in a plastic shell case (limited to 50 copies).
Reviews
"In a lush, cinematic voyage through sound, composer and pianist Arnold Mars unveils his debut exotica album, Lost Island – a 14-track odyssey that conjures the mystery, ritual, and romance of a forgotten tropical realm. ... Lost Island is more than an album – it's a narrative arc. Each track unfolds like a chapter in a pulp adventure novel. ...
A new chapter in modern exotica, Lost Island is a love letter to mid-century exotica, filtered through a contemporary lens. Mars's arrangements evoke the spirit of Les Baxter and Martin Denny, but with a cinematic flair and narrative cohesion that feels fresh and immersive. From the shimmering harp glissandos to the haunting saw melodies and ritualistic percussion, every sonic detail contributes to the album's spellbinding atmosphere. Whether you're a crate-digging aficionado or a newcomer to the genre, Lost Island invites you to close your eyes, light the copal, and drift into a world where the jungle whispers secrets and the moonlight dances on the lagoon. Buy Now – before the tide takes it away."
– Tiki Brian, Exotic Tiki Island