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KITARO

Progressive Electronic • Japan


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Kitaro biography
Masanori Takahashi - Born February 4th, 1953 (Toyohashi, Japan)

Kitaro is a Japanese recording artist, composer, record producer and arranger noted for his electronic-instrumental music, and is often regarded as one of the most prominent musical acts of New-Age music. He is the winner of a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album for `Thinking of You' in 1999 (with a record 16 nominations in the same category throughout his forty plus-year career) and a Golden Globe Award for the `Heaven & Earth' original score in 1993. However, despite his music turning more gentle and exotic from the mid-Eighties onwards, his origins lie in progressive rock and his early music shares similar traits to other Progressive Electronic artists of the Seventies.

Born in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan to a family of Shinto-Buddhist farmers, in his early high school days he was an electric guitarist in a band that played American rhythm and blues music and popular covers, but upon moving to Tokyo, he discovered and completely changed over to the synthesizer, and in the early Seventies joined Japanese progressive rock group FAR EAST FAMILY BAND. They would go on to release three albums together, but it was whilst touring in Japan and Europe in 1975 that he encountered former TANGERINE DREAM and ASH RA TEMPEL musician KLAUS SCHULZE, who would produce their second and third albums `Nipponjin' and `Parallel Worlds'. No doubt inspired by Schulze's own solo works, Masanori would eventually depart the band before their fourth and final album `Tenkujin', and after travelling on his own throughout Asia, he would soon commence his own solo career.

1978 saw the artist releasing his debut solo work `Ten Kai' (also known as `Astral Voyage') under his boyhood name Kitaro meaning `man of love and joy'. A beautiful instrumental work of ambient space-music flecked with Eastern flavours that always remained melodic and approachable whilst retaining experimental atmospheres and a rich variety of electronic sounds, he would go on to deliver several further works - `Daichi' (later reissued as `Full Moon Story'), `Oasis', `Ki' and `Silver Cloud' - over the next five years, and it is this period that will be of most interest to prog-electronic and ambient listeners.

As well as contributing a soundtrack to `The Silk Road' documentary series and having four volumes of music released from it between 1980-83, ...
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KITARO discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

KITARO top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.88 | 20 ratings
Ten Kai [Aka: Astral Voyage / Astral Trip]
1978
3.88 | 15 ratings
Daichi [Aka: From the Full Moon Story]
1979
4.10 | 20 ratings
Oasis
1979
4.14 | 21 ratings
Silk Road (OST)
1980
4.13 | 16 ratings
Silk Road II (OST)
1980
3.88 | 13 ratings
Tunhuang [Aka: Silk Road III] (OST)
1981
4.06 | 18 ratings
Ki
1981
4.10 | 10 ratings
Queen Millennia (OST)
1982
4.09 | 11 ratings
Silver Cloud
1983
3.67 | 9 ratings
Tenjiku - Silk Road IV [Aka: India]
1983
3.40 | 5 ratings
Toward The West [Aka: Endless Journey]
1985
3.88 | 16 ratings
Tenku
1986
3.94 | 17 ratings
The Light of the Spirit
1987
4.81 | 7 ratings
Kojiki
1990
3.50 | 23 ratings
Dream
1992
4.00 | 4 ratings
Heaven and Earth
1993
4.22 | 9 ratings
Mandala
1994
3.44 | 9 ratings
Peace on Earth
1996
3.50 | 8 ratings
Cirque Ingenieux
1997
3.50 | 6 ratings
Gaia - Onbashira
1998
3.90 | 11 ratings
Thinking of You
1999
3.25 | 4 ratings
Ancient
2000
3.33 | 3 ratings
An Ancient Journey
2001
3.00 | 2 ratings
Asian Café
2002
3.60 | 5 ratings
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 1
2003
3.00 | 2 ratings
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 2
2005
3.33 | 3 ratings
Spiritual Garden
2006
3.33 | 3 ratings
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 3
2007
3.67 | 3 ratings
Impressions of the West Lake (OST)
2009
4.00 | 2 ratings
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 4
2010
2.00 | 1 ratings
442 Extreme Patriots of WW II: Live with Honor, Die with Dignity
2010
4.00 | 1 ratings
Final Call
2013
4.00 | 2 ratings
Tamayura
2013
4.00 | 1 ratings
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 5
2017

KITARO Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.85 | 7 ratings
In Person
1980
5.00 | 1 ratings
Live at Budokan
1982
4.39 | 9 ratings
Asia (Live in Asia)
1984
4.33 | 3 ratings
Live in America
1991
5.00 | 2 ratings
Daylight, Moonlight - Live in Yakushiji
2002
3.10 | 2 ratings
Symphony - Live in Istanbul
2014

KITARO Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.50 | 6 ratings
An Enchanted Evening
1995
4.13 | 4 ratings
Kojiki: A Story in Concert
1999
5.00 | 1 ratings
Tamayura
2000
0.00 | 0 ratings
The Best of Kitaro
2001

KITARO Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

5.00 | 3 ratings
Ten Years
1988

KITARO Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.04 | 4 ratings
Caravan (Kitaro & Pages)
1983

KITARO Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Dream by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1992
3.50 | 23 ratings

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Dream
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Hector Enrique
Prog Reviewer

3 stars The Japanese multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger Kitaro, considered one of the inspirational sources and contributors to the New Age genre, despite his refusal to be labelled as such, invited Jon Anderson to collaborate with him in 1992 on his fifteenth studio album, "Dream".

In communion with the elements of nature, his constant source of inspiration, Kitaro recreates mystical and reflective atmospheres using a wide range of synthesizers played almost note for note, with an intimate and spiritual aura that is not out of tune, as with the opening "Symphony of the Forest" or the orchestrated and suspenseful "A Passage of Life". And Anderson, who is so fond of such things, accompanies him symbiotically in the best passages of the album: the masterful "Lady of Dreams", "Agreement" and its delicate guitar solos fused peacefully with the instrumental base, the final chorus of "Dream of Chant", and the luminous and soulful "Island of Life". This collaboration is, in my opinion, one of the best performances of the British singer in his career outside Yes.

Inclined in his renowned career to develop proposals without the participation of singers, probably to avoid interference in the direct sensorial connection between the music and its receivers, Kitaro made with "Dream" one of the few exceptions, giving Anderson's significant contribution a special attraction to the album.

Good

3/3.5 stars

 Kojiki by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1990
4.81 | 7 ratings

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Kojiki
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by alainPP

5 stars 1.Hajimari let's go, the sound of the heart, a torrent flowing in the distance and one of the tunes taken up in a number of lugubrious series, a cold, austere mechanical violin, here we go into the album with the Japanese symphonic explosion 2.Sozo and its variation metronomic harp, a flute... from there, mysterious, calm atmosphere, implied, one would say in an episode of Ushaïa; the air arrives suddenly, solemn, airy, on a meditative wisdom; grandeur of sounds, eloquence of traditional instruments bathed in keyboards, or how to feel the bucolic garden 3.Koi starts with a distinctive melody and signature instrumentation; a melody that comes from Kyoto, which plays along the edge of the Japanese waterfall; suddenly the break with the Pendragonian synth and then the flute which vibrates; unstoppable relaxing melody with enough pep to meditate alone in your brain; the characteristic percussions such as the taiko increase the grandiloquent effect

4.Orochi for the most open title, Japanese or Peruvian flutes, played with a Dantesque hit, a caravan tune that crosses the Orient through the Mongolian desert; a sound here resembling TANGERINE DREAM, just in part but it's well done; a guitar which slightly accentuates the resemblance; the Jarrian synths play in stereo until the gong explodes 5.Nageki cover yourself the wind is freezing; air which gives priority to the melancholy violin, to the meditative flute on a calm synth base; tranquility like an evening before the Creation of the next day 6.Matsuri Japanese percussion in the preamble bringing a festive air, based on the tricks of the flute; we are there and even the electronic synth brings the folkloric character; halfway through the chorus on the percussion to get into the dance; yes your feet vibrate, they too drum, yes the trance is not far away; final in color which makes you lose track of time 7.Reimei for the final anthem with choirs, grandiloquent tune, everything goes so that this tune puts you in good orbit and leaves you in weightlessness; the tune which flirts with the country melodies of OLFIELD before returning to the starting tune; final guitar solo which boosts the title, yes I want more.

 Daichi [Aka: From the Full Moon Story] by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1979
3.88 | 15 ratings

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Daichi [Aka: From the Full Moon Story]
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

4 stars Water drops and birds, this is how it starts. Followed by an electronic loop it ends into an oriental theme whose first notes remind to the soundtrack of Tomb Raider II. No enemies to kill; this soundscape is meditative and the sensations that it gives me are like those of the Tibet Suite by Lucia Hwong. It's only defect is that's too short. This is KRPA, whatever it means.

"Aurora" is a melodic piece with sliding notes that's quite successful in raising mental images of high hills and woods. If you are in the right mood for dreaming about far east natural landscapes, this is perfect.

New Age? I think yes up to here, but it fades into "Hikari No Mai". My google japanese teacher says it means "ray of light". Minor chords, percussion, drums and a sort of helicopter going left and right through the speakers. No. this is not New Age. If it wasn't for the specific keyboard sounds, it could be mistaken with Vangelis, including the floydian coda of what seems to be a traditional Japanese theathrical performance (Absolutaly Curtain, is what I mean for floydian).

Back to far eastern soundscapes with "Fuji". Can a title be less Japanese than this? I can only say that being in the right mood, this music enters your soul. I can understand how Kitaro ended to make one album with Jon Anderson as guest. There's a bit of a Topographic Ocean inside this track.

"Full Moon" is on the sad side, due to the progression of minor chords. Again it's not much different from Vangelis who is the closest artist to compare Kitaro to, even with the far eastern element that's a constant presence. Usually I don't like tracks fading out, but this is an exception.

"Resurrection" starts with electronic sounds, then a subtle high-pitched sound mimic of a wooden flute enters in background bringing with him a set of interesting sounds. Not a specific melody, at least not in foreground as something happens in background. The best album track for prog-eared listeners. I think Kitaro means the resurrection of Nature after the night.

"From Astral" is initially based on percussion and a sitar like sound together with a traditional strings instrument, it seems. After about two minutes of this unusual soundscape, it becomes more regular. Probably it's because I'm a true fan of Vangelis, but Kitaro is quite similar. At least he gives me similar sensations.

"Heavenly Illusions" starts like Shine on You Crazy Diamond, but just for few seconds, but again it's closer to the Vangelis of Albedo 0.39 or China than to Pink Floyd. It also reminds me to the early Tangerine Dream. But when the "Illusion" ends, in the middle of the track, it's like a Maya veil is raisen. Now the percussion change it drastically and the chords below are low-pitched and dark.

Finally, "New Lights" is the closer and also the longest album track. Sea shore, ocean waves, then after about 1 minute a harped sequence of two chords take the lead. Repetitive like Tangerine Dream, slowly growing into something else with a hypnotic sequence of 4 echoed, squared waves, notes. Repetitive but relaxing.

Let your mind travel far.

 Ten Kai [Aka: Astral Voyage / Astral Trip] by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.88 | 20 ratings

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Ten Kai [Aka: Astral Voyage / Astral Trip]
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

4 stars Far East Family Band was about to quit when Kitaro released his first solo album. Despite nbeing instrumental, it has a concept. Not unusual. Also Camel's Snow Goose is an instrumental concept album.

So Kitaro follows the story of the astral voyages of Tenkai: a buddhist monk of the 16th century. There are percussion end ethic instruments like koto and shakuhachi. I know their names because are in the tone bank of my Korg. There are, of course, keyboards and flute.

Kitaro is still far from becoming a newage icon, and this album has a strong connection with the psychedelia of his previuos band. The hypnotic drop and the gongs of "Mu" are an example.

Of all the tracks, "Fire" would be enough to classify Kitaro as a prog artist. Many years ago I've been surprised by his "Dream", featuring Jon Anderson and a Gilmourish guitarist. "Fire" contains already hints of that symphonic side of Kitaro.

The far eastern mood can remind to Vangelis and his "China", released one year after, but Tenkai is more complex and features real instruments, not just keyboards and sequencers. This album, in particular the second half, and in particular "Kaiso", is a mystic trip to the ancient Japan, and an excellent addition for prog-addicts' collections.

 Symphony - Live in Istanbul by KITARO album cover Live, 2014
3.10 | 2 ratings

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Symphony - Live in Istanbul
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

3 stars "In 1980, I began composing and producing music about the passageway and excursions of the Silk Road. This past spring, I embraced upon my first Symphonic Tour that reached Russia, Eastern and Central Europe and had the distinct pleasure of performing in Istanbul; a place where from ancient times to modern times, has flourished as an important hub of the Silk Road where Europe and Asia meet."

Symphony - Live in Istanbul was recorded over two nights in March of 2014 at the Halic Congress Center, and true to the title it features a symphony orchestra. Bassist and drummer are also present although they're not heard all the time. On keyboards there are two other men besides Kitaro himself, and on an important solistic role is the violin played by Jessica Hindin. The 66-minute concert is a dynamic selection of Kitaro's work covering many decades. Sometimes the mood is very romantic emphasizing the artist's New Age tendencies, but there's also a lot of symphonic and cinematic grandiosity. The audience gives applauses in between the pieces and otherwise stays completely silent, like in the classical music concerts.

The set begins with epic 'Heaven & Earth' (13:52), a title piece -- or is it a suite? -- from the soundtrack for the Oliver Stone film (1993) set in Vietnam. The Oriental details are beautifully woven into the passionate and dramatic music. 'Thinking of You' is the peaceful title track of the 1999 album. If you remember the Norwegian SECRET GARDEN, the unordinary Eurovision Song Contest winner from the mid-90's, you get the idea of the soothing and romantic melodicism starring synths and violin. 'Orochi' is a sharply powerful piece in which the drummer and the brass section are central. The main theme of 'Silk Road' is one the best known Kitaro tunes ever, and its performance here is gorgeous.

'Kokoro (Part II)' is another SECRET GARDEN reminding soft piece starring violin. 'Mercury' is a dreamy and moody slow piece featuring flute as a solo instrument. 'Reimei' and 'Matsuri' originate from Kojiki (1990). After the final applause comes a minute or two of minimalistic ambience featuring sounds of bells, which feels a bit strange. Overall the set is well designed. Had it been longer, some additional discographic highlights would have been very welcome. I would have enjoyed hearing something from e.g. The Light of the Spirit, 1987, and a track or two featuring vocals, with or without words, would have further increased the musical diversity and the emotional impact. I'll go with "good, but non-essential" three stars, but a fan might want to add the fourth star.

 Thinking of You by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1999
3.90 | 11 ratings

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Thinking of You
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

4 stars -- The first review for this album --

This is the last one in the chain of good albums KITARO released during the 90's. After this the Japanese synth legend has been notably less active. The key word here could be "romantic", as the album title suggests. Many listeners want to categorize Kitaro as a New Age artist, and this album doesn't much fight against that point of view. But of course his music is hardly ever just easy listening / relaxation softness; also here you hear the orchestral sounding, symphonic tendencies with a careful dose of drama.

The 54-minute album consists of ten tracks that form a harmonic sonic journey. The canvas is wide open for the listener's own inner images come and go. The opening piece 'Estrella' nicely reminds me of his brilliantly produced album The Light of the Spirit (1987) which I bought on vinyl in my teens. The drums and harp accompany the synths. 'Mercury' is more ethereal and dreamy, a bamboo flute (or a synth sounding like one) playing the moody melodies. 'Cosmic Wave' increases the sense of drama. Some of the synth sounds are reminiscent of Jean Michel Jarre while the whole is distinctively Kitaro and no one else.

Aptly titled 'Harmony of the Forest' is a perfect example of the "mystery in nature" sense in Kitaro's music. Like 'Mercury', the livelier 'Fiesta' relies strongly on the bamboo flute. It has an almost danceable rhythm and a Peruvian- reminding ethnic flavour despite the synth backing. The album's title track has -- typically for Kitaro -- very song-like melodic approach, and the arrangement sounds rich as if there were a large orchestra. 'Spirit of Water' is a spacey, ambient and nearly atonal sonic painting with some sound effects. This music could be used in an exhibition of modern art, in a dark room with perhaps some video art. The deep ambience continues seamlessly on 'Stream' which gradually returns to the more familiar Kitaro territory (the hurriless, long and repetitive synth wailings à la Silk Road). The harp sounds good, giving the piece a slight Andreas Vollenweider reminiscense. 'Spacete' then approaches the Vangelis-like synth tapestry: after the majestic slow beginning it gets more intense and rhythmic, almost like the 'Blade Runner' theme. 'Del Mar' featuring oceanic sound effects is a brief but dynamic finale to this fine album. The electric guitar has a Mike Oldfield flavour.

Indeed I would gladly recommend this album for a newcomer to Kitaro's music. It's not necessarily Kitaro at his most progressive, but the balance between romantic calmness and the cinematic grandiosity is pretty ideal. All the ten tracks are enjoyable and also have their own distinctive characters, which is not for granted with Kitaro.

 Kojiki: A Story in Concert by KITARO album cover DVD/Video, 1999
4.13 | 4 ratings

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Kojiki: A Story in Concert
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

4 stars It's roughly three years since the Japanese artist Kitaro was added to PA, but very few reviews have been written. Maybe he's just too New Age-y to gain much interest among prog community. I really don't know how well he is known or appreciated today. For my generation, in the early 80's Kitaro became known mostly due to his contribution to the historical Silk Road documentary series. His career continued strongly at least through the 90's; by many he is probably seen as an artist of a bygone era. I admit I haven't kept my eye on his more recent discography very closely.

Are music DVD's also "so last season" nowadays, in the age of internet? Well, I am a keen collector of them, and this one I found on a record fair last autumn -- I have no idea how much Kitaro stuff is available in the net.

Kojiki: A Story in Concert is a 55-minute concert film from his 1990 world tour. It seems the show is built on a conceptual suite (Kojiki being an ancient chronicle about the creation of Japan), not a broader selection of Kitaro's output. That results as a slightly distanced relation to the audience. Not a single word is said. But the music is genuine Kitaro, in all its grandiosity and passion. The way Kitaro conducts the ensemble (which is in the beginning not even seen from the shadows) with larger-than-life gestures and spiritual facial expression is almost awkward. Fortunately the less than excellent camera work starts to show the other musicians too as the concert progresses. There are two keyboardists in addition to the man himself, making the overall sound very orchestral with the central role of violinist Charlie Bisharat.

The two first pieces are romantically symphonic, the third piece has more emphasis on percussion -- even Kitaro and Bisharat climb to the upper levels of the stage to beat the big drums for a while. The electric guitar has no big role most of the time, except for some passionate soloing on some of the last pieces. If the listener already likes Kitaro, this concert won't be a disappointment. But maybe also those who are skeptical of his music will be convinced that it's much more than New Age pathos. Worth checking out for fans of e. g. The Enid and Vangelis appreciating the orchestral grandiosity and deep emotion in music.

 Caravan (Kitaro & Pages) by KITARO album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1983
3.04 | 4 ratings

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Caravan (Kitaro & Pages)
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

3 stars There's a bunch of vocal tracks in Kitaro's discography; for example Dream (1992) features lyrics and vocals of Jon Anderson on a couple of tracks. 'Caravan' is however a special case, as it turned Kitaro's original synthesizer music into a radio-friendly pop song. I'm not sure if it entered the charts, but I remember hearing the song on the radio occasionally. I always wondered who is the good-voiced singer since he was never mentioned on the radio. Now as I added this single here, I learned that Kitaro was teamed up with an American group called Pages. The names of the musicians are printed on the cover -- with the strange exception of the vocalist, but some years ago I found out that he is Richard Page, an unfamiliar name to me. His other groups include Mr. Mister, which I have at least heard of, if not listened to.

'Caravan' is based on the track 'Caravansary' -- featured on the B-side of this single -- from the 1983 album Tenjiku (Silk Road IV). Already the intrumental itself feels very much like a *song* in its sincere melodicism. The beautiful, slightly melancholic main melody is simply "sung" by a synthesizer. The vocal version feels like the most natural thing and actually makes one wonder if the composition was right from the start meant to become a vocal song as well. I don't know how the collaboration between Kitaro and Pages started, ie. whose idea it was to record this song. But it's a lovely [non-prog] song. A peaceful, dreamy pop ballad with rather spiritual lyrics. "Caravan, journey in the sky / As the sun comes out from the day / Caravan, we know who we are..."

 Tunhuang [Aka: Silk Road III] (OST) by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.88 | 13 ratings

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Tunhuang [Aka: Silk Road III] (OST)
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

4 stars - First review for this album -

Japanese electronic musician Kitaro gained international fame at the turn of the 70's/80's for his music to the documentary series Silk Road, which dealt with the history, archeology, religion and art of the countries along the ancient route from Eastern China to Rome. This is also how I found the music of Kitaro as a young boy. However, for decades I hardly ever listened to his albums (not even in the early 90's when I actually listened more to electronic /New Age artists than rock music), but during the last eight years or so I have updated my relationship with Kitaro's music. I still see him mostly as a New Age artist that hasn't got very much progressive tendencies in his calm and beautiful instrumental music. Which of course doesn't imply that I wouldn't appreciate his music for what it is, or his inclusion here.

Tunhuang is the third part in the Silk Road album trilogy. Especially for those listeners who were fascinated by the TV series and its music, this album represents the ideal Kitaro. As All Music Guide says, "it contains some of the most provocative music in the trilogy". The soundscape is grandiously cinematic and richly detailed despite its smoothness. One can just lie down eyes closed and be carried to faraway places with this excellently produced music for the mind's eye. Very relaxating without being uninspiring or narcotic. It's difficult to pick highlight tracks since all nine tracks are pretty fine, forming together a harmonious flow. But the last piece, 'Sacred Journey II', sticks out positively as the most powerful and climax-building arrangement. It reminds me of highlights on some later albums such as Light of the Spirit.

Tunhuang may not represent the most "progressive" side of Kitaro, but I believe it can be counted among his finest albums. Warmly recommended to the listeners not disliking New Age serenity.

 The Light of the Spirit by KITARO album cover Studio Album, 1987
3.94 | 17 ratings

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The Light of the Spirit
Kitaro Progressive Electronic

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Nice to see this artist added here, though it's among those long-time semi-favourites I wasn't exactly expecting to be added (Clannad is another). Much of KITARO's work that I was familiar with in my teens, at the late 80's, frankly didn't feel very progressive, just like perhaps the majority of electronically produced music associated with the problematic term New Age. To some degree I have expanded my Kitaro discography in the latest ten years and have discovered some very good albums. But this one I bought as a vinyl in February 1988, and I still own it (which is a meaningful merit in my books, because so many vinyls - even pretty good ones - I used to get rid of in my early adulthood). So, in my case there's the nostalgia factor involved, but I daresay that The Light of the Spirit can be considered as one of Kitaro's finest albums. It must be also among those with the longest list of individual guest musicians and producers. Happily the (rather underlined) production had strong material to begin with.

Both vinyl sides have four tracks between roughly 4½ minutes and 7½ minutes in length. 'Mysterious Encounter' is a gorgeous opener full of moods and cinematic, Vangelis-like sonic elegance. The role of acoustic percussions is even bigger on 'Sundance'; its majestic melodies could rival classic Symphonic Prog of Yes or Renaissance, except that the track sadly doesn't evolve very much. 'The Field' is a delicate electronic mood piece, followed by a romantic and slightly pompous title track that features two ladies on a central vocalise role. A wonderful dynamic arc on this vinyl side, and the second, slightly less tight side sort of imitates it.

'In the Beginning' starts Side Two in a rather similar manner as 'Mysterious Encounter'. One of Kitaro's strengths has always been the ability to fill the melodies with passion. 'Moondance' is naturally more nocturnal and serene than its solar opposite. This track of peaceful tempo and simple, repetitive melodies resembles the Silk Road music. The lack of more progressive structures in compositions may easily bring down your listening experience if you let it do so. 'Howling Thunder' resembles 'Sundance'. The percussion on both tracks sounds very good. But at 7½ minutes this one really ought to contain some more progress. 'Journey to a Fantasy' (7:08) has the passionate majestic feel of the title track in less sugared form.

This album would be an excellent introduction to Kitaro for (female?) music listeners that appreciate emotional aspects and accept even sentimental pompousness. Who knows, that might also be a step towards Symphonic Prog with similar ingredients, in your girlfriend's music taste! But for a seasoned prog listener this music, as Kitaro in general, may wear out its power pretty soon. 3½ stars rounded up for excellent production.

Thanks to aussie-byrd-brother for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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