Thoughts on Kitaro
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=107472
Printed Date: November 28 2024 at 07:53
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Thoughts on Kitaro
Posted By: aglasshouse
Subject: Thoughts on Kitaro
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:14
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Awhile back discovered buried in my room a CD by Kitaro, or Masanori Takahashi, titled The Light Of the Spirit. I knew very little of the name but now as I go back and listen to it, I decided to do more research and discovered he was was one of the pioneers of new-age music. This album in particular is stellar, and I'm sure prog folk on here are familiar with him. I do know he isn't prog but I thought it might spark some interesting discussion at least, breaking a bit from discussion on stuff like "Top Ten Favorite Genesis Blinks". ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Replies:
Posted By: DamoXt7942
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:33
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He was one of creative members of http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=721" rel="nofollow - FAR EAST FAMILY BAND , and of course currently is one of the greatest musicians not only in Japan but also all of the world. ------------- http://www.facebook.com/damoxt7942" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:45
Generally most of his albums up to about the early-mid 80's are wonderful, and there's plenty of `genuine' prog-electronic stuff going on that's far more interesting than simply being able to be dismissed as "New-Age". 
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Posted By: King Only
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:48
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His early solo albums are a hybrid of progressive rock and world music. Then in the mid-eighties he slipped into new age music. For me, I enjoy listening to any of his albums that were recorded before 1984: Ki, the four Silk Road soundtracks, Tenkai (Astral Voyage), Daichi (Full Moon Story) and Oasis. After that, his music became too smooth. Another problem is, he tends to use the same rhythms and melodic structures over and over again. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:52
| Love Far East Family Band, of which Masanori Takahashi was once part of. I have his first 3 albums, and all are quite enjoyable Prog-Electronic albums. Dunno why he isn't included here on P.A. yet, despite his Silk Road New-Ageness.....?? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:54
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These days I tend to prefer Kitaro (aka Masanori Takahashi) in Far East Family Band, but I used to listen to Kitaro a huge amount. The Light of the Spirit is good, and I do have that one, but I like his late 70 to early 80s ones more. Oasis was the first of his I heard, and then I got the Silk Road albums (I used to like the NHK series) and then his solo debut. Kitaro's good, and may be what most got me into electronic music, but now non New Age electronic artists are more my thing. I haven't heard any of his post early 90s albums, but I have pretty much all of his up to the early 90s. I saw Kitaro with Jon Anderson in concert in Vancouver, Canada performing Dream back in 1992. Also saw Spinal Tap perform live that year. Spinal Tap with Kitaro could have been incredible in an incongruous way. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 21:59
| Ten Kai is as good as anything by FEFB methinks. |
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 22:04
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Word, Tom! Whenever I've listened to his first several discs, I've always felt they were legitmate `progressive-electronic' works, they just happened to offer a very gentle and dreamy form of electronic music (and there's a BIG different between that and very obvious, overly pretty `New Age' dreck). |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 22:32
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Yeah Ten Kai is I think his best from a progressive electronic standpoint, but I just grew out of Kitaro a bit (he used to be my favourite artist). I have a soft spot for the follow-up Oasis mostly because it was the first of his that I heard and I have very fond memories of that album (lived a little north of Cairns, Australia at the time). Personally I don't think Kitaro would fit our Progressive Electronic category extremely well (happen to be listening to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVWrQ-U4AaM" rel="nofollow - Zanov right now which is in PE), and personally consider Kitaro to be more Prog (Electronic) Related (both musically and due to his association with the Far East Family Band). I think that they he did make legitimate progressive electronic works, but I see him as treading a different progressive electronic path from say the kosmische (and kosmische inspired) artists that that category tends to hold. I compare Kitaro more to the likes of Jarre who is in related than to the likes of cornerstones of our PE category such as Schulze. Anyway, can't say I care much about classification anymore, although at one time I did want Kitaro to be in PA (though I still saw more as Related). ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 05 2016 at 23:35
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^ Cairns is a wonderful place From The Full Moon Story is another goodie !! I had quite a few on cassette but they're long gone. Now just have the first 3 vinyls. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 05:03
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The "New Age" tag is pure bollocks. It was used in the Mid-80s and early 90s as a cynical marketing tool for many symphonic rock albums because calling them symphonic Prog would have been commercial suicide. Many of them bear little resemblance to the dire relaxation and meditation, and whale-song discs that also got tagged "New Age" ------------- What? |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 05:24
| So when does Kitaro get his entry into P.A.'s database ?? |
Posted By: AEProgman
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 17:52
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^I think he should be.... ^^Also, beautiful track Dean. I did not know the he and Jon Anderson did anything together. I discovered him in the mid 80s and got into a lot of his works then, not so much of late. Past due When looking for his and other artists of the same style music then, you always had go to the dreadfully marketed "New Age" section. Absolutely hated that term for that genre of music. ------------- 
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 18:53
I'm pretty sure I recall someone mentioning that he was knocked back for entry into the Archives some years ago for being voted `New Age' by the team handling that side of things at the time? 
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Tom Ozric wrote:Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 20:18
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Should this perhaps morph into a suggestion? If so I need good examples to present. I don't even know what genre he'd fit into- symphonic? ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 20:29
| The track 'Fire', from Ten Kai has always been a fond favourite of mine. That's a good example - has a full-band sound (searing Mini-Moog, bass, drums etc.). Perhaps the longer pieces off any of those earlier releases could (should) 'seal the deal' ?? |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 20:44
Gotcha. I'll write it up now for a suggestion to symphonic. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 20:53
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I'd hold that suggestion, Glasshouse. From what I'm aware, once an artist has been suggested to the site and knocked back by whoever the group is that was evaluating him, there's "no second changes". It's sadly why sh*t-hot groups like Light Year, which should have been a sure-thing for jazz-fusion many years back, are not on the site. Voted at the time and rejected, which I'm sure was the case with Mr Kitaro. |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:07
It seems counter-productive just to never reconsider a band or artist after rejecting them once. Obviously there are people (seen in this thread) who agree that he is progressive, so I don't see why a decision made years ago holds any sway over our community today. I know that time changes opinions because it's done so for me, and with a community with fresh faces a rebuttal seems like a fair thing to do. Maybe others are okay with an artist's zero chance at redemption but I'm certainly not, especially knowing that I can make a good case for them. When suggestions I spend large amounts of time going over and checking tenfold, making sure I present the best of the best evidence, is shut down without comment just for the sake of "prior rejection", then it is infuriating to say the least.
------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:13
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......and if Dean agrees with Kitaro being a valid Progressive artist, we may just have a good case Also, I suggested Nic Potter several years back, he got knocked back. Now, by some reason, he is in. His work isn't too far from Kitaro's. A good outlet from performing monster bass for Hammill !! |
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:18
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I'm not saying I agree with it, just telling you the way it goes. I don't make those rules, and I can assure you there's plenty of people who are annoyed about particular decisions made. For instance, when he recently passed away, a lot of talk came up again about classical interpreter Isao Tomita, who was rejected some time ago. There's also no shortage of metal-related bands that have slightly `proggy' frillings that have been rejected, and the Grateful Dead would be another prime example. What I meant to explain is, best wait for one of the higher-ups that actually know for sure if Kitaro was rejected after being officially suggested once, because I literally don't know. I'm just sure I've caught brief conversations that suggested exactly that on my years on the Archives. |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:25
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I searched for topics on Kitaro using the search function and only found this topic pertaining to him. Maybe my search was glitched or the search is not working correctly. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:28
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Here you go, plenty of the back and forth on this old thread: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29932&PN=1" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29932&PN=1 |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:34
14 votes yes, 9 votes no: rejection. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:39
Also if the rules dictate that rejected suggestions cannot be reconsidered then how did this happen? (No accusations directed personally at you Michael btw, just the rules) ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:39
| To me, Jarre was synth-pop. Just sayin'. And my sister has his albums, I didn't hear anything Prog-worthy from memory. |
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:42
Hey, if I had my vote, he'd be in long ago and I would have rattled off bible-length rambling reviews for many of his albums by now! 
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Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 06 2016 at 21:45
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Wait, I was told by a member of the jazz fusion team a few weeks ago that a rejected artist can be reconsidered if they have released new work since the suggestion. Since that poll was made in 2006, Kitaro has released three studio albums, so doesn't that make a rebuttal possible? ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 07 2016 at 03:45
Only if those albums can be considered Prog, otherwise there is no point. The re-evaluation would only be for the albums that didn't exist during the earlier evaluation and if they ain't prog then the re-eval would fail.
My opinions of whether an artist is prog or not counts for nothing. All I have is the same opportunity that everyone else has in expressing an opinion but my influence is minimal to say the least. I do seem to be very good at arguing against suggest bands I don't consider to be Prog for some reason. If the "one prog album" directive means anything (and I'm not so sure that it does) then Dream, with three Jon Anderson tracks, is that album for me. HOWEVER. I only have two Kitaro albums (Daichi and Dream) and that's a poor sample to base an evaluation on given the size of his discography. That said, I'm not convinced he's ever been properly evaluated here - I suspect (because we're only human) that the rejections (PE and Symph) were based upon perception rather than actual listening. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: August 07 2016 at 06:11
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This is actually one of the rare cases in recent times where I see a case for Prog Related. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: August 07 2016 at 06:57
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I've snatched up quite a few Kitaro CDs. They seem to be in abundance at the thrift store. The early ones could easily be defined as progressive electronic. I know RYM isn't the truest measure stick for these things but in this case it's true. http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/kitaro/ten_kai/" rel="nofollow - https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/kitaro/ten_kai/ My favorite that i personally own is Silk Road (the first) and it is quite the electronic journey. I would tend to agree with Dean with his erudite analysis that collabs who evaluate an artist don't necessarily cover all grounds. In a case like Kitaro with a ginormous discography, we tend to sift and sample rather than spend a week exhaustively scrutinizing every single release. In fact, i doubt there exists too many human beings in the world who have heard every album especially on this site. Since this progressive electronic suggestion would fall into the realms of the PSIKE team which i am a part of, i'd be happy to re-evaluate some of Kitaro's albums (i currently own 9) and ascertain his possible inclusion into these here archives. The only one i can recall with cerainty of possible validity is Silk Road 1. I've heard all of the ones i own one time but i can't say i am a return listener to the works of Kitaro-san the great. http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/kitaro/silk_road_f3/" rel="nofollow - https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/kitaro/silk_road_f3/ Silk Road
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kitaro+silk+road" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kitaro+silk+road
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 07 2016 at 07:31
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Hats off to the folks that do care |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 07 2016 at 18:46
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You're the best, SP. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: August 09 2016 at 10:26
| I just listened to the SILK ROAD album last night. I'm convinced that the early albums could warrant inclusion. I'm going to suggest KITARO-san to the PSIKE team. If he doesn't sail into the prog electro category maybe we can squeak him through in the prog related |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: August 09 2016 at 15:38
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Kitaro is on the New Gibraltar Encyclopedia Of Progressive Rock http://www.gepr.net/ki.html" rel="nofollow - New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock KI-KY Kitaro was born in 1953 as Masanori Takahashi in Toyohashi, Japan. Kitaro is a nickname, from a character in the Japanese TV cartoon Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro. In the '70's, he joined the http://www.gepr.net/fa.html#FAREASTFAMILYBAND" rel="nofollow - Far East Family Band and toured with them. Then he met German synthesist http://www.gepr.net/sa.html#SCHULZE" rel="nofollow - Klaus Schulze , who produced two albums for the band and became Kitaro's mentor in creating synthesizer music. Kitaro left the http://www.gepr.net/fa.html#FAREASTFAMILYBAND" rel="nofollow - Far East Family Band in 1976 and soon embarked upon a solo career. His albums became prototypes for what would later be called "New Age" music, and he remains a favorite in the genre to this day. His style has become a reference when talking about others who have been inspired by it ... you'll see variants of "sounds like Kitaro" throughout the GEPR. Kitaro has collaborated with others, including Micky Hart of The Grateful Dead and http://www.gepr.net/am.html#JONANDERSON" rel="nofollow - Jon Anderson of http://www.gepr.net/y.html#YES" rel="nofollow - Yes . He ended up spending so much time in the USA that he separated from his wife, who still lived in Japan. Kitaro lived in Colorado for many years and remarried Keiko Matsubara, a musician who had played on several of his albums. They have recently moved to northern California. -- Fred Trafton |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 09 2016 at 16:24
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I am pleased to see Kitaro finally getting a proper evaluation. In the distant past certain team leaders have objected to the notion of his addition, but I don't think there has been a formal evaluation before {EDIT, my mistake, seems it was formally rejected back in 2007}, nor was there ever a formal suggestion thread. The only one in Suggest New Bands was made in another forum and moved to SNB later and is just a poll rather than a suggestion that meets the expected criteria for proposing an artist. Personally, if that does not work out, I would be supportive of him in Prog Related (under the right circumstances, I should say). His key albums for me consist of his early albums (see embeds below) though Dream and Light of the Spirit are worth considering too. Glad to see this topic. It's made me dig out my old LPs, tapes, and CDs of Kitaro -- do still dig the music. It was also the only mostly instrumental artists I would listen to that my wife really liked. She'd been asking me for a long time to dig out Kitaro for the kids to hear during car rides (I prefer somewhat relaxing music in the car, and I think she's sick of always hearing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6vZOgYduk" rel="nofollow - Air played in the car, but I was worried that Kitaro would put me to sleep behind the wheel as I used to often like to drift off to sleep to the music). LATE EDIT to make my embeds work again as it stopped working the way I used to do them. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 09 2016 at 18:50
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I'm glad to have brought it to your guys' attention again. As for me I only own the Light of the Spirit album which is phenomenal. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 10 2016 at 00:46
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Well, it's about time that people realise the value in his approach to synth-centric music. He did develop a different path of sorts for it. And, I hear similar traits in FEFB's last album, Tenkujin. I'm currently spinning the ARACHNOID album (Fench trippers that they are - outstanding album) then I'm going to give Ten Kai some ear-time. It's been too long. |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 10 2016 at 14:51
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I'm kind of torn between Kitaro's live performances of studio material. I think they're pretty equal in quality. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 15 2016 at 20:50
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Hate to bump but is there any news on Kitaro's evaluation? ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: August 15 2016 at 22:51
| ^ i suggested it to the PSIKE team but doesn't seem like they are on board with it, so i would advise trying to woo one of our honorable admins to see if he could be deemed worthy of a prog related inclusion. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 15 2016 at 22:56
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Or woo a special collaborator who supports it. Just be aware of the usual protocols: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=73146&PID=3942761#3942761" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=73146&PID=3942761#3942761 ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 16 2016 at 21:10
Ah I have faith. There will be justice for Takahashi! ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: August 16 2016 at 23:11
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I don't think so. His music is pure New Age and had no influence on Prog. But.............It's the Adm Team call
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Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 17 2016 at 15:04
Is New Age really that different than progressive music? I've seen tons of similarities between the two. And like Dean says:
------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 17 2016 at 23:33
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^ I fully agree with Dean's sentiments - though the majority of folk most like likely bracket Kitaro in with Yanni. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.......... I don't hold my breath................ |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 23 2016 at 02:18
| Any progress on this topic ?? |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 24 2016 at 12:59
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I agree. It seems we've gone a bit silent. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 05:47
| He's currently one of the one hundred artists in our chart. |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 21:59
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Wonderful! Does that mean he is being considered or is on a list of bands to be added? ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 03:56
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He's in And nice work from Aussie Byrd too !! |
Posted By: Modrigue
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 04:26
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Ok then... Last year I posted a topic (which I cannot find anymore BTW  ) where I wondered why Vangelis, Jarre and Synergy weren't in Progressive Electronic, with developed argumentation for each one.IHMO, if Kitaro is now listed in PE, the 3 aforementioned artists are much more innovative and adventurous, and therefore naturally deserved to be moved from prog-related to PE...  ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqf2srRfppHAslEmHBn8QP6d_eoanh0eW" rel="nofollow - My compositions |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 05:00
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^ Kitaro was added on account of his first few albums, where the Berlin School influences are clearer. I'm a big fan of Jarre, and Oxygène is a very important album for me, but I don't think his work matches the definition of PE. Some of his songs are closer to it though. The problem with Vangelis is where exactly to put him, he explored so much musical genres in his career that it's impossible to pick a single Prog sub-genre. Maybe if the genre per album feature is added to the site? Synergy is even further from PE, in my opinion. But is it really important, considering these three are here already?
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 05:05
| Yep, Vangelis crosses over into WAAAAAAAY too many styles to be purely listed as Prog-Electronic - ambient, electronic, synth/pop, experimental/avant-garde (`Beaubourg'), he's even done kind of Krautrock (`The Dragon') and jazz albums (`Hypothesis'). |
Posted By: Modrigue
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 05:30
I see a problem: The website visitor just wanting to discover the progressive electronic genre (like many of us before), will browse the site's "Top 100 Progressive Electronic Albums" page. And important records of the genre (IMHO) such as Jarre's Oxygen, Vangelis' Albedo 0.39 and, to a lesser extent, Synergy's Cords won't be listed here...
------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqf2srRfppHAslEmHBn8QP6d_eoanh0eW" rel="nofollow - My compositions |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 05:59
^ I think it's more probable someone discovering the PE genre after finding Jarre and Vangelis on PR  Anyway, I still think the genre by album is the best solution.
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Posted By: Modrigue
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 06:13
I don't think so. Someone interested in electronic music will look at PE first.
Yes, as on MMA and JMA. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqf2srRfppHAslEmHBn8QP6d_eoanh0eW" rel="nofollow - My compositions |
Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 22:14
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I have the first two Synergy albums and I don't understand why they are not fit for PE. Explain please? ------------- -- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth. |
Posted By: Modrigue
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 22:59
I agree too. For me, Synergy's approach is more adventurous than Kitaro's : - His music is always changing, constantly evolving through a variety of ambiances (spacey, threatening, and even joyful...), nearly unpredictable, resembling no other at the time. - Albums such as Cords and Games pre-dates 80's video-games music and has certainly influenced the chip-tune scene. - He tried computer-generated music with his albums Computer Experiments (not his best ones, but the intention was here) For these reasons, he built his own path and a new musical micro-universe, and therefore made electronic music "progress". ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqf2srRfppHAslEmHBn8QP6d_eoanh0eW" rel="nofollow - My compositions |
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 07 2017 at 23:14
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He was one of my idols as a teenager, I don't listen to him often nowadays though ------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV. https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325 |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 01:03
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Off the topic for a moment - Synergy (or Larry Fast) did some great work with Nektar and Peter Gabriel (and many other artists). He has a knack for working with Moogs. I once had his debut LP, but it never grabbed me as such. A friend of mine had a record of one with an orchid flower on the cover. It didn't work too well, either. Seems I preferred his session work more than his solo. Vangelis (apparently pronounced as ' Van Gell (hard 'g') ees - not the common Van Jelous !!). His work is multi-genre and is very difficult to pigeon-hole (for those wishing to do such things). And the first few Kitaro albums are exotic sounding Prog-Electronic, through and through. About time he is 'awarded' an entry on this coveted site. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 01:09
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Steady now lads, let's not get carried away.  ------------- What? |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 01:14
You'll be asking us to add King Crimson to this coveted site next that's why. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 02:09
^ Really ??  More like ANTHRAX !!! |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 02:13
Nope. Synergy, JM Jarre, Vangellis and Kitaro are listed on the site alongside King Crimson. Anthrax are not. So... what's your point? ------------- What? |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 03:34
^ Dunno  What's yours ?? |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 04:20
When you say: "About time he is 'awarded' an entry on this coveted site" after he has been added it seems both superfluous and redundant, especially when no one has objected to that addition. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 04:24
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I cherish his music very much, but he's "new age" not prog, lol ------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV. https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325 |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 04:26
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^^ I meant that several years ago he was knocked back for whatever reason, and now he's been O.K.'d. That's great. There you go. And btw, who's this King Crimson dude anyway
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Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 04:44
This smart gentleman:  ------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV. https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325 |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 08 2017 at 05:25
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^ But he isn't a rich red colour and doesn't sport a crown.......I'm confused
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Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: April 10 2017 at 09:21
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All this time I thought that the talk of Kitaro's addition had disappeared...but now I see it was all worth it. I'm so glad Takahashi is on PA now, and I think in celebration an appreciation thread is warranted. So, any of you out there with an interest in Kitaro's work, go wild! ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: April 10 2017 at 19:16
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Oh. Never really thought of this as an appreciation thread until now. Guess it would make sense to merge the two... ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: April 10 2017 at 20:23
| I don't have a lot of his stuff but was quite captivated by the first thing I ever heard, on a lonely night in the summer of 1982 when a French language station in Quebec City played "in Person: Digital" in its entirety. I've always thought that his great strength lay in making electronic music sound so spiritual |
Posted By: tdfloyd
Date Posted: April 11 2017 at 00:10
| Now that I have finished my popcorn and drink while the merits of Kitaro were debated, I'm very happy that he is in. One of my favorite performers. His live albums are a bit more harder edged than his studio albums but I love how he can mix nature, with keyboards, drums and guitars and come up with inspiring albums. My one knock on him is he can fall in love some sounds and relay on them too much. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 11 2017 at 16:02
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Kitaro's awesome, at least from 1978 up through 1986! I preferred his rig when it was analog-heavy. His best albums, IMO: Ten Kai Oasis In Person Ki Full Moon Story Silver Cloud Live in Asia Towards the West Ki was my first Kitaro album. It remains my "favorite," but Ten Kai and Oasis I enjoy as much. The man really has his own "sound." To say the guy doesn't qualify as "progressive electronic" is absurd, because EM definitely falls under the progressive banner. (Really, electronic music is its own thing, anyway, standing on either side of the boundary line at any given time.) ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: ProfPanglos
Date Posted: July 25 2017 at 21:52
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I thought From The Full Moon Story, Ten Kai, Tunhuang, and Silk Road were all bitchin' albums. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: July 26 2017 at 02:07
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^ 'Bitchin' eh ?? Not the word I'd use, but, yeah, cool. Ten Kai is where it's at for his solo output. Though a few others are beautiful too. I loved it when he was in Far East Family Band. |
Posted By: ProfPanglos
Date Posted: July 27 2017 at 22:19
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You're right, "bitchin'" should probably be reserved for Logic System's "Logic." Now *there* is a great electronic album! |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: July 27 2017 at 23:04
Why does Prof Panglos remind me of a rabbit ?? 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 28 2017 at 03:31
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Oasis was decent but there is a whole bunch of stuff that just sounds very similar. Vangelis at least would experiment and go 'off piste' occasionally , most notably Beauborg and Invisible Connections. strictly 'New Age' but then I like a bit of NA but 'Prog electronic' is stretching it a bit. Probably should have a category called 'Progressive New Age' for the likes of Mark Isham, Stephen Caudel, Patrick Hearne etc.
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