Thoughts on Kitaro

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. 

Edited by aglasshouse - August 06 2016 at 20:22

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".

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.....??

Ten Kai is as good as anything by FEFB methinks.

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 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).

Edited by Logan - August 05 2016 at 22:35

His (symphonic prog) album Dream is excellent and there is nothing "New Age" about this track:

^I think he should be....  ^^Also, beautiful track Dean.  I did not know the he and Jon Anderson did anything together.

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?

Tom Ozric wrote: 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' ??

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: 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.

Edited by aglasshouse - August 06 2016 at 21:10