East Wind

Artist: Uttara Kuru
Label: Pacific Moon
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 4988001378594
ASIN: B00003WG85

Release Date: 1999-08-24

Related Categories:

General

| International | Styles | Music

General

| New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation

| New Age | Styles | Music

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| Imports | Stores | Music

Tracks:

Flowers, Birds, Winds & Moon (Prologue)
Wings of the Eagle
Winter Dance
First Image
Neyuki
Wooden Ship
Second Image
Our Life
Nigata Okesa
Third Image
Falling Through a Cloud
Aizu Bandaisan
Flowers, Birds, Winds & Moon (Epilogue)

Customer Reviews:

Cool! Atmospheric and unique.......2003-12-31

Historic instruments of Japan like shakuhachi, shamisen, shinobue and koto as well as occasional vocals and chants are accompanied by modern keyboards, digital rhythms and accoustically-drummed beats. The result is a fusion sound that retains the charm, mystery and grandeur of traditional Japanese music while remaining accessible to modern ears. The striking, wistful sound of the shakuhachi (an end-blown bamboo flute) is particularly appealing in many of the selections, soaring distinctively and proudly above the electronica. "East Wind" is the second album of the group Uttara Kuru, which performs compositions by multiinstrumentalist Seiichi Kyoda with production by Seiichi Kyoda and Kazumasa Yoshioka. Some of the tracks with minimal modern influence are quaint, mellow and mysterious, while others, with orchestral-sounding backups, westernized harmonies and driving beats, have a New-Age or even dance-club feel. The combinations of ancient and modern are usually successful--interesting, intriguing and sometimes even stunning. However, in a few of the tracks toward the end of the album ("Our Life" and "Niigata Okesa") the repetitive, soul-less, programmed technobeats can be a little mind-numbing, limiting the musical expressiveness of instrumental and vocal combinations that, in most other numbers, find fuller fruition. In all, though, this album stands out as an impressive and intelligent example of creative musical fusion! Give it a try! As with all Pacific Moon recordings, "East Wind" not only sounds nice but smells nice, packaged with several sticks of colorful incense in its jewel case. Uttara Kuru's previous album, "Prayer", focuses primarily on vocal Sutra recitations, again with a modern twist. More compositions by Seiichi Kyoda can also be heard on other Pacific Moon releases, such as Shao Rong's "Orchid" and Jia Peng Fang's "Faraway ...". For another take on traditional Asian music updated with a western instrumental flair, try also the mellow, meditative "Cho" by Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts, which features the chanting of Tibetan Buddhist nuns.

An excellent ethnic-Japanese/Techno collaboration........2001-06-11

Uttara-Kuru's "East Wind" deftly combines traditional Japanese folk instruments - bamboo flutes, mandolins, and cithers (Shinobue, Shakuhachi, Shamisen, and Koto), sutra recitation, and free-style lyrics with ethereal Techno sound palettes to create thirteen tracks of original, ambient music. Essentially, the only disappointment is the sandalwood-scented booklet, which is written in halting, infantile English. According to it, the recurring theme is snow, and perhaps that is true about some tracks. To me, the music spoke of greater, almost ineffable things. "Our Life", "Wings of the Eagle", "Niigata Okesa", and "Falling Through a Cloud" are easily the best tracks on the disk, each taking a different approach to achieve great results. Boisterous flute melodies, sweeping synthesizer tones, hoarse chants, ululating lyrics, and nature sounds coexist to produce an enlightening, mind-opening effect. An emphatically recommended choice.

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