Search - Osamu Kitajima :: Behind the Light

Pleasantly relaxing.

apples2apples | 02/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has a delicate lovely soothing affect to it. I enjoyed it very muc"

I couldn't believe I stumbled on this...

apples2apples | OhiO | 05/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"while I was perusing the CD's at Half Price Books! It didn't have a price on it, so the guy at the register gave it to me for a dollar!



Anyway, I wasn't "looking" for this, so I guess it found me. I'd been reading about the artist just a few weeks ago, and was unfamiliar with his work.



I wanted to hear Osamu because I'd read this review from another reviewer: "...Unlike Kitaro, who (though often lovely) concentrates mostly on electronic instrumentation, and who tends to repeat himself too often, Osamu mixes in many traditional Japanese acoustic intruments and tries to give each of his projects a different quality and mood from the previous ones. Though his style is instantly recognizable, this is his most heavily electronic, bass-laden, beat-driven CD, and I love it. The female Japanese vocals give it extra interest, and there are so many layers of sound that I hear new things each time I listen to this CD. The only reason I don't give it five stars is that Osamu has still not topped his wonderful 1987 album "Passages," which has been, unfortunately, long out-of-print. I keep hoping CBS will be re-release someday. Until that unlikely event, I must content myself with the few Osamu CD's currently available, and this one is the best of the lot. If you like this music, search out "California Roll," also out-of-print (I have seen a copy or two in cut-out bins, but not recently). This guy deserves to be much better known than he is."



Having listened to this CD, I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon this, and hope to find more of the artist's CD's. It's very peaceful and soothing - good for headphones at night, or anytime you're trying to relax. It might mix well with psychoacoustics.

"

One of the most prized selections in my music collection!

Parrish A. Highley | Somewhere I've Never Travelled | 12/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Behind the Light is one of the most exceptional works of art I have ever heard. While Kitaro certainly has his moments of greatness (a piece like "Sundance" comes to mind), this album is so consistently strong that belongs in a high-definition format like Sony's Super Audio CD or DVD-A with DTS encoding. The first four songs alone are enough to make a believer out of almost anyone while "Wings of Knowledge" takes the listener on a journey to the ancient monasteries, and the natural beauty surrounding them, of Feudal Japan. The only slightly weak song on the album is "Small Wonder" which leans a little too heavily on the smooth jazz conventions that, sadly, assert themselves on music of this genre from time to time. While synthesizers provide the vast majority of the album's ambience, their precise use showcases the stunning beauty of ancient instruments like the koto and the gu zheng rather than stealing the limelight. Behind the Light is best described as Ambient New Age, totally engaging without being obtrusive, and completely deserving of more recognition than it has yet to receive."