Absinthe

Kudzu, Michael Lo Coco | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 24, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 24, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Treecastle
• ASIN: B00000K0A1
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,226,769 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. (Main Title) Dancing with the Green Fairy

2. (Opening Scene) Night of the Circus

3. Backstreet Theme

4. Gypsy Dream

5. The Horsefly

6. (Dream Sequence) Unwanted Memories of a Music Box, A Funeral, and a Merry-Go-Round

7. Oblivion

8. Faces in the Woodwork

9. (Nightmare Sequence) Visions Through the Third Eye

10. (End Title) Backstreet Reprise

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from Solo Piano Publications, August 29, 2000

By 

Kathy Parsons (Florence, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Absinthe (Audio CD)

Kudzu's name often appeared in "Wind and Wire" magazine as well as in the new age music newsgroup, but I only recently discovered his music first-hand. I'm hooked! This is not piano music per se, but keyboards are used extensively, creating the soundtrack to a film that exists only in the listener's mind. Recordings like this could easily reignite the passion for sitting in a dark room and focusing on the music without distractions. At the very least, a listener will have to concentrate on the album a few times to really understand what is happening. It ain't a pretty picture, but it sure gets the pulse pounding and the visual images flowing! It is music to be experienced and savored in all of its deep complexity, allowing your mind go where the musical images take it.

If you are not familiar with it, absinthe is a bright green drink made from the hallucinogenic extract from the wormwood plant, combined with anise. It was used extensively by artists and writers to enhance their creative vision (Oscar Wilde was a very prominent advocate), but is now banned in almost every country in the world. Even if absinthe were still available, this album would probably scare away anyone interested in experimenting with it. "Dancing With the Green Fairy" (Main Title Theme) opens the album with a mysterious and somewhat ominous feel - undoubtedly the preparation of the drink and consumption of it - temptation and seduction into a rapidly-changing mindstate. For the listener, this opening sequence is also compelling and seductive, drawing him or her in. Rhythms become more intense, as do the sound effects - we're in for a real ride here! The hallucinations begin with "Night of the Circus" - these clowns are definitely evil, and the calliope is scary with its breathy and distorted piping. Each track conjures up new visual experiences as the absinthe effect intensifies, taking the listener deeper and darker, creating an incredibly powerful experience. "Unwanted Memories of a Music Box, a Funeral, and a Merry-Go-Round" indicates how disjointed things are becoming. "Oblivion" begins almost serenely with a catchy rhythm - the calm before the storm. Next come "Faces in the Woodwork" and the (Nightmare Sequence), "Visions Through the Third Eye" - some of the scariest music I've ever heard (and more than 17 minutes' worth!). When the drinking glass is shattered amid the pounding rhythm of the nightmare, you just know this guy is totally enveloped in his darkest and most terrifying vision. What an exhilarating trip! It makes you want to return again and again for another fix!

"Absinthe" is another example of how broad the "new age" genre has become. This is not music to relax or unwind to, but is to be experienced for itself. It is about an intense as they come, and I thoroughly enjoy getting caught up in all of the visual images. Very highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars yanni couldnt touch it with a ten foot pole!!!, October 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Absinthe (Audio CD)

a new era of new age music has begun! the intricate and deluded melodies of absinthe will push you over the edge but catch you just before you hit the ground! michael lococo's genius has captured the true meaning new age and refreshed a few tired ears. truly a one of a kind, but a warning to the wise...if you are not willing to put all of your senses on the line, stay back!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Like nothing I've ever heard before., September 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Absinthe (Audio CD)

This cd epitomizes the kind of music I am always in search of but only occasionally find ... music that you listen to with your mind. ABSINTHE will take your mind, caress it, scramble it, and leave you begging for more. From the stellar performances of the artists to the unorthodox composing style (there seems to be elements of classical, jazz, new age, and progressive rock all floating seamlessly around in the psychedelic soundtrack) to the mind-blowing instrumentation, this is the most unique and totally hypnotic album I have come across in the last ten years.

It's great when all my searching ends up in a find such as this. Eureka!