Customer Reviews

Japanese Taiko

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is without a doubt one of the BEST taiko CD's ever. We put this on (to test a new subwoofer) and the sound of the drums was clear, the contrasting sticks and bells came through sharp and defined. The rhythms are surprisingly jazzy and modern.

There are nine cuts on this CD: the first seems VERY long but it's actually shy of 8 minutes--some are longer, 9:31 and 10:46 . The first cut Harvest is by far the best, though I like the almost 11 minute Heart Beat a lot as well.

The thundering big drums have traditional rhythms, but merge into melodic "songs" of a more modern nature. The drums are of varying sizes and tuned to different tones, and there is auxiliary percussion (sticks on the drum frame and some other percussion as well) but the Taiko dominate.


I find Taiko very energizing and I play this CD to lift my mood, especially if doing household tasks. If you like percussion, this is absolutely a must-have cd. We were VERY impressed.

Another fine album by one of the major stars of the modern taiko drumming scene... Hirota's innovative compositions are audacious and ambitious; the skill and precision with which his ensemble perform them is nothing short of amazing. There are modernizations and meter shifts that may be questionable -- depending on your personal tastes or inclinations -- but for taiko fans, even those who prefer a more traditional style, this disc is a must. This is the music being played at its highest and most challenging level... Recommended!

I was first introduced to this throught a PBS program about taiko in America. Taiko is nothing but pure hardcore drumming. These aren't a bunch of guys sitting on their --- tapping out rhythms. They're beating the crap out of these drums. I'm sure there are youtube videos out there, it's a must if you've never seen how they play them.

This is my first taiko cd. As the other reviews said, the first song is the best, it is absolutly intense. The whole cd is great though. If you work out, this is a perfect cd to listen to while doing so. If you can sit still while listening to this, I'd be very surprised. Buy it, you won't regret it!

I play an African Djembe, and am always looking to find new styles of drumming to incorporate into my playing. I'd been wanting to buy a Taiko CD, and picked this one at random. The first song is absolutely amazingly rockin'. I've listened to the CD twice, and while the first song leaps out and grabs you, I didn't find the rest of the CD to have that same crazy energy. Don't get me wrong - the rest of the CD is enjoyable, but the first song just blows the rest of the disc away.

Edited to add: So I've been listening to this CD for a while. I'm really not very crazy about it. The first time I heard the first song I really liked it, but it got old really fast. The selection of percussive instruments on this CD just bores me. There's just not enough variety for me - but then again, I'm used to listening to a lot of African music where you have djuns, sangbans, djembes, bells - all with a wide variety of different ways to play them. All in all, I suppose that this is still a good cd, but it's just not for me.

Edited again 10/22/08 After recently seeing some like Taiko drumming by Takumi Kato, recently named the "world's best" Taiko drummer, I can say that Taiko drumming, with all it's theatrics, is more interesting live than it is on a CD.

I have heard several live Taiko drum performances and this CD has a nice varity of tracks. You will also find this CD a bit like sound scapes were listing in my car the CD is very relaxing during rush hour driving, bumper to bumper. I highly recommend this CD. I have other Taiko Drum CD and this one ranks up with the best.

Not a great recording. we have another taiko drumming CD from a show we saw and it is much better, though still rather poorly produced. I don't think these shows translate well to CDs.

This is not Taiko drumming alone.....these are musical compositions. It reminded me of Copeland... I didn't like it and I gave it away, because I wanted only drumming.

The overall sound quality is not good. Its hard to hear the taiko and each song sounds the same.