Customer Reviews

Magic Dragon

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When listening to Caias' beautiful "Magic Dragon" album be prepared to be blown away. Each song on this record transports you to a different world on each different song. Its downtempo meets new age meets electronica meets acid jazz. But more than
anything its music that meets the soul and decides to become best friends. Let me tell you my 5 favorites off of "Magic Dragon": 1) "Remembrance" A song to help you with those reflective moods of lost loves, full moons, and snuggling with a current lover. 2) "La Telecabine" This has some nice surprises in the arrangements. Be prepared for the unexpected on this great dance and soulful feeling song. 3) "Summer Lightning" Just simply a breathtakingly beautiful song. Get your jogging shoes ready for this one, it will be a great pace setter. 4) "Subway Freedom" This is a great one for all those DJ's out there. Great Dubbing is already included. 5) "Afterwards @ the Bar" This one has a little smooth jazz feel with some nice break beats in it. Except for some wordless singing, this is an instrumental album for the ages. This is a great record for any kind of mood. I highly recommend this breakthough album.

Believe me, 5 stars does not do this collection of amazing chill out sounds justice. I am an avid collector of chillout/ambient music and am proud to say I have some of the best out there. But, I dont think much can get better than this amazing release. I just bought it today, and have only heard it twice, and am already compelled to inform the cyber world that this truly is one of the best chillout cds of the past few years. Im hearing it for the second time right now w/ a glass of wine and just cant believe what I am hearing. Heavy beats, combined w/ sexy bass lines and surrounded by lush soundscapes makes this cd an instant classic. I totally agree with most reviewers that there is NOT ONE song to skip over. Every single song on this release is amazing. So, stop reading these reviews, and do yourself a favor and buy this cd, open a good bottle of wine, and sink into your sofa w/ someone special and soak in the sounds of the soundtrack to your summer.

Yes, I know, you've never heard of this obscure band called "Caia". But let me tell you, I've listened to a lot of downtempo/chill-out music, and this is my favorite album. This music will simply make you happy. It's just one of those inexplicable things. Caia's music is soft, light, refreshing, with many nice beats and great synth work.

Remembrance is one of the all-time best ambient tunes. So good that it may bring tears to your eyes. Other great songs on here are The Love Room, La Telecabine, and Jericho. Along with the Dining Rooms, Caia ranks as my favorite Chill Out band!

Do yourself (and your ears) a favor and get Caia's The Magic Dragon. You won't regret it.

ITunes is a great tool, isn't it? Now, even tho I'm hella asian, I don't know anything about computers and technology and all that jazz. I do know I like certain songs and artists and what not. So, I pretty much have no life, although when I spell it out it doesn't seem all that unusual. I'm a 25 year old bartender who sits at the computer and plays online poker in his spare time. That could easily describe 2 million people. But when I'm pokered out (or when I'm flat broke from pokering around) I go to amazon and read people's reviews, then go to limewire and get songs based on reviews. I must do this 20 hours a week. I work 40, play poker another 40, sleep 60, and do this for 20. I told you I have no life. When I made my profile 5 or 6 years ago, and I was prompted to put down a profession like teacher, or student, or whatever, I said "music is my life, by default", and the statement still holds true today. Why am I going on this long winded narrative about my life, or lack thereof? I'm not sure, I just want to stress that I'm a music lover, and I love Caia.
So ITunes, it keeps track of what songs I play. Weekend Players is number one, with Aquanote not far behind. But I've had those guys a lot longer than Caia, and Caia is proudly number 3 right now. And the reason I'm writing this review is because I've had "Remembrance" on repeat for 50 minutes now. I just had to share how good this song and album is to people who might care. There is no other song in my vast ITunes library that I would put on repeat, let alone 8 times. If you're like me, who likes to browse and download based on reviews, get Caia's "Remembrance". It's not for everyone, but you'll be glad you're not one of them.
There are other delicious songs on here as well, and I'm sure like everyone else, I went through a phase where I liked "Rose Room" the best, or that Subway song, or "Summer Lightning". It really doesn't matter anyways, everyone has their own tastes. I'm just saying, that right now, a music junkie with no other life, I love this album the best. Maybe I'm not willing yet to put it ahead of OK Computer by Radiohead yet, but it's in the same discussion. I never thought I would say this because OK Computer is well, OK Computer. Just check it out, ok?

La Telecabine has been applauded by other reviewers, and deservedly so, but this album is full of fabulously relaxing downbeat masterpieces with Remembrance running a close second to La Telecabine, and other jems like Whose Blues, Jericho, etc. Very rarely does an album as a whole impress. Usually, the old saying of "even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then" applies to downbeat/electronic music: one or two gems in a field of cacauphonic noise, but Caia delivers the goods with this infinitely listenable dreamy soundscape. Don't miss it.

I hardly ever write reviews -- but I had to say something about this incredible album. Magic Dragon is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. It has a nice mix of chill and electronic beats. All of the tracks on the cd are wonderful. I especially enjoy La Telecabine - absolutely beautiful!

You won't regret buying this album - it hasn't left my player since I picked it up a few weeks ago.

The Magic Dragon is the debut long player from Japanese Recording artist Maiku Takahashi which was produced, recorded, arranged, and engineered by Andy Cato of Groove Armada fame. Andy first met Maiku while on a tour of the Far East back in 1998. Bonded together by their shared love of vintage Adidas trainers and obscure Northern soul 7"s, the pair became fast friends and Andy later signed on to produce Maiku's debut LP while on a break from touring and recording with Groove Armada. The result of their collaboration is this captivating collection of timeless subterranean soundscapes. Masterfully fusing raw hip hop breaks and bottom heavy base lines with lush synthesizer melodies, blissful vocal harmonics and gentle guitar chords, the duo deliver a sophisticated and seductive program of exotic far east inspired down tempo electronica that harks back to Groove Armada's Balearic chill out classic "At the River" and will appeal to fans of Nightmares on Wax, The Dining Rooms, DJ Krush and Toshinori Kondo.

This is very definitely a chill-out album, so many of the normal buzz words apply - blissful, melodic, electronic, etc. Each track is beautifully composed, but not overwhelmingly so. There is a sense when listening to Caia that the music is subtly and sophisticatedly put together and produced. Mostly, it's an instrumental album though female vocals stand out on 'the rose room' and 'subway freedom', 'Whose blues' along with saxophones, and soulful crooning and tribal chants appear on 'heavy weather'. However, the vocals are minimal and the music is always the main impact on the listener.

Favourite tracks for me are:
'the rose room': a real funky opening with a heavy beat, scratches, dub, and a luscious bass line.
'La telecabine': its a track filled with soothing synths and crashing base, but its composition seems to change when you least expect it. It keeps you on your toes.
'afterwards@the bar': a real end of the night tune. Deep mellow acoustics and piano, a jazz feeling, full of soul and gentle passion.

If you are into chill-out, you'll love this, particularly if you like Groove Armada as Andy Cato is said to have helped out on production. The album also shares musical similarities with Bonobo, Thievery Corporation, and Weekend Players.

I just am absolutely in love with this artist's music. This CD has been the perfect soundscape while I walk on the beach every afternoon in the warm sun.
It's quite obvious Andy Cato wrote this without regard to trending trains but instead from within himself. Thick dirty beats play along side soothing strings and syhths which in return create a perfect balance of sounds: melodic, acoustic and electronic. I don't own too many CD's that keep me from fast forwarding a track or 2. There isn't a song on this album that I will pass by. Beautiful work Caia, Christina M. Long

I read reviews of the cd after hearing one title. I was a little aprenhensive..nevertheless, after knowing that Andy Cato produced this one, and have Weekend Players on my CD player for 3 weeks straight....."if this guy produced this one..must be good"....good is not enough description for it...
it's simply an amazing CD...incredible....can't wait for more outputs of this guy. it's like Tangerine Dream for a lounge club..laid back and relaxing....pretty soundscapes on the background.....JUST GET THIS CD!!!!!!!!!!!YOU WONT REGRET IT!!!
NEITHER YOUR GIRL/BOY FRIEND!!!.
J