Customer Reviews

Sacred Journey of Kukai

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
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Kitaro is something of a problematic player/composer. He is capable of extraordinarily creative work, but tends to be repetitive in between his brilliant moments. For this reason, I tend to approach each new album with a good deal of caution. For some reason, the closer he gets to his roots (Silk Road, Kojiki, etc.) the stronger his work becomes. For this reason I decided to give The Sacred Journey of Kukai a chance.

KuKai (774-835) was the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, and offshoot of Vajrayana Buddhism and extremely influential in both Japan's history and spiritual life. The sacred journey consists of a pilgrimage to the Shikoku temples which were the mainstay of Shingon power. This CD offers the first 12 stages of the journey (there is a second volume already out as of this writing). The work displays Kitaro at his most original, and sometimes at his most difficult.

Kitaro makes extensive use of sampled bells in this work, often as stress points in the compositions, with some of the most important melodic components provided by the flutes of Nawang Khechog, a noted Tibetan master. The first cut, Michi is a perfect example of this kind of work - the large bells, electronic sounds, drums, and Nawang Kechog floating serenely above this. In Kageroh more electronic instruments appear (a nicely sampled koto and sitar among others) and the basic interplay of rhythm and melody with an ever present background drone that is a characteristic of the whole album establishes itself.

The cuts I like least are the one's most likely to be popular, as in Shizuku, which is a return to Kitaro's hallmark theremin style, and Flow which uses a plucked synth guitar sound. I will admit that, in this particular case the effect is a bit different, do to a more effective sonic background. But I would still like to hear Kitaro do something else with the theremin besides the 'softly falling ribbon' of sound which is his hallmark.

Nen is one of the most interesting pieces, using a chanting choirs of monks against a variety of sampled bells. The chanting builds in pressure and there is little melody to provide rest for the listener - this is both interesting, and subtly irritating. This it is with great relief that the ritual breaks and The Wind introduces its contrasting melodic forms.

I'm not going to go through the rest of the cutes, since this introduction should give you enough information to decide for yourself. I can honestly say that this is the most 'different' album that has come from Kitaro since Kojiki and worth listening. Whether the remaining 76 cuts to come continue to maintain this standard remains to be seen.

Kitaro's latest albums like "ancient" or "ancient journey" were not bad albums, but very superficiel ones which made me think that kitaro was repeating himself and that he has lost his creative talent. Then � listened to "the sacred journey of kukai" And � thought that the great kitaro was reborn!

In this album, there are no fast pieces as in "thinking of you" or "mandala", but all the pieces are giving rest and serenity to your soul, and make you feel good with their enchanting melodies, positive energy and with those electrfying bells from different temples.

Kitaro has proved once again that he is the master of New Age. And � can hardly wait for the volume two of "the sacred journey of kukai"

This is a very interesting CD of fine music by Kitaro, a musician who has defined and refined the musical category of New Age music (so-called). Like on so many other of his albums, he manages to strike a fine, perilous balance between inspiring sugar-sweet spirituality and sentimentality on the one hand and moving (even haunting) intensity and depth on the other; whenever he loses his balance, he tends to lean towards the former extreme (okay, sometimes he completely plops down there), but on "Sacred Journey of Kukai, Volume 1" he maintains the balance and the creative tension it produces with great artistic integrity better than I've ever seen him do (with the possible exception of track 3, which verges on the saccharine). Another of his signature balancing acts is that between traditional Asian forms of music and contemporary Western forms (along with the instruments particular to each), and the pilgrimage theme of this CD allows him to show this off to wonderful effect. The temple bells punctuating the music and the hair-raising (in a good way, strangely) chanting of the Heart Sutra in Track 5 ("Nen") are especially distinctive and innovative as well as appropriate to the theme of the album.

And Kitaro has composed and performed this music as a prayer for the interrelated goals of inner peace and world peace. What better raison d'etre could there be for music?

Kitaro Sacred Journey of Kukai is nominated for Grammy. I pray and hope he wins 1st place. I love this album, It is beautiful. It is the best he did.I wish him the best of luck

The Kukai releases feel like a parallel career, one that touches the heart of Kitaro's music. The idea behind this sacred journey is for peace and that's exactly what happens to the environments it touches.

Kitaro transports the listener to another time when grace and beauty calms the tired soul

For me it is favorite music for meditation and searching peace of my mind. This music is recommended to estimulate Alfa Waves generation into our brain. Very recommended music for all.

into the spiritual realm Kitaro shares through his profoundly evocative melodic vibrations.
Although I had the pleasure of experiencing his other albums, I was not truly "captured" until I felt 'Spirit of the forest' on the "Dream" album. Since then I have been seeking another encounter as intense. This album transports me. Stating anything beyond this is unnecessary for those initiated.

I bought SACD of this title. The sound is much better than normal CD. I heard he walked around 88 temples in Shikoku, Japan and sampled the bell sound of each temple for each track of this album. When I traveled Japan, I have visited a few of them. Many people have done it for spiritualizing their sorrow. This album healed me. I can relax myself every night and day. This is the best conceptual album I ever heard. I found the SACD player giveaway contest on his record label's website

�gdomo.com�h. You should try it, and experience much better sound.

I bought "Sacred Journey of Ku-kai". I think it's the best album. You should buy it. And I entered to win a SONY SACD player on kitaro's website. You can resister on the site <http://www.domo.com>