Review / Comments ::
The general theme of this album is waiting through Winter for Spring. It reflects both the quiet of a heavy snowfall, and the triumph of Springtime.
Uttara-Kuru debuted in 1998 determined to create a new sound in Eastern music, a combination of the melodies of traditional Japanese culture and Western synthesizers and computer-generated harmonies. You'll notice a certain amount of this cross-culture style in a few of the tracks on East Wind, but for the most part the tracks are soft and relaxing. This album features the Shakuhachi, an upright bamboo flute, the traditional Japanese koto and other folk instruments. Traditional folk songs are also included in various tracks. Other instruments include the tabla and Shinobue, a small horizontal bamboo flute (track 3), acoustic guitar (track 6), Samisen, a three-stringed Japanese banjo (track 7) and various digital beats (tracks 5 & 11). There are also traditional vocals on tracks 1, 5, 9, and 12. But the vocals are not distracting at all. All lyrics are in Japanese, and blend beautifully with the instruments.
This is not as traditional an album as others in the Pacific Moon catalog. Perhaps it can be described best as sounding much like the soundtrack to a performance of Cirque Du Soleil. Fans of that performance group will understand the reference once they hear this album.
If you want an album for a relaxing morning, this album will get your day started nicely. The combination of mellow tunes and more upbeat ones create a feeling of joy and anticipation for the day ahead. Certain tracks would enhance a meditation session, but I'd hesitate to recommend the entire album for that purpose. This is a disk to play as you greet the morning, walking through the garden and enjoying the sunshine.
Related Web Links ::
Official Site: http://www.pacificmoon.com/
Album Copyright Information ::
© 1999 Pacific Moon Records, a division of Chapter One, Co.
Review Date ::
Reviewed: January 2005
Last Updated:
04/24/2005
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