Gaia [Enhanced]

Gaia [Enhanced]

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Obertura MDXX

2. Gaia

3. Conquista

4. Alma

5. Costa del Silencio

6. Arbol de la Noche Triste

7. Rosa de los Vientos

8. Leyenda de la Llorona

9. Van a Rodar Cabezas

10. Atrapasueños

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Introducción [DVD]

2. Gaia y Su Concepto [DVD]

3. Álbum y Su Proceso [DVD]

4. Canción Por Canción [DVD]

5. Sesión Fotográfica [DVD]

6. Grabación del Vídeo-Clip [DVD]

7. Costa del Silencio [Vídeo] [DVD]

8. Diseño Gráfico [DVD]

9. Fotografías [DVD]

10. Créditos [DVD]

Gaia,Mago de Oz,Locomotive Music,Alternative Metal,Heavy Metal,Latin,Rock,Rock/Pop

Farewell Ferengistan
Average customer rating:

Banco de Gaia is the best

What! no kitchen sink? I wants my money back!

A powerful reminder of what music is all about...

My Rating: Ten Fingers Down?

Listening and Spacing Out Here in the Heart of Ferengistan

Farewell Ferengistan
Banco de Gaia
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Last Train to Lhasa

You Are Here

Igizeh

The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia

Maya

ASIN: B000FFP0CI
Release Date: 2006-07-04

Tracks:

Farewell Ferengistan
Ynys Elen
Chingiz
Kara Kum
The Harmonious G8
Saturn Return
Flow My Dreams, The Android Wept
White Man's Burden
We All Know The Truth (You Have God)

Amazon.com

There are a few artists in the swirl of U.K. electronica that keep trying to push the boundaries, and Banco de Gaia is one of them. The ethno-techno design that founder Toby Marks debuted some 15 years ago was already a broad palette to draw upon, but Marks goes beyond that. He's still using the Middle Eastern grooves and chants which may or may not be fake, but there's also the dreamy atmospheres of the title track, a drifting ambient tonic that segues into an almost '50s-style rock piano riff on "Ynys Elen." Like most of Banco's music, there are always hidden touches and references. "Flow My Dreams, the Android Wept" not only nods to Philip K. Dick, but the vocoder vocal on Wendy Carlos's A Clockwork Orange score as well. Marks has said that he doesn't want to just make "wave your hands in the air" music, but he does do that so well, including the epic "Kara Kum," with the pounding Qawaali drumming driving the track into ecstasy. But as Last Train to Lhasa illustrated, Marks has always been a musician who puts his politics into his music. Farewell Ferengistan pushes even deeper into themes of globalization, nation-building, and mechanization. In a mostly lyric-free music, those concepts are implied more than proselytized, and even when he makes a political comment, it's often with a wink. He relates that "Ferengistan" is an ancient Arabic name for the West. I can find no corroboration for that claim, but knowing Marks, it's really a nod to Star Trek and its venal Ferengi race. Like all Banco de Gaia's albums, Farewell Ferengistan is a journey, sometimes joyful, often bittersweet. --John Diliberto

Album Description

"Farewell Ferengistan", once again mixes up sounds from around the planet with slamming grooves and ambient meditations. From the Bhangra-esque dance monster, "Kara Kum" to the epic "Saturn Return", Ferengistan is filled with the kind of fresh sounds, that have won Banco a rabid fan base around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Banco de Gaia is the best.......2007-06-27

This music is the best. you just fly out of your body when you here the first sounds of this cd. It's worth buying it. buy it as soon as you can!!!!

What! no kitchen sink? I wants my money back!.......2006-12-29

This is peculiar album, really. I got it as one of the 'record store employee pix'(often a mistake, no, always a mistake, on second thought) from out of the electronica section, but it sounded like something good. In fact, it ain't half bad being, as it is, a mixture of a whole bunch of beats --mostly down ones--accompanying a whole bunch of different lyrical frameworks, and this is what kind of gets under one's skin, actually. It seems like these guys were trying ever so hard to be 'diverse'. So much so what with their stuff ranging from Arabic, to Hindi (or something similarly foreign) to Spanish to Tuva (?) throat singing, etc. in like vein ad nauseum, that after a while one gets a bit fed up and overwhelmed by it all. As A certain ethnic group is so fond of saying 'Enough already' Look, we all like a little something different in our lives but moderation is the key here. Listening to this album all the way through (something I've only been able to do a couple of times and then only as background music) reminds one what it must be like to date a schizophrenic. This is not A bad album but there is so much stuff going on all the time that it just seems scattershot to me. It's scattershot chill music I guess and if that sounds good to you: Go for it!!! Otherwise do like I'm gonna do and sample some of the earlier stuff by this lot. Farewell is not the same as Good Riddance but in this album it comes pretty close, I think.

A powerful reminder of what music is all about..........2006-10-30

Toby Marks has given us an excellent musical journey with his newest album. Although the amazon reviews have been mixed on the musical merits esp. when compared to his previous albums and the lack of consistency, here's my take: the album rocks!! It's a beautiful mix with an underlying theme of all that's being forgotten in our modern existence: farewell ferengistan is an eulogy to the innocence that is rapidly disappearing in the current divisive world. The title track infuses haunting arabic vocals with a slow background that has stayed with me since I first heard it. Other tracks that I have come to really like are Chingiz and Saturn Return.
Do yourself a favor and join the journey that is Banco De Gaia...

My Rating: Ten Fingers Down?.......2006-10-10

I see that the Amazon review of this album quotes Toby Marks himself as saying he "doesn't just want to make 'wave your hands in the air' music." While this album is blessedly free of the treacly lyrical and vocal performances that made its precedessor You Are Here the only really bad Banco disc, it simply doesn't match all the previous discs for sheer tunefulness and enjoyment -- and his statement hints at the reason why.

The hallmark of the best Banco has always been its mesmerizing beats. Some are at dance speed, like "Kuos" on Lhasa, the opening salvos of several other albums, and the bookend opening and closing tracks on the aptly named Magical Sounds. Even the otherwise misbegotten You Are Here had one rousing cut, "Zeus No Like Techno." They didn't have to be danceable -- some were, some weren't -- but they were beat-based, accessible at several levels, and determinedly driving.

This disc has two basic problems. One is the dreaded Recording Contract Annual Obligation Disease, which manifests itself in an album that simply doesn't have enough ideas per minute. Toby's production at the mixing board is impeccable as usual, but there just aren't the same number of interesting little changes and subtle builds in the arrangement that Banco veterans are spoiled for.

Which leads to the other problem. On the heels of You Are Here, this new disc seems to confirm that Marks is tired of, and now actively resisting, what he does best. Comedians always want to be dramatists, it seems, and dramatists want to be comedians. That's fine if the old strength gives way to an equally compelling new one. But in this case it just isn't there. This album, while not unpleasant or objectionable, is simply Banco de Gaia that fails to make you wave your hands in the air. And that's as bland as Smores without the chocolate.

Listening and Spacing Out Here in the Heart of Ferengistan.......2006-08-13

This is really a first-class album in the ambient-electronica genre, with each track contributing to the total overall effect. Haunting and atmospheric and yet dynamic and dramatic, cosmic and ethereal and yet edged with earthly concerns and subtle humor, this music is as complex in mood and tone as it is in cross-cultural musical influences. My only nitpick comes from my personal preference for instrumental music: the last track, with its (admittedly fine) lyrics and vocals, ended this wonderful album on a bit of a weak note for me. But not enough to displace this CD from being one of this year's favorites as far as I am concerned.

While I have a few other albums by this group, I'm admittedly something of a casual fan, and I highly recommend some of the excellent, informative reviews on this page by more dedicated and knowledgeable fans. Based on my experience, though, this seems to be one of Banco De Gaia's stronger efforts, one that I will be listening to for years to come.

(Just for the record, the word "Ferengi" really is what the liner notes claim it to be, an Arabic word for European mercantilist traders and hence for Westerners/foreigners in general. The Star Trek usage is based upon this, as the Ferengi were meant in part as a sly satirical swipe at the hyper-capitalist expansionism of the West in the 19th and 20th centuries. That being so, though, these end up being mutually reinforcing references, both of which perhaps were intended to resonate with the listener.)

Average customer rating:

Astounding.
Music for the Being and the Soul
The Spirit of Nature in the Nature of the Spirit
Amazing
A resounding paean for the musics of our sphere!

Missa Gaia/Earth Mass
Paul Winter
Manufacturer: Living Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Common Ground
Icarus
Silver Solstice
Wintersong
Solstice Live!

ASIN: B0000000TU
Release Date: 1991-06-28

Tracks:

Canticle Of Brother Sun
Kyrie
Beatitudes
Mystery
Return To Gaia
For The Beauty Of The Earth
Adoro Te Devote
For The Beauty Of The Earth
Sanctus And Benedictus
Stained-Glass Morning
Sun Psalm
The Promise Of A Fisherman
The Blue Green Hills Of Earth
Agnus Dei
Let Us Go Forth In Peace

Customer Reviews:

Astounding........2006-02-21

The Missa Gaia is, by far, the most amazing choral work I have ever heard. To put it bluntly, Paul Winter and Paul Halley are geniuses. I had the privilege of performing this work with the entire Paul Winter Consort and three of the four composers of the Missa Gaia two days ago at the St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in New York City. Very few choral works have given me chills when I sang them - this one succeeded. Buy the CD. You won't regret it.

Music for the Being and the Soul.......2004-03-26

I first heard parts of Earth Mass durning a workshop on mysticism and felt the extraordinary beauty and power Paul Winter's music. I finally obtained Earth Mass, and promptly playet the disc. When the track of Mystery played, I had to replay that track, and find more information about Susan Osborne.
The words of beauty,power, and joy aren't enough while describing
her vocals and the song itself. The other tracks are equally difficult to describe. Eric Clapton once stated "Music should take you somewhere". Earth Mass takes one's being to the limit of the cathedral of life, whether it's along the Canyon, in St. John's Cathedral, or atop a mountain somewhere.

The Spirit of Nature in the Nature of the Spirit.......2004-01-17

With this CD, you are encountering the extraordinary. Paul Winter is a conceptual artist who has spent years melding music with his love for the Earth. A gifted performer who provides his audience not with the expected, or the entirely familiar, but begs the ear to listen and the soul to respond. This is not background music, these creations need to be listened to actively.

Living Music Records, Inc. compiled this CD from two of Paul's performances at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City, it was commissioned by the Dean of the Cathedral as a contemporary ecumenical mass. A celebration of the Natural and the Spiritual together as only Paul Winter could create it. Recordings of humpback whales, harp seals, wrens and loons weave in and out of the tapestry of music. The vocals on the CD are the Cathedral Choristers and the stunning solos of Susan Osborn, whose voice needs no ornamentation to soar.

Profound, joyful and powerful in its expression, the emotion inspired by Paul's work can sometimes be hard to put to words. #2, Kyrie, is one of my favorite pieces, opening with the mournful sounds of the humpback whales. #4, Mystery, beautifully showcases the voice of Susan Osborne in all its power and majesty. #10 Stained-Glass Morning is an absolutely stunning combination of Eugene Friesen on cello with the sounds of birds making this short piece feel as though it takes place under the trees in a forest. But every selection is wondrous-and each selection is a work of art to be reflected on.

If you happen to be in New York City, please try a catch one of Paul Winter's performances at St. John the Divine. I guarantee you it's an amazing, soul-stirring experience. While this CD can be difficult to get hold of, find it if you can! And I do recommend checking out some of Paul's other musical works of art that are more readily available. While not for the casual listener, this is an intense workout for the ears, mind and spirit that should not be missed!

Happy Listening! Shanshad ^_^

Amazing.......2003-09-12

This is one of the most amazing works I have ever heard in my life. I will be privilaged enough in a few weeks to be able to perform the Earth Mass with Mr. Winter in NYC with my Chamber Choir. This will be the second time I have been able to sing with him.
I absolutely love performing this piece- the mix of the hymns, gospel and traditional, and the animal songs just makes such wonderful music all together- it's literally breath taking and should leave you speechless. If you get the chance- go attend the service at St. John's..otherwise just buy the cd because it is simply incredible!

A resounding paean for the musics of our sphere!.......2002-05-10

This is an ecumenical, ecological world view of how the idea and the form of liturgical music might be adapted to a celebration of Mother Earth as much as it is a CD full of performance highlights.

Paul Winter remembers:

"My first visit to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was in the spring of 1974, for the funeral of Duke Ellington. The experience of hearing the extraordinary music of this service in the awesome space of the Cathedral was profoundly moving. A succession of renowned jazz soloists, all alumni of the Ellington Orchestra, played and sang great Ellington songs to a congregation of 10,000. This music felt entirely appropriate in the Cathedral. These songs were hymns of our lives.

"As we were leaving, recordings of Ellington came through the sound system, and I can still hear the velvet, liquid tone of Johnny Hodges' sax soaring way up in the vault of the Cathedral. I had then no clue that several years later I myself would have the opportunity to play in the Cathedral; and the last thing I would have dreamed is that I would be making music for liturgy."

From that day forward, the experience seems to have "informed" his playing style. The fact that he subsequently became an artist in residence at the Cathedral (and is now the principal artist in residence) is testimony to the experience. And it has provided him with a performance and recording venue that is perfect for his horn and for the ensembles he chooses to perform there. Moreover, it is nigh impossible to separate the Cathedral from its vast acoustic space and its wonderful organ, and one might as well take advantage of these facts. Nobody does this better than Paul Winter.

At risk of playing favorites, Paul Winter and Paul Halley do some of their best work in "Return to Gaia." Both are at the top of their form here; Halley's extended organ improvisation reminds us of what Virgil Fox was capable of doing so brilliantly on his better days. "Sanctus and Benedictus" is guaranteed to bring your musical muscles and bones alive, but be advised that it's probably not a good idea to listen to it while driving an automobile! And the several tracks that feature Susan Osborn showcase a wonderful and totally unique gospel voice that causes one to ask, "How do we get to hear more of Ms. Osborn?"

As much as the music is ecumenical in its inspiration, it is equally ecumenical in its usage of musical instruments. Human musicians and the musics of various fauna species peacefully coexist in this joyous music. With only moderately careful listening, you can also experience the inventive coexistence of sitar, electric bass and a battery of world percussion with the more usual instruments in the Paul Winter Consort (if oboe, English horn, cello and pipe organ can be called "usual") as well as all of the outstanding singing by the remarkable Ms. Osborn and the chorus of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The electric bass riff in "The Promise of a Fisherman" (based on the Afro-Brazilian chant "Iemanja") stands out, and adds further testimony to Paul Winter's own musical ecumenicism.

A full description, in Paul Winter's own words, of how the Missa Gaia came to be, can be found at his Living Music website (livingmusic.com/concerts/earthmass.html). The interested reader is encouraged to go to this web page to fill in the blanks that this regrettably short review cannot cover.

An essential Paul Winter "classic." Sheer joy from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Bob Zeidler

Average customer rating:

Brilliant Work Music
Excellent Intro to the World of Six Degrees
ear popping smorgasbord

Six Degrees 100
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ethnomixicology
Traveler 06: A Six Degrees Collection
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Latin Travels: Six Degrees Collection
Bombay Dub Orchestra

ASIN: B0001IXSY6
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Euphoria Delirium
Wally Brill A Loop in Time (Banco de Gaia Remix)
dj Cheb i Sabbah Kese Kese
Bob Holroyd Drumming Up a Storm
Issa Bagayogo Baro
Suba Felicidade
Bobi Cedes Lenu (Sounds of Summer Remix) feat. Rob Swift
Michael Franti & Spearhead Stay Human (Stereo Steambath Remix)
Bebel Gilberto So Nice (Summer Samba)
dZihan & Kamien Stiff Jazz
Batidos Tengo Sed (The Batidos Song)
MIDIval PunditZ Bhangra Fever
Banco de Gaia I Love Baby Cheesy (Radio Edit)
Karsh Kale Milan

Album Description

Six Degrees Records celebrates their 100'th release with this specially priced compilation. Six Degrees 100 features all of the label's most popular tracks performed by such artists as Bebel Gilberto, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Euphoria, Suba, dj Cheb i Sabbah, dZihan & Kamien and many others.

Hearing all of these tracks back to back provides ample proof that Six Degrees' reputation - innovative, independent, and intelligent - is well-earned. Since its first release in 1996, the label has made its mark quickly, producing genre-bending records that explore world music traditions, modern dance grooves, electronic music, and overlooked pop gems.

"What Six Degrees has put on the market has transformed forever the concept of electronic music." - La Banda Elastica

" Six Degrees has set college radio and music connoisseurs on their heads with their unique brand of electronic world music. The crossroads where past-meets-future and east-meets-west has set the world afire, and has set other labels scurrying around to contribute their own flames to the frenzy." - Ink 19,

"Six Degrees [has] garnered a formidable reputation with their unique blend of electronic world music and inspired myriad imitators." - BPM

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant Work Music.......2007-04-19

I thoroughly enjoy ambient techno (especially any that uses the tabla drum) when I am trying to concentrate on difficult problems or reports. This album has an amazing mix of different artists that come together seamlessly to relax my mind and focus my thoughts. I highly recommend it for any college student or over-worked cube monkey (like me)!

Excellent Intro to the World of Six Degrees .......2005-08-08

I love finding great comps like this one. The variety keeps things interesting and it's a great way to get turned on to new artists. Even if you don't find every track appealing, chances are you'll find much else to love if you like international flavors and have a sense of adventure.

For me, the most thrilling discovery I've made through this CD is dZihan & Kamien. Their modern take on Latin-jazz found on "Stiff Jazz" is at once relaxing and thrilling and I love the electronic touches. Some time ago, I fell in love with a certain David Bowie track called "South Horizon" from his BHUDDA OF SUBURBIA CD (see my review if interested). It's basically an excellent jazz track with techno elements mixed in. Since then I've been on the lookout for innovative variations on jazz that incorporate electronica, trip-hop, etc. If you have any suggestions for this kind of music, please get my e-address from my home page and drop me a line.

Other highlights: practically every track here is a highlight! There are other great examples of original, Latin-flavored jazz like "Lenu" by Bobi Cespedes with some stellar trumpet, vibes and fantastic drums. There's also some wild turntable action on this track that works amazingly well. The Michael Franti & Spearhead track is smooth and wonderful with a positive message. I also love the East Indian club track by MIDIval PunditZ and the Karsh Kale cut is epic and beautiful, love all those tablas.

If you're new to 6 DEGREES I would highly recommend getting this sampler. It's a great way to expand your musical horizons.

ear popping smorgasbord.......2004-04-10

I came to this collection in search of the track "Delirium" by Euphoria, which, with its slick guitar work, is an innovative invitation to the rest of the album. While originally intent on finding more Asian electronica, this international collection has an amazing array of gems, ranging from the sultry "Stay Human" and "So Nice (Summer Samba)" to the perky "Stiff Jazz" and "Bhangra Fever." Karsh Kale's "Milan" rounds out the collection. By the end of the collection, I feel as though I have taken a trip around the world, sampling a wide assortment of music from the four corners. Music for mutliple moods will be found here. It's also a great introduction to new artists that you may not have come across before. Having heard this collection, I'm on the search for more by Euphoria, Wally Brill, and Karsh Kale. I would also really be interested in hearing more of the Six Degrees albums. This is a great testament to the quality of the work of the label.

Average customer rating:

A classic that never grows old
Dance Extravaganza
A quick note
a landmark electronic music album
driving through mountains while the sun is rising

Last Train to Lhasa
Banco De Gaia
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Farewell Ferengistan
Maya
The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia
Big Men Cry
Igizeh

ASIN: B000065T21
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Last Train To Lhasa
Kuos
China (Clouds Not Mountains)
Amber
Kincajou
White Paint
887 (Structure)

Tracks:

Kuos (Gnomes Mix)
Kincajou (Duck! Asteroid)
Eagle (Small Steppa Mix)

Amazon.com

Banco de Gaia's long-out-of-print masterpiece runs wild with a hypnotic stream of world beat and ambient techno, successfully fusing elements of Eastern and Arabic music that would sound contrived in less talented hands. As a political statement, Last Train to Lhasa's subtle grace is an effective and eloquent way to express the tragic destruction of Tibetan culture in the face of Chinese occupation. But the strength of the listening experience will keep you coming back, regardless of your stance on the issue. The two-disc set jumps from choppy, Goa-style trance ("Kuos") to blue-room chill tunes ("China (clouds not mountains)") and the perfectly integrated chant samples of "Kincajou." Along with de Gaia's 1994 debut, Maya, Train crashed through stylistic barriers as if they didn't exist, helping pave the way for the now fashionable global techno and downtempo styles of artists like dZihan & Kamien and Gavin Hardkiss's Hawke alter ego. Kudos to Six Degrees Records for reissuing the work of this adventurous, reflective artist. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews:

A classic that never grows old.......2007-05-13

I first heard this album after downloading it from usenet. I fell in love with it immediately and went looking for more from this artist when I discovered the album was out of print! This became a big deal some months later when I had a hard drive crash and lost all my music. Fortunately, I was able to purchase it online via emusic's fantastic "25 track" introductory deal.

As luck would have it, a year or so later I AGAIN lost my music (no, I don't keep backups because usually it can all be found again) but am delighted to find that now this album has been reissued so I can at last PURCHASE it and have the CD on my shelf (the ultimate backup).

If you like techno, trance, ambient, house, or even "new age" you won't go wrong with this album. It's a fantastic journey that plays well in the car, at work, or late at night - whether alone or with someone special.

Dance Extravaganza.......2007-02-12

I think this style of music would be called House. It's the music you hear in a dance club. Thump thump thump thump thump for 7 minutes or so, then the thumping stops and a fluttering synthesizer swirls around long enough for you to catch your breathe and trip out for a while. Then the thumping starts again. Sort of like the 21st century version of disco. There are some interesting talking dubs here and there, and great rhythms, but nothing stands out as really creative or catchy. I wouldn't say it's bland necessarily, well maybe a little.

This is a good thing in my opinion. It's definitely not pop music, thank God. It's great in a club. It doesn't translate well to my home, though. Probably, this would be better for an ipod. If you are working out or running or dancing, this would be perfect. I don't know if it would be interesting enough for me while driving.

I would suggest downloading it from the internet rather than buying the CD. It looks like that is the way the industry is heading anyway. Who needs all those CD's stacked all over the place. Save the plastic for the take out containers and mesclun salad packaging. Maybe we should all just go digital.

I'd probably give it 3 1/2 stars, but that's not an option so it gets 3. Definitely not 4.

A quick note.......2006-09-01

I heard a track of this CD while driving, wrote down the name and ordered it immediately from Amazon. The main track -- Last Train to Lhasa -- is a classic. I have listened to it dozens of times and it doesn't get old.

It is electronic music, which I usually do not bother with, but Banco de Gaio is compelling. They have carried the train theme throughout the track, a drumming beat that becomes insistent as the song goes on and drives the mood and excitement. The long track develops vocals and instrumentals around the train theme. It dies out slowly, as does a train fading into the distance, and leaves you wanting to begin the piece again.

a landmark electronic music album.......2005-08-14

I absolutely adore this album. It's political without being brash (in fact, without very many words at all), it's got dance beats but it's not your standard formulaic techno, and it's got a nice variety of Eastern instruments and that worldbeat sound, but it's fresh and uncliched, and, like Paul Simon and Talking Heads and other great artists from the U.S. or the U.K. who borrowed from musical styles from elsewhere around the globe, this feels like true musical exploration rather than theft. Toby Marks is a musician, not a sample plunderer, and a whole lot in the electronic music world today (many of them on the Six Degrees label) quite possibly owe their musical existence to groundbreaking records like this one.

More important even than all of the sociopolitical ramifications of the record, the record is REALLY REALLY GOOD. It's much lighter and more delicate than what I've heard of "Maya," the album that immediately precedes this one. But this is not electromuzak, and I assure you even when it's not danceable (which is actually rather often), that it's not boring.

P.S. The mixes on the second disc are so unbelievably long that it's a little over the top. But who cares?! Disc 1 is great.

driving through mountains while the sun is rising.......2004-02-27

I bought this in the summer of 1995 - just in time for a long drive with beautiful weather. That whole weekend I was mesmerized by the music. I still am. And whenever I get the opportunity to take a long drive, I savor putting in this cd at just the right time - when there ain't much traffic and the scenery is beautiful. . .

Average customer rating:

Different!
Not bad, not great either
The Best Natural Music Full of Magick
CD holding open hands together creating waterfall!
The sounds of nature

Gaia
Kitaro
Manufacturer: Domo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Kojiki

ASIN: B000006ROB
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Yamadashi: Tanne/Prayer
Misty
Gaia
Wood Fairy
Satobiki
Kiotoshi

Amazon.com

Inspired by the centuries-old Onbashira Matsuri (Pillar Festival) in Japan, Gaia Onbashira is an ambitious work of programmatic (that is, inspired by an outside, non-musical event) music that combines ancient percussion and wind instruments with a modern approach and some excellent synthesizer work. This ambition is most fully realized on the two-part "Yamadashi," which progresses steadily from a low-key beginning to rhythmic, taiko-style drumming and singing. This progression from simple beginnings to more and more complex musical structures is a feature on this album; the only real exception is "Kiotoshi," which has a classical-style concerto construction. Kitaro's sweeping, cinematic style is impressive and often enchanting; one is often left wondering what would happen if he had a full orchestra to work with. --Genevieve Williams

Album Description

Gaia Onbashira is a musical exploration of respect and how it relates to ancient traditions. Gaia loosely translates to Goddess of the Earth or Mother Earth and Onbashira is a festival that occurs every seven years in Japan. During the Onbashira festival, eight individuals are chosen for spiritually cleansing. The participants ascend a mountain and attempt to spiritually connect with the heavens through the trees. These trees are then allowed to fall down the mountain and eventually become posts and the foundation of a ceremonial shrine. Through these events, these individuals learn to become more in touch with their spirits.

This album is a far-reaching journey that brings together influences of the East and West, past and present, history and future. These tracks resonate with earthly sounds and the history embodied in pre-Columbian wind and percussion instruments.

Customer Reviews:

Different!.......2002-05-23

This work though recognisably Kitaro is very Japanese and comes across as his "roots" music. If you just enjoy the melodic tracks such as Silk Road or Koi, you might find this a challenge but keep on going to the end cos Track 6 incorporating some spinetingling wailing is nothing short of sublime. Turn down the lights and turn up the volume - and be transported.

Not bad, not great either.......2002-01-19

On the whole this is a very typical `new age' release - not a genre I like very much. However, there is some good guitar work and interesting vocals in the first two or three tracks. Makes for nice listening. However, after that, it's pretty much downhill. Generally they start to sound the same, making it quite tiresome. If you like Kitaro I suppose you'll like "Gaia," otherwise look elsewhere for good mood music.

The Best Natural Music Full of Magick.......2000-07-27

His music flows and ebbs in so many ways. He is the master of his art and is one of the better composers of this time. Your mind can take the journey into a realm that is not quite human, but is deeply moving and spiritual. It envolves the mind, body and spirit which he implements to the fullest to make the best mixture of nature, music and spirit. I could not recommend a better CD to anyone who wants to relax or meditate and feel the moods of emotion that he lets the listener become a part of. Music this good should be shared by all.

CD holding open hands together creating waterfall!.......2000-07-20

Sorry folks, I cannot remember the name of Kitaro's first CD which I had. It simply disappeared one day. I used to lie on the couch when listening to his healing music and end up falling asleep peacefully, every single time. It sure did me so much good! I acquire "Gaia Onbashira" because I suspect I may be enjoying the same, original Kitaro-sound, which I go for a 100%! My guess is that his Christmas album should be a very worhwhile and classic CD to possess and I suppose I shall ending up having this one in my collection too! By the way, where happened to the "Silk Road"? I used to have those too and they are highly recommendable. There is nothing like nature! I brings out the best or the worst in one.

The sounds of nature.......2000-05-31

This Kitaro CD is one of the lushest, most ravishing of all. A fusion of spirit and nature. If there was music in the Garden of Eden, this would be it. It is the essence of Mother Earth singing to us.

Average customer rating:

Highly enjoyable for all.
Reconstructing the beauty of a Symposium
CD-Hypothesis

Melpomen: Ancient Greek Music

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Musique de la Grece Antique
Music of the Ancient Greeks
Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks
Ancient Egypt
Ankh: The Sound of Ancient Egypt

ASIN: B000BTE4LG
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

Akousate/Argos
Melomai
Sappho
Eros
Mater
Nomos M
Tenge Pleumonas Oino
Dithyrambos
Gaia
Daktylos Amera
Makrotatos
Anakreon
Perikleitos
Agallis
Dialogos
Mona
Protos
Ekleipsis
Proteron
Hypne Anax
Kretikos

Customer Reviews:

Highly enjoyable for all........2006-12-12

I enthusiastically recommend this recording to everyone, regardless of your musicological expertise. The novelty and variety of the music should be enough to draw in all but the most desensitized of the mainstream audience, and after repeated listenings a depth of enthusiastic musicianship is exposed. The mood ranges from the excruciatingly delicate lyre, falsetto, and chimes to the forcefully rhythmic hand-drums, shakers and (my personal favorite) the wooden double auloi that pack all the punch of a distortion guitar.

If, on the other hand, you are a bit of a scholar, this will please all but the most slavish positivist. This is not interpretation N of the Seikilos epitaph, and in fact I don't believe the notational fragments are at all represented on this recording. [It really shouldn't be attributed to "Ancient Greek Anonymous."] There are, however, rigorously-researched reconstructions of period instruments and relatively virtuosic performances. The melodies have been composed with a thorough appreciation for the greek vocal aesthetic, taking into account the tonality, rhythm and accent of the language and the fundamentally syllabic nature of ancient greek art song. Also well-represented is the "epicentric" melodic paradigm inherited from Sumeria, gravitating toward the central string, "mese".

My only disappointment is the lack of harmonic variety. The entire CD is performed in the diatonic genus (without even variations of chroma, unfortunately). In their defense, I admit that to modern ears the chromatic genus can sound like very bad jazz, and the enharmonic genus is (just as Plato said) prohibitively difficult for most singers. I sincerely hope this ensemble will explore them in future recordings. Nonetheless, this is most certainly not equal-tempered music, with an unmistakable, exciting "microtonal" spice.

I have owned this recording for a year, and it is one of my absolute favorites.

Reconstructing the beauty of a Symposium.......2006-04-27

The first remark concerns the instruments of this music, instruments that have been reconstituted on the model of the ancient ones. We will consider them as germanely faithful and they create sounds, a sound environment or ambience that is particularly original. The second remark is that this music is based on the pythagorian five-note scale (note Conrad Steinmann does not mention this pythagorian origin and the physical process used to determine the first five degrees based on vibrations, from C to G, but this process fails for A and B : these last two notes will be regulated and introduced in the scale only in the Renaissance) that corresponds to the first five degrees of our modern major scale. Then a second group of these five degrees and intervals are added to the first five in a second identical group constituting a ten-note scale that will be the basis of all western music up to the Renaissance, and thus the basis of all Christian sacred music of the Middle Ages, a music known as gregorian. So, in the surprising sound ambience we also recognize some elements we have already heard and enjoyed in our heritage. The next choice is to reconstitute the music of a symposium, a banquet with musical entertainment for free Athenian citizens, though there were no un-free citizens : it corresponds then to the extremely small minority of the people in Athens and ancient Greece who had civil rights because they were free. This music is based on texts from the poets of the time singing love and wine, the pleasures of love and wine and then the disruptive alienating impact of love. Finally the music itself is reconstituted from the tidbits that have survived, the accents, stresses and intonations of the language itself, and what we can know of the status of music in this free social elite. The result is very surprising. We will first mention the voices : only a (female) soprano and a/n (male) alto. This is a little bit too restrictive and it reduces the male voice to a very particular case. The music brings up some Mediterranean styles that will develop later on in Europe with medieval music and in the Arab world. We can hear some oriental passages, for instance in track # 9, ? Gaia ?. I will mention track # 18 on the sun eclipse of April 8, 648 B.C. that has a sombre depth created by the contrast between the soprano and the alto, and track # 20, ? Hypne Anax ?, in which the alto develops in his solo a vocal texture that is absolutely unexpected.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Universit? Paris Dauphine, Universit? Paris I Panth?on Sorbonne

CD-Hypothesis.......2006-02-12

Lyrics and the instruments on this record are authentic. Music is composed by Conrad Steinmann. So it is contemporary "newly imagined" music in Ancient Greek style.
His reconstruction based on 2 main sources: 1. careful re-creation of the instruments, which helps to understand playing techinc; 2. Ancient Greek language, because "Ancient Greek is subject to rhythmical rules that regulate the lengh of the syllables...[These rules were] reconciled with tonal order of the respective instrument".
The result of this re-construction could be described in one word - beautiful!
Arianna Savall (soprano) so beautifully sings well-known lyrics by Sappho ("He Seems to Me Like Unto Gods That Man Who Sits Opposite You", "Eros Shook My Heart") and Anacreon, Alcaios so you could buy this CD only to understand how beautiful and melodic was Ancient Greek language.
As example, many sources stated that verses by Sappho were sung and these songs seemed to Ancient Greeks very melodic, delicate and beautiful. And when you are reading modern translation or even original - you have to have great imagination to understand this musical aspect of the poetry.
Here you have original lyrics, English translation and the singing, so this CD could be a kind of the textbook for the student-historian of the Antiquty.
This CD-hypothesis could be also viewed not only as academic experiment but also as best CD of New Age World music in Ancient Greek style.
Well, and if you are decided to buy this CD, why not to listen to authenitic Ancient Greek music?
I highly recommend you CDs by ENSEMBLE DE ORGANOGRAPHIA "Music of Ancient Greeks" and "Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks" (North Pacific Music)!!!!

P.S. To compare different approaches to performance of the Antique music - try also European CDs - search the Web -
Annie Belis and Ensemble Kerylos "Ancient Greek Music" (label K617)
Musica Romana "Mesomedes" and "Symphonia Panica" (label Emmuty Records)

Average customer rating:

The only bad Banco de Gaia album... so far
Banco continues to be invigorating
A mixed bag
Excellent CD
Different, and not quite as good.

You Are Here
Banco de Gaia
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Farewell Ferengistan
Igizeh
The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia
Big Men Cry
Last Train to Lhasa

ASIN: B0001WENFU
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

Down From The Mountain
Zeus No Like Techno
Waking Up In Waco
Gray Over Gray
Tongue In Chic
Not My Name
We Are Here
Still Life

Amazon.com

No mere neophyte, Banco de Gaia's Toby Marks has been doing electronic music since rave culture's earliest clicks and blips. His music has changed, and You Are Here, the first Banco effort in four years, doesn't have the wealth of dub rhythms or the Arabic and Eastern melodies that marked the past five studio albums; instead, Marks embellishes his aerodynamic electronic grooves with abundant pop vocals - live singers (including fan favorite Jennifer Folkner on the soulful "Gray Over Gray") appear on four of the eight songs, and Marks uses sample software vocals for altogether stranger results on several tracks as well. The world has changed a lot in four years, and Toby Marks looked at this album's singers as a chance to get some things off his chest. He does a good job of making his points without being overtly didactic, proving that he's as tasteful with his use of the word as he is with a sampler. --Tad Hendrickson

Album Description

You Are Here is the first studio album by Banco De Gaia since Igizeh in 2000. The album is a series of musical snap shots of the world we live in as of 2003. From the classic Banco De Gaia floor filling booty-stomper "Zeus No Like Techno" to the introspective and haunting heart-felt tracks "Gray over Gray" and "Still Life," this new release sees Banco De Gaia back on world beating form and as difficult to classify as ever. You Are Here once again features the vocal talents of Jennifer Folker best known for her incredible performance on "Obsidian" from Banco's last studio album Igizeh

Customer Reviews:

The only bad Banco de Gaia album... so far.......2006-02-20

DJ ProFusion is right. I own every Banco de Gaia CD, except for the live album. All are basically excellent, with a few oddly clanging misfires; perhaps that's the price of experimentation.

Toby Marks slipped a little bit on the still-excellent previous album, Igizeh. On that one, the misfire was a painfully saccharine experiment in sentimentalized conventional songcraft, with a veeeeery earnest delivery by Jennifer Folker of lyrics that would hopefully be banned as too trite for a Hallmark card.

Disastrously, Marks has seen fit this time to fill an entire disc with same (the lone exception being track 2, Zeus No Like Techno, a kick-a** dance track squarely in the most commercial groove of the Banco tradition). I can only liken this album to having your mouth pried open and having an entire box of SugarTwin poured directly onto your tongue. Whether I buy another Banco de Gaia disc in my lifetime will depend 100% on whether this is a one-shot aberration, or the future of the act.

Recommendation if you're new to Banco: The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia. Despite the flat-footed title, it's a brilliant disc from start to finish.

Banco continues to be invigorating.......2005-08-14

As previous reviewers have said, this is not Banco de Gaia's best. However, Toby Marks is one of the greats of electronica, so it doesn't have to be his best to be good. This album is decidedly mellower than some of his earlier works, more reminiscent of "Big Men Cry" than "Maya." There's nothing as memorable as the amazing songs on "Last Train to Lhasa," but some of the songs are almost as good. Contrary to the opinion of some, I believe "Gray over Gray" is a superbly flowing track, as is "Not in My Name," as Toby once again demonstrates how he can make a song remain interesting for 10 minutes or more as few in the electronica world can (far fewer, anyway, than think they can). "Zeus No Like Techno" is a poor man's "Kincajou" and "Down From the Mountain" is rather reminiscent of the opening number in "Igizeh." Probably the low point for me is the synth-happy "Tongue in Chic," in which a solid beat is rather ruined by some vocals with all the sublety of Donald Trump. (Yes, this is the point of the song, but it is possible to oversatirize.) My other gripe is that a handful of the samples (the "freedom" chant between tracks 7 and 8 and a couple of the more paranoid rants in the first half of Waco), while politically provoking, are musically grating and annoying. But most of them fit. The rest of the album, particularly the thumping second half of "Waco" is another superb and inventive electronic outing. More synths and less Asian instruments, more ambient washes and less techno beats, more vocals and less instrumental numbers, but hey, let the master experiment. I only wonder what he's going to do next.

A mixed bag.......2005-04-23

Back in the studio for the first time in three years, Toby Marks seems to have a little difficulty finding his groove. It will disappoint those fans who yearn he return to his earlier style that culminated in Last Train to Lhasa. While The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia and Igizeh had a definitive theme and sound, such coherence is lacking in You Are Here.

"Zeus No Like Techno" is stunningly good. Marks brilliantly takes a Greek melody, twists it, turns it, plays with it and molds it with a driving techno beat. The opening track "Down From the Mountain" is also good. It begins with the Marks' signature extended crescendo (almost too long at over four minutes), building into a trippy beat and vibe that wonderfully sets up "Zeus No Like Techno."

But things then fall apart, as the CD descends into "Waking Up in Waco" a political track irreparably damaged by a tinny hip-hop beat. Even Jennifer Folkner can't save the ponderous "Gray Over Gray." Darkly moody, it attempts to be an introspective torch song, but before the end of its 12 minutes you want to open a vein to escape it. Things briefly pick up with "Tongue in Chic" and its silly trip hop dance fun, but then collapse again with the discordant and dull "Not in My Name" and "We Are Here." Finally, "Still Life" is so childishly horrible, with its samples and simplistic keyboards, it is hard to believe it is a Banco de Gaia track.

So, there are three good tracks, and five really bad ones. Let's hope Marks follows the trajectory of songs like "Zeus No Like Techno" and returns to form in the future.

Excellent CD.......2004-10-01

The other two reviews made me react strongly. Gray Over Gray is one of the most heart-warming and touching songs ever recorded. Sure it gives you shivers, but they are shivers of pleasure as you understand the depth of these lyrics and the power they carry. Amazing track that you should listen again after ten years if you're not mature enough to appreciate it now. Here's my complete review:

Excellent new album from the well-known Toby Marks. Exceeded all my expectations big time. Very varied and musical album, the delivers wide range of beats, sounds, moods and emotions, something for everybody here I guess. All the songs differ from each other very much, but still there's a nice flow though the album, even though individual tracks suit best for different situations. A really handy tool for all kinds of djs, dance or chillout. All tracks are just wonderful, so I just give a short description.

1. Down From The Mountain opens smooth and gently with ambient feeling and gently evolves adding some nice singing and percussions and finally reaching to groovy house mode. The longest intro I've ever heard for a dance song.

2. Zeus No Like Techno is a strong dance tune mixed to the previous song and the pace is increased gradually as we reach to the peak of the song with killer melodies and lots of fx and noises in the background. This is massive and would make any conscious dancefloor explode.

3. The beat is slowed down is Waking Up In Waco, which is roaming heavy breakbeat monster with lots of voice samples critizising all-american lifestyle that really draw your attention. A lighthearted hippie-style song kicks in in the breakdown and the beats go on.

4. Gray Over Gray is purely improvised song with Toby and the singer Jennifer Folker. She has the most beautiful and strong voice and this song is pure pleasure for those who appreciate. And it last 12 minutes. Quite sad at start but starts growing and the finale fills you with beauty and happiness and trust for better tomorrow. Maybe the most emotive/moody song I've ever heard.

5. Tongue In Chic. Jennifer Folker continues singing in this funny, uplifting tune, that sounds at first like a dance pop song for teenagers. But then the strong bassline blows your fears away and you can start digging this very special tune with witty vocals and you find yourself singing along the chorus. Very much fun indeed, I would play this in every teenage night club in the world.

6. Not In My Name starts with very annoying noise, and the song is wrapping around this noise. Soon it prooves to be a nice uptempo chillout song, something that reminds me Tosca or Rodney Hunter, but Banco style you know.

7. We Are Here is the most recognizable of Banco's previous work. All the elements we love are here, just lifted to a new level.

8. Still Life ends the album with strong demands for freedom which blend into the most evoking power-ballad you could imagine. This will blow your mind if you're lucky to be in love and even if you're not. This was the last song I played in the Space of Joy - gathering in Russia (13.- 15.8.2004) and it was also the last song of the party. What a wonderful way to end a beautiful experience anywhere.

Highly recommend for anybody who likes anything nice :)

Different, and not quite as good........2004-07-21

Banco de Gaia's sixth studio is different than any of his previous releases. The difference is a focus on more upfront melody, and structured pop songs vice the ethnic ambience featured on previous efforts. The results are mixed. The outstanding opener, "Down From The Mountain", is a haunting epic more in what we're used to from previous BDG releases. A slow droning synth (almost cathedral in the mood it creates) is overlaid by a soothing, ethnic, almost child like vocal. Absolutely superb. The song eventually builds to an explosive conclusion that leads perfectly to the albums first single, "Zeus No Like Techno". A floor filling beat and grinding bass are overlaid with slashes of latin guitar strings. Very catchy indeed.

But here, things go a little south. "Waking Up In Waco" is just grating with it's hodge-podge samples, and "Gray Over Gray" is just irritating and boring. Very dissapointing after Jennifer Folker's gorgeous "Obsidian" performance. What happened?

Jennifer Folker contributes her voice again on "Tounge In Chic", which might be the closest thing Toby Marks' has ever written to a pop song. The bubbling synth, and verse/chorus (gasp!) song structure make for a very good, and very catchy tune. Here Jennifer Folkner shines. The rest of the album is less descript, sounding more like filler from previous Banco albums. "Not In My Name" is good, but "We Are Here" and "Still Life" just don't really stand out as anything better than average. So, aside from the first two tracks, "Tounge In Chic", and "Not In My Name", nothing really caught my ear. Kind of dissapointing considering the scope of his previous work. For those unfamilier with Banco's previous work, try his Last Train to Lhasa or Big Men Cry albums instead.

Average customer rating:

recipe for magic... taste it!
Banco de Gaia - 'Igizeh' (Six Degrees)
More Magical Sounds
it's a vacation
Inner-Gyptian Journey Tracks

Igizeh
Banco de Gaia
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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You Are Here
Maya
Farewell Ferengistan
The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia
Big Men Cry

ASIN: B00004Y9Y1
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Seti I
Obsidian
Creme Egg
Glove Puppet (Vocal Version)
Gizeh
How Much Reality Can You Take?
B2
Fake It Till You Make It
Sixty Sixteen (For Karina)

Amazon.com

Toby Marks, the musical alchemist behind Banco de Gaia, made his reputation by infusing Asian and Middle Eastern musical elements into his dub mixes, resulting in a compelling world music-electronica hybrid. For Igizeh, he has further blurred the constituent genres' boundaries, softening the house beat just a bit and letting his disparate inspirations swirl into a dreamy, intoxicating sonic daydream. If that's the club's loss, it's certainly the listener's gain. Much of the album was recorded in Egypt (including segments produced inside the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Temple of Seti I at Thebes), but to his credit Marks cannily avoids many easy world music and ambient clichés; Jennifer Folkes's soulful vocals on "Obsidian" and "Glove Puppet" are not the least of the stylish balancing act between East and West presented herein. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

recipe for magic... taste it!.......2006-08-25

You take some Pink Floyd, a bit of Groove Armada, two slices of Chemical Brothers, maybe a little bit of Moby, you cover it with high quality ethnic chill ambientation cream (and not the usual samples we ALWAYS get to have in this genre), also a pinch of psychedelic, you mix it, you shake it, you blend it, you twist it, use it as a maraca, and there you have it!!! BANCO DE GAIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Banco de Gaia - 'Igizeh' (Six Degrees).......2005-01-06

'Igizeh' is the artist's sixth album.I,guess Banco de Gaia IS basically one musician,multi-instrumentalist Toby Marks.Helping him in the making of 'Igizeh' is session vocalist,known in certain music circles-Jennifer Folker.Best way to describe this CD is good ambient techno with a trippy vibe to it.The cuts that I found most impressive were "Obsidian",the state-of-the-art trancedelic "Creme Egg","How Much Reality Can You Take?","B2"(sort of reminds me of the Anubian Lights)and the eleven-minute "Fake It Till You Make It".Not a bad find.Might appeal to fans of System 7,Eat Static and The Orb.

More Magical Sounds.......2003-04-26

Bottom Line: Igizeh is Egyptian inspired, and parts of it was recorded at the Great Pyramid. Marks brews a magical blend of of instruments, sound effects, and uplifting chants.

The opening track "Seti I" starts off softly. All you hear at first is a distant voice, like an Islamic call to prayer, and a soft ambient hum. Gradually, very gradually, more instruments join in. Drums, tambourine, keyboards, then a vocal wail. It ramps up slowly building in volume and sophistication of theme until the chant begins. The volume and intensity continues to build and it isn't until five minutes into the song that it finally reaches full bore. Though highly unusual it is very effective. You are by now thoroughly hooked by the driving beat and the stirring group chant and mesmerized by the fluttering about of electronic themes. It is a journey to a distant land where you are sitting in on a tribal song. Though the song is long at well over eight minutes, it still seems too short.

"Obsidian" is great song featuring a fabulous vocal performance by Jennifer Folker. Part torch song part techno dance track, Obsidian has a very catchy tune, impassioned singing and a very dancey beat. The lyrics switch between English and other languages and non-languages, with the key English verse being "visions of yesterday, today." Hopefully some club DJs will pick up on this great song. The song inspired a remix CD.

A male Indian vocalist starts it out "Crème Egg," giving way to an electronic interlude with a speed reminiscent of "Flight of the Bumblebee." The middle section features a south Asian chanter wonderfully mixed with swirling synthesizer, bass, and drums. It concludes again with the original vocalist.

Marks had released an instrumental version of "Glove Puppet" on The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia. Here, he adds a stunning emotive vocal by Jennifer Folker, improving an already great song exponentially. The very emotional lyrics are superbly sung by Folker and the electronics and vocals form a deep gothic song.

"Gizeh" is a very odd tune. Vocal samples of strange muffled shouts, the words or even language of which are indecipherable. Synthesized strings provide a Beethovenesque feel. The song is very grand in scope

"How Much Reality Can You Take?" is a sitar song in the tradition of Ananda Shankar. Upbeat from the very first bar, it is a hard driving psychedelic trip. Marks sets down the central sitar theme than plays with variations on it throughout the song, the same approach Orbital uses. Secondary themes from percussion and keyboards call and respond to the sitar. Very fast and energetic, it is impossible to sit still listening to it. It really shows off Mark's composing skill.

"B2" considerably slows down the pace with an ambient-tinged song. Synth and female backing vocals lay down a pleasant groove joined by a woodwind solo (synthesized but sounding most like a flute). Spacey and trippy.

"Fake It Till You Make It" is like a lighter version of Gizeh, with similar samples but more emphasis on the strings. About five minutes in it suddenly shifts into an early 70's funk groove and before you know it you are hearing a Hammond organ jam session. What the . . . . Unexpected but kinda cool, oops, I mean groovy. After the three minute jam session, we return to the earlier theme. At nearly 12 minutes, the song is a bit long for what it has to offer.

"Sixty Sixteen" begins with a church-like organ solo gradually replaced by a steel guitar in turn replaced by synthed strings. It is an atmospheric song gradually picking up the pace then slowing back down again.

In sum, Igizeh is mostly a trippy space album, grandiose in scale, at times reminiscent of Tangerine Dream. Really, the nine tracks are four songs. Tracks 1, 2, 4, and 6 being discrete entities, while the rest are all different expressions of the same basic musical theme. This is not a criticism as it works quite well. But unless that theme grabs you, you will get bored before you get to the end of the album. I think that explains the organ jam mid way through track 8. Still, there is so much to like about this CD. Igizeh definitely establishes Banco de Gaia as one of the foremost world fusion artists.

it's a vacation.......2003-04-22

The whole theme of this one is "vacation," and Toby Marks did after all record most of the tracks inside various ancient Egyption monuments. Sounds like it, too... there's a general feeling of echoing ancient ambience to this whole disc.
It feels a bit like Marks was in vacation mode when he wrote this, too... it's not as sharp, unique, or original as previous releases, and a couple of the tracks don't really seem to go anywhere or are bogged down in their own reverb.
I give this four stars because it's still Banco and has Banco's stamp of technically mastery and musical intrigue. But never has there been a greater divide between the haves and the have-nots on one of his albums. "Obsidian," for instance, is a marvelous track reminiscent of earlier dancey efforts like "Heliopolis" and "Data Inadequate." "Gizeh," the sort-of title track, takes a while to develop but is a methodical and awe-inspiring journey. And "Sixty Sixteen" and "Creme Egg" display Marks' love of complex and varied beats. Both tracks are excellent.
The rest of them just don't have the same intensity and drive and end up feeling almost irrelevant. This is the least essential album Banco de Gaia has made. It's a tribute to his talent and creativity that it was well worth my money anyway.

Inner-Gyptian Journey Tracks.......2002-02-10

1) Seti I: Slow, root chakra build into chants, birds, and distant children. Impending -- an air of expectation. Tar & dumbeks bring in rhythm tracks as ululating cries penetrate, a wild dance of the breaking dawn or maybe a Ghengis Khan and his musical hoards descending to liberate captive children from their schoolbooks. As with many tracks on this CD, distant voices, not quite understood, evoke and compel, suggest and draw out meanings hidden just below the surface.

2) Obsidian: Whispers of a pulsating white light with flowing & merging synth chords -- UFO entities descend in a maelstrom of 150+ bpm light & nimble dance. Soaring, airy vocals weave between flowing and staccato elements. The driving dance gives way, in the end, to layered vocals.

3) Creme Egg: Chanting & percussion, layering in synths, and finally adding vocal choruses reminiscent of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

4) Glove Puppet: Mournful strings and synth with plaintive female vocals "please remember what I look like ... tried to burn me, wouldn't listen, I died ..." The voice of every girlfriend I ever walked away from.

5) Gizeh: Begins with the moan of the dead and the command of their demon taskmasters. Slow synthesizers slide in with hints of percussion. Exotic reed sounds come to dominate. Pain. Frenetic percussion with a heavy rhythmic percussive synthesizer (sharp attack with moderate sustain) fades & builds to complement reeds. Crescendos with underlying undecipherable muttering voices before a denouement that ends with a short spoken Arabic (?) phrase.

6) How Much Reality Can You Take?: Ambient world dance track. Repeats the same loop for the first minute, gradually adding instruments, then lets synthesizers carry melody and move on.

7) B2: Flowing, lyrical slow dance. Opening, mind-opening, eye-opening, eyes closed. Whispering airy voices. Vox Dea. Flowing synthesizers, strings over rhythms.

8) Fake it Til you Make It: Starts with echoes of a fascist harangue and marching feet, moves into a flowing and Floydescent guitar. Psychedelically modulated, like some Dark Side of the Moon out take. Yet, this is not really derivative, it continues to maintain continuity with Igizeh. Gradually fades out at about five minutes ... "you don't have to be sad to cry" ... an upbeat synth drum pattern erupts, a trap set jams in, then keyboards, like the Deep Purple organist on a shamanic journey--an Egyptian shamanic journey. After about four minutes of that, the music shifts back to its original Floydescent mode, although with different instrumentation until it fades out. At 11 minutes plus, the longest piece on the disk.

9) Sixty Sixteen: Moody tone poem, open in stillness. Slow, drifting with exotic plucked melody over electronic chords. Evolves. Builds. Place of stillness. Slightly more insistent motif briefly prevails, then shrinks as all fades out to the winds.

Tracks:

Down Deep (Jean-Luc Herlle)
Wings Over the Prairie (Lang Elliott)
Dian's Family (Bernie Krause)
Dreams and Memories (Hans Ulrich Werner/Michael Rsenberg)
Lakeside Rhapsody (Jonathon Storm)
The Cry of Youth (Kathy Turco)
The Emergent Pond (David Dunn)
Sylvan Afternoon (Walter Tilgner)
Tuvan Roundup (Ted Levin/Joel Gordon)
The Song of This Place (Sabine Breitsameter)
Challenge (Jonathon Storm)
Venezuelan Wonderfrogs (Jean Roch)
Beneath the Forest Floor (Hildegard Westerkamp)

Tracks:

Village/Cricket (David Dunn/Hildegard Westerkamp)
La Selva (Francisco Lopez)
Sora Dawn (Lang Elliott)
Morning in Tsavo (Jean Roch)
River Red Gums (David Lumsdaine)
Water's First Breath (Jonathon Storm)
Weddell Space (Douglas Quin)
Subsonic Sirens (Michel Barataud)
River Mara at Night (Chris Watson)
Echo Pond (Ruth Happel)
Elephant Slumber (Chris Watson)

Album Description

Experience the future of nature audio, with 19 of the world's soundscape innovators as your guides. 2 CD set (with 48 page booklet) features career highlights from producers who are breaking from the bounds of "nature sounds" as we've known them.

Disc One is a real ear-opener, featuring surprising and engaging natural soundscapes, two excursions into urban soundings, and a taste of composing with transformed field recordings. Disc Two is more subtle, asking us to enter into a state of "deep listening." It features longer cuts, arranged as a day cycle, from pre-dawn to the middle of the next night, with each voicing of the planet being long enough to begin to cast its own particular spell.

Your ears will never be the same. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Phonography Defined.......2006-04-02

The art of phonography -- capturing sounds the way a photographer captures sights -- permits as many approaches and points of view as its more established brother artforms. There are the "realists" like Bernie Krause (akin perhaps to Norman Rockwell or Diane Arbus), abtractionists like Michael Rusenberg, interpreters like Lang Elliott, and avant-garde reinterpreters like David Dunn.

All of these artists (and 15 more!) appear on this comprehensive two-hour survey of the art of soundscape recording, some from EarthEar's own productions and many more lent to the production by the recordists themselves. It is a beautifully-produced and massively-rewarding listen, mind and ear-opening in extremis. Editor and EarthEar founder Jim Cummings must be commended for this project's incredible scope and range.

very mellow.......2001-04-25

Lots of sounds of nature. Good for when you want to listen to something subtle, like for medatation, or going to sleep, or wish you were out in the forest.

Schubert: Trio, Op. 99 / Nocturne, Op. 148

Average customer rating:

Spirited performance and beautiful recording

Schubert: Trio, Op. 99 / Nocturne, Op. 148

Manufacturer: Winter & Winter
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Franz Schubert: Trio in Es-Dur, Op. 100; Sonate in B-Dur
Brahms: Piano Quartet, Op. 60 / Piano Quintet, Op. 34

ASIN: B00000AFOG
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

Trio In B-Dur Fur Piano, Violine Und Violoncello, Op. 99 (D 898): Allegro moderato
Trio In B-Dur Fur Piano, Violine Und Violoncello, Op. 99 (D 898): Andante un poco mosso
Trio In B-Dur Fur Piano, Violine Und Violoncello, Op. 99 (D 898): Scherzo
Trio In B-Dur Fur Piano, Violine Und Violoncello, Op. 99 (D 898): Rondo
Trio Fur Piano, Violine Und Violoncello Notturno In Es-Dur (D 897) Adagio Op. 148

Customer Reviews:

Spirited performance and beautiful recording.......1998-11-22

Wonderful!

This is a lively and spirited performance of a classic Schubert Trio piece. You will not be disappointed. I can't seem to get the disk out of my CD changer.

The 20-bit "un-processed" recording is flawless. The sonic quality is outstanding and serves to highlight the venue, which in this case is the Villa Medici in Briosco. Great soundstage.

The Italian "La Gaia Scienza" trio (note Amazon's typo) is definitely in command of the material. Two of the artists (F. Valli - Fortepiano and P. Beschi - Violincello) teach at the Como conservatoire. The third (S. Barneschi - Violin) teaches at the Scuola Civica in Milano. The playing is sleek, with a certain degree of playfulness--especially in the Scherzo. The Rondo is played quite forcefully.

Although the B-flat trio is the obvious highlight of the disk, the accompanying E-flat nocturne is no less enjoyable.

As if the 1997 performance and recording were not enough, this release on the German Winter & Winter label is tastefully packaged in a form that nicely complements the performance. The CD case is textured cardboard and liner notes are permanently attached in booklet form. Liner notes are printed in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese.

My only complaint is that the liner notes are a bit sparse. But who needs to read when you have music like this to enjoy!

Music Track: