Asian Drums

Product Description
Feel the presence of both heaven and earth through the pulsating rhythm of the Japanese taiko drums.

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, fragrant incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

(Also try "Asian Drums II" by this artist!)

Asian Drums,Kiyoshi Yoshida,Pacific Moon [Alleg],Asian,Drums,Int'l & World Music,New Age,Pop,World Fusion,Worldbeat

Average customer rating: A modern take on Japanese Taiko drumming Land of the Rising Sun......................... Pulsating and reverberating with a good sense of mood! Absolutely Phenomenal! powerful and mesmerizing; the CD in my player at all times

Asian Drums Kiyoshi Yoshida Manufacturer: Pacific Moon [Alleg] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Asian Drums II Samurai Collection Samurai Collection II Pacific Moon, Vol. 1-2 Drums of Tokyo ASIN: B00004RD74 Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

1. Rising Sun
2. Legend Of the Ocean
3. Forest
4. Mikado
5. Spirit
6. Forest II
7. Cherry Blossom
8. Another Day
9. Wave
10. Yamato
11. Forest III
12. Matsuri
13. Oiuchidaiko
14. Fireworks
15. Ending

Album Description

Feel the presence of both heaven and earth through the pulsating rhythm of the Japanese taiko drums.

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, fragrant incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

(Also try "Asian Drums II" by this artist!)

Customer Reviews:

A modern take on Japanese Taiko drumming.......2003-05-26

In "Asian Drums", the non-stop pounding of ancient Japanese Taiko drums is combined with a lush, brooding soundscape created by modern synthesizers. Composer and keyboardist Kiyoshi Yoshida handles the digital end of things, while Wakon, a group of Taiko drummers, provide the primal, deep-voiced rhythms. Occasional breaks from the drumming feature other traditional Japanese instruments, such as the shamisen (a plucked, banjo-like instrument), fue (Japanese flute) and bell, adding color and distinctive cultural character to the album. The resulting blend, which flows and blends together like a well-engineered movie soundtrack, is striking, driving and full of intrigue. More of the same can be found on the Yoshida's follow-up recording, "Asian Drums II". Another Japanese drumming ensemble which sometimes incorporates modern fusion elements is Kodo.

Land of the Rising Sun................................2001-04-15

The title is a bit deceiving. By the title alone people think this is a CD on taiko music. But what Kiyoshi Yoshida has accomplished is more along the lines of jazz-fusion group Hiroshima. From that standpoint this is an excellent CD. Yoshida takes the taiko, koto, synthesizers and many other instruments and creates a multilayered compilation of music that is Japanese and Western at the same time. The first song "Rising Sun" is a perfect example. I would suggest listening to the sample and getting a feel for what lies ahead. If you like that, you'll enjoy the rest as well.

As a taiko player in Los Angeles, I should say that listening to ANY kind of taiko music on CD isn't and can never be the same as experiencing a performance live. Part of the joy and excitement of taiko music is the PHYSICAL sensation that one feels by watching/listening to it. Taiko music is very much a physical experience because the sounds made by the drums rumble through your body like shockwaves during an explosion. You feel it down to your very soul. Those physical sensations can never be recreated through artificial means like video, audio or CDs. Even with a subwoofer the recreation is a poor substitute for the real thing. Believe me, it hasn't been done yet. Having said that, every OTHER element of this CD is great. You'll just have to "pretend" that the drums are rumbling through your body like an earthquake.

(It should be noted that "Ouichi Daiko" was actually composed and trademarked by Japanese taiko powerhouse Oedo Sukeroku. No credit was given on the CD but it should have been.)

Pulsating and reverberating with a good sense of mood!.......2001-01-19

After hearing this CD in a book store a few months back, I was taken by the combination of old-meets-new. After I left the store, I regretted not buying it, low and behold, I found it on the big A! Using the ancient drum the Taiko as a foundation for the CD, Kiyoshi Yoshida weaves ethnic feel with a modern flavor, weaving synthesizers and keyboards in a mix that is melodic, moody, and very memorable. Some of the tunes have haunting melodies that leave the listener in a spellbound state that never lets up. Clocking in at 44 minutes the CD is the perfect blend of tuneage for any listener. Higlights include: Rising Son, Mikado and Spirit. Listen in good health!

Absolutely Phenomenal!.......2000-07-09

For a debut album, this is an incredible peice of work. I am not a big synthesizer fan but the way Yoshida blends his sounds with the drums is truly inspired. I hope his next album is half as good as this one. It will be a tough act to follow. I have many CD's with a variety of Japanese music, from shakuhachi to Kodo, from Kabuki and Noh Theater to Hiroshima, and Asian Drums is a wonderful addition.

powerful and mesmerizing; the CD in my player at all times.......2000-07-02

The way Kiyoshi took the taiko drums and synthesizer and was able to put them together in the perfect way he did astounds me. Every song stirs spirit within me and takes me to "another world." I am excited to see what other works Kiyoshi Yoshida comes out with in the future!

Average customer rating:

Drums Along The Pacific Manufacturer: New Albion Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Harrison | Harrison, Lou | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: La Koro Sutro Serenado Music of Lou Harrison Lou Harrison: Works 1939-2000 Harrison: Piano Concerto/Suite For Violin, Piano And Small Orchestra ASIN: B00008Z47F Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

1. Threnody for Carlos Chavez
2. Simfony #13
3. Music for Violin with Various Instruments - European, Asian & African
4. Music for Violin with Various Instruments - European, Asian & African
5. Music for Violin with Various Instruments - European, Asian & African
6. Fugue
7. Song of Quetzalcoatl
8. Canticle #3
9. Solo to Anthony Cirone

Average customer rating: Superb percussion to the max. Turn it up! Very, very good. More mesmerizing fusion music w/ Japanese drumming

Asian Drums II Kiyoshi Yoshida Manufacturer: Pacific Moon [Alleg] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Asian Drums Samurai Collection Samurai Collection II Drums of Tokyo East Wind ASIN: B00005NTSI Release Date: 2001-09-04

Tracks:

1. A Circle Of Guilt
2. The Lucky Spirit
3. Flowers
4. Interlude
5. Duel
6. Summer Grass
7. Interlude
8. Mad Spider's Web
9. Obsidian
10. Interlude
11. The Secret Of Bamboo
12. Interlude
13. Wazawai
14. Midare Uchi
15. A Moment In Destiny

Album Description

Kiyoshi Yoshida's follow-up to his extremely popular Asian Drums album. Once again, he creates a mesmerizing set of compositions using traditional Japanese “wadaiko” drums, skillfully blended with the synthesizer. Let this hypnotic energy resonate within you!

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, removable incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

Superb percussion to the max. Turn it up!.......2007-07-03

I'm stingy with 5 star ratings, this is just short only because I would have liked the mic placement to have been a little less distant from the drums which to my ears are sometimes a little muddy. By contrast the strings and woodwinds are spot-on, clear and crisp. But that's a nit -- this is great stuff: well performed with a fascinating mix of traditional and modern. Generally this music is very upbeat, incense or not, this isn't music _I_ can relax to, I find it much too exciting for that; not music that I, for one, can sit still while listening. Oh, and I don't view that as a bad thing at all!!

I don't have the first of these but I've got a few others in the genre, including Kodo, and this fits right in but has a smoother, more polished feel probably because the drums aren't dominant on most tracks. Important, yes, dominant, no. Personally, I like both styles and if you've been exposed to something like Kodo and liked that, then I'd definitely recommend this to you as something equally good but just a little different.

Bottom line: recommended!

Very, very good........2007-04-24

This CD is really good. I have never listened to Kiyoshi Yoshida's work before this, and the only other thing I can compare it to is Uttara Kuru's East Wind, another new-age-type CD.
Burning the incense sticks that come with the album while you listen, is an extremely soothing experience. My favorite track is WAZAWAI which features nothing but drums. The other tracks generally have guitars, flutes, and traditional Japanese and Chinese instruments.

More mesmerizing fusion music w/ Japanese drumming.......2003-05-26

This album follows in the same vein as Yoshida's first "Asian Drums". Dark, driving, questing synthesizer compositions are underlaid by the deep pounding of accoustic drums. This time, the percussionists are the wadaiko drummers of the group Bonten, led by Masataka Kobayashi. Other instruments complimenting the drum and synthesizer soundscape include shamisen (a banjo-like instrument), shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), koto (a Japanese zither), dizi (traditional Chinese flute) and guitar. "Asian Drums II" is markedly similar to its predecessor in tone and style, but features the accoustic melody instruments a bit more. Both are great if you enjoy drumming music (and both smell nice too, as do all CDs from the Pacific Moon label, since the jewel cases contain sticks of incense). If you like Asian Drums, be sure to check out the work of another Japanese drumming group too--Kodo.

Average customer rating:

Copper Idiophones Over the Drums Manufacturer: Hugo ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music China | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music China | Far East | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004W1OV Release Date: 2000-07-25

Tracks:

1. Copper Idiophones Over the Drums
2. Night Dance
3. Quartalogue
4. Sketches of Tianshan
5. Sketches of Tianshan
6. Sketches of Tianshan
7. Of Existence
8. Music For Chinese Drums and Keyboard Percussion
9. Music For Chinese Drums and Keyboard Percussion
10. Music For Chinese Drums and Keyboard Percussion
11. Music For Chinese Drums and Keyboard Percussion
12. Music For Chinese Drums and Keyboard Percussion
13. Clamorous Flower Drums of the Lantern Festival
14. Toccata
15. Toccata
16. Toccata

Average customer rating:

Asian Drums II Kiyoshi Yoshida Manufacturer: Pacific Moon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000059WPL Release Date: 2001-02-21

Tracks:

1. A Circle Of Guilt
2. The Lucky Spirit
3. Flowers
4. Interlude
5. Duel
6. Summer Grass
7. Interlude
8. Mad Spider's Web
9. Obsidian
10. Interlude
11. The Secret Of Bamboo
12. Interlude
13. Wazawai
14. Midare Uchi
15. A Moment In Destiny

Average customer rating:

Asian Drums Kiyoshi Yoshida Manufacturer: Pacif ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00003WG86 Release Date: 1999-10-04

Tracks:

1. Rising Sun
2. Legend Of the Ocean
3. Forest
4. Mikado
5. Spirit
6. Forest II
7. Cherry Blossom
8. Another Day
9. Wave
10. Yamato
11. Forest III
12. Matsuri
13. Oiuchidaiko
14. Fireworks
15. Ending

Album Details

Asian Instrumental 'Healing' Music.

Average customer rating: A trip through the Verdun countryside really, really bad Innovative style - great CD Ethereal and Bombastic Wow!

Verdun Verdun Manufacturer: RCI ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Rock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0002AHSRG Release Date: 2004-05-24

Tracks:

1. Dream of the Black Horse
2. Page of Swords
3. Purple Haze
4. Stand By Your Man
5. Song to a Sparrow
6. April
7. Nightfall
8. Forty-seven
9. Fate

Album Description

Verdun blends driving rock guitar and drums with ethereal vocals and tastefully applied Asian elements. Guitarist Neal Barnard and drummer Mike Stetina lay down churning undercurrents, often in jolting 7/4 or 11/4 rhythms, while singers Martha Roebuck from Virginia Beach, VA, and Ngọc Hoàng from Saigon, Vietnam, add strikingly beautiful vocal lines. With Martha singing in English and Ngọc in Vietnamese, the music blends with dreamlike logic.

The band's take on Purple Haze is soulful and dramatic. The group's moody signature piece, Dream of the Black Horse, grew out of an ancient Vietnamese song, but is heavy on jungle-like drums and percussive guitar, bringing in the original Asian instruments in the middle section. The compositions are arty and original, varying between dissonance and simple beauty.

The band is named for the city in France that is both intensely beautiful and the site of one of the fiercest battles in history. The band's unusual music captures conflicting images as well: incredibly beautiful vocals over hard-hitting rhythms.

Customer Reviews:

A trip through the Verdun countryside.......2007-07-19

This album is quite amazing, really. With its rich mixture of styles, some of which possibly being thrown together for the first time, it sounds like Enya meeting Tesla in a dark alley in Ho Chi Minh City. But that still doesn't account for the covers of "Stand By Your Man", with its surprising male vocal, or a half-speed "Purple Haze", which are both entertaining but in understandably disparate ways. Innovation is not the only benchmark here, though. Neal Barnard's electric guitar sears and sings and is in the same class as some of the best axemen today. Martha Roebuck's voice is positively ethereal, and it would be a mistake to call Mike Stetina's drumming anything less than dynamic. He seems to have all the tools. 'Verdun' is not an easy transition if you've just played some AC/DC, but it should be given a chance on its own. It's a wild and welcome departure.

really, really bad.......2007-01-31

5 stars for this? I just can't believe it. Everything about this cd is bad. For music lovers out there- don't throw your money away. This cd is so bad i would not use a cd-r to record it on if I could get it for free. I sometimes buy cd-s based on reviews (that's how I got to listen to Erik Truffaz-for example) but this time I was wrong. Mediocre guitar playing, rythm machine and some singing that puts you asleep. "Purple haze" version is beyond ridiculous. Sounds like some kids that just got a new K-mart keyboard and they think they can do music. And it came on as you might also try... when I was checking out ER by Nills Peter Molvaer. ?????? Honestly, I couldn't even listen to it once. Yes, that BAD.

Innovative style - great CD.......2004-08-06

This CD is for anyone seeking a unique experience. It's refreshingly innovative without pretentious overtones. The songs are great stylistic combinations of music and vocals. This CD was obviously done by a knowledgeable and dedicated group of musicians, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to try something different.

Ethereal and Bombastic.......2004-08-03

This moody yet energetic album features beautiful, ethereal melodies floating over driving, occasionally bombastic rhythm lines-with a few Asian influences, both instrumental and vocal, tossed in for flavor.

My favorite songs, "Page of Swords" and "Song to a Sparrow, " feature gorgeous vocal lines supported by spare instrumentation. "Purple Haze" is fun--the ponderous tempo makes for an unusual yet interesting cover.

Highly recommended for fans of progressive jazz.

Wow!.......2004-06-18

I first heard these musicians on KFJC in their previous incarnation, and the new CD is fantastic. It has the same edgy guitar, but has added a wonderful touch with Martha's and Ngoc's vocals. Purple Haze is going to be the song that gets airplay, and rightly so, but the longer songs pack the most punch. The first song, Dream of the Black Horse, starts out with jungle rhythms, then breaks into traditional Vietnamese instrumentation before going back into hard-driving drums. All the while the vocals float along like mist. The last song, Fate, uses the band's usual weird rhythms and heavy bass under a featherlight vocal with wonderful lyrics. And the real jewel in this album is Song to a Sparrow, which I have played 10 times in a row and still want to hear it again.

Average customer rating:

Digitalia Manufacturer: Non ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAAASU Release Date: 2003-09-23

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