Search - Kitaro :: Mandala

Unique and wonderful

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 07/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of the 17 Kitaro CDs I have, this is one that gets quite a bit of play...he is truly the master of this type of music, with such a unique and identifiable sound...sadly, some of his very best recordings are now out of print (like "Ki"), but this one is very special, and contains one of his most delectable and melodic pieces, the "Dance of Sarasvati", which invites movement, if only in the imagination.It's one of those CDs where one track knits with the one that follows, and each piece is a delight...even the change from the very percussive "Chant from the Heart" to the exquisitely gentle "Crystal Tears" flows from one to the other. "Winds of Youth", with its plaintive shakuhachi (played by Seiho Miyazaki) is extraordinary, and perhaps my favorite of the 8 compositions.Kitaro once said "...it is my energy and joy and appreciation for life and living that I wish to share", and that he does with this CD, which is overflowing with life and joy."

The best Kitaro has ever been

Alejandra Vernon | 11/12/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have at least 15 different Kitaro albums. But no album comes close to perfection as this one. On his debut release, Oasis, and the many that followed, Kitaro performed on synthesizers. He captured your spirit in his ethereal music. Later, with the release of Kojiki, Heaven & Earth, and Dream, he changed to using less synths and more classical elements. This worked well, but it severely limited the capability of the music. The album Dream, which was almost ALL classical, was a fairly bad album. On Mandala, Kitaro has gone back to his roots in a new way. Synths are beautifully mixed with orchestral music. The opening title track is a prime example. A powerful orchestra, captivating electronic backgrounds, and a breathtaking guitar intro. The album does not stop there. Each of its 8 tracks are wonderfully done. It's one of the best albums I have. Try listening to it on headphones to get the full effect of this masterpiece."

One of Kitaro's finest moments! An instrumental classic.

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 12/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 1994, "Mandala" is one of the finest overall release from Japanese synthesist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Kitaro - and this is quite a compliment for an artist with such an impressive catalog! To give a bit of historical perspective; this album appeared a few years after the acclaimed release of Kitaro's majestic, orchestral concept work "Kojiki", a sentimental favorite of "new age music" fans, and certainly a hard act to follow! With "Mandala", Kitaro seemed to find inspiration by blending some new, exciting, and exotic sounds into his music (sitar, Native American flute, Oriental horns, etc.) while still holding on to those familiar synthesizer sounds that make him so distinctive as an artist. There is also more of an emphasis on electric guitars here, and Kitaro (who played most of the instuments himself) shows himself to be quite a gifted axe man. The album, as a whole, flows well from track to track, and there is a bit more musical diversity than is usally found on Kitaro's albums. The opening title track ("Mandala") begins with with a spacy, Pink Floyd-ish guitar/synth intro, then builds into a booming classical melody. There is also a bit of a Floyd-ian vibe on "Chant From the Heart", perhaps the closest that Kitaro has come to an out and out prog-rock tune (and stangely enough, for a song with "Chant" in its title, the actual vocal chanting is so submilinal that you may miss it enless you listen with a good set of headphones.) "Dance of Sarasvati" begins with a joyful vibe, then evolves into a more mysical groove with some strong middle eastern influences...then unepectedly evolves back to it's original theme! "Planet" is a short, gentle piece with classical overtones. "Crystal Tears" and "Scope" are both in the tradition of Kitaro's more atmpospheric compositions (the former featuring a great Tangerine Dream-inspired sequencer backdrop.) One of Kitaro's more unusual compositions, "Winds of Youth", begins in seeming chaos, then slowly evolves into into an tightly-structred piece fueled by some nice acoustic sounds (interestingly, the live version found on "An Enchanted Evening" bears little resemblance to the original recording found here.) But for me it is the album closer "Kokoro" that steals the show here. This is truly one of the most haunting melodies that Kitaro has ever crafted, and the intricate arrangement here (blending layers of wailing guitars, mellow synths, and orchestral percussion) simply swells with emotion! All in all, if you love Kitaro, new age music, or even some "world music" flavors, you can't go too far wrong with this one."