Daylight , Moonlight: Live In Yakushiji

New age music and ancient shrines seem to work well together, as evidenced by top-selling concert CDs and videos (now DVDs) by Keiko Matsui and Yanni over the years. Kitaro's idea for a greatest-hits collection performed at the sacred Yakushiji Temple in Nara, the ancient Japanese capitol, is more about beauty and intimacy than sheer spectacle, although it would be fun to imagine this dramatic presentation in its native setting. The music on this double disc was taken from three live concerts in the summer of 2001, the first concerts ever presented in the temple proper. Not that you need the background to be swept away into the dreamy mysticism that defines Kitaro's twist on the universe, but this temple is the resting place of the ashes of Genjo Sanzo, the seventh century monk who walked the Silk Road from Japan to India, returning from India with the sacred texts that introduced Buddhism into China and Japan. This knowledge will help if you for some reason don't enjoy the lengthy chanted incantation that opens the disc. From there, Kitaro engages with his foundational synthesizer, Native American flute, guitar, Taiko drums, and, of course, nature sounds. He introduces "Hazimari/Sozo" with powerful thunder effects and then there's a pounding of drums over a sweeping symphony. The piece builds until it breaks into a gentle sweep of mystical synth harp and violin. His flute on "Caravansary" is especially poignant. He's calling his current tour Silk Road after the haunting piece of the same name which attempts to capture the mysticism of Sanzo's journey. Movie buffs will enjoy the beautiful closing rendering of the Golden Globe-winning theme to Heaven and Earth, which begins with strings before the violin sweeps the marching percussion in. A must-have for Kitaro fans and fans of music with ties to ancient Eastern cultures.