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Kojiki
20-Bit Digitally Remastered
CD
1997
Domo Records
71063-2
Kojiki
This story is adapted from the original Kojiki, the ancient chronicle of the creation of Japan.
Chapter 1
Hajimari
In the Beginning
In the beginning, the heavens and the earth were one. The sky
was a mass of angry black clouds and the sea was nothing more than a seething,
murky swamp. Life as we know it did not exist.
Then one day the clouds began to swirl and grow, thunder crashed and a terrible
rain began to fall. It rained night and day for weeks and months, as if it had
done so forever.
At last the rain stopped, and the heavens and the earth had separated. From the
wather and mud the gods began to appear, like young shoots of grass springing
forth from the earth.
This is how the world began.
Chapter 2
Sozo
The Birth of a Land
The last of the gods to rise up from the chaos were Izanagi and the goddess Izanami. From the bridge of rainbows in Takamagahara, far above where the other gods live, they stirred the sea with a spear. When they resdrew the spear, the drops of mud that fell from it created a most beautiful group of islands. Izanagi and Izanami went to live in the land, and were married. There, Izanami gave birth to many gods including those of the wind, the sea, the mountains and the earth.
Chapter 3
Koi
Love and The Death of Izanami
The last god to be bron was the god fire, after which Izanami died. Her death caused her son Mikoto, the god of the night, terrible pain and grief. At last his father, Izanagi, disturbed at his son's weakness, expelled him from the land of the gods. After much wondering, Mikoto found himself in a village terrorized by the Eight-Headed Dragon and where the beautiful mailden Kushinadahime lived. It is here that Mikoto first discovered love.
Chapter 4
Orochi
The Eight-Headed Dragon
The dragon was a terrible creature with eyes as red as Chinese lanterns. It had eight giant heads and tails long enough to span eight mountains and valleys. The monster dragon had already destroyed the village and devoured Kushinadahime's seven sisters, and it was feared he would soon return to claim the fair maiden. Using all of his cunning and strenth Mikoto defeated the monster in a long and brutal battle.
Chapter 5
Nageki
Sorrow in a World of Darkness
After Mikoto was thrown out of the land of gods, his sister Hikaru, goddess of the sun, took pity on him and invited him to come live with her in Takamagahara. Mikoto was happy to do so, but his mischief soon caused Hikaru much grief. Hikaru fell into great despair and went to hide in the Celestial Rock Cave, plunging the world into total darkness. For this, Mikoto was thrown out of Takamagahara.
Chapter 6
Matsuri
The Festival
Mikoto prayed and prayed to his father izanagi to get Hikaru to come out from the cave. Meanwhile, some of the other gods gathered around the cave to sing and dance in a happy and joyous festival. Hikaru, thinking it strange that people were holding the festival in the dark and cold world, opened the stone gate before the cave to see what was happening. Just then Tajikaro, the god of strenth, pushed away the stone and pulled Hikaro from the cave. The festival had been nothing but a trick.
Chapter 7
Reimei
The New Dawn
As HiKaru came out from the cave, her light shown brilliantly
in Takamagahara and throughtout all the lands. Flowers began to bloom, birds
began to sing and peace returned. With Hikaru's blessing, Mikoto and
Kushinadahime were married and lived a happily ever after. It was the beginning
of a new dawn in Yamato (Japen).
Produced by:
KITARO
Associate Producer
REIJIRO KOROKU
Executive Producers:
YOKICHI "KAICHO" OHSATO
HISASHI YAMAMOTO
All Songs Written and Arranged by:
KITARO
Musical Supervisor:
REIJIRO KOROKU
Concept:
GOOFY MOTI
Recorded at:
KITARO'S STUDIO (JAPAN)
SKYWALKER STUDIO (SAN FRANCISCO, CA)
Mixed at:
SKYWALKER STUDIO
Recorded and Mixed by:
TOM FLYE
Assistant Engineers:
BOB EDWARDS
M.T. SILVIA
Mastered by:
GEORGE MARINO AT STERLING SOUND (NEW YORK CITY)
Assistant Engineer.
NOBORU KATOH
Direction & Management.
EIICHI NAITO & PENNY MUCK
FOR DOMO MUSIC GROUP, INC.
Digitally Remastered at:
THE MASTERING LAB BY DOUG SAX
Art Direction:
GOOFY MORI
Design:
MASAKAZU HIRAO (HEYS)
Sumie Drawing:
MIYUKI UEDA
Photograpby:
JUN KOBAYASHI
KAZUNOBU YANAGI
Translation & Editing
RONALD STERNBERG
ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS
Electric Bass
KOHHACHI ITOH
Keybaords:
YASUO OGATA
Guitar:
HIROSHI ARAKI
Drums:
SYOJI FUJII
Timpani:
HIDEO FUNAMOTO
Violin:
STEVEN KINDLER*
SKY-WALKER SYMPHONY STRINGS
Musical Director:
GREG SUDMEIER
Concertmasters:
NATHAN RUBIN
JEREMY COHEN
1st Violins:
STEVEN KINDLER*
ADRIENNE DUCKWORTH
JIM SHALLENBERGER
STEFAN HERSH
CAROL SCHWAMBERGER
JENNY AMADOR
SARA USHER
EMILY VAN VALKENBERG
CLIFF FOSTER
Principal 2nd Violin:
GREG MAZMANIAN
2nd Violin:
CARLA PICCHI
SHARON CALONICO
IRENE SAGER
TRISTAN LEHNERT
RON ERICKSON
JOHN TENNEY
ELINE VAN DEN ENDE
Principal Viola:
RUTH FREEMAN
Violas.
ROXANNE JACOBSON
JIM HURLEY
LINDA GHIDOSSI-DELUCA
PAUL ERLICH
Principal Cello:
DAN REITER
Cellos:
JENNEY CULP
THALIA MOORE
TERRY ADAMS
SHARON O'CONNER
Principal Bass:
SHINJI ESHIMA
Basses:
JEFF NEIGHBOR
PAT KLOBAS
MARK DRURY
TIM SPEARS
Special Thanks to:
YUKI & RYUNOSUKE TAKAHASHI
KAZU & MAYUMI YANAGI
MICKEY HART
GEORGE LUCAS
LINDA LIVINGSTON
JEAN WALKINSHAW
RURIKO SAKUMI-DUER
SYNDEE A.BARWICK
NORIO YAMAMOTO
EVERYONE AT AMUSE AMERICA
MARK ROMAN
SHELBY GLICK
TOKUGEN YAMAMOTO
KINICHIROH MAEDA
JIM BEHRINGER
KEN PARK
CASEY SCHUERELL
BRIAN BECVAR
MICHAEL BECKER
STEVEN KINDLER
TAMI BUTCHER
BOB NICKMAN AT STERLING SOUND
STAFF OF SKY-WALKER STUDIO
STAFF OF STERLING SOUND
KORG
YAMAHA
ROLAND
KURZWEIL
OTARI
OKADAYA
KITARO'S FANS AROUND THE WORLD
*STEVEN KINDLER appears courtesy of
GLOBAL PACIFIC RECORDS
FOR INFORMATION ON JOINING
"THE KITARO FAMILY" WRITE TO:
P.O. BOX 1717. BEVERLY HILLS,
CA 90209-3117
DOMO
© 1990 Amuse America Inc.
(P) 1997 Domo Records, Inc.
Manufactured and distributed by
Domo Records Europe Limited,
The Quadrangle,
49 Atalanta Street
London SW6 6TR.
Made in the European Union
e-mail: DomoEuropa@aol.com
http://www.domo.com
Rezensionen
Audio
Für sein neuestes Album nahm der japanische Klangzauberer Kitaro die altertümliche
Saga von der Entstehung seiner Heimat als Vorlage. Dabei begnügt sich der 37jährige
Bauernsohn, der durch den deutschen Elektroniker Klaus Schule 1972 zum
Synthesizer kam, nicht mit elek- tronischen Klangmalereien. Den fast klassisch
angelegten, in sieben Kapitel gegliederten Zyklus malt er mit Hilfe eines
kompletten Sym- phonieorchesters aus. Das hat Luftigkeit, Tiefe, emotionale
Dramatik und klangliche Dynamik. Nachhaltig beeindruckend.
© Audio
Stereoplay
Der japanische Weltverbesserer auf Tasten langt mal wieder in die vollen:
Drohend läßt Kitaro ein elektronisches Schlagzeug grollen, schmalzige Melodien
künden von der großen Liebe, und ein ganzes Streichorchester muß die Schöpfung
der Erde veranschaulichen. Kitaro vertonte mit "Kojiki" die
"Schriften aus alten Zeiten", eine Fabel- und Mythensammlung über die
Entstehung seiner Heimat, quasi das Nibelungenlied auf japanisch. Da läßt
Richard Wagner freundlich grüßen, zumal Kitaro den Deutschen als Vorbild
nennt. Der Vergleich hinkt natürlich: Zwar lieben beide den Bombast, Kitaros
Kompositionen sind aber weit simpler gestrickt und langweiliger arrangiert.
© Stereoplay