Gripe as I might about how Youtube has become a commonly excepted avenue for the public’s music consumption, I’m still thankful for it in alot of ways. That suggestion side bar just sometimes seems to do wonders, or at least more than the recommendations from often times useless internet radio sites like Pandora ever help. I’m not even sure of the initial path of whatever rabbit-hole I fell down when I discovered this album was, but I discovered this fusion of traditional Japanese music and prog/psych-rock months ago and I’ve been addicted to it since.
I was not aware of Osamu Kitajima’s existence before diving into this album but apparently he’s a legend of psychedelic and new-age music who has had a long-running career, but Benzaiten is often talked about as his best work. It’s these fusions that combine traditional and modern popular music elements that are usually pretty cheesy or tacked-on feeling, but Kitajima somehow makes traditional Japanese percussion, strings, and vocals feel right at home with his deeply trippy psych-funk and prog jams. So much so that when the devilish wah-wah guitar cuts in on “Tengu ” that you might not be able to tell which side it came from, if it did come from one. The songs range from funky to meditative, dark, and spiritual and make up quite a listening experience as a whole. The deliciously chunky P-bass thumping certainly adds to the flavor as well as the rich array of both electric and acoustic instruments. So that’s where Grails might have gotten in from…..
The (slightly) Discerning Bassist 