About

A TAV Curator’s Pick.

“East meets west through the compositions of ambient multi-instrumentalist and composer Osamu Kitjima. Working with long-time collaborator Christopher Mancinelli, Kitajima has combined solo recordings, film soundtracks and production work at his twenty four track analog and eight track digital recording studio, East Quest Studios, in Woodland Hills, CA.

Kitajima's soundtrack compositions have been heard in Japanese films such as Chugoku Kiko, Kokushimuso and China – The Unveiled Highlands, American films such as Samurai Cowboy and Captive Hearts and PBS documentaries such as Faces Of Japan, Japan Today and Voices From The Land. As a producer, Kitajima has overseen albums by Masakuzo Yoshizawa, Sayuri Ishikawa, Nobuhiro Ikehata and Mari Henmi.” – AllMusic

“His debut album in the United States on Antilles (Island Rec.) released in 1976, Benzaiten, was a mix of progressive rock and traditional Japanese music, and was well received in US, captured numerous "underground" radio airplay and sold moderately well, in addition it was released abroad later including Japan.

And the album was chosen as #1 special mention album on the major music trading paper WALRUS at that time.

"One of the year's most significant recordings ..... A true unification of Eastern and Western music, the kind that enhances both .... for breaking new ground .... Osamu must be considered extraordinary." - WALRUS

The song #1 "Benzaiten" was produced by the late Hal Yoergler who was one of the greatest producers of all-time in American pop music history.” – East Quest Records Inc

“Psychedelic Sounds International present a reissue of Osamu Kitajima's Benzaiten, originally released in 1976. Benzaiten is world music and ethno sounds with an obvious Japanese origin, meeting progressive rock and psych rock. The result is a captivating piece of melodic and deeply atmospheric music that paints pictures of life in ancient Japan.

 If Pink Floyd were Japanese, their music might have sounded like this album. The frequency of the arrangements on Benzaiten is reminiscent of what English prog bands created in the early to mid '70s, just with a different ethnical approach. Benzaiten is even a more progressive effort than anything most British bands have ever managed to fabricate and is still utterly natural and vivid concerning the flow of the music.

All participating musicians here are professionals and their performances are tight and still passionate. The sound is warm and vivid and the song structures are wide open and welcoming. Electronic elements in the percussion section add some oddity to the whole musical picture. The cool aspect of Benzaiten is the rocking guitar which keeps the whole album together. Must be the Japanese equivalent to German acts like Amon Düül II, Embryo and Guru Guru.” – Forced Exposure

Tracklist:

Item description: