Tracks:
Daichi - Kitaro
Starting on a Journey - Yoshida Brothers
Desire - Stephen Deruby
Sleeping Woman - Luis Perez
New Moon - Luis Villegas
Peace Through Kindness - Nawang Khechog
Sicilienne - Classics for the Heart
Fisherman's Cancion - Randy Armstrong
Dark Passage - Dave Eggar
Paper in the Air, A - Agatsuma
Mediterranean Sunrise - Benedetti & Svoboda
Flying Celestial Nymphs - Yuan Xiaogang
Sympathy - Toshiyuki Honda
Cautionary Tale - Alex Wurman
Planet - Kitaro
Theme for Earthdance - Kitaro (previously unreleased)

Performer Notes:

• Domo 10th Anniversary Collection celebrates the Los Angeles-based imprint with 16 selections spanning its entire roster. New age vet Kitaro is the label's senior artist, and he gets the pole position here. Opener "Daichi" (from his 2002 Domo release An Ancient Journey) is an epic sweep of synthesizers and traditional instruments, while the gentle "Planet" is almost an interlude at just over two minutes. Meanwhile, the previously unreleased "Theme for Earthdance" features light percussion and a melody that mixes warm strings with a spacey keyboard effect for a feeling in between wistfulness and hope. Randy Armstrong's "Fisherman's Cancion" is a contemplative solo instrumental piece for acoustic guitar, and Fred Benedetti and George Svoboda interpret a "Mediterranean Sunrise" in breezy contemporary flamenco. But while pianist Dave Eggar's "Dark Passage" is definitely moody, it's too brief to make much of an impression on a compilation. Likewise, Agatsuma's "Paper in the Air" features some finger-knotting runs on the shamisen, the three-stringed Japanese instrument on which he is a master. But the track's synthesizer backgrounds are too vague, and don't suggest the experimentation found on Agatsuma's 2003 LP Beams. Tibetan musician Nawang Khechog makes more of an impression with "Peace Through Kindness," where intricate vocal harmonies mix with traditional woodwinds over an atmospheric percussive background. Luis Villegas' "New Moon" is also strong with its bright, highly melodic take on Latin guitar. Other Domo 10th Anniversary highlights include "Cautionary Tale," a jazzy outtake from Alex Wurman's score for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; and a piece from Japan's Yoshida Brothers, whose own interpretive powers on the shamisen bring the instrument into the 21st century. Their "Starting on a Journey" is an interesting mix of shamisen, piano, and graceful Japanese melody. ~ Johnny Loftus

Producer: Dino Malito (Compilation)

Format: CD (1 Disc); Stereo

Studio/Live: Studio

Release Date: 9 November, 2004

Label: Domo

Dimensions: 12.7 x 14.7 x 1 centimeters (0.06 kg)