Kodo

What happens when three musical patterns align: a synthesizer genius, a Taiko drum troupe, and a traditional Peruvian band? Even after hearing this album, you might not be sure. On Nasca Fantasy, inspired by the Nasca drawings in Peru, Isao Tomita, a serious synthesizer artist; Kodo, the bearers of the torch for energetic Taiko drumming; and Kusillaqta, a quena and zampona group, all conspired to create a fusion of multiple sound worlds. The music is otherworldly. Of course, that's how Tomita envisioned the music. The Nasca region holds lines that give rise to speculation of UFO runways and the like. Tomita used this concept to the fullest, along with other stories from Peru of ancient cities lying beneath the plains, Australian aboriginal stories, and Japanese folklore. There's even a recording of a pulsar (presumably from a radio telescope) in the Vela constellation used on "Pulsar." From the liner notes, one can tell that the album is a mix of good humored fun as well as more serious environmental messages. Through the music though, one can experience the best that technology can offer when mixed with ancient instrumental ensembles. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide