Asian Traditional Music – Traditional Asian Music: Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Korean, Oriental Shamisen and Shakuhachi (2010)

It is no surprise that this sort of recording has been recorded in 2010, at the beginning of what is known as ‘Asian Century’. Indeed, China and India are rising powers at the time of writing, and their cultural influence will be vast and extensive. So what does this mean? It means that, aside from many other factors, we can enjoy more Oriental based traditional music, and this album is a great example of that. Let’s take a listen to this recording and we will see if it is any good.

We begin with Chinese Celebration Flute which begins with some keyboard string patches, and a beautiful flute style wind instrument here. It is okay, but nothing hugely special here. One would think that this could be bettered, and it could be. Not really a good start to the album here.

Following is Chinese Music which begins with the same flute sound that sounds like a keyboard patch. If this is all that there is to this album, this is pretty pathetic. A better idea would have been to save these melodies for a better musical environment. Sadly, this is not so. Ordinary music is here, folks.

Modern Chinese Melody enters with some guitar melodies and a flute to go along with it. This is very much a Western interpretation of ancient Chinese musicianship. Unfortunately, it is not using authentic Chinese instrumentation here, and it should. Still, a gentle and relaxing listen all the same. Very soft and beautiful sounding.

Asian Beat begins with bongo beats and piano (why?!) and launches into a good piece, which is ruined by the Western setting for it. Okay, experimentation is good and all, just not when you are recording traditional music. A real shame, this butchered piece deserves better. Worth ignoring or skipping, if you can.

Next is Japanese Flute With Wasabi which has a beautiful flute melody to begin with, which is a relief from the Western instrumentation of the previous two tracks. It does sound very good, although this is likely a keyboard patch, not an actual flute melody. It sounds heroic, if anything. Okay, but only okay.

Following is Japanese Peace Song which has a beautiful opening melody and is very much more of the same. This is not a very flattering album, particularly as it sounds as though the flute with these melodies being played sounds like a keyboard patch. Still, it’s okay, but not fantastic in this sense.

Anraku (Comfort) Japanese Music is next, and is more of the same. Unfortunately, this is not authentic Asian music and sounds like someone playing a keyboard patch with no other instrumentation at all. Dull. Don’t listen to this unless you really need to do so. It’s okay, but very boring. This isn’t even good background music, it is enough to send you to sleep. What a weird album.

Sentaku (Choice) Japanese Music begins with piano and melancholy melodies, along with the same flute patch. At this point, you can probably turn this album off and go and do something else. It is throwaway garbage and unimpressive. Nothing interesting is coming from this album, it is enough to send you nuts. A poor effort.

Up next is Kinkou (Beast) Japanese Music begins, yet again, with more bongos and flute melodies. There is no way one should listen to this trashy music. Fortunately, you can choose not to do so. An appalling album with nothing special about it, this is supposed to be Oriental music, not someone fiddling around with a keyboard. Bad, do avoid this one as well.

Following is Taiwan Music (Spirits) which is more of the same. That is literally it, there is no good hearing this album, it is a fake product. Traditional Asian Music? You must be joking, there is no way that this is that. Avoid totally, this is a very disappointing musical listen. Sad.

Yokubou (Desire) Japanese Music has more flute melodies, by this point are overkill here. No real variety, just the same keyboard patch playing supposedly interesting melodies over and over again. This is a bad product, and is really not worth hearing at all. Terrible. Enough to give one a headache.

Modern Japanese Music begins with piano, no idea why this is the case. It then has the flute keyboard patch again, and is another forgettable piece of instrumental music. Terrible and not worth your time, this is so dull and non-Asian that this is basically a fake product. Avoid avoid avoid, if you can.

Next is Rhythm Flute (Laotian Music) which has bongo beats and the same stupid flute yet again. At this point, more does not really need to be stated here, except that this is a joke of an album, and a fake name and cover for it. You’d be better off seeking better artists and musicians than this, this is depressingly bad. Forget this album.

Following is Flute Solo (Laotian Music) which is more of the same dreary stuff. This is obviously designed to be a fake musical listen, it all sounds the same. Ignore this rubbish, your ears will thank you later. This is the musical equivalent of a scam, a fake product that sells only because it is fake. Terrible.

Malaysia Melody actually has a semi-good melody, although it is the same flute keyboard melody, yet again. Forgettable all the same, a really ordinary listening experience. Junk this album in the bin if you can.

Malaysian Romance Song comes next, and it is not a romantic piece of music at all, just more of the same. Once again, this is pretty ridiculous to hear. Not a great piece of music, worth avoiding this computerised flute totally. Enough to send one mental after a while.

Up next is Strait Of Malacca (Malaysia) which finally has some musical variety, but it is not a nice sort of variety with a plucked string instrument by itself. The album is ruined by this point anyway, and there is no magic to it whatsoever. This is no different this piece. Forgettable.

Following is Singapore Music For Relaxation which is more of the same. This is a more appropriate instrument for this part of the recording, however, this is no way a classic album here. Tiresome listening.

My Heart Is In Thailand is once again, more of the same here. Nothing really brilliant or diverse about it, this is extremely disappointing to hear. Unless you like boring instrumental music, you’d be best off seeking another album to enjoy. This is not enjoyable at all, sadly. A dreary listen.

Thailand Traditional Song comes along next, which sounds eerie. Still, although the album is improved with this instrument, it is not worth hearing anyway, sounding weird and not reflecting the actual musical instrumentation that it should be doing. Enough to give one a headache, skip this one as well.

Next is Thailand Suite which is more of the same, probably illegally stolen from another soundtrack. This is mindnumbingly daft and boring. Not really worth your time for these reasons, you’d be better off listening to some mainstream RnB. Seriously, not good folks.

After that is Relaxing Koto Music which sounds a little more optimistic. Although the string plucking here is nice, it is likely stolen from elsewhere and also there is no way that this is a classic album, although this is actually okay to hear. Okay, but only okay.

Singapore Song comes next, which is more of the same, likely ripped off from elsewhere. Good instrumental playing is here, but that’s about it. It is too late for this album to make a turnaround in musical quality here, unfortunately. Try a different album instead.

Vietnamese Traditional Music is more of the same, lifted from elsewhere, by the sounds of it. At this point, one can safely say this is one of the worst albums ever made from the descriptions here. Just avoid, it is definitely not worth your time. Ordinary music.

Following is Vietnamese Forest which, again, sounds like it was stolen from elsewhere. Good but in the context of this album, not worth it. Which is sad, but this isn’t anywhere near classic album status at all. Forgettable.

After that is Rain Song which is hopeful sounding, but more of the same and on a stinker of an album. Seriously, is this the best that the creators of this album could do? Very depressing in this sense, a waste of time to listen to. There is no real need for this album to be so uninspired.

Ocean And Air then follows. More of the same, unfortunately. At this point, the album is hardly very redeeming in a listening sense, it just doesn’t feel right at all. You can find better East Asian music out there. Fortunately, it is short.

Nepalese Celebration Song is more of the same. It is melodic and calm sounding, despite the fact this is not a quintessential listening experience, for song or album. It is actually quite depressing to think that this album is a wasted opportunity, which it is. If you want traditional Asian music, look elsewhere.

Next along is Mongolian Music which, once again, is the same instrument which sounds as though it was ripped off elsewhere by those in charge of the recording. Really, come on. This is not good, despite the fact that this part of the album sounds okay. A depressing thought.

Following is Macau which sounds like a piano melody set to a plucked string instrument. Interesting though. At least this part of the recording is an improvement. Good, but not great.

Mongolia At Night is a slower and more gently plucked piece using the same instrument. To be fair, this is very much for fans of this sort of thing. From a casual listening perspective, this is rather much the same as the other pieces on this album. Okay at least.

Simple Gifts (Koto) comes next, which sounds like an eastern Christmas theme. It is a good listen, although notably this album would have bettered by splitting the two main halves of it separately and selling them like that, instead of this awkward mish-mash. It’s okay to hear this piece anyway.

Following is North Korea Music played on the same plucked instrument…again. It is good but this album lacks quality and variety, and just sounds like a throwaway meditation album really. Pretty depressing if you think about it. Fortunately it is only a minute and a half long.

After that is Korean Melody which is essentially more of the same. It would have been better as well if more instrumentation were added to these songs. But this is all we have, okay but in no way fantastic, sadly. It gets pretty frenetic towards the end.

Indonesian Traditional Music is not Indonesian at all. It is merely more of the same, yet again. This album clearly needs a big rethink and some of the musical issues addressed on it properly. However, it will not be done at this point. Another fairly standard piece of music from this album.

Indonesian Sun Song is more of the same thing as before. Although this part of the album is okay, it is a rather long listening experience for an album, at over an hour’s length. It doesn’t sound like an original piece of music, either, seemingly is ripped off from elsewhere. Which is a rather depressing thought.

After that is Japanese Cooking Music which is more of the same. There need not be a huge explanation of this piece, it is the same eastern string instrument being plucked again. A bit dreary to get through this album by this point.

Following is South Korea Ritual Song is next, which is a lot slower, and enough to send you to sleep. This album is seemingly the same thing over and over. No variety or intelligent thinking about this record, just disappointing instrumental music. In any case, it’s okay, but very lacking.

Asian Music is more of the same. After a while through the second half of the album, you can actually sense that this is a better part of the album. Still, a botched job is a botched job. Okay, but a very disappointing listen in this respect. More plucked string melodies are here to hear.

Oriental Relaxation Music is weird sounding, not relaxing. Goodness knows what the creators of this album were thinking? It sounds like background music in an Asian restaurant. Obviously for some strange reason the people behind this album screwed up. Which is sad.

Next is Music Of Bangladesh which is a weird setting for this piece to be devoted to, instrumental wise. Never mind, we are near the end of the album by this point. Okay, but only okay, this is what happens when you give an album 50%, not 100%. Disappointing in that sense, and a weird track here.

Last here is Cambodian Traditional Melody which is more of the same plucked instrument. By this point, we end the album, feeling hugely unsatisfied and unable to appreciate this as a proper album, let alone a classic album. It is neither, a very sad and dull musical experience.

As mentioned throughout the review, this is not a good starting point for Oriental Music at all. It is a terrible job in fact, with the awful first half of the album and the unoriginal and repetitive second half. If you want traditional Asian music, look elsewhere. This is a terrible album, and is not recommended for any listeners out there at all.

Botched job.

3/10