Japanese guitarist Kotaro Oshio occupies that rarefied space where the spontaneity of jazz and the transcendent properties New Age converge.
Oshio plays strong melodies using open tunings to create lovely harmonics, and artful tapping to convey urgency and passion.
On this 2002 release, Oshio plays with no accompaniment, but the moods and textures are varied enough to carry the whole album.
"Komorebi," a shimmering, cinematic affair, benefits from tasteful reverb and a real sweetness.
"Blue Sky" is a breezy acoustic number recalling Pat Metheny's more upbeat moments.
The jaunty "Third Man Theme" is a surprising choice for a cover, but Oshio injects new life into the easy-listening staple, using vibrato to imitate the original's zither.
The album ends on a stirring note with "Hard Rain," a Hendrix-like, riff-heavy song that allows Oshio to show off his aggressive right hand technique.
He slaps the guitar body, scrapes the strings, and leaves the listener wondering what style of music this gifted guitarist can't make his own.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fantasy!Kotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 04:04 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 2 | DestinyKotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 3 | TychoKotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 03:59 | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| 4 | BreezeKotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 03:38 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 5 | TensionKotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 6 | KomorebiKotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 04:52 | 11 MB | 25 MB |
| 7 | Hard Rain (Type: D)Kotaro Oshio | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | 黄昏 (Tasogare) | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 05:49 | 13 MB | 29 MB |
| 10 | Blue Sky (exciting ver.) | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | 初恋 (Hatsu Koi) | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 20 MB |
| 12 | ハリー・ライムのテーマ (Harry Lime Theme) | Kotaro Oshio | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 48 mins | 111 MB | |||||
| 48 mins | 263 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anton Karas | Composer |
| 2 | Yoshiyuki Kataishi | Engineer |
| 3 | Hitoshi Namekata | Executive Producer |
| 4 | Kotaro Oshio | Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 5 | Kurt Pfeifer | Design |
| 6 | Ryuichi Sakamoto | Composer |
| 7 | Seizo Shimokobe | Executive Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |