Gaia

Inspired by Kitaro's visit to Japan, where he attended the "Onbashira" festival, Gaia — the title roughly translates to "Goddess of the Earth" — is filled with exotic, unpredictable sounds. It relies heavily on percussion and ancient wind instruments, which means it sounds as old as the hills, yet Kitaro's sensibility makes it unmistakably modern. It's arguably among his most spiritual albums, in how it recognizes how humans are tied to the earth itself, which remains eternally fascinating, utterly perplexing, and, ultimately, wondrously enchanting in its mysteries. — Reginald Livermore