Quick on the heels of 2001's Ancient, Japanese synthesist Kitaro returns with another CD based loosely on themes of ancient global sites, a template that's growing as old as the sites that inspire him. But while those sites become more inspiring with age, Kitaro's hackneyed sampled choirs, syrupy strings, and that whooping synthesizer line he's used since Astral Voyage a quarter century ago are becoming more kitschy. However, there are hints of something new on An Ancient Journey that make it Kitaro's best album in a few years. His use of environmental sounds goes beyond clich�, weaving them into the music as rhythms and counterpoint instead of simple backdrops. In addition, Kitaro plays Native American flute on several tracks, and the simplicity and one-octave range of the instrument seem to focus him into a delicate, more personal sound heard on pieces like "Waves of Sand" and "Inca." But he also finds fresh life on one of his patented dervishes, "Sitara IV," playing electric sitar over a modal percussion groove. As a double CD, An Ancient Journey is bloated, but there's an album's worth of music that nearly fulfills the promise of Kitaro. --John Diliberto