– Written by Jackson Skam –

Imagine hopping in a Nissan Skyline during the late hours of the night with a brightly lit Tokyo horizon visible through the dash. You rev up the engine and embark on a city-wide race through the uninhabited streets of the night. This was my initial thought when I first heard the incredible Japanese jazz fusion band, Casiopea. Starting out in Tokyo music competitions in 1976, Casiopea quickly became sensations of the Japanese jazz fusion scene throughout the 80s and 90s. In recent years, through the efforts of music streaming algorithms and YouTube feeds, Casiopea has seen a resurgence and their music somehow ended up on my TikTok for you page in late 2023, beginning my obsession over their electric and addictive sound.   

My first exposure to Casiopea was from their debut self-titled album, specifically the opening track “Time Limit”. This song transported me back to the late 1970s with its funky bassline, soulful trumpets and saxophones, and wicked guitar riffs. I then ventured further into their debut album, and further into Casiopea’s discography and I couldn’t get enough of their energetic rhythms and catchy tracks that just simply made me want to groove out. Tracks like “Midnight Rendezvous” and “Gypsy Wind” are flawless jazz fusion blends, while others like “Swallow” and “Domino Line” sound straight out of a Mario Kart soundtrack. “Freak Jack” is reminiscent of swinging big band jazz, and “La Costa” and “Asayake” are tracks that I would have on repeat at the beach. The versatility demonstrated by Casiopea contributes to the band’s unique sound and vibe, as well as expresses their ability to make songs that fit any occasion.  

An important thing to note about Casiopea is that the majority of their songs are instrumentals. Nevertheless, Casiopea’s voice can be heard through the unique playing styles of each of its members. This can be seen with tracks like “Galactic Funk” that showcase the musicality of Casiopea’s members, and their individual skills with their respective instruments. 

While Casiopea has undergone many changes, seeing many band members coming and going throughout their almost 50-year career, the original lead guitarist, Issei Noro, continues to hold the band together at age 67. In 2022, the band announced a renaissance, under the name Casiopea P4, and they continue to release stellar jazz fusion hits, like “Today for Tomorrow”, as well as revisit some of their most successful tracks from the band’s early days. 

If I could recommend a pathway for delving into Casiopea’s extensive discography, I would suggest starting out with their debut self-titled album to really get a feel for Casiopea’s sound, as well as their live album Mint Jams, which showcases some of the band’s biggest hits throughout their early years. Some of my favourite Casiopea songs include “Time Limit”, “Dazzling”, and “Galactic Funk” which are all very accessible tracks for getting into this incredible band. If your initial listen gets you hooked, you can’t go wrong with choosing any of Casiopea’s 30+ albums between 1979 and 2022 because each has its own uniqueness but also carries with it the exemplary Casiopean sound that remains so definitive of jazz fusion as a genre.