Casiopea : Thrills, Speed and Super Technique!

Casiopea is a jazz (fusion) band. They were formed in 1977 and made their debut in 1979. Since then, they have gone through several member changes and periods of inactivity, but continue to produce albums and perform live around the world.
The band is led by guitarist Issei Noro, who is the only original member and the main composer. “Asayake” was included on their second studio album Super Flight and remains one of their most exciting songs when performed live.

“Thrills, Speed, Super Technique” was the sales slogan for Casiopea’s first studio album Casiopea, released in May 1979.
Even now, I believe this phrase aptly captures the essence of their music and performance style, as demonstrated throughout more than 40 years of artistic activity. The album Casiopea truly delivered on its slogan—a hard-hitting performance.

Asayake : Pop or Hard? Casiopea’s two performance styles

However, their second album Super Flight, on which “Asayake” was included, is known to contain some of the most melodic and pop-flavored songs from among their 40 albums.
The reason for this is not clear, but since Noro said that many of the songs up to Super Flight were previously in his repertoire, we can infer that they may have been working on such pop songs at the time of their formation or even before.
Reference : Interview article “otonano” (2024/08)

In particular, “Asayake” has two different performance styles. In “Asayake” from Super Flight, the first main melody is played on the keyboard, creating a well-balanced interplay among the band’s four instruments.

In contrast, the live album Mint Jams, released in May 1982, featured Noro’s guitar in full. This performance truly embodies “thrill, speed, super technique” and this style of performance is often introduced when talking about “Asayake”.

The first Casiopea album I ever bought was Super Flight, and when I looked at the cover of the 30cm LP record, I imagined the reflection of the morning sun on the glass of a New York City skyscraper. In my opinion, both versions of “Asayake” offer us different ways to enjoy it.

I Love New York : The first single that made Casiopea famous.

I bought Super Flight because I wanted to hear Casiopea’s first single, “I Love New York” which is on the album. The song was composed by Steve Karmen in 1977 as the theme song for a tourism campaign conducted by the State of New York in the United States.
In Japan, Casiopea’s performance was used in a TV commercial for a Japanese airline. This song made me realize that New York is a good city to visit for sightseeing.

Take Me : Casiopea’s another masterpiece

Another one of their best-known songs is “Take Me,” which appeared on Super Flight. Played at a relaxed tempo with gorgeous piano sounds, this masterpiece has a jazz-like quality.
Like “Asayake,” this track was recorded on Mint Jams, but this time, keyboards were used instead of a piano, giving the performance a more fusion-like quality.

Since Super Flight, Casiopea has been actively producing albums and performing live overseas, gaining recognition both in Japan and around the world. I plan to introduce this era of Casiopea in a separate post.

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