Macross 82-99 released Sailorwave II back in 2018 as a EP after the successful release of the album Sailorwave back in 2013.
Aogashima Island! is one of those songs that has always been in my playlists but never really took a liking to. But recently, something about the song changed my perpective on it and now I have fallen in love with it.
So what is Aogashima Island? It is a volcanic island that is nearly 400km (~250 miles) from Tokyo. As of 2014, there are less than 200 people living on the island.
Normally with The JukeBox posts, I discover a song or an album, add it to my Spotify playlist, go back through the playlist at a later stage (Normally 6 months to a couple of years) and then decide whether to create a post for it.
This song, I heard one day and I must have instantly liked it but never added it to any playlist and therefore I forgot about it.
It recently came back up during one of my many City pop listening sessions using the new ‘Enhance’ feature on Spotify.
This song is fantastic. It’s a Japanese song by MONDO GROSSO (Real name: Shinichi Osawa) who is a DJ from Tokyo. I will not lie and say that I haven’t heard any other of MONDO GROSSO’s work!
Here is Labyrinth with Hikari Mitsushima as the dancer.
YouTube
Spotify
Lyrics:
Mitsumenaide kanashii hou wo Me wo tsubutte kuchizuke shiyou Amaku tokeru merodii
Hikikomarete Meikyuu no paradaisu Deguchi mo naku owari mo naku Tsutsumarete itai no Jama shinaide Mayonaka no paradaisu Iki mo sezu ni Mogutte iku Futari dake no dansu
Within specific genres of music, there are those ‘staple’ songs. A set of pieces that capture the essence of a genre. Within the City pop genre, you would find some staples, Plastic Love, Dress Down, Stay with Me, and Flyday Chinatown.Jazz Fusion sensation, Casiopea would be a staple band for the genre.
Still going today as Casiopea-P4, (Their 4th iteration) has been around since 1976 and became very popular in the 80’s even having a world tour. With almost 60 albums since its inception, the band focuses on instrumental music with high-energy and high-tempo music.
Over the years, they have had 13 different members come and go with the guitarist Issei Noro being the only member who has been in the band the entire time. The band even disbanded from 2006 until 2012 due to exhaustion.
For more about the history of Casiopea, I would highly recommend checking out T2norway’s video on the band which was uploaded in 2021.
Casiopea: Japan’s Most Energetic Jazz Fusion Band – T2norway
Arguably, the band’s most popular song, Galatic Funk became a staple for City pop fans.
Galactic Funk originally was on the band’s 6th album Cross Point released in 1981 but has been re-arranged and re-recorded over the years.
Live
Casiopea – Galactic Funk – M luminox
Studio
The re-arrangement, re-recorded version from the 1994 album Asian Dreamer
The original release of the song on Cross Point in 1981
For me, this band and their live performances remind me of the Miami Sound Machine with Gloria Estefan with their high-energy, high-tempo music.
