Casiopea - Euphony LP (Salmon Pink Vinyl, Japan Import)

Japanese crossover and fusion have been enjoying a strong resurgence lately. Following the global revival of city pop, interest in Japanese fusion has also been steadily growing over the past year.

This album marked the second release on AURA, the band’s own label launched under Polydor, and stands as their 13th studio record. Having spent considerable time recording abroad in previous years, the group decided to keep things entirely in-house this time, working exclusively at STUDIO JIVE without any guest musicians.

The result is a vibrant and refreshing album that reconnects with the band’s core sound. In addition to the live favorite “SUPER SONIC MOVEMENT,” the record explores new directions with tracks like the Japanese-inspired “Old Times,” the techno-influenced big band jazz piece “SOLID SWING,” and the fast-paced Latin funk groove “RED ZONE.”

Notably, this release also represents the final CASIOPEA album featuring the duo of Tetsuo Sakurai and Akira Jimbo.