CASIOPEA — recorded LIVE and BEST～Early Alfa Years (Limited 2LP Heavyweight Vinyl, Japan Import)

Some live recordings just hit different — you can feel the room, the sweat, the band locking in tight and letting loose all at once. CASIOPEA – recorded LIVE and BEST～Early Alfa Years bottles exactly that lightning, and now it's pressed onto a limited 2LP heavyweight vinyl set under the CITY POP on VINYL 2026 campaign. This is the analog debut of the beloved 2013 CD compilation, dropping 7/18 (Sat) and built for anyone who wants Japanese fusion at its absolute peak. Don't sleep on this one! 💿

Here's what makes it special: this isn't a studio polish job — it's cherry-picked live fire from three landmark early Alfa Years albums, all in one killer set. THUNDER LIVE (1980), MINT JAMS (1982), and CASIOPEA LIVE (1985) get raided for their best performances, capturing the band's golden first-era lineup in full flight.

Why This Pressing Belongs on Your Shelf

• Limited heavyweight 2LP pressing → A collectible, audiophile-grade cut that looks and sounds the part. When this run's gone, it's gone — no restock promises on a release like this.
• The golden first-era lineup → Issei Noro on guitar, Minoru Mukaiya on keyboards, Tetsuo Sakurai on bass, and Akira Jimbo on drums — four players at the top of their game, live and locked in.
• Analog reissue of a fan-favorite comp → The 2013 CD compilation finally gets the vinyl treatment it always deserved, with all the warmth and depth wax delivers.
• Supervised by audio critic Koji Miura → The same expert who curated and annotated the original CD, so the sequencing and sonics are dialed in for serious listening.
• A true reference pressing → High-fidelity enough to double as an audiophile test record — the kind of dynamic, detailed live sound gearheads chase.
• Crosses every crowd → Fusion freaks, jazz heads, city pop diggers, and vinyl collectors — this one lands with all of them.

The Sound That Won't Quit

This is peak Casiopea — razor-tight interplay, monster grooves, and solos that soar without ever showing off. Noro's guitar phrasing, Mukaiya's shimmering keys, Sakurai's elastic bass lines, and Jimbo's jaw-dropping drumming feed off a live crowd's energy in a way no studio take can match. Whether you're spinning it to study the musicianship or just to fill the room with pure feel-good fusion, it delivers set after set.

Tracklist

Disc 1 / Side A

1. ミッドナイト・ランデブー (Midnight Rendezvous)
2. ドミノ・ライン (Domino Line)
3. ダウン・アップビート (Down Upbeat)

Disc 1 / Side B

1. 朝焼け (Asayake)
2. テイク・ミー (Take Me)
3. スペース・ロード (Space Road)

Disc 2 / Side A

1. ルッキング・アップ (Looking Up)
2. アイズ・オブ・マインド (Eyes of Mind)
3. ギャラクティック・ファンク (Galactic Funk)

Disc 2 / Side B

1. アイム・ソーリー (I'm Sorry)
2. ブラック・ジョーク (Black Joke)
3. スウェアー (Swear)

Who It's For

• The fusion freak who wants the definitive early Casiopea live moments in one heavyweight set
• The vinyl collector chasing limited Japan-import pressings that don't stick around
• The audiophile hunting a dynamic, high-fidelity live recording to put a system through its paces
• The jazz and city pop listener ready to dig into the golden era of Japanese instrumental music
• The newcomer who caught "Asayake" online and wants to hear the band absolutely tear it up live

Deep in the crates or just falling for the sound — this set earns its spot in any collection.

Don't sleep on this one — add the CASIOPEA recorded LIVE and BEST～Early Alfa Years 2LP to your cart today and own a true piece of Japanese fusion history before this limited pressing disappears for good!