Biography
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Members
- 岡野ハジメ
Space Circus was a Jazz Fusion / Progressive Rock band from Japan, active from 1976-1980. During this time, they released two studio albums, 'Funky Caravan' and 'Fantastic Arrival'.
Space Circus first began as a University hobby band in 1975, mainly playing cover songs of popular fusion aritsts such as Jeff Beck and notably Return To Forever, where the band's name 'Space Circus' originates from. The main lineup of Space Circus was formed in 1976 when two classmates of Meiji Gakuin University, Yoshikazu Ogawa (drums) and Yukinao Sano (guitar) recruited up-and-coming bassist Hajime Okano, who at the time was making waves in the music scene due to his transcedental Slap Bass technique. These 3 would make up the core members of the band, which throughout the years would undergo numerous keyboard member changes.
Originally performing as a trio, Late 1976 would see the first addition to the band in keyboardist Yamagiwa Kizuku. Kizuku brought with him the mellow sound of the Fender Rhodes piano and soft synthesiser melodies, helping create the image seen on the first album, 'Funky Caravan' released in 1978. This aptly named album associates more closely with a traditional, funky Jazz Fusion sound, but instances of their signature hard rock sound are still seen throughout the release.
In September of 1978, Kizuku would leave the band, resulting in the second keyboard personnel change. His successor would be Takashi Toyoda, an exceptionally talented multi-instrumentalist from Tokyo. The addition of Toyoda would completely transform the sound of Space Circus into a symphonic Progressive Rock masterclass. Leaving the old mellow fusion sound behind, Toyoda helped the band pioneer a more aggressive prog stance with his "Spacey" synthesiser patches and Electric Violin. In September of 1979, the second and final studio album 'Fantastic Arrival' would be released, making use of Toyoda's signature sounds and composing influence.
Immediately after the release of this album, Toyoda would leave the band. His replacement was prolific Japanese songwriter, Yuji Kawashima. Kawashima would perform with the band from late 1979 until mid 1980, whereafter the members would go their seperate ways, thus spelling Space Circus' untimely end.
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