SINFONIA DELLA LUNA

Mugen's debut sounds to me like it's occupying a sort of middle space between vintage symphonic prog and the sort of melancholy pop-orchestral material often used in Japanese movies or anime of this era, much as in the UK the neo- prog scene was trying to blend vintage prog with then-current rock music. In both cases, you have the artists in question seeking to balance their love of prog with an attempt to connect with the audiences and market they were working with - with the UK neo-proggers you had the British music scene in the wake of punk, whereas Mugen and other 1980s symphonic units you had the Japanese music scene to contend with.

This seems particularly evident to me in the use of keyboards and synthesisers on the album (primarily handled by Katsuhiko Hayashi, though lead vocalist Takashi Nakamura adds some synth work here and there and accompanying vocalist Takako Morita also contributes keyboards on Ballo della Luna. The keyboard sound on the album ranges from the then-vintage (just listen to that organ!) to then-current, with the band's compositional approach delicately making best use of this broad range of textures. Add subdued backing and mellow, melancholic vocals, and you have an approach to prog which Mugen and their peers made their own during this time period.