“Creating something from nothing,
something never seen before”
-Toshio Kashio
INTRODUCTION
Casio co-founder and music-lover, Toshio Kashio had a vision! That everyone should experience the joy of making music without barriers.
With each step, the technology created by Casio has been a game-changer in music production, achieving things thought impossible. But the real story is how these changes inspired creativity and some of the greatest music ever made.
As you're about to find out, Casio have become renowned for producing cutting-edge technology that is not only cutting-edge, but easy to use and accessible too.
It's this mission to inspire and innovate that has kept the company at the top of its game for the last 40 years.
Funky. Fun. Cool.
Casio's musical instrument story begins in the 1980s, a decade of incredible cultural and political revolution. Watching these video clips now from forty years on, it's easy to spot the shoulder pads, spandex, denim jackets and bold hairstyles. But, look closer and you'll see a vast range of electronic musical instruments too, in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes.
Because of new digital technology, electronic instruments could be made much smaller, more portable, less expensive and easier to use than ever before. Casio was at the forefront of the this new wave of innovation, producing products that have since become legendary in the world of electronic music.
January, 1980. Casio have launched the world's first electronic keyboard, the Casiotone 201.
Cased in wood, it might look like an ordinary synth, but that's where the similarity ends. This new instrument, using new consonant-vowel synthesis developed by Toshio Kashio can imitate the sound of 25 instruments, all from one keyboard.
Just as important though is how easy to use it is. All the complexity and unpredictabilty of traditional synths has been removed and replaced by a design that anyone can get to grips with.
Did you know?
Originally a B-side in 1986, 'Push It' by Salt N Pepa exploded to become one of the defining songs of the era on its own release in 1987.
Utilising the CZ-101, the rap trio (along with uncredited producer, Fresh Gordon) created the synth stabs and rhythms that still make the song sound fresh in 2020.
As acid house took over as the 1990s approached, Casio was pivotal in the new sounds emerging. The 'Reese Bass' created by Kevin Saunderson on Reese's 'Just Want Another Chance', which is integral to the development of drum n bass, dubstep and bass music, was crafted on a CZ-5000.
In a decade, Toshio Kashio's vision had created new genres, infiltrated the biggest hits and been part of a huge shift in youth culture.
More tracks from this era
Innovation and Creativity
Throughout the 90s, Casio continued to innovate for musicians, who discovered new ways to make Casio instruments part of their new music.
As the acid house boom subsided, new forms of dance music emerged, finding different ways to interpret the blips, beats and bass that kickstarted rave culture, and Casio was at the heart of some big moments.
Ground-breaking electronics acts like LFO (who used the FZ-1 on their Frequencies album in 1991) and ambient techno pioneers Autechre used Casio samplers like the FZ-1, SK-1, SK-50 and SK-100 across their music.
Arguably the first hardcore rave act to weave breakbeats into their sound, 2BadMice created the key synth line for club hit 'Bombscare' on a Casio CZ-5000. The 'Reese Bass' sound, made on the same instrument, led to drum n bass (via jungle) emerging as an exciting new, British-born music style still popular worldwide today.
The Sleng Teng rhythm, after revolutionising reggae, found new life in two of the biggest rave records of the early 90s - 'Way in My Brain' by SL2 and the Dance Hall version of Prodigy's 'Everybody into the Place'
Speaking to Matt Everitt on BBC 6Music's The First Time, Portishead's Adrian Utley spoke about using the SK-1 sampler to help create the band's unique new sound.
Across their 1994 debut album Dummy and self-titled 1997 second record, the Casio introduced the lush samples that made them so groundbreaking.
The SK-1 can also be seen (and heard) being used during their legendary Roseland NYC concert, released as an album and DVD in 1998.
Did You Know?
Pulp's 'Common People' (1995), one of the biggest anthems of the Britpop era, was written by Jarvis Cocker on an MT-500 keyboard.
In the 90s, new innovations kept Casio looking foward while artists used legacy instruments to craft the hits of the present and predict the future.
Casio instruments made their way into the production setup for a whole range of influential artists including Fat Boy Slim,Blue, Nine Inch Nails, Incubus and Beck amongst others.
More tracks from this era
The Current Climate
The new millennium started with Casio seeking revolutionary action. This time, creating the pianos of the future. 2003 saw the launch of the first Privia, the PX-100, which turned the ‘bulky, heavy, expensive’ stereotype of the conventional piano on its head. Stylish and portable, it was a new form of ‘private piano’.
Fifteen years later, in 2015, working with German piano maker C. Bechstein, the perfect hybrid of traditional and electronic innovation was released in the form of the Celviano Grand Hybrid GP-500.
In Casio's 40th anniversary year of musical instrument production, the company proudly relaunched the iconic Casiotone range of portable keyboards. With a bold new design and a focus on ease of use, the new CT-S range strived to follow Toshio Kashio's original vision: bringing the joy of music to all.
Laura Mvula and Grand Hybrid
Grand Hybrid
Endorsed by Laura Mvula and winning awards left, right and centre, Casio's Grand Hybrid range of digital pianos set a new tone for Casio in the music space – so much more than vintage instruments like the VL-1 would suggest.
Whilst remaining proud of it's pioneering heritage, these new instruments have confirmed Casio's position as a world leader in electronic instrument design.
The World's Slimmest Digital Piano
Today, Casio is still finding new ways to augment traditional instruments. New PX piano models (PX-S1000 and PX-S3000), launched in 2019, became the slimmest pianos ever released that still packed the punch needed for professional musicians. Not content with simply making the grand sounds of a piano more portable, Casio added Bluetooth audio reproduction. Acting as a Bluetooth speaker, it allows musicians to play along to their favourite songs from the one device.
The Choice of Global Artists
As part of their 2020 One World: Together At Home performance, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers plays Casio on Mr Brightside.
Reuben James, pianist for Sam Smith, Jon Legend and many more, puts the revolutionary PX-S1000 through its paces.
Did You Know?
Considering Casio’s vision to make musical creativity accessible to everyone, it makes sense that London artist Jodie Abacus should be involved. With a unique voice and aural artistry that navigates R&B, jazz, soul and funk Abacus, needs instruments that allow him to experiment with ease.
In rehearsals and when practising new tunes, his PX-S1000 does just that: “It's a really gracious piece of kit and good to carry around. Usually, you need a keyboard to be customised to who you are. I need something that complements me. This is perfect.”
“Being able to be creative does so much, it calms you down, releases endorphins, whether you need to laugh or cry it helps you to express yourself. Having that kind of musical kit in your house is almost part of a nourishing diet.”
