The Mighty Invincibles

The Mighty Invincibles
The Mighty Invincibles
Origin	Iásas, Tomes, Gylias
Genres	Rock; pop; funk; dance-rock;
Years active	1982–present
Labels	Chance Records
Associated acts	Bow Wow Wow; Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts;
Members	Asuka; Hikari Horaki; Jennifer Andrews; Misato Katsuragi; Maya Ibuki;

The Mighty Invincibles is a Gylian rock band, formed in 1982 in Iásas. They are best known for their association with Asuka, serving as her backing band throughout her career, and have also worked on other projects.

History

The band formed in 1982, before Asuka's debut. Hikari Horaki had been her classmate in university, while Misato Katsuragi had been one of their teachers. She brought in Jennifer Andrews as their other band, Bow Wow Wow, was dissolving. After a series of temporary drummers, the addition of Maya Ibuki rounded out the group.

The name was chosen as a merger of two separate suggestions. Asuka told Sound Observer in 1987, "It works because it sounds a bit like it's trying too hard. If we were just 'The Invincibles' it would sound pretentious. 'Mighty Invincibles', though, can't miss the joke." On their albums, they are usually credited as "Asuka and the Mighty Invincibles", a choice inspired by their admiration of Prince and The Revolution.

Asuka and the Mighty Invincibles achieved widespread popularity in the 1980s. They were hailed as the "next Beaties", and were critically acclaimed for their eclectic sound and innovative use of music videos.

The members have also engaged collectively in separate projects, such as being part of the Seatbelts. Asuka, Hikari, and Misato have also worked as voice actors on occasion.

Musical style

The Mighty Invincibles are known for their diverse style and incorporation of multiple genres. They are primarily classified as a rock and pop band, with funk as a strong influence. Genres they have explored include funk rock, dance-rock, power pop, new wave, psychedelic rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion, Neo-Gylian Sound, city pop, and electronic music.

Defining traits of their music include prominent funk-influenced basslines, intricate drumming, rock guitar riffs, rhythmic synthesizer programming, and humorously boastful lyrics. Their studio recordings and concerts frequently feature humorous banter and exchanges between Asuka and the band, inspired by The Time.

While they are mainly known as Asuka's backing band, each of the members has sung lead vocals on at least one song in their discography.