Namco Original Showcase: Dragon Songs

The Dragon series began its life on the 3rd generation Taiko arcades, and are all instrumental pieces composed by Azu♪ (あず♪). The naming convention seems similar to another Namco Original series (Kikyoku), however unlike it, the English word between the two tildes are simply how the Japanese phrase in front is supposed to be pronounced, rather than any direct translation. The first four tracks follow the leitmotif of seasons, with succeeding pieces being loosely themed onto other attributes such as natural elements and time.

Born in Kobe, Japan on April 1983 (real name unknown), Azu♪ is a freelance composer mainly focused on piano music, which he has studied since age 7. Aside from personal compositions and arrangements, his first works between 2009-2011 were mostly related to videogame BGMs, most notably for the XBox 360 scrolling shooter game Otomedius Excellent. Some years later, after the debut of some of his works on Taiko, Azu♪ began to contribute more often as a guest composer for many albums, both instrumental and vocalized, for emerging Japanese idol groups like Rynryn Midoroppu (Rynryn☆ミどろっぷ). Among his musical preferences are Japanese and Western musicians and bands, as well as classic composers like Maurice Ravel, who have deeply influenced his composition skills. For more information about Azu♪, check out both his website, blog, and his Twitter profile.

Each song has consistently been released one year apart from each other, one for each of the seasons in the yearly cycle.