Shusei Nagaoka—the Japanese illustrator and graphic designer—is THE visual voice of sophisticated funk, soul, and disco in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We can easily describe his work on album covers as “portals to other ”worlds”—bright, cosmic, and full of imagination. 

His style can be spotted right away: detailed airbrush work, bright colors, and surreal landscapes, all filled with futuristic buildings, spaceships, and fantastical figures. He mixes ancient symbols with sci-fi, creating a timeless sense of wonder. His art feels both precise and boundless—just like the music inside that cover: smooth but also experimental and full of life.

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Nagaoka’s cosmic fascination seems to be rooted in his childhood. He is born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1936, and during World War II, his family moves to Iki Island to escape the nuclear bombing. According to Nathan Hesselink’s article, he immerses himself in photography books, science fiction anthologies, and contemporary Japanese art collections—finding comfort through reading and painting. This early exposure shapes his meticulous hand-drawn style and lifelong fascination with sci-fi and futuristic themes. On the other hand, Apollo 11’s moon landing in 1969 also fuels worldwide interest in space and the future. These personal and cultural influences seem to come together in his signature style, which mixes science fiction fantasy with mythic and deeply human elements.

There is a quotation*/message from him (clearly illuminating the imaginative energy behind his art): 

“I believe that the theme that remains for us as we live in the 21st century is space. The Earth is already divided up and full of potential problems. Let’s all join forces and go somewhere outside... For the time being, the theme is going into space, and we won’t survive unless we revitalize humanity.” 

*on the webpage, Space Fantasy Exhibition

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His work with Earth, Wind & Fire is certainly among his most famous. Before creating their All ’N All (1977) album cover, there are meetings and exchanges of ideas with Maurice White, and Nagaoka’s result takes the band’s Afrofuturist vision to new heights. The cover shows a pyramid-like structure floating above an alien, radiant landscape—a symbol of ancient strength and divine wisdom. Each visual element—from musical instruments and religious symbols to the Egyptian Sphinx and futuristic spaceships—reflects White’s fascination with Egyptology, spirituality, and cosmic unity, blending ancient mythology with futuristic imagination. The bright colors and complex details perfectly match EW&F’s music and spiritual concepts, turning the cover into a kind of visual tribute to their cosmic funk identity.

But, of course, Nagaoka’s brilliance extends far beyond his collaborations with EW&F. He leaves his unique mark on a wide range of funk, soul, and disco albums. His portfolio includes Electric Light Orchestra’s Out of the Blue (1977), the early Dazz Band’s (Kinsman Dazz) 1979 album Dazz, Kitarō’s Oasis (1979), and others that carry his unmistakable intergalactic touch.

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While All ’N All may be the most famous, my personal favorite among Nagaoka’s funk collaborations is Parlet’s debut album Pleasure Principle (1978, Casablanca Records). 

There are two P-Funk girl groups at the time, and Parlet is the louder and wilder one, outshining its sister act, the Brides of Funkenstein. The trio—Mallia Franklin, Jeanette Washington, and Debbie Wright—form Parlet’s original lineup. Mallia Franklin is the central force behind Parlet’s success; her close ties with George Clinton help shape the band’s sound and lineup. She is the one who brings in heavyweights like Bootsy Collins (bass) and Junie Morrison (keyboard) to the project. 

And for Pleasure Principle, Nagaoka creates a bold, stylized cover that captures the fun, sexy, and free-spirited essence of the female P-Funk spin-off group—a perfect visual match for the freedom and playfulness that define Parlet’s sound. 👩🏽‍🎤

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Last to note, in a fitting tribute to his cosmic legacy, one of his artworks is said to have been taken aboard the Mir space station in 1990—by Tokyo Broadcasting System journalist-turned-astronaut Toyohiro Akiyama. So his art has been quite literally in orbit ever since—and we can say Nagaoka truly did go ‘somewhere outside,’ just as he once suggested we all should. 🚀🌌​​​​​

Gülben - 11/2025

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📌 Official site

📖 Nathan Hesselink’s article “Space fantasy: Nagaoka Shusei's contributions to Afrofuturist visual culture” at The Journal of American Culture

📖 A Tribute to Graphic Designer Shusei Nagaoka by Nate Patrin at Red Bull Music Academy

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