fiothelemon

[fiothelemon]

Hey, no blog for today. I've been sick for the past couple days, and sitting on the computer writing stuff won't help it. On the bright side, Happy New Year 2019!!

[fiothelemon]

small mistake

on my last post i realized that the link for hyperzone 1 in kirby's dreamland 3 was accidentally tied to big boss battle. here is the link for hyperzone 1! https://youtu.be/0n8Iw8_AV48

i'm sorry for the inconvenience!

[fiothelemon]

december 29 2018 - some of my favorite game OSTs vol. 1

Hey! This edition may seem a bit different. If you follow my instagram (plug plug  ig:@_____fio plug plug) then you may have come across a poll I held about the future of this blog. I wanted to do more opinionated pieces on soundtracks I liked, and wanted to do reviews on OSTs that you guys suggested! I’ve already got some picked out, thanks to y’all! Don’t worry, I will keep doing editorial lil’ essays on game composers. To help kick start this new direction, here are some of my favorite soundtracks of games!

If you know me well, you may know that I am a huge SEGA fanboy first, but not too far behind I’m a huge SNK and Neo-Geo fanboy. Our first exhibit is one that I think represents my love, or fascination, of Neo-Geo. That soundtrack is, Metal Slug! (The original, not the others that came afterward. Though the rest are incredible, too!)  

“Metal Slug”

Composed by Takushi Hiyamuta

Original game released April 19, 1996

The soundtrack just keeps getting better and better the more you get into it. Personal favorites of this are “Inner Station,” “Main Theme,” “Steel Beast,” “Ridge 256,” “Final Attack,” and “Hold you still!” Each song in the OST perfectly captures the wonder of the Neo-Geo. My goal before I die is to own one of my own. I would go into debt as soon as I buy one but at least I could say that I own a Neo-Geo!

“Daytona USA (Arcade)”

Composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi

Original game released August 1993

I already made a blog post about the composer and some Daytona USA music he did, so I’ll keep this one brief. Lets go back to when I said “I am a huge SEGA fanboy first,” and the reason behind it is about 60% because of the awesome music they produce for their games! Seriously. Sonic ‘06 was a shit game but it had a good soundtrack. But we aren’t talking about Sonic, we’re talking about Daytona! My favorite tracks from the game are “Demo - 1993,” “Let’s Go Away,” “Awaiting Other Challengers,” “Sky High,” “Could You Fly,” and “Pounding Pavement.”

“Kirby’s Dreamland 3”

Composed by Jun Ishikawa

Original game released November 27, 1997

I don’t know how I found this game, and I don’t know how it has such an amazing soundtrack! I’ve heard no one talk about this game, or its music. Truly underrated! Why is it so hidden? My theory is that it came out in ‘97, and Nintendo fans only gave a shit about the Nintendo 64 at the time. It’s a really good game, too. Poor Kirby’s Dreamland 3, the middle child of the Kirby games. Anyway, my personal favorites of this OST are “Opening,” “Grass Land 2,” “Ripple Field 1,” “Ripple Field 2,” “Sand Canyon 3,” “Iceberg,” “Friends 2,” “Mission Failed,” “Big Boss Battle,” “Hyper Zone 1,” and “Staff Roll.”

[fiothelemon]

december 22, 2018 soyo oka 岡素世

The word “hidden” is used a lot in gaming. Hidden gems, hidden easter eggs, etc. But what about in video game soundtracks? One example is Soyo Oka, hiding under some classic 90’s Nintendo games is an underrated composer. But despite that you may recognize her work, as she is the composer for games such as Super Mario Kart, Pilotwings, and did the arrangement for Super Mario All Stars! On the second issue of FBoGCaTW, we’ll go over Soyo Oka!

history

Soyo Oka was born on April 9th, 1964 in Nishinomiya City, Japan. Soyo’s first experience with music was at a very early age, when she was 2 and toyed with her mom’s xylophone, and enjoyed playing the toy piano. It was at age 4 when she started playing classical piano, and during then, she had a neighbor who was a piano teacher. Soyo would occasionally go over there and play piano with the neighbor’s son. Due to her enthusiasm with the piano, the neighbor helped teach her.

While Soyo was still in elementary school, she had moved from Tokyo to Kansai because of his father’s job. When she moved there she saw classmates play the electone, and compose music, too. Soyo described that discovery as “By example” in an interview with SquareEnixMusic. This inspired her, and on one Christmas eve, she wrote a letter to Santa in search for an electone of her own. She kept it a secret to her parents, and thus she didn’t receive an electone on her bedside the following morning. But when she started getting a job, she finally worked for the instrument of her dreams. She played it non-stop for about a year and a half, and then got bored with it. It was when she was in middle school when she started creating and sharing, rather than playing.

When it was time to go to college, Soyo attended a music school and majored in composition. (It really shows, doesn't it?) Her first discovery of computer music was at college, too. It was a music making program developed by yamaha that she installed on her MSX. Along this, she also used her drum machine, and a bunch of empty cat food cans that produced some sound.

After graduation, she got a job at nintendo, where she worked there for 8 years from 1987 to 1995. She’s come a long way since then, producing music for plenty of games, and now usually makes music for commercials. To help show some of her work, here are some personal favorites of mine!

music showcase

Alright. First song. Y’all might know this. This is the Light Plane theme from pilotwings! It’s quite a popular track for Nintendo fans, as it’s appeared in games in the smash series.

“Light Plane”

This one may be Soyo’s most famous piece as a video game composer, and for a reason. Not just because it’s been featured in other games, but because the song itself is pretty damn catchy and pleasant (you’ll notice that with a lot of her work.) It’s the kind of song that you really get the feel of when you’re on a sandy beach, with a cold one in one hand and a game boy in the other. Or like in the game where it’s the opposite. Nevertheless, this song is a classic and is apart of one of my favorite SNES soundtracks. If you enjoyed this track, check out the smash bros remix of it.

“Vanilla Lake”

This one, along with Light Plane, is apart of some of my favorite SNES soundtracks. Super Mario Kart is home to many, upon many beautiful compositions such as this, and really proves the mini-MIDI-game console what it’s worth when it comes to music. Soyo Oka states that one of her inspirations in music making is Chopin. And some of the Super Mario Kart soundtrack bleeds that baroque/classical composition and some songs could fit as classical if you did some arranging (I mean that’s the point of arranging music, right?)

“In Game Theme - Ice Hockey”

This one is pretty fast paced, especially for NES music. And for a game like Ice Hockey, it needs that, really. A good soundtrack (including sound design) to any type of media, whether that’s movies, shows, or games, should tie in to what the original source is about, along with bringing something new to the table. This track is a good example of that, and it’s what help makes Soyo a good composer! Think about it. The last time you played a game like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, part of that ominous, creepy aesthetic is thanks to the sounds of the game. Replace those sounds with duck quacks. Pretty fucking funny, but the atmosphere of the game is ruined.

“VS Mode - Wario’s Woods”

This track does a great job of hyping you up, and this kind of music is what Soyo is also good at. Wario’s Woods was a late release for the NES, so you may not have heard of it. By the time the SNES was in the middle of of its heyday, developers already knew the ins and outs of the NES hardware, including Nintendo! This game’s ost is quite good both on a composition end of the stick and in terms of technological ability. The same could be said about our next track, except for the fact that it was released in the late 80’s.

“Monster Dance - Famicom Grand Prix II”

I’m especially impressed with this one, mostly because of that weird bass twang going on. It’s somewhat comparable to the SEGA Master System’s FM capabilities. Overall the original game looks and sounds great, and I give Soyo a round of applause for the score. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks of hers due to its high funk levels.

“Goodnight, See You Soon!”

Of course, we end all of these by showing off (what I think) the composer’s best work is. Like it's Mario Kart younger brother, SimCity’s soundtrack is beautiful and deserves all the love it can get. What I imagine going along well with this is a lullaby, or maybe something like a music box cover. Or maybe it’s been a long night at work, you just got home and you dress down to your pajamas. You may have some spreadsheets to fill, but who cares at this point? You cook some leftovers, sit down on the couch and watch TV until you fall asleep. It gives off this weirdly nostalgic feel that I just love so much! It’s so gentle, soft, easygoing, and everything in between.

sources (in order of appearance)

Please look through some of these yourself, these interviews/articles are all way more informative than this blog!

vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Soyo_Oka

squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/soyooka.shtml

nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Soyo_Oka

[fiothelemon]

december 15, 2018 takenobu mitsuyoshi 光吉 猛修

If you’ve ever played a 90′s era SEGA game, then you may recognize the work of Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. Takenobu has produced music on games such as Daytona USA, Virtua Racing, and even Shenmue. Whatever game he takes part in, it always gives me both a smile on my face, and makes me enjoy the game waaay more. Today on the first issue of FBoGCaTW, we look at my all time favorite video game composer: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi!

history

Takenobu Mitsuyoshi was born on Christmas of 1967 in the Fukuoka prefecture of Japan. Because of his father’s work, he moved around the country until they finally settled in Chiba, and then later in Sendai when he was in his second year of high school.

When Takenobu was in his elementary and middle school days, he despised music, music class, and anything relating to music theory. Despite the dislike of music, he did enjoy singing and singing popular anime theme songs from back then (that isn’t too different nowadays for him). One other thing he liked during elementary school was baseball, ending it while he was wrapping up his middle school days. Why he left is because when Takenobu began high school he started attending his school’s science club in search for something other than sports. In that science club, there were NEC PC-8001s in the class that could play music and this impressed takenobu, along with screwing with synthesizers. Of course, the science club did not 100% spark Takenobu’s musical interest. the band “Yellow Magic Orchestra” was a huge influence on him and also helped him build his fascination of music.

When Takenobu went out to college, he majored in economics, out of all things. He was considering a teaching job, but then he got a real taste of what being a teacher was like when he attended classes. But college is where he both joined several bands, and discovered SEGA, and thus aspired to work there when a friend showed him Galaxy Force. In an interview with Game Music Core, Takenobu said:

“Actually, I also attended a Sega job fair meeting, though it was for their business and administration positions, not games development. At the meeting, I was surprised when someone else raised their hand and asked “I want to do sound at Sega, how can I apply for that? [...] ”I remember they replied, “Just send in your demo tape.” -Takenobu Mitsuyoshi

Keep in mind that Takenobu was there for things such as business, and if it weren’t for that one guy... then we wouldn’t have his classic music now. And taking what that guy said in mind, Takenobu took work on producing a demo tape to show to SEGA, and produced 2 instrumental songs. All played by hand and using a multitrack recorder with sequenced drums. Takenobu had always had an interest in game music, so he also applied to other game companies such as Namco, Taito, Konami, and SNK. (Huh, the Daytona USA guy coulda done the music for Metal Slug!!) During the application for the other companies, Takenobu received an “unofficial offer” by SEGA, and the story of when he was tested on his skills deserves a paragraph to its own.

“Their entrance test was insane, too! They had an electric piano setup in the interview room, and they said, ‘Please listen to this melody. You will have 5 minutes to come up with an arrangement.’ [...] After that, I had to meet with the business managers, but my head was all muddled and I blurted out that I’d received an unofficial offer from SEGA.” -Takenobu Mitsuyoshi

In retrospect, he said how he should have backpedaled and was teetering on accepting the offer or not. Instead, he said to the interviewers how he “Just wanted to learn more about your company.” Even though this left them baffled, Takenobu was hired and for almost 30 years (since 1990), he has taken part in games such as Daytona USA, which he has particular fond memories of. The Virtua Fighter series (including the anime, oddly enough), Yakuza, and plenty more that I don’t have much time to mention here.

takenobu, seen on the right, in his early days of joining sega

music showcase

The first track of Takenobu’s I wanna show y’all that I think describes his style beautifully is an exclusive to an album he put out in 2003 called “From Loud 2 Low: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi Works.” It features mostly famous songs he made for famous SEGA games, but an extra 2 songs of the album are an exception, though. They were made only for the album, and weren’t featured in any SEGA game. One is called “Night In H.A.P.” and the other is “I Feel So Good…”

“I Feel So Good…”

“I Feel So Good…” shows a good example of what I like to call “Mitsuyoshi-ism.” I define it as cheery music based on jazz fusion, that also feature upbeat, optimistic vocals. A few other notable songs by Mitsuyoshi that display mitsuyoshi-ism well are some of his songs in Daytona USA such as “Sky High” or the famous “Let’s Go Away.” In case you enjoy this track, a lot like me, this and the album it was originally from are available on Apple Music and Spotify!

Speaking of Daytona USA…

This is “Sky High” from Daytona USA, released in 1993 for the SEGA Model 2 arcade board. Since it’s an arcade game from the time, that would explain the choppy vocals and sampled instruments. Nevertheless, Takenobu shines bright in this song with his signature singing and flexes his composing muscles. If this version of the song isn’t doing it for you, I don’t blame you. There was a SEGA Saturn version of the game released a year after the original, and it improves aaaaalllmost everything about the game, including music. Here is the cover made for the Saturn.

“Course Select”

When he first joined SEGA in 1990, one of the first games Takenobu was tasked with scoring for was Virtua Racing. It was made by the same development team as Daytona, AM2, and Takenobu is involved with the music, so think of it as sort of a precursor to Daytona, but the music won’t say so. Comparing Virtua Racing’s soundtrack to Daytona’s, VR has a more rock-ish feel to it than Daytona’s Pop-ey, Jazz-ish aesthetic. While it *may* not live up to the beast of a soundtrack that is Daytona, Virtua Racing *does* have some catchy tunes up its sleeve.

“Passing Breeze ~Arrange”

Takenobu was so good at making music for SEGA games, that he was promoted into the S.S.T. Band. S.S.T. stood for “SEGA Sound Team,” and as you could imagine, it was a band consisting of composers from SEGA games. Here is a cover by them of “Passing Breeze” from OutRun, composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi. In this arrangement, Takenobu is playing keyboard, in which he is also playing the melody of the song. Very relaxing cover, I prefer this one over the original arcade rendition!

a picture of takenobu with the S.S.T. band, circa 1991

“Burning Rangers”

When you’re talkin’ Takenobu, you CAN’T forget about his kickass vocals! This song from Burning Rangers called, um, Burning Rangers, is a great example of Takenobu’s vocal beauty. While this track wasn’t composed by him, and the original game is more obscure due to the game being released on the Saturn, and pretty much SEGA just shooting themselves in the foot during this time, thus you may not recognize this one. Despite the obscurity, this is a great recommendation! PLUS: shoutout to Dino Gavoni, who did the AMAZING sax solo around the 3 minute mark! (That alone is worth a listen, too!)

“Shenmue - Main Theme”

You may notice a pattern here, all of the songs before this one are all upbeat and high-energy. The main theme to shenmue takes a completely different turn to Takenobu’s style of composition, in that there are no vocals, no high tempo or energy, and only the energy of the orchestra. And this alone displays Takenobu’s flexibility of music, the last music he helped make before this was from Daytona USA 2, with music such as this ( youtube.com/watch?v=kbgD7VTM-MY ), and coming off from that to a huge, and I mean HUGE game like shenmue, also with a huge production team of composers behind it (10 composers!!) was daunting and impressive to say the least. Basically, the song and the soundtrack in general are amazing. So is the game. Have I mentioned how great shenmue is? It’s great. Play it. Now.

sources (in order of appearance)

Please look through some of these yourself, these interviews/articles are all way more informative than this blog!

seganerds.com/2014/05/23/takenobu-mitsuyoshi/

segaretro.org/Takenobu_Mitsuyoshi

shmuplations.com/sst/

www.ne.jp/asahi/v/hara/ga_core/ga_core1_1.html

tssznews.com/2013/03/28/interview-takenobu-mitsuyoshi/

segaretro.org/From_Loud_2_Low:_Takenobu_Mitsuyoshi_Works

segaretro.org/Burning_Rangers#Japanese_version

www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42297

[fiothelemon]

what’s to come

Welcome to my lil’ tumblr thing!

Expect essays/blogs about video game composers, their history, and most importantly, what they made! I will try to produce 1 issue every saturday, starting on the 15th of December, 2018. What will be the FIRST composer I’ll go over, you ask? That’ll be Takenobu Mitsuyoshi! Composer (first and foremost), Arranger, Vocalist, and all around swell guy! If you have any questions, let me know!