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|origin=[[Hino, Tokyo|Hino]], [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
|origin=[[Hino, Tokyo|Hino]], [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
|instrument=[[Piano]], [[violin]], [[sound chip]], [[synthesizer]]
|instrument=[[Piano]], [[violin]], [[sound chip]], [[synthesizer]]
|genre=[[Electronic music|Electronic]] ([[chiptune]], [[Electronic dance music|dance]], [[House music|house]], [[Drum and bass|jungle]], [[techno]], [[Trance music|trance]], [[Video game music|video game]]), [[Hip hop music|Hip‑hop]], [[Jazz]], [[Orchestra]]l ([[Classical music|classical]]), [[Rock music|Rock]] ([[Electronic rock|synth rock]])
|genre=[[Electronic music|Electronic]] ([[chiptune]], [[Electronic dance music|dance]], [[Eurobeat]], [[Video game music|game]], [[House music|house]], [[Drum and bass|jungle]], [[techno]], [[Trance music|trance]]), [[Hip hop music|Hip‑hop]], [[Jazz]], [[Orchestra]]l ([[Classical music|classical]]), [[Rock music|Rock]] ([[Electronic rock|synth rock]])
|occupation=[[Composer]], [[programmer]], [[Programming (music)|music programmer]]
|occupation=[[Composer]], [[programmer]], [[Programming (music)|music programmer]]
|years_active=1986–present
|years_active=1986–present
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|notable_instruments=
|notable_instruments=
}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Yuzo Koshiro'''|古代 祐三|Koshiro Yūzō|born December 12, 1967 in [[Hino, Tokyo]]}} is a Japanese [[video game music]] composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in [[chiptune]] music and video game [[sound design]]. He has produced music in various genres, including [[electronic music]] ([[Electronic dance music|dance]], [[House music|house]], [[Drum and bass|jungle]], [[techno]], [[Trance music|trance]]),<ref name="greening_kotowski"/><ref name="jeff_davis"/><ref name="sega_horowitz"/> [[Hip hop music|hip hop]], [[jazz]], [[Classical music|classical]]/[[orchestra]]l, and [[Electronic rock|synth rock]].<ref name="greening_kotowski">{{cite web|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|date=February 2011|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|author=Chris Greening & Don Kotowski|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yuzokoshiro.shtml|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref>
{{nihongo|'''Yuzo Koshiro'''|古代 祐三|Koshiro Yūzō|born December 12, 1967 in [[Hino, Tokyo]]}} is a Japanese [[video game music]] composer and [[Programming (music)|audio programmer]]. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in [[chiptune]] music and video game [[sound design]]. He has produced music in various genres, including [[electronic music]] ([[Electronic dance music|dance]], [[Eurobeat]], [[House music|house]], [[Drum and bass|jungle]], [[techno]], [[Trance music|trance]]),<ref name="greening_kotowski"/><ref name="jeff_davis"/><ref name="sega_horowitz"/> [[Hip hop music|hip hop]], [[jazz]], [[Classical music|classical]]/[[orchestra]]l, and [[Electronic rock|synth rock]].<ref name="greening_kotowski">{{cite web|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|date=February 2011|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|author=Chris Greening & Don Kotowski|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yuzokoshiro.shtml|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref>


According to ''[[Nintendo Power]]'', Koshiro was "arguably the greatest game-music composer of the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit age]]" and created "some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s."<ref>{{cite book|title=Nintendo Power, Volumes 208-210|year=2006|publisher=''[[Nintendo Power]]''|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JHhYAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=5 August 2011|page=102|quote=Yuzo Koshiro, the musician responsible for ActRaiser's amazing score, is arguably the greatest game-music composer of the 16- bit age. Equally comfortable composing classical or techno, Koshiro built up a faithful fan base by creating some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s.}}</ref> He has produced some of the most influential [[role-playing video game]] scores, for titles such as [[Nihon Falcom]]'s ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' and ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series,<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> as well as ''[[ActRaiser]]'' (1990)<ref name="jeff_davis"/> and ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' (1994).<ref name="barton_2007"/> According to ''GameAxis Unwired'', his "[[Progressive electronic dance music|progressive]], catchy, techno-style compositions" for games such as ''[[The Revenge of Shinobi]]'' (1989) and [[Streets of Rage (series)|''Streets of Rage'' series]] were "far more advanced than what players were used to" and set a "new high watermark for what music in games could sound like."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Santos|first=Wayne|title=Songs & Sounds In The 21st Century|journal=GameAxis Unwired|year=2006|month=December|issue=40|page=39|publisher=[[Singapore Press Holdings{{!}}SPH Magazines]]|issn=0219-872X|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EOkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39|accessdate=2011-08-05}}</ref>
According to ''[[Nintendo Power]]'', Koshiro was "arguably the greatest game-music composer of the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit age]]" and created "some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s."<ref>{{cite book|title=Nintendo Power, Volumes 208-210|year=2006|publisher=''[[Nintendo Power]]''|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JHhYAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=5 August 2011|page=102|quote=Yuzo Koshiro, the musician responsible for ActRaiser's amazing score, is arguably the greatest game-music composer of the 16- bit age. Equally comfortable composing classical or techno, Koshiro built up a faithful fan base by creating some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s.}}</ref> He has produced some of the most influential [[role-playing video game]] scores, for titles such as [[Nihon Falcom]]'s ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' and ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series,<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> as well as ''[[ActRaiser]]'' (1990)<ref name="jeff_davis"/> and ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' (1994).<ref name="barton_2007"/> According to ''GameAxis Unwired'', his "[[Progressive electronic dance music|progressive]], catchy, techno-style compositions" for games such as ''[[The Revenge of Shinobi]]'' (1989) and [[Streets of Rage (series)|''Streets of Rage'' series]] were "far more advanced than what players were used to" and set a "new high watermark for what music in games could sound like."<ref name="santos_2006">{{cite journal|last=Santos|first=Wayne|title=Songs & Sounds In The 21st Century|journal=GameAxis Unwired|year=2006|month=December|issue=40|page=39|publisher=[[Singapore Press Holdings{{!}}SPH Magazines]]|issn=0219-872X|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EOkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39|accessdate=2011-08-05}}</ref>


His influence also extends to the [[popular music]] [[Music industry|industry]]. His work remains highly regarded within the chiptune community,<ref name="hg101_retro"/> and has influenced artists outside of it, such as [[Ikonika]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Lawrence|first=Eddy|title=Ikonika interview: Producer and DJ, Ikonika had an incredible 2010|url=http://www.timeoutdoha.com/nightlife/features/20343-ikonika-interview|work=[[Time Out (company){{!}}Time Out]]|accessdate=5 August 2011|date=11 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="self-titledmag">{{cite web|title=Recording Under the Influence: Ikonika|url=http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2010/04/21/recording-under-the-influence-ikonika-on-streets-of-rage-dalis-film-buddy-and-why-kode9s-wrong-about-numbers/|work=Self-Titled Magazine|accessdate=5 August 2011|month=April 21|year=2010}}</ref><ref name="timeout_20425">{{cite web|last=Lawrence|first=Eddy|title=Ikonika interview: Dubstep has taken the world by storm over the past 12 months|url=http://www.timeoutdubai.com/nightlife/features/20425-ikonika-interview|work=[[Time Out (company){{!}}Time Out]]|accessdate=6 August 2011|date=18 January 2011}}</ref> [[Frente!]],<ref name="gameaxis_2010"/> [[Janet Jackson]],<ref name="samplehappy"/> [[Labrinth]],<ref name="timeout_20425"/> [[Martyn (musician)|Martyn]], [[Joker (musician)|Joker]], and [[Darkstar (band)|Darkstar]].<ref name="self-titledmag"/> Koshiro's ''Streets of Rage'' soundtracks in particular has been compared to later [[Grime (music)|grime]] music, and has influenced [[electronica]] and [[dubstep]] producers.<ref name="self-titledmag"/><ref name="timeout_20425"/>
His influence also extends to the [[popular music]] [[Music industry|industry]]. His work remains highly regarded within the chiptune community,<ref name="hg101_retro"/> and has influenced artists outside of it, such as [[Ikonika]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Lawrence|first=Eddy|title=Ikonika interview: Producer and DJ, Ikonika had an incredible 2010|url=http://www.timeoutdoha.com/nightlife/features/20343-ikonika-interview|work=[[Time Out (company){{!}}Time Out]]|accessdate=5 August 2011|date=11 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="self-titledmag">{{cite web|title=Recording Under the Influence: Ikonika|url=http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2010/04/21/recording-under-the-influence-ikonika-on-streets-of-rage-dalis-film-buddy-and-why-kode9s-wrong-about-numbers/|work=Self-Titled Magazine|accessdate=5 August 2011|month=April 21|year=2010}}</ref><ref name="timeout_20425">{{cite web|last=Lawrence|first=Eddy|title=Ikonika interview: Dubstep has taken the world by storm over the past 12 months|url=http://www.timeoutdubai.com/nightlife/features/20425-ikonika-interview|work=[[Time Out (company){{!}}Time Out]]|accessdate=6 August 2011|date=18 January 2011}}</ref> [[Frente!]],<ref name="gameaxis_2010"/> [[Janet Jackson]],<ref name="samplehappy"/> [[Labrinth]],<ref name="timeout_20425"/> [[Martyn (musician)|Martyn]], [[Joker (musician)|Joker]], and [[Darkstar (band)|Darkstar]].<ref name="self-titledmag"/> Koshiro's ''Streets of Rage'' soundtracks in particular has been compared to later [[Grime (music)|grime]] music, and has influenced [[electronica]] and [[dubstep]] producers.<ref name="self-titledmag"/><ref name="timeout_20425"/>


== Career ==
== Biography ==
===Early life (1967–1985)===
⚫
While he was still in [[high school]] during the early 1980s, he began composing music on the [[NEC PC-8801]] as a hobby, including [[mockup]]s of early [[arcade game]] music from [[Namco]], [[Konami]], and [[Sega]]. The [[Music sequencer|sequencing]] skills and experience he gained from this would later be utilized in his early video game projects.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/><ref name="videogamesdaily">{{cite web|title=Yuzo Koshiro Interview|url=http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/features/yuzo_koshiro_iv_oct05_p1.asp|work=VideoGamesDaily.com|accessdate=6 August 2011|author=Kikizo|month=October 14|year=2005}}</ref> The video games that influenced him most were ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'' (1984), ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (1985), and ''[[Gradius]]'' (1985). The soundtracks to these games inspired him to become a video game composer.<ref name="videogamesdaily"/><ref>{{YouTube|h8xLfxggT-c|Interview with Yuzo Koshiro - Game Music}}</ref>
Yuzo Koshiro was born in [[Tokyo]] on December 12, 1967. His mother, Tomo Koshiro, was a [[pianist]]. She taught him how to play the [[piano]] at the age of three, and by the age of five, he had a strong command of it. In 1975, he began taking music lessons from the classical composer [[Joe Hisaishi]] (later known for his soundtracks to [[Hayao Miyazaki]] films), and studied with him for three years. Everything Koshiro learnt after that has since been self-taught.<ref name="tnl_ancient">{{cite web|title=TNL Developer Spotlight: Ancient|publisher=[[The Next Level]]|url=http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/developers/ancient/history.shtml|date=03/11/2003|accessdate=2011-05-12}}</ref>

⚫
While he was still in [[high school]] during the early 1980s, Koshiro began composing music on the [[NEC PC-8801]] as a hobby, including [[mockup]]s of early [[arcade game]] music from [[Namco]], [[Konami]], and [[Sega]]. The [[Music sequencer|sequencing]] skills and experience he gained from this would later be utilized in his early video game projects.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/><ref name="videogamesdaily">{{cite web|title=Yuzo Koshiro Interview|url=http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/features/yuzo_koshiro_iv_oct05_p1.asp|work=VideoGamesDaily.com|accessdate=6 August 2011|author=Kikizo|month=October 14|year=2005}}</ref> The video games that influenced him most were ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'' (1984), ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (1985), and ''[[Gradius]]'' (1985). The [[video game music]] soundtracks to these games inspired him to become a video game composer.<ref name="videogamesdaily"/><ref>{{YouTube|h8xLfxggT-c|Interview with Yuzo Koshiro - Game Music}}</ref>


===Early career at Nihon Falcom (1986–1988)===
===Early career at Nihon Falcom (1986–1988)===
Koshiro's first composing job was with [[Nihon Falcom]] in 1986, where he contributed to the soundtracks of the ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' [[action role-playing game]]s ''[[Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu|Xanadu Scenario II]]'' and ''[[Romancia]]''. However, his most well-known Falcom works are his soundtracks for ''[[Sorcerian]]'' and the early ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' games, ''[[Ys I]]'' and ''[[Ys II]]''. After ''Ys II'', Koshiro left Falcom. All of these soundtracks were produced using the [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM synthesis]] [[sound chip]] of the PC-8801. Despite later advances in audio technology, Koshiro would continue to use older PC-8801 hardware to produce many of his later video game soundtracks, including the ''[[Streets of Rage]]'' and ''Etrian Odyssey'' soundtracks.<ref name="hg101_retro">{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{citation|title=[[Retro Gamer]]''|issue=67|year=2009}}</ref>
Koshiro's first composing job was with [[Nihon Falcom]] in 1986, where he contributed to the soundtracks of the ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' [[action role-playing game]]s ''[[Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu|Xanadu Scenario II]]'' and ''[[Romancia]]''. His compositions for these games were influenced by arcade game music and Japanese bands such as [[The Alfee]]. He then produced the soundtrack to ''[[Legacy of the Wizard|Dragon Slayer IV / Legacy of the Wizard]]'' (1987), which was influenced by the sounds of early Konami games. His most well-known Falcom works are his soundtracks for ''[[Sorcerian]]'' (1987) and the early ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' games, ''[[Ys I]]'' (1987) and ''[[Ys II]]'' (1988). These early music productions mainly featured [[Rock music|rock]] and [[Fusion (music)|fusion]] music.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> He also contributed to the soundtrack of ''[[Ys III: Wanderers from Ys]]'' (1989).<ref name="sem_discography"/>

All of these early soundtracks were produced using the [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM synthesis]] [[sound chip]] of the PC-8801. Despite later advances in audio technology, Koshiro would continue to use older PC-8801 hardware to produce many of his later video game soundtracks, including the ''[[Streets of Rage]]'' and ''Etrian Odyssey'' soundtracks.<ref name="hg101_retro">{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{citation|title=[[Retro Gamer]]''|issue=67|year=2009}}</ref> His soundtracks for early [[Nihon Falcom]] games, such as the ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' and ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series, are widely regarded as some of the most influential [[role-playing video game]] scores.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/>


===Early freelance work (1988–1990)===
His soundtracks for early [[Nihon Falcom]] games, such as the ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' and ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series, are widely regarded as some of the most influential [[role-playing video game]] scores.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/>
⚫
Following his separation with Falcom, Koshiro became a freelancer, composing music for many other companies. His early freelance projects included the [[Sharp X1]] port of ''[[Bosconian]]'' (1981), [[Quest Corporation|Bothtec]]'s [[action role-playing game]] ''[[Quest Corporation|The Scheme]]'' (1988) for the PC-8801, and [[Enix]]'s [[visual novel]] [[adventure game]] ''[[Misty Blue (video game)|Misty Blue]]'' for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9801]] in 1990.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/><ref name="hg101_retro"/> The latter two soundtracks featured early [[Eurobeat]] music.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> His most notable freelance work was for [[Sega]], where he composed music for the [[The Revenge of Shinobi|''Shinobi'' series]] and the [[Streets of Rage (series)|''Streets of Rage'' series]], as well as [[Quintet (developer)|Quintet]], where he composed the soundtracks to ''ActRaiser'' (1990) and ''[[ActRaiser 2]]'' (1993).


His first freelance work for Sega was the soundtrack to ''[[The Revenge of Shinobi]]'' (1989), for which he produced [[House music|house]]<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> and "[[Progressive electronic dance music|progressive]], catchy, [[techno]]-style compositions"<ref name="santos_2006"/> that fused [[electronic dance music]] with [[traditional Japanese musical instruments]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/koshiro/oct99interview.shtml|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|accessdate=8 August 2011|author=RocketBaby|month=October|year=1999}}</ref> His soundtrack for ''[[ActRaiser]]'' (1990), on the other hand, was mainly [[Classical music|classical]] and [[orchestra]]l.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> While working on ''ActRaiser'', in order to get around the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]'s 64 [[Kilobyte|KB]] memory limitation which limited the number of instruments that can be used and prevented the reloading of [[Sampling (signal processing)|samples]], Koshiro developed a sample loading system that worked with the [[ROM cartridge]] memory, swapping samples from the [[Read-only memory|ROM]] data on the fly. This allowed him to "load parts of the music gradually as needed, and also change it quickly between stages or parts of a stage" which the "original system couldn't do it with its retrictions." A similar system was used by other companies for later SNES games such as [[Square (company)|Squaresoft]]'s ''[[Seiken Densetsu 3]]'' (1995) and [[Namco Tales Studio]]'s ''[[Tales of Phantasia]]'' (1995).<ref name="videogamesdaily"/>
===Freelance work and founding of Ancient (1988–1991)===
⚫
Following his separation with Falcom, Koshiro became a freelancer, composing music for many other companies. His early freelance projects included [[Quest Corporation|Bothtec]]'s [[action role-playing game]] ''[[Quest Corporation|The Scheme]]'' for the PC-8801 in 1988 and [[Enix]]'s [[visual novel]] [[adventure game]] ''[[Misty Blue (video game)|Misty Blue]]'' for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9801]] in 1990.<ref name="hg101_retro"/> His most notable freelance work was for [[Sega]], where he composed music for ''[[The Revenge of Shinobi]]'' and the [[Streets of Rage (series)|''Streets of Rage'' series]], as well as [[Quintet (developer)|Quintet]], where he composed the soundtracks to ''[[ActRaiser]]'' (1990) and ''[[ActRaiser 2]]'' (1993). While working on ''ActRaiser'', in order to get around the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]'s 64 [[Kilobyte|KB]] memory limitation which limited the number of instruments that can be used and prevented the reloading of [[Sampling (signal processing)|samples]], Koshiro developed a sample loading system that worked with the [[ROM cartridge]] memory, swapping samples from the [[Read-only memory|ROM]] data on the fly. This allowed him to "load parts of the music gradually as needed, and also change it quickly between stages or parts of a stage" which the "original system couldn't do it with its retrictions." A similar system was used by other companies for later SNES games such as [[Square (company)|Squaresoft]]'s ''[[Seiken Densetsu 3]]'' (1995) and [[Namco Tales Studio]]'s ''[[Tales of Phantasia]]'' (1995).<ref name="videogamesdaily"/>


===Founding of Ancient (1990–1991)===
In 1990, Koshiro helped found [[Ancient (company)|Ancient Corp.]], which has contributed to the development of a number of games, such as ''[[Beyond Oasis]]''. The company was also founded by his mother, Tomo Koshiro, while his sister Ayano Koshiro works at the company as an art/character/graphic designer and was also the art designer for the ''ActRaiser'' games.<ref name="TNL Developer Spotlight: Ancient">{{cite web|title=TNL Developer Spotlight: Ancient|publisher=[[The Next Level]]|url=http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/developers/ancient/history.shtml|date=03/11/2003|accessdate=2011-05-12}}</ref> His sister Ayano has designed characters and graphics for several games Koshiro has worked on, including the ''Streets of Rage'' (''Bare Knuckle'' in Japan) series, ''Ys'' and ''ActRaiser''.
In 1990, Koshiro helped found [[Ancient (company)|Ancient Corp.]], which has contributed to the development of a number of games, such as ''[[Beyond Oasis]]''. The company was also founded by his mother, Tomo Koshiro, while his sister Ayano Koshiro works at the company as an art/character/graphic designer and was also the art designer for the ''ActRaiser'' games.<ref name="tnl_ancient"/> His sister Ayano has designed characters and graphics for several games Koshiro has worked on, including the ''Streets of Rage'' (''Bare Knuckle'' in Japan) series, ''Ys'' and ''ActRaiser''.


While working with Ancient, he composed the soundtrack for the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|8-bit version of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'']] in 1991. He adapted several pieces of music from the original [[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|16-bit version]], while the rest of the soundtrack consisted of his own original music.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> One of his original pieces, the "[[Bridge Zone]]" theme, was later [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] in [[Janet Jackson]]'s [[List of best-selling singles worldwide|best-selling single]] "[[Together Again (Janet Jackson song)|Together Again]]" (1997).<ref name="samplehappy">{{cite web|title=Yuzo Koshiro (Sonic the Hedgehog)|work=samplehappy.com|url=http://samplehappy.com/artist/index.php?aId=4696|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref> The "Bridge Zone" theme was also later sampled in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'', for the [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] theme song, "Believe in Myself" by Karen Brake.<ref>{{cite web|title=Karen Brake: Believe in Myself|publisher=[[WhoSampled]]|url=http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/15180/Karen%20Brake-Believe%20in%20Myself_Yuzo%20Koshiro-Bridge%20Zone/|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref> Another one of Koshiro's original pieces for the soundtrack, "Jungle Zone", was later sampled in the [[Australia]]n hit single "Accidently Kelly Street" by [[Frente!]] in 1992.<ref name="gameaxis_2010">{{cite web|title=Music Box: Hey, That Sounds Familiar|author=Mr Toffee|date=November 22, 2010|page=2|work=GameAxis Online|publisher=[[Singapore Press Holdings]]|url=http://gameaxis.com/music-box-hey-that-sounds-familiar/2/|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref>
While working with Ancient, he composed the soundtrack for the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|8-bit version of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'']] in 1991. He adapted several pieces of music from the original [[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|16-bit version]], while the rest of the soundtrack consisted of his own original music.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> One of his original pieces, the "[[Bridge Zone]]" theme, was later [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] in [[Janet Jackson]]'s [[List of best-selling singles worldwide|best-selling single]] "[[Together Again (Janet Jackson song)|Together Again]]" (1997).<ref name="samplehappy">{{cite web|title=Yuzo Koshiro (Sonic the Hedgehog)|work=samplehappy.com|url=http://samplehappy.com/artist/index.php?aId=4696|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref> The "Bridge Zone" theme was also later sampled in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'', for the [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] theme song, "Believe in Myself" by Karen Brake.<ref>{{cite web|title=Karen Brake: Believe in Myself|publisher=[[WhoSampled]]|url=http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/15180/Karen%20Brake-Believe%20in%20Myself_Yuzo%20Koshiro-Bridge%20Zone/|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref> Another one of Koshiro's original pieces for the soundtrack, "Jungle Zone", was later sampled in the [[Australia]]n hit single "Accidently Kelly Street" by [[Frente!]] in 1992.<ref name="gameaxis_2010">{{cite web|title=Music Box: Hey, That Sounds Familiar|author=Mr Toffee|date=November 22, 2010|page=2|work=GameAxis Online|publisher=[[Singapore Press Holdings]]|url=http://gameaxis.com/music-box-hey-that-sounds-familiar/2/|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref>


===''Streets of Rage'' and ''Eye of the Beholder'' (1991–1994)===
===''Streets of Rage'' series (1991–1994)===
His soundtracks for the [[Streets of Rage (series)|''Streets of Rage'' series]] (known as ''Bare Knuckle'' in Japan) from 1991 to 1994 were composed using then outdated PC-8801 hardware alongside his own original [[programming language]]. According to Koshiro: "For ''Bare Knuckle'' I used the PC88 and an original programming language I developed myself. The original was called MML, Music Macro Language. It's based on NEC's [[BASIC]] program, but I modified it heavily. It was more a BASIC-style language at first, but I modified it to be something more like [[Assembly language|Assembly]]. I called it ‘Music Love'. I used it for all the ''Bare Knuckle'' Games."<ref name="hg101_retro"/>
His soundtracks for the [[Streets of Rage (series)|''Streets of Rage'' series]] (known as ''Bare Knuckle'' in Japan) from 1991 to 1994 were composed using then outdated PC-8801 hardware alongside his own original [[programming language]]. According to Koshiro: "For ''Bare Knuckle'' I used the PC88 and an original programming language I developed myself. The original was called MML, Music Macro Language. It's based on NEC's [[BASIC]] program, but I modified it heavily. It was more a BASIC-style language at first, but I modified it to be something more like [[Assembly language|Assembly]]. I called it ‘Music Love'. I used it for all the ''Bare Knuckle'' Games."<ref name="hg101_retro"/>


The soundtracks for ''[[Streets of Rage]]'' (1991) and ''[[Streets of Rage 2]]'' (1992) were influenced by [[House music|house]], [[techno]], and [[hardcore techno]]. For the soundtrack to ''[[Streets of Rage 3]]'' (1994), however, he created a new composition method called the "Automated Composing System" to produce "fast-beat techno like [[Drum and bass|jungle]]."<ref name="jeff_davis">{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Jeff|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|url=http://www.psy-q.ch/mirrors/thegia/sites/www.thegia.com/features/f010123.html|work=Gaming Intelligence Agency|accessdate=6 August 2011}}</ref> It was the most advanced techno technique of the time, incorporating heavily randomized sequences.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> This resulted in innovative and [[Experimental music|experimental sounds]] generated automatically that, according to Koshiro, "you ordinarily never could imagine on your own." This method was very rare at the time, but has since become popular among techno and [[trance music]] producers to get "unexpected and odd sounds.<ref name="sega_horowitz">{{cite web|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|title=Interview: Yuzo Koshiro|url=http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=136&title=Interview:+Yuzo+Koshiro|work=Sega-16|accessdate=6 August 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080921205228/http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=136&title=Interview:+Yuzo+Koshiro|archivedate=21 September 2008|month=February 5|year=2008}}</ref>
The soundtracks for ''[[Streets of Rage]]'' (1991) and ''[[Streets of Rage 2]]'' (1992) were influenced by [[House music|house]], [[techno]], and [[hardcore techno]]. For the soundtrack to ''[[Streets of Rage 3]]'' (1994), however, he created a new composition method called the "Automated Composing System" to produce "fast-beat techno like [[Drum and bass|jungle]]."<ref name="jeff_davis">{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Jeff|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|url=http://www.psy-q.ch/mirrors/thegia/sites/www.thegia.com/features/f010123.html|work=Gaming Intelligence Agency|accessdate=6 August 2011}}</ref> It was the most advanced techno technique of the time, incorporating heavily randomized sequences.<ref name="greening_kotowski"/> This resulted in innovative and [[Experimental music|experimental sounds]] generated automatically that, according to Koshiro, "you ordinarily never could imagine on your own." This method was very rare at the time, but has since become popular among techno and [[trance music]] producers to get "unexpected and odd sounds."<ref name="sega_horowitz">{{cite web|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|title=Interview: Yuzo Koshiro|url=http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=136&title=Interview:+Yuzo+Koshiro|work=Sega-16|accessdate=6 August 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080921205228/http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=136&title=Interview:+Yuzo+Koshiro|archivedate=21 September 2008|month=February 5|year=2008}}</ref>


⚫
===Later career (1994–present)===
Also in 1994, Koshiro composed a famous soundtrack for the [[Sega CD]] version of ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'', a [[dungeon crawl]] [[role-playing video game]] developed by the American company [[Westwood Associates]] and published by Sega.<ref name="barton_2007">{{cite web
Koshiro composed a famous soundtrack for the [[Sega CD]] version of ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' (1994), a [[dungeon crawl]] [[role-playing video game]] developed by the American company [[Westwood Associates]] and published by Sega.<ref name="barton_2007">{{cite web
| first=Matt | last=Barton | date=23 February 2007| work=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games| title=Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993)|url= http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070223b/barton_06.shtml| publisher=[[Gamasutra]] | accessdate=2009-03-26 }}</ref>
| first=Matt | last=Barton | date=23 February 2007| work=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games| title=Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993)|url= http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070223b/barton_06.shtml| publisher=[[Gamasutra]] | accessdate=2009-03-26 }}</ref> That same year, his soundtrack for ''[[Beyond Oasis]]'' utilized a [[Romantic music|late romantic]] style of music, which he later also utilized for ''[[Legend of Oasis]]'' (1996), ''[[Merregnon]]'' (2000), and ''Lost Regnum'' (2008).<ref name="greening_kotowski"/>


⚫
He also composed the soundtrack for Sega's ''[[Shenmue]]'' (1999) alongside [[Takenobu Mitsuyoshi]], with Koshiro contributing fifteen original compositions to the soundtrack. Three other staff members of Ancient also worked on ''Shenmue''.<ref name="tnl_ancient"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Interview With Shenmue's Composer|publisher=[[RPGamer]]|author=Andrew Long|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2001/012301d.html|accessdate=2011-05-12}}</ref> He later composed the soundtracks for the ''[[Wangan Midnight]]'' series (2001 onwards) and ''[[Namco × Capcom]]'' (2005). These were the first projects where he wrote the lyrics along with the music. For the ''Wangan Midnight'' series in particular, his compositions were mostly [[trance music]].<ref name="videogamesdaily"/>
⚫
===Later career (1995–present)===
⚫
He composed the soundtrack for Sega's ''[[Shenmue]]'' (1999) alongside [[Takenobu Mitsuyoshi]], with Koshiro contributed fifteen original compositions to the soundtrack. Three other staff members of Ancient also worked on ''Shenmue''.<ref name="TNL Developer Spotlight: Ancient"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Interview With Shenmue's Composer|publisher=[[RPGamer]]|author=Andrew Long|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2001/012301d.html|accessdate=2011-05-12}}</ref> He later composed the soundtracks for the ''[[Wangan Midnight]]'' series (2001 onwards) and ''[[Namco × Capcom]]'' (2005). These were the first projects where he wrote the lyrics along with the music. For the ''Wangan Midnight'' series in particular, his compositions were mostly [[trance music]].<ref name="videogamesdaily"/>


He composed the main theme of the French TV channel ''[[Nolife (TV channel)|Nolife]]'', which launched in 2007. The theme was released as part of the album ''Tamiuta'' in 2008.<ref>[http://www.vgmdb.net/db/albums.php?id=6024 ''Nolife TV Theme'', released on the album ''Tamiuta'']</ref> Koshiro's latest work includes music for acclaimed video games such as the ''[[Etrian Odyssey]]'' series (2007-2010),<ref name="hg101_retro"/> the ''[[Wangan Midnight]]'' series (including 2004's ''[[Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune]]''), and ''[[7th Dragon]]'' (2009).
He composed the main theme of the French TV channel ''[[Nolife (TV channel)|Nolife]]'', which launched in 2007. The theme was released as part of the album ''Tamiuta'' in 2008.<ref>[http://www.vgmdb.net/db/albums.php?id=6024 ''Nolife TV Theme'', released on the album ''Tamiuta'']</ref> Koshiro's latest work includes music for acclaimed video games such as the ''[[Etrian Odyssey]]'' series (2007-2010),<ref name="hg101_retro"/> the ''[[Wangan Midnight]]'' series (including 2004's ''[[Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune]]''), and ''[[7th Dragon]]'' (2009).
Line 71: Line 77:
*''[[Ys II]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''[[Ys II]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''[[Romancia]]'' (PC-88)
*''[[Romancia]]'' (PC-88)
*''[[Legacy of the Wizard]]'' / ''Dragon Slayer IV'' ([[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES/Famicom]])
*[[Legacy of the Wizard|''Legacy of the Wizard'' / ''Dragon Slayer IV'']] ([[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES/Famicom]])
*''[[Sorcerian]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''[[Sorcerian]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''Algarna'' ([[Sharp X1]])
*''Algarna'' ([[Sharp X1]])
*''[[Bosconian]]'' ([[Sharp X68000]])
*''[[Bosconian]]'' ([[Sharp X68000]])
*''[[Quest Corporation|The Scheme]]'' (PC-88)
*''[[Quest Corporation|The Scheme]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''[[Misty Blue (video game)|Misty Blue]]'' (PC-88)
*''[[Ys III: Wanderers from Ys]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''[[Misty Blue (video game)|Misty Blue]]'' (PC-88, PC-98)
*''Star Wars - Attack of the Death Star'' (X68000 arrangements)
*''Star Wars - Attack of the Death Star'' (X68000 arrangements)
*''The Stickman is Back'' ([[Sega Mega Drive]]) - unreleased
*''The Stickman is Back'' ([[Sega Mega Drive]]) - unreleased
*''[[The Revenge of Shinobi]]'' / ''The Super Shinobi'' (Mega Drive/Genesis)
*[[The Revenge of Shinobi|''The Revenge of Shinobi'' / ''The Super Shinobi'']] (Mega Drive / Genesis)
*''[[Thrice (video game)|Thrice (Slice)]]'' (Sharp X68000)
*''[[Thrice (video game)|Thrice (Slice)]]'' (Sharp X68000)
*''[[Streets of Rage]]'' / ''Bare Knuckle'' (Mega Drive/Genesis)
*[[Streets of Rage|''Streets of Rage'' / ''Bare Knuckle'']] (Mega Drive / Genesis)
*''[[ActRaiser]]'' ([[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom/Super NES]])
*''[[ActRaiser]]'' ([[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES / Super Famicom]])
*''[[ActRaiser 2]]'' (SNES / SFC)
*''[[ActRaiser 2]]'' (SNES / SFC)
*''[[Super Adventure Island]]'' (SNES / SFC)
*''[[Super Adventure Island]]'' (SNES / SFC)
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (Sega Master System / Game Gear)
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (Sega Master System / Game Gear)
*''[[Streets of Rage 2]]'' / ''Bare Knuckle II'' (Mega Drive/Genesis) - with Motohiro Kawashima
*[[Streets of Rage 2|''Streets of Rage 2'' / ''Bare Knuckle II'']] (Mega Drive / Genesis) - with Motohiro Kawashima
*''[[Slap Fight]]'' (Mega Drive) - Japan only
*''[[Slap Fight]]'' (Mega Drive) - Japan only
*''Miracle Casino Paradise'' (SFC) - Japan only
*''Miracle Casino Paradise'' (SFC) - Japan only
Line 92: Line 99:
*''[[Shinobi II: The Silent Fury]]'' / ''The GG Shinobi II'' (Game Gear)
*''[[Shinobi II: The Silent Fury]]'' / ''The GG Shinobi II'' (Game Gear)
*''[[Batman Returns (video game)|Batman Returns]]'' (Game Gear, Master System)
*''[[Batman Returns (video game)|Batman Returns]]'' (Game Gear, Master System)
*''[[Streets of Rage 3]]'' / ''Bare Knuckle III'' (Mega Drive/Genesis) - with Motohiro Kawashima
*[[Streets of Rage 3|''Streets of Rage 3'' / ''Bare Knuckle III'']] (Mega Drive / Genesis) - with Motohiro Kawashima
*''[[Beyond Oasis]]'' / ''The Story of Thor'' (Mega Drive / Genesis)
*[[Beyond Oasis|''The Story of Thor'' / ''Beyond Oasis'']] (Mega Drive / Genesis)
*''[[Eye of the Beholder (computer game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' ([[Mega-CD]])
*''[[Eye of the Beholder (computer game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' ([[Mega-CD]])
*''[[Zork I]]'' ([[Sega Saturn]] / [[PlayStation]])
*''[[Zork I]]'' ([[Sega Saturn]] / [[PlayStation]])
*''[[The Legend of Oasis]]'' / ''The Story of Thor 2'' (Sega Saturn)
*[[The Legend of Oasis|''The Story of Thor 2'' / ''The Legend of Oasis'']] (Sega Saturn)
*''Vatlva'' (Sega Saturn)
*''Vatlva'' (Sega Saturn)
*''[[Culdcept]]'' (Sega Saturn) - with Takeshi Yanagawa
*''[[Culdcept]]'' (Sega Saturn) - with Takeshi Yanagawa
Line 129: Line 136:


== Discography ==
== Discography ==
His original soundtrack album releases include:<ref name="vgmdb">{{cite web|title=Yuzo Koshiro|url=http://vgmdb.net/artist/148|work=VGMdb|accessdate=18 August 2011}}</ref>

*''Original Sound of Dragon Slayer IV: Dragon Slayer Family (21 September 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., KHY-1020, with Mieko Ishikawa)
*''Music from Ys'' (5 November 1987, Starchild Records / King Records, K30X-7701, with Mieko Ishikawa)
*''All Sounds of Sorcerian'' (21 April 1988, Polystar, H30X-20006)
*''Music from Sorcerian'' (21 April 1988, Starchild Records / King Records, K30X-7703)
*''Music from Ys II'' (21 June 1988, King Records, K32X-7704, with Mieko Ishikawa)
*''Symphony Ys'' (5 November 1988, King Records, K32X-7710, with Mieko Ishikawa)
*''Symphony Sorcerian'' (5 July 1989, King Records, 276A-7707)
*''Beep Special Project: Falcom Super Mega Mix'' (April 1989, Softbank Publishing)
*''The Scheme'' (21 December 1989, Alfa Records, 25A2-8)
*''The Scheme'' (21 December 1989, Alfa Records, 25A2-8)
*''The Super Shinobi & Works'' (25 December 1989, Alpha Records, 25A2-53)
*''The Super Shinobi & Works'' (25 December 1989, Alpha Records, 25A2-53)
*''Misty Blue'' (2 April 1990, Enix Corporation, E-G241)
*''ActRaiser OST'' (25 January 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-105)
*''ActRaiser OST'' (25 January 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-105)
*''Misty Blue'' (21 April 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-123)
*''Misty Blue'' (21 April 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-123)
Line 147: Line 165:
*''Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 OST'' (27 September 2007, Marvelous Entertainment, MJCD-20102)
*''Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 OST'' (27 September 2007, Marvelous Entertainment, MJCD-20102)


Contributions in:<ref name="vgmdb"/><ref name="sem_discography">{{cite web|title=Yuzo Koshiro: Discography|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/koshiro/discography.shtml|work=Square Enix Music Online|accessdate=24 August 2011}}</ref>
Contributions in:

*''All Over Xanadu'' (5 July 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., BY30-5170)
*''All Over Xanadu'' (5 July 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., BY30-5170)
*''Romancia Sound Fantasy'' (21 November 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., BY30-5176)
*''Romancia Sound Fantasy'' (21 November 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., BY30-5176)
*''Falcom Game Music'' (10 November 1987, G.M.O. Records / Alfa Records, 28XA-179)
*''Music from Ys III: Wanderers from Ys'' (21 October 1989, King Records, 276A-7715)
*''Perfect Collection Ys'' (5 August 1990, King Records, KICA-1012/1013)
*''Perfect Collection Ys'' (5 August 1990, King Records, KICA-1012/1013)
*''Perfect Collection Ys 2'' (5 September 1990, King Records, KICA-1014/1015)
*''Perfect Collection Ys II'' (5 September 1990, King Records, KICA-1014/1015)
*''Perfect Collection Ys III: Wanderers from Ys'' (15 March 1991, King Records, KICA-1021/2)
*''Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 2'' (21 September 1991, King Records, KICA-1037/1038)
*''Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 2'' (21 September 1991, King Records, KICA-1037/1038)
*''Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 3'' (21 November 1991, King Records, KICA-1039/1040)
*''Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 3'' (21 November 1991, King Records, KICA-1039/1040)
Line 164: Line 186:
*''Dance Dance Revolution Festival & Strike Original Soundtrack'' (15 February 2006, Toshiba EMI, TOCP-64291/64292)
*''Dance Dance Revolution Festival & Strike Original Soundtrack'' (15 February 2006, Toshiba EMI, TOCP-64291/64292)
*''Yuusha 30 Original Soundtrack'' (22 July 2009, Marvelous Entertainment, MJCD-20165)
*''Yuusha 30 Original Soundtrack'' (22 July 2009, Marvelous Entertainment, MJCD-20165)

== See also ==
*[[Ryu Umemoto]]


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 14:45, 24 August 2011

Yuzo Koshiro
Yuzo Koshiro at Chicago's "Play! A Video Game Symphony" concert in 2006
Yuzo Koshiro at Chicago's "Play! A Video Game Symphony" concert in 2006
Background information
Also known asKoshiron (Legacy of the Wizard credits)
OriginHino, Tokyo, Japan
GenresElectronic (chiptune, dance, Eurobeat, game, house, jungle, techno, trance), Hip‑hop, Jazz, Orchestral (classical), Rock (synth rock)
Occupation(s)Composer, programmer, music programmer
Instrument(s)Piano, violin, sound chip, synthesizer
Years active1986–present
WebsiteAncient Corp.

Yuzo Koshiro (古代 祐三, Koshiro Yūzō, born December 12, 1967 in Hino, Tokyo) is a Japanese video game music composer and audio programmer. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune music and video game sound design. He has produced music in various genres, including electronic music (dance, Eurobeat, house, jungle, techno, trance),[1][2][3] hip hop, jazz, classical/orchestral, and synth rock.[1]

According to Nintendo Power, Koshiro was "arguably the greatest game-music composer of the 16-bit age" and created "some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s."[4] He has produced some of the most influential role-playing video game scores, for titles such as Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer and Ys series,[1] as well as ActRaiser (1990)[2] and Eye of the Beholder (1994).[5] According to GameAxis Unwired, his "progressive, catchy, techno-style compositions" for games such as The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) and Streets of Rage series were "far more advanced than what players were used to" and set a "new high watermark for what music in games could sound like."[6]

His influence also extends to the popular music industry. His work remains highly regarded within the chiptune community,[7] and has influenced artists outside of it, such as Ikonika,[8][9][10] Frente!,[11] Janet Jackson,[12] Labrinth,[10] Martyn, Joker, and Darkstar.[9] Koshiro's Streets of Rage soundtracks in particular has been compared to later grime music, and has influenced electronica and dubstep producers.[9][10]

Biography

Early life (1967–1985)

Yuzo Koshiro was born in Tokyo on December 12, 1967. His mother, Tomo Koshiro, was a pianist. She taught him how to play the piano at the age of three, and by the age of five, he had a strong command of it. In 1975, he began taking music lessons from the classical composer Joe Hisaishi (later known for his soundtracks to Hayao Miyazaki films), and studied with him for three years. Everything Koshiro learnt after that has since been self-taught.[13]

While he was still in high school during the early 1980s, Koshiro began composing music on the NEC PC-8801 as a hobby, including mockups of early arcade game music from Namco, Konami, and Sega. The sequencing skills and experience he gained from this would later be utilized in his early video game projects.[1][14] The video games that influenced him most were The Tower of Druaga (1984), Space Harrier (1985), and Gradius (1985). The video game music soundtracks to these games inspired him to become a video game composer.[14][15]

Early career at Nihon Falcom (1986–1988)

Koshiro's first composing job was with Nihon Falcom in 1986, where he contributed to the soundtracks of the Dragon Slayer action role-playing games Xanadu Scenario II and Romancia. His compositions for these games were influenced by arcade game music and Japanese bands such as The Alfee. He then produced the soundtrack to Dragon Slayer IV / Legacy of the Wizard (1987), which was influenced by the sounds of early Konami games. His most well-known Falcom works are his soundtracks for Sorcerian (1987) and the early Ys games, Ys I (1987) and Ys II (1988). These early music productions mainly featured rock and fusion music.[1] He also contributed to the soundtrack of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (1989).[16]

All of these early soundtracks were produced using the FM synthesis sound chip of the PC-8801. Despite later advances in audio technology, Koshiro would continue to use older PC-8801 hardware to produce many of his later video game soundtracks, including the Streets of Rage and Etrian Odyssey soundtracks.[7] His soundtracks for early Nihon Falcom games, such as the Dragon Slayer and Ys series, are widely regarded as some of the most influential role-playing video game scores.[1]

Early freelance work (1988–1990)

Following his separation with Falcom, Koshiro became a freelancer, composing music for many other companies. His early freelance projects included the Sharp X1 port of Bosconian (1981), Bothtec's action role-playing game The Scheme (1988) for the PC-8801, and Enix's visual novel adventure game Misty Blue for the PC-9801 in 1990.[1][7] The latter two soundtracks featured early Eurobeat music.[1] His most notable freelance work was for Sega, where he composed music for the Shinobi series and the Streets of Rage series, as well as Quintet, where he composed the soundtracks to ActRaiser (1990) and ActRaiser 2 (1993).

His first freelance work for Sega was the soundtrack to The Revenge of Shinobi (1989), for which he produced house[1] and "progressive, catchy, techno-style compositions"[6] that fused electronic dance music with traditional Japanese musical instruments.[17] His soundtrack for ActRaiser (1990), on the other hand, was mainly classical and orchestral.[1] While working on ActRaiser, in order to get around the SNES's 64 KB memory limitation which limited the number of instruments that can be used and prevented the reloading of samples, Koshiro developed a sample loading system that worked with the ROM cartridge memory, swapping samples from the ROM data on the fly. This allowed him to "load parts of the music gradually as needed, and also change it quickly between stages or parts of a stage" which the "original system couldn't do it with its retrictions." A similar system was used by other companies for later SNES games such as Squaresoft's Seiken Densetsu 3 (1995) and Namco Tales Studio's Tales of Phantasia (1995).[14]

Founding of Ancient (1990–1991)

In 1990, Koshiro helped found Ancient Corp., which has contributed to the development of a number of games, such as Beyond Oasis. The company was also founded by his mother, Tomo Koshiro, while his sister Ayano Koshiro works at the company as an art/character/graphic designer and was also the art designer for the ActRaiser games.[13] His sister Ayano has designed characters and graphics for several games Koshiro has worked on, including the Streets of Rage (Bare Knuckle in Japan) series, Ys and ActRaiser.

While working with Ancient, he composed the soundtrack for the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991. He adapted several pieces of music from the original 16-bit version, while the rest of the soundtrack consisted of his own original music.[1] One of his original pieces, the "Bridge Zone" theme, was later sampled in Janet Jackson's best-selling single "Together Again" (1997).[12] The "Bridge Zone" theme was also later sampled in Sonic Adventure, for the Miles "Tails" Prower theme song, "Believe in Myself" by Karen Brake.[18] Another one of Koshiro's original pieces for the soundtrack, "Jungle Zone", was later sampled in the Australian hit single "Accidently Kelly Street" by Frente! in 1992.[11]

Streets of Rage series (1991–1994)

His soundtracks for the Streets of Rage series (known as Bare Knuckle in Japan) from 1991 to 1994 were composed using then outdated PC-8801 hardware alongside his own original programming language. According to Koshiro: "For Bare Knuckle I used the PC88 and an original programming language I developed myself. The original was called MML, Music Macro Language. It's based on NEC's BASIC program, but I modified it heavily. It was more a BASIC-style language at first, but I modified it to be something more like Assembly. I called it ‘Music Love'. I used it for all the Bare Knuckle Games."[7]

The soundtracks for Streets of Rage (1991) and Streets of Rage 2 (1992) were influenced by house, techno, and hardcore techno. For the soundtrack to Streets of Rage 3 (1994), however, he created a new composition method called the "Automated Composing System" to produce "fast-beat techno like jungle."[2] It was the most advanced techno technique of the time, incorporating heavily randomized sequences.[1] This resulted in innovative and experimental sounds generated automatically that, according to Koshiro, "you ordinarily never could imagine on your own." This method was very rare at the time, but has since become popular among techno and trance music producers to get "unexpected and odd sounds."[3]

Later career (1994–present)

Koshiro composed a famous soundtrack for the Sega CD version of Eye of the Beholder (1994), a dungeon crawl role-playing video game developed by the American company Westwood Associates and published by Sega.[5] That same year, his soundtrack for Beyond Oasis utilized a late romantic style of music, which he later also utilized for Legend of Oasis (1996), Merregnon (2000), and Lost Regnum (2008).[1]

He also composed the soundtrack for Sega's Shenmue (1999) alongside Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, with Koshiro contributing fifteen original compositions to the soundtrack. Three other staff members of Ancient also worked on Shenmue.[13][19] He later composed the soundtracks for the Wangan Midnight series (2001 onwards) and Namco × Capcom (2005). These were the first projects where he wrote the lyrics along with the music. For the Wangan Midnight series in particular, his compositions were mostly trance music.[14]

He composed the main theme of the French TV channel Nolife, which launched in 2007. The theme was released as part of the album Tamiuta in 2008.[20] Koshiro's latest work includes music for acclaimed video games such as the Etrian Odyssey series (2007-2010),[7] the Wangan Midnight series (including 2004's Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune), and 7th Dragon (2009).

Concert performances

A live performance of ActRaiser could be heard in 2004 at the second Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany and in 2005 at the first Chamber Music Game Concert in Leipzig, Germany.[21] Yuzo Koshiro was participating on PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, a symphonic world-tour featuring video game music. He arranged music from Sonic The Hedgehog for the tour. He attended the world premiere on May 27, 2006 in Chicago.

On August 23, 2006, his music from The Revenge of Shinobi was performed at the fourth Symphonic Game Concert in Leipzig, Germany, in an arrangement done by him[21] and was performed again in two concerts in Stockholm, Sweden in 2007 and in Prague, Czech Republic in 2008 as a part of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.

On June 15, 2007 and June 16, 2007, Koshiro worked as a disc jockey for selections of his most famous works including the Wangan Midnight- and Streets of Rage series for fans in Singapore at the PLAY! pre-concert events.

In 2007 Koshiro arranged music from New Super Mario Bros. for the fifth Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany on August 22, 2007. He attended the performance and the autograph session afterwards.[21]

Yuzo Koshiro arranged music from Jim Power in Mutant Planet for the Symphonic Shades - Huelsbeck in Concert events that were taking place on August 23, 2008 in Cologne, Germany. The music was performed by the WDR Radio Orchestra and the FILMharmonic Choir Prague. Koshiro was in attendance at both concerts.[21]

Video games

Other projects include Merregnon Soundtrack - Volume 2, Ten Plants, the Street Fighter Tribute Album (for an M. Bison stage remix), FM Sound Module Maniax, and a guest arranging role on the Pink Sweets soundtrack.

Discography

His original soundtrack album releases include:[22]

  • Original Sound of Dragon Slayer IV: Dragon Slayer Family (21 September 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., KHY-1020, with Mieko Ishikawa)
  • Music from Ys (5 November 1987, Starchild Records / King Records, K30X-7701, with Mieko Ishikawa)
  • All Sounds of Sorcerian (21 April 1988, Polystar, H30X-20006)
  • Music from Sorcerian (21 April 1988, Starchild Records / King Records, K30X-7703)
  • Music from Ys II (21 June 1988, King Records, K32X-7704, with Mieko Ishikawa)
  • Symphony Ys (5 November 1988, King Records, K32X-7710, with Mieko Ishikawa)
  • Symphony Sorcerian (5 July 1989, King Records, 276A-7707)
  • Beep Special Project: Falcom Super Mega Mix (April 1989, Softbank Publishing)
  • The Scheme (21 December 1989, Alfa Records, 25A2-8)
  • The Super Shinobi & Works (25 December 1989, Alpha Records, 25A2-53)
  • Misty Blue (2 April 1990, Enix Corporation, E-G241)
  • ActRaiser OST (25 January 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-105)
  • Misty Blue (21 April 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-123)
  • Bare Knuckle (Streets of Rage) OST (21 September 1991, Alfa Records, ALCA-181)
  • ActRaiser Symphonic Suite (21 September 1991, Alpha Records, ALCA-182, with the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra)
  • Super Adventure Island (21 January 1992, Alfa Records, ALCA-242)
  • Yuzo Koshiro Early Collection (21 July 1992, Alfa Records, ALCA-328)
  • Bare Knuckle II (Streets of Rage 2) OST (21 January 1993, Alfa Records, ALCA-443, with Motohiro Kawashima)
  • Bare Knuckle III (Streets of Rage 3) OST (24 August 1994, Alfa Records, ALCA-5006, with Motohiro Kawashima)
  • Yuzo Koshiro Early Collection 2nd (1 August 1998, Ancient, PRD-688)
  • Culdcept OST (21 January 1998, First Smile, FSCA-10028, with Takeshi Yanagawa)
  • Streets of Rage 2 OST (1 February 2000, Mars Colony Music, MCM-10106-2, with Motohiro Kawashima, rerelease)
  • Legend 80's "The Scheme Soundtrack" (21 August 2002, Scitron, SCDC-00199, remastered with new tracks)
  • Wangan Midnight OST (4 September 2002, Scitron, SCDC-00188)
  • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 2 OST (6 April 2005, King Records, KICA-1361/1362)
  • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 OST (27 September 2007, Marvelous Entertainment, MJCD-20102)

Contributions in:[22][16]

  • All Over Xanadu (5 July 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., BY30-5170)
  • Romancia Sound Fantasy (21 November 1987, Apollon Music Industrial Corp., BY30-5176)
  • Falcom Game Music (10 November 1987, G.M.O. Records / Alfa Records, 28XA-179)
  • Music from Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (21 October 1989, King Records, 276A-7715)
  • Perfect Collection Ys (5 August 1990, King Records, KICA-1012/1013)
  • Perfect Collection Ys II (5 September 1990, King Records, KICA-1014/1015)
  • Perfect Collection Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (15 March 1991, King Records, KICA-1021/2)
  • Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 2 (21 September 1991, King Records, KICA-1037/1038)
  • Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 3 (21 November 1991, King Records, KICA-1039/1040)
  • Great Wall (16 August 1993, Troubadour Records, TTRC-0002)
  • Perfect Collection Ys IV - The Dawn of Ys Volume 1 (23 February 1994, King Records, KICA-1139)
  • Little Princess Puppet Princess of Marl's Kingdom 2 OST (8 March 2000, Toshiba EMI/Future Land, TYCY-10031)
  • Shenmue Chapter 1 - Yokosuka OST (23 March 2000, Future Land, TYCY-10034/10035)
  • Street Fighter Tribute Album (17 December 2003, Suleputer, CPCA-1083)
  • Merregnon Soundtrack - Volume 2 (19 May 2004, Totentanz (Soulfood Music), TOT 23009)
  • Merregnon Soundtrack - Volume 2 (19 January 2005, Dex Entertainment, DECX-0018, rerelease)
  • Namco x Capcom OST (23 August 2005, Suleputer, CPCA-10118)
  • Dance Dance Revolution Festival & Strike Original Soundtrack (15 February 2006, Toshiba EMI, TOCP-64291/64292)
  • Yuusha 30 Original Soundtrack (22 July 2009, Marvelous Entertainment, MJCD-20165)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Chris Greening & Don Kotowski (February 2011). "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  2. ^ a b c Davis, Jeff. "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Gaming Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b Horowitz, Ken (2008). "Interview: Yuzo Koshiro". Sega-16. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Nintendo Power, Volumes 208-210. Nintendo Power. 2006. p. 102. Retrieved 5 August 2011. Yuzo Koshiro, the musician responsible for ActRaiser's amazing score, is arguably the greatest game-music composer of the 16- bit age. Equally comfortable composing classical or techno, Koshiro built up a faithful fan base by creating some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Barton, Matt (23 February 2007). "Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993)". The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. Gamasutra. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  6. ^ a b Santos, Wayne (2006). "Songs & Sounds In The 21st Century". GameAxis Unwired (40). SPH Magazines: 39. ISSN 0219-872X. Retrieved 2011-08-05. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e John Szczepaniak. "Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 2011-03-29. Reprinted from Retro Gamer, 2009
  8. ^ Lawrence, Eddy (11 January 2011). "Ikonika interview: Producer and DJ, Ikonika had an incredible 2010". Time Out. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  9. ^ a b c "Recording Under the Influence: Ikonika". Self-Titled Magazine. 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b c Lawrence, Eddy (18 January 2011). "Ikonika interview: Dubstep has taken the world by storm over the past 12 months". Time Out. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  11. ^ a b Mr Toffee (November 22, 2010). "Music Box: Hey, That Sounds Familiar". GameAxis Online. Singapore Press Holdings. p. 2. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  12. ^ a b "Yuzo Koshiro (Sonic the Hedgehog)". samplehappy.com. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  13. ^ a b c "TNL Developer Spotlight: Ancient". The Next Level. 03/11/2003. Retrieved 2011-05-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ a b c d Kikizo (2005). "Yuzo Koshiro Interview". VideoGamesDaily.com. Retrieved 6 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Interview with Yuzo Koshiro - Game Music on YouTube
  16. ^ a b "Yuzo Koshiro: Discography". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  17. ^ RocketBaby (1999). "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 8 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ "Karen Brake: Believe in Myself". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  19. ^ Andrew Long. "Interview With Shenmue's Composer". RPGamer. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
  20. ^ Nolife TV Theme, released on the album Tamiuta
  21. ^ a b c d Symphonic Game Music Concerts, The Concert Programs
  22. ^ a b "Yuzo Koshiro". VGMdb. Retrieved 18 August 2011.

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