Masashi Hamauzu: Difference between revisions
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===Career=== |
===Career=== |
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A fan of the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games,<ref>Uematsu, Nobuo; Hamauzu, Masashi; Nakano, Junya. ''Final Fantasy X Original Soundtrack'' liner notes. [[DigiCube]]. [[2001-08-01]]. SQEX-10013. [http://www.chudahs-corner.com/liners/index.php?catalog=SSCX-10054~7 transcript]. Retrieved on [[2008-12-16]].</ref> he decided to apply for a job at [[Square Co.|Square]]. [[Nobuo Uematsu]] was impressed with his résumé, and employed Hamauzu as a trainee in 1996.<ref name="SEMO"/> His debut came with the 1996 title ''[[Front Mission: Gun Hazard]]'', with Uematsu, [[Yasunori Mitsuda]], and [[Junya Nakano]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/snes/action/frontmissiongunhazard/tech_info.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=Front Mission Gun Hazard Tech Info|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Later the same year, he created four tracks for another multi-composer game called ''[[Tobal No. 1]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/tobalno1/tech_info.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=Tobal No. 1 Tech Info|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Working with Nakano on these games, Hamauzu admired his musical style, and they became friends and have later collaborated on several titles.<ref name="SEMO"/> Hamauzu's first solo project came the next year with ''[[Chocobo#Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon|Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/hamauzu/sep03interview.shtml|title=Interview with Masashi Hamauzu (RocketBaby - September 2003)|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Shortly after the title's release, Hamauzu and Yasuo Sako created ''[[Discography of the Chocobo series#Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon|Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Coi Vanni Gialli]]'', an arranged album containing orchestral tracks from the game's music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/coi-vanni/|title=Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon ~Coi Vanni Gialli~|publisher=[[RPGFan]]|first=Damian|last=Thomas|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Although the game was a failure, its soundtrack and arranged album was praised. Hamauzu had a minor role in creating the soundtrack for the highly successful ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]''; he was the synthesizer operator for the rendition of [[Joseph Haydn]]'s "The Creation", and provided bass vocals in the eight-person chorus for "One-Winged Angel".<ref name="SEMO"/> |
A fan of the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games,<ref>Uematsu, Nobuo; Hamauzu, Masashi; Nakano, Junya. ''Final Fantasy X Original Soundtrack'' liner notes. [[DigiCube]]. [[2001-08-01]]. SQEX-10013. [http://www.chudahs-corner.com/liners/index.php?catalog=SSCX-10054~7 transcript]. Retrieved on [[2008-12-16]].</ref> he decided to apply for a job at [[Square Co.|Square]]. [[Nobuo Uematsu]] was impressed with his résumé, and employed Hamauzu as a trainee in 1996.<ref name="SEMO"/> His debut came with the 1996 title ''[[Front Mission: Gun Hazard]]'', with Uematsu, [[Yasunori Mitsuda]], and [[Junya Nakano]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/snes/action/frontmissiongunhazard/tech_info.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=Front Mission Gun Hazard Tech Info|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Later the same year, he created four tracks for another multi-composer game called ''[[Tobal No. 1]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/tobalno1/tech_info.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=Tobal No. 1 Tech Info|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Working with Nakano on these games, Hamauzu admired his musical style, and they became friends and have later collaborated on several titles.<ref name="SEMO"/> Hamauzu's first solo project came the next year with ''[[Chocobo#Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon|Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/hamauzu/sep03interview.shtml|title=Interview with Masashi Hamauzu (RocketBaby - September 2003)|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Shortly after the title's release, Hamauzu and Yasuo Sako created ''[[Discography of the Chocobo series#Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon|Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Coi Vanni Gialli]]'', an arranged album containing orchestral tracks from the game's music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/coi-vanni/|title=Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon ~Coi Vanni Gialli~|publisher=[[RPGFan]]|first=Damian|last=Thomas|accessdate=2008-12-15}}</ref> Although the game was a failure, its soundtrack and arranged album was praised. Hamauzu had a minor role in creating the soundtrack for the highly successful ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]''; he was the synthesizer operator for the rendition of [[Joseph Haydn]]'s "The Creation", and provided bass vocals in the eight-person chorus for "One-Winged Angel".<ref name="SEMO"/> |
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[[File:Nobuo Uematsu.jpg|thumb|Uematsu chose Hamauzu and Nakano as his fellow composers for ''Final Fantasy X'']] |
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In 1999, Hamauzu was assigned with scoring ''[[SaGa Frontier 2]]'', replacing the ''[[SaGa (series)|SaGa]]'' series' long-time composer [[Kenji Itō]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/sagafrontier2/tech_info.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=SaGa Frontier 2 Tech Info|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> He spent some time conforming to the music Itō had established for the series, but he eventually realized that he wanted to use his own unique style. The project introduced him to synthesizer operator [[Ryo Yamazaki]], whom he has worked with on most of his subsequent soundtracks.<ref name="SEMO"/> Hamauzu also created ''[[Discography of the SaGa series#Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2|Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2]]'', an arranged album featuring piano pieces of the game's music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/sf2-piano/index.html|title=Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2|publisher=[[RPGFan]]|first=Patrick|last=Gann|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> Hamauzu and Nakano were chosen to assist Uematsu late in the production of the score for the critically acclaimed ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/164/164008p1.html|title=Final Fantasy X Review|publisher=[[IGN]]|first=David|last=Smith|date=2001-12-18|accessdate= 2008-12-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/finalfantasyx?q=final%20fantasy%20x|title=Final Fantasy X (ps2: 2001): Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> Although some fans of the series were indifferent to his contributions, his work was well-received in general.<ref name="FFXOST">{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff10ost/index.html|title=Final Fantasy X OST|publisher=[[RPGFan]]|author=Schweitzer, Ben; Gaan, Patrick|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> Hamauzu also created the [[Discography of Final Fantasy X#Piano Collections Final Fantasy X|Piano Collections]] album for the project, which he described as his most challenging work, and the track "feel", an arrangement of "Hymn of the Fayth", from the [[extended play]] ''[[Discography of Final Fantasy X#feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus|feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus]]''.<ref name="SEMO"/> |
In 1999, Hamauzu was assigned with scoring ''[[SaGa Frontier 2]]'', replacing the ''[[SaGa (series)|SaGa]]'' series' long-time composer [[Kenji Itō]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/sagafrontier2/tech_info.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=SaGa Frontier 2 Tech Info|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> He spent some time conforming to the music Itō had established for the series, but he eventually realized that he wanted to use his own unique style. The project introduced him to synthesizer operator [[Ryo Yamazaki]], whom he has worked with on most of his subsequent soundtracks.<ref name="SEMO"/> Hamauzu also created ''[[Discography of the SaGa series#Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2|Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2]]'', an arranged album featuring piano pieces of the game's music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/sf2-piano/index.html|title=Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2|publisher=[[RPGFan]]|first=Patrick|last=Gann|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> Hamauzu and Nakano were chosen to assist Uematsu late in the production of the score for the critically acclaimed ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/164/164008p1.html|title=Final Fantasy X Review|publisher=[[IGN]]|first=David|last=Smith|date=2001-12-18|accessdate= 2008-12-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/finalfantasyx?q=final%20fantasy%20x|title=Final Fantasy X (ps2: 2001): Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> Although some fans of the series were indifferent to his contributions, his work was well-received in general.<ref name="FFXOST">{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff10ost/index.html|title=Final Fantasy X OST|publisher=[[RPGFan]]|author=Schweitzer, Ben; Gaan, Patrick|accessdate=2008-12-16}}</ref> Hamauzu also created the [[Discography of Final Fantasy X#Piano Collections Final Fantasy X|Piano Collections]] album for the project, which he described as his most challenging work, and the track "feel", an arrangement of "Hymn of the Fayth", from the [[extended play]] ''[[Discography of Final Fantasy X#feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus|feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus]]''.<ref name="SEMO"/> |
Revision as of 18:45, 6 January 2009
Masashi Hamauzu |
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Masashi Hamauzu (浜渦正志, Hamauzu Masashi, born September 20, 1971) is a Japanese video game music composer and musician who has been employed at Square Enix since 1996. He is perhaps best-known for his work on the Final Fantasy and SaGa series. He was born in Germany to a Japanese mother and a German father, but was raised in Japan. He became interested in music while in kindergarten, and got piano lessons from his parents.
Hamauzu was hired by Square (later Square Enix) in 1996 as a trainee, and his debut as a solo composer came the following year when he scored Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon. He has collaborated with his friend and fellow composer Junya Nakano on several games, and has worked closely with synthesizer operator Ryo Yamazaki on most titles since SaGa Frontier 2.
After Nobuo Uematsu left Square Enix in 2004, Hamauzu took over as the leading composer of the company's music team. He has also become a renowned piano arranger, and has arranged a number of albums, including Yasunori Mitsuda's Sailing to the World Piano Score in 2006. His music incorporates various styles, although he mostly uses classical and ambient music in his pieces.
Biography
Early life
Masashi Hamauzu was born in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. His mother was a Japanese piano teacher and his father was a German opera singer. He developed an interest in music while in kindergarten.[1] Growing up in Germany, Hamauzu received piano and singing lessons from his parents and created his first original compositions during high school. After his brother was born, the family moved to Osaka, Japan. He enrolled in the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he joined a student ensemble as a pianist. Hamauzu met his wife at the university, and they have one daughter. After graduating from university, he thought about becoming a classical musician, but he eventually found out that he wanted to work with game music instead.[2]
Career
A fan of the Final Fantasy games,[3] he decided to apply for a job at Square. Nobuo Uematsu was impressed with his résumé, and employed Hamauzu as a trainee in 1996.[2] His debut came with the 1996 title Front Mission: Gun Hazard, with Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Junya Nakano.[4] Later the same year, he created four tracks for another multi-composer game called Tobal No. 1.[5] Working with Nakano on these games, Hamauzu admired his musical style, and they became friends and have later collaborated on several titles.[2] Hamauzu's first solo project came the next year with Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon.[6] Shortly after the title's release, Hamauzu and Yasuo Sako created Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Coi Vanni Gialli, an arranged album containing orchestral tracks from the game's music.[7] Although the game was a failure, its soundtrack and arranged album was praised. Hamauzu had a minor role in creating the soundtrack for the highly successful Final Fantasy VII; he was the synthesizer operator for the rendition of Joseph Haydn's "The Creation", and provided bass vocals in the eight-person chorus for "One-Winged Angel".[2]
In 1999, Hamauzu was assigned with scoring SaGa Frontier 2, replacing the SaGa series' long-time composer Kenji Itō.[8] He spent some time conforming to the music Itō had established for the series, but he eventually realized that he wanted to use his own unique style. The project introduced him to synthesizer operator Ryo Yamazaki, whom he has worked with on most of his subsequent soundtracks.[2] Hamauzu also created Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2, an arranged album featuring piano pieces of the game's music.[9] Hamauzu and Nakano were chosen to assist Uematsu late in the production of the score for the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy X in 2001.[10][11] Although some fans of the series were indifferent to his contributions, his work was well-received in general.[12] Hamauzu also created the Piano Collections album for the project, which he described as his most challenging work, and the track "feel", an arrangement of "Hymn of the Fayth", from the extended play feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus.[2]
One year after working on Final Fantasy X's score, Hamauzu composed the music for Unlimited Saga, a game that would later be badly received by critics due to a variety of gameplay issues.[13][14] Following Uematsu's departure from Square Enix in October 2004, Hamauzu became the leading composer of the company's music team. In 2005, he scored the sequel to the 1998 title Brave Fencer Musashi, entitled Musashi: Samurai Legend, with Nakano and the duo Wavelink Zeal.[15] He composed the highly anticipated but critically unsuccessful Final Fantasy VII follow-up, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, in 2006.[16][17] Later the same year, he arranged the Sailing to the World Piano Score at request from Mitsuda,[18] which was positively received by pianists and confirmed Hamauzu's position as the leading piano arranger of game music.[2]
Hamauzu released the solo album Vielen Dank in 2007 after recording it in Leipzig, Germany. It includes eleven piano pieces that he composed for fun after the production of Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2 and 14 arrangements of his game compositions.[19] Two pieces from the album were performed at the 2007 Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig.[20] In 2008, he created the soundtrack for Sigma Harmonics,[21] but he did not collaborate with Yamazaki in favor of Mitsuto Suzuki.[2] At the 2006 E3 event, a Square Enix press conference revealed that Hamauzu would be returning to the Final Fantasy series, scoring the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII, with Uematsu providing the main theme.[22]
Musical style and influences
Hamauzu composes music in many different styles, often using multiple styles throughout the various pieces of a soundtrack. He mostly creates classical and ambient music, and uses the piano predominantly as an instrument. He frequently incorporates dissonance to provide an atmospheric effect.[12] In Unlimited Saga, for example, the style of his compositions mix classical marches, tango music, electronic ambiance, instrumental solos, and jazz.[23]
He cites animation composers Hiroshi Miyagawa and Ryuichi Sakamoto of Yellow Magic Orchestra,[1] impressionist composers Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy,[2] and his father as major musical influences.[24] During his adolescence, he enjoyed listening to the works of Sakamoto and Miyagawa. While attending university, he developed an appreciation for classical music, especially the compositions of Ravel and Debussy.[2]
Discography
Video game soundtracks
- Front Mission: Gun Hazard (1996) – with Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Junya Nakano
- Tobal No. 1 (1996) – with Yasunori Mitsuda, Yasuhiro Kawakami, Ryuji Sasai, Junya Nakano, Kenji Itō, Noriko Matsueda, and Yoko Shimomura
- Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon (1997)
- SaGa Frontier 2 (1999)
- Final Fantasy X (2001) – with Nobuo Uematsu and Junya Nakano
- Unlimited Saga (2002)
- Musashi: Samurai Legend (2005) – with Junya Nakano, Takayuki Iwai, and Yuki Iwai
- Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (2006) – with Ryo Yamazaki
- Oolong Tea Story ~Searching for Delicious Tea~ (2008)
- Sigma Harmonics (2008)
- Final Fantasy XIII (2009) – with Nobuo Uematsu
Other works
- Composer
- Dirge of Cerberus Final Fantasy VII Multiplayer Mode Original Sound Collections (2006)
- Vielen Dank (2007)
- Arranger
- Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Coi Vanni Gialli (1998)
- Piano Pieces "SF2" Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2 (1999)
- feel/Go Dream - Yuna & Tidus (2001) – with Tsuyoshi Sekito and Masayoshi Kikuchi
- Piano Collections Final Fantasy X (2002)
- 20020220 music from Final Fantasy (2002) – with Shiro Hamaguchi
- Sailing to the World Piano Score (2006)
References
- ^ a b "Interview with Masashi Hamauzu (RocketBaby - February 2002)". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Totz; Chris. "Masashi Hamauzu :: Biography". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Uematsu, Nobuo; Hamauzu, Masashi; Nakano, Junya. Final Fantasy X Original Soundtrack liner notes. DigiCube. 2001-08-01. SQEX-10013. transcript. Retrieved on 2008-12-16.
- ^ "Front Mission Gun Hazard Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Tobal No. 1 Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Interview with Masashi Hamauzu (RocketBaby - September 2003)". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ Thomas, Damian. "Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon ~Coi Vanni Gialli~". RPGFan. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "SaGa Frontier 2 Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ Gann, Patrick. "Piano Pieces "SF2" ~ Rhapsody on a Theme of SaGa Frontier 2". RPGFan. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ Smith, David (2001-12-18). "Final Fantasy X Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ "Final Fantasy X (ps2: 2001): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ a b Schweitzer, Ben; Gaan, Patrick. "Final Fantasy X OST". RPGFan. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Shoemaker, Brad (2003-06-17). "Unlimited Saga Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Unlimited SaGa (ps2: 2003): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ "Musashi: Samurai Legend Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (ps2: 2006): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ Gann, Patrick. "Sailing to the World Piano Score". RPGFan. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ Gann, Patrick. "Vielen Dank - Masashi Hamauzu". RPGFan. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Masashi Hamauzu's music to be performed in Leipzig". VGMConcerts.com. 2007-04-30. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
- ^ "Sigma Harmonics Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2006-05-09). "E3 2006: FFXIII Staff Check". IGN. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ Tittsworth, Jeff; McCawley, James. "UNLIMITED:SaGa OST". RPGFan. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Masashi Hamauzu". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 2008-12-16.