An interview with Yoko Shimomura and Kenji Ito: Part 2

Last week we posted up part one of an interview with music composer legends Yoko Shimomura and Kenji Ito. So, as promised and without further ado, here's part two...! We've also got a special OST sale starting on our store this weekend, the details of which you'll be able to find at the end of this blog. Happy reading! 

Q: Is there a game you would have loved composing for?

Shimomura: I think it's pretty much impossible but I would want to try doing Dragon Quest.laughs

After I discovered that you could create game music for a job from Super Mario Brothers, the next game that I got really hooked on was Dragon Quest. I had a classical background so Dragon Quest will always be an object of adoration for me. But if I was actually given a chance to do it, I think I would be too frightened to do anything though!

Ito: If I had to choose I would say Sakura Wars. 

The Flower Division’s music was composed by Tanaka Kohei and the melody in it is just so grand that I couldn't possibly replace it! I would really like to have a go at even just a small cross section of the music for that game though.

<u>Personal Questions</u>

Q: You started composing 26 years ago, video game music was at its early stage and the media regarded as a boys' thing, how did it feel to be a female video game music composer at the time?

Shimomura: Well my parents were a bit perplexed by it. They asked if I was really going to be making all those beepy electronic noises! At that time I had no real problems getting into the job and they welcomed me on board, telling me to give it a go. Everyone around me did wonder if I could really compose music though.

Funnily enough, at Capcom there were lots of female composers and it actually felt a bit like a girls' club so I have never really felt it was all that unusual for a woman to be making game music.

Q: During the musical quiz at Japan Expo, you told us that you were surprised how dark Destati turned out to be. Playing through KHI and KHII is like transitioning from childhood to the teenage years and the tone gets more serious yet Destati was the first song you ever composed for the series. Can you tell us a bit more about your mind journey creating this fantastic song?

Shimomura: I was very surprised about it myself. The order first came in saying that they needed a song for the preview and I had envisaged a very cute and sweet little tune for it. Then we had an order from Tetsuya Nomura looking for something dark with a chorus, a feeling of pace, an air of tragedy and deep meaning. I was a bit unsure about this turn but carried on with the composition anyway, all the while wondering if it was really ok to have a piece like this for a Disney song.

Q: You were taught the piano at an early age and had quite a classical training. Why did you choose video game music?  

Ito: To put it bluntly, it was in order to get a job!

There was a reason though. At the time I was still a student at a specialist college and Dragon Quest 3 was really popular. My tutor said to me that game music is a field that will only expand from now on and asked if I knew that the renowned Sugiyama Koichi was the one who made the music for Dragon Quest. He then said that if I wanted to be a composer I should take on game music and that was what led me to get into the industry.

Shimomura: I was actually stopped by one of my teachers. He said he thought I had no chance. laughs. He said that "They only hire people who majored in composition, so it would doubtless be impossible for someone like you who majored in something different. It would just be a waste of time even applying."

Ito: I guess different people see it differently, huh…?

Q: The battle themes of the Saga series make heavy use of drums and slap bass with complex lines and a symphonic rock feel which was very new at the time, could you please tell us more about these influences?

Ito: I had listened to “kayokyoku” old-style Japanese pop songs since I was small and I really feel that they have a rich variety of different sounds. The genre includes orchestral pieces as well as rock and stuff… Then, when I first entered high school, Japanese hard rock became really popular. That was when I started listening to that kind of stuff and I think it had an effect on me.

<u>Special message:</u>

Shimomura: I am going to be a guest at the Press Start concert in April 2015 and am really looking forward to meeting everybody from Paris who comes to the event. I will also keep doing my best making music so please carry on supporting me everyone!

Ito: I have never been to Europe before, either with work or privately, so if there is a chance I would really like for someone to invite me over there. Please!

Well, I hope that you all enjoyed this interview! For those of you who are now feeling in a particularly musical mood now, we've got a special  bonus... From today until next Friday we are offering 20% off all original soundtracks on our store! Check out the full list!  

Have a great weekend!