Shoji Meguro

Bun Bun because wiki says he worked on Tomba! so that is cool.

Paul Ruskay

Hajime Wakai

Shoji Meguro

Bun Bun Fujita

Shoji Meguro

Bun Bun Fujita

There is a tie between Hajime Wakai and Bun Bun Fujita. The next vote from someone who hasn't yet voted will determine the winner.

Bun Bun Fujita

Oh and hi.

Long time no see.

Welcome back Shad! With that vote, Shoji Meguro (5-1) and Bun Bun Fujita (4-3) will move on. Next up�


Round 1, Fight 7 // The Composers Rumble


Yu Miyake
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M8835bK79w&list=PL3EE79109C5D124A4&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Miyake), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1564), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=yu+miyake+interview&oq=yu+miyake+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.26831.28258.10.28371.9.9.0.0.0.1.1 65.1036.3j6.9.0...0.0.9gN1kXI72og&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Y%C5%AB-Miyake/137458002941273?rf=140645745962459)

vs.


Kenji Yamamoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmG-Af0LK88&list=PLC972CBED72A4B8E7&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Yamamoto_%28composer_born_1964%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/693), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=kenji+yamamoto+interview&oq=kenji+yamamoto+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.17891.20172.11.20327.16.16.0.0.0.5.19 5.1854.4j12.16.0...0.0.M0kVp00mZ1E&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenji-Yamamoto/139153592824834?rf=209811782370232)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 8 // The Composers Rumble


Motoi Sakuraba
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0kamtR5UI&list=PLEFABC6AFBA3E3A2A&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoi_Sakuraba), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/166), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=motoi+sakuraba+interview&oq=motoi+sakuraba+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.18842.20496.12.20670.14.14.0.0.0.3.13 4.1520.5j9.14.0...0.0.Oud70ZCKj_s&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Motoi-Sakuraba/54496443014)

vs.


Junya Nakano
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWG77mX9BH8&list=PLC9A53CB7006F5E6A&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junya_Nakano), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/147), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=junya+nakano+interview&oq=junya+nakano+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...12250.16059.13.16277.26.17.9.0.0.6.202 .1974.5j11j1.17.0...0.0.5G6zGmTGA1k&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Junya-Nakano/109538159071876?sk=wiki)



Yu Miyake's name is synonymous with Katamari. Rightfully so. The weirdness of those games--and the sweetness--wouldn't be nearly as potent without his often-brilliant effects (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_T16wbFx_k), doo-wop choruses, and electronica. But he didn't work alone, as seems to be the common perception. Many of the tracks were co-composed or done by others within Namco. I mention that not to take away from his accomplishments, but to suggest there's a lot more to Miyake than just Katamari, as I think you'll see with the song recommendations.

Kenji Yamamoto had the unenviable job of carrying on Hip Tanaka's Metroid legacy once the series graduated to the Super Nintendo. If he wasn't already a legend by that point for his NES work, he was after Super Metroid came out. And if some people forgot about him by the time the GameCube was released, he again proved his worth. He's not a flashy composer with a big public persona, nor is his music demanding on your attention. But he is brilliant in creating atmospheres and environments that deepen the games he works on. In that regard, he is just like another one of the game's storytellers.

Motoi Sakuraba is progressive rock personified, from the hair to the crushed velvet shirt to the long, jazzy keyboard solos. He was the go-to guy for the Wolf Team and tri-Ace and has been hitched to several franchises over the years as the grandfathered-in composer, much like Uematsu was. Yet Sakuraba is not as well-known or well-respected as Uematsu despite the extraordinary quantity and quality of his work. Fans of his music can find many, many reused themes and nods between one franchise and another on his soundtracks, if you go looking, which adds to the fun.

Junya Nakano also never seems to get sufficient credit. He's been a role player for most of his career, but he's hung around the heavy hitters in the industry from Front Mission: Gun Hazard to Tobal No. 1 to Final Fantasy X. And when he's been called upon to step up into the spotlight, he has excelled. Threads of Fate is the obvious example, but I thought he did a nice job adding onto the FFIV soundtrack in After Years, too.

My votes are for Kenji Yamamoto and Motoi Sakuraba.

Yu Miyake

Motoi Sakuraba Golden Sun ftw.

Kenji Yamamoto

Motoi Sakuraba.

Kenji Yamamoto
Motoi Sakuraba

Kenji Yamamoto

Motoi Sakuraba.

Yu Miyake - Katamari :3

Junya Nakano - Deserves at least one vote (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4jP-tlCaSw)

Kenji Yamamoto

Motoi Sakuraba

Kenji Yamamoto

Junya Nakano

This time around it's Kenji Yamamoto (6-2) and Motoi Sakuraba (6-2) both getting easy wins. Next up...


Round 1, Fight 9 // The Composers Rumble


Tim Follin
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ODKKILZiYY&list=PL384C4C2C14F69485&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Follin), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1301), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=tim+follin+interview&oq=tim+follin+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.17715.18587.14.18867.10.9.0.0.0.5. 248.1291.2j6j1.9.0...0.0.UOekvbQws5U&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.timfollin.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/)

vs.


Jeremy Soule
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQszBHMHHc&list=PL97E1FFCF0C95B473&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Soule), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/431), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=jeremy+soule+interview&oq=jeremy+soule+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-c1g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i7j0.5377.6423.15.6515.12.11.0.0.0.7.1 84.1382.3j7.10.0...0.0.u-hkgf_FqJ4&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeremy-Soule/113212795356312)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 10 // The Composers Rumble


Nobuo Uematsu
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ&list=PL4562BAE6D669BE02&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Uematsu), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/77), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=nobuinterview&pq=jeremy%20soule%20interview&cp=6&gs_id=q7&xhr=t&q=nobuo+uematsu+interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=nobuo+interview&aq=0c&aqi=g-c1g-K1g-bK2&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/uematsunobuo)

vs.


Jesper Kyd
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SA7KR4brfo&list=PL900C7B0C8BFCF6B0&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesper_Kyd), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1811), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=jesper+kyd+interview&oq=jesper+kyd+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-c1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i7.13189.14297.18.14376.10.10.0.0.0.3. 163.878.1j6.7.0...0.0.n0jWHdz56d0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/JesperKyd)



Tim Follin is one of my favorite composers. This video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G83jWTYDMMs) (made by someone else) sums up why. Nobody gave more effort on crap games than he did. Despite that, he had a long, unfortunate conclusion to his career in vgm, and all we can do now is recognize how he used his talents while he was in the industry. Interest in his work does seem to be climbing. Just in the last year, his Wikipedia page has grown to be about 10 times longer than it used to be. Pictionary!

Jeremy Soule's career, as I've written about a few times before, is one of my favorite stories in the business. He was a teenager from Keokuk, Iowa�a weird kid who began writing music around the age of five and annoyed his teachers by turning in musical notation instead of his math homework. By the sixth grade, he was taking private lessons from Western Illinois University faculty members, eventually earning the equivalent of a Master�s degree before he graduated high school. He wasn't as devoted to classical music as he was video games, though, a culture he believed would earn legitimacy from better music composition. So he did something that took massive balls�he made a cassette tape of his music and sent it to Square and LucasArts with a letter explaining that this is what he thought video game music should aspire to. Despite being the unlikeliest of scenarios, Square listened to the tape and made Soule an employee within two weeks of mailing the letter, immediately assigning him to score Evermore, their Q4 follow-up to Front Mission, Chrono Trigger, and Seiken Densetsu 3. It was an insanely high-profile project for a teenager who�d never worked on a video game before, and he nailed it, which is perhaps a useful reminder in the power of boldness (http://chrisyeh.blogspot.com/2006/06/quote-of-day-boldness-has-genius.html), especially in artistic endeavors.

Koji Kondo may have written the most universally recognizable music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGX4obVl64w) from a video game, but Uematsu is, in my mind, the better composer. My wife, who is a classical composer and has absolutely no interest in video games whatsoever, has gone the whole gamut from avoiding my room when I'm playing vgm, to showing mild interest as she started to recognize Uematsu's music, to asking to hear more of his stuff, to humming Terra's theme while working without realizing she's doing it, to buying tickets when she found out Video Games Live was coming to our town. He's not untouchable. His stature as a vgm god has invited criticism, some of it merited. Some of his work has become self-indulgent and bloated. Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking. But I can't think of another composer who has done so much quality work over such a long time; who has so often ennobled cartoonish, poorly-written characters and transformed throwaway scenes into haunting, unforgettable moments in the canon of video game history; who has played a crucial and dramatic role in the turnaround of a failing company; and who has lived the life of an artist without any public pretension, without any meaningful critical appreciation for a decade, and in so doing has quietly transformed our global culture. Two weeks ago I saw a flyer for a major American orchestra doing a night of video game tunes. This would not be possible without Video Games Live, which would not be possible without Nobuo Uematsu, because there would not be a sufficient audience for the video game music as an art form without him. The commercial viability of video games�not just video game music, but video games on the whole�in our time goes back, in large part, to the explosion of western interest in Final Fantasy 7, which would not have been the revolution it was without Aerith's Theme. Has any composer done more for the entire industry?

Jesper Kyd has been around forever, but his career has really taken off in the last few years. Two words: Assassin's Creed. I've got deep nostalgia for fourth-generation gaming, so my recommendations include songs from two of his Genesis soundtracks, not to mention a lesser-known Hitman song. But check his other stuff out if you dig the five songs we've got represented here. Even if he doesn't overcome Uematsu, his work deserves a lot of credit.

My votes are for Tim Follin (tough choice) and Nobuo Uematsu.

I agree, Uematsu did a lot for the VGM Industry at large.

The Jeremy Soule's Story is pretty inspiring!

Nobuo Uematsu

Jeremy Soule

Jesper Kyd

It's very unfortunate that Jeremy Soule and Tim Follin are facing each other in the first round. As inspiring as Soule's story might be, Follin's career path might be considered just as bold and daring.

It's kind of funny that Jeremy Soule did the KotOR soundtrack. One of Tim Follin's successful bold moves was to remix the Bionic Commando field march and the Star Wars main theme into an epic outer space anthem. He was 17 at the time, and his arrangements ended up accompanying most of the ports of the original Bionic Commando despite having almost nothing to do with the theme of the game. The mix was just too exciting to pass up.
Unfortunately for our purposes, a lot of Follin's best contributions to video game music were as an arranger, not as an original composer. But a lot of his arrangements had more originality than the songs he borrowed to create them and deserve to be taken into consideration here. The amount of personality he packed into everything he produced, whether it was his from conception or not, is consistently impressive. He's the closest thing vgm has to a rock star. Why do you think Pictionary in particular has such a kickass soundtrack? Precisely because it is Pictionary! Follin always liked to show off, and it always paid off.

Here is the first of a much longer four part series on his work, which does not distinguish between arrangements and original compositions. I suggest you give it a listen before passing judgement:
Tim Follin's C64 Music - part 1/4 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7ZDJ4Lzm80)

Tim Follin definitely gets my vote, but it's kind of a shame Jeremy Soule had to get such a tough match up in the opening round. I love his works better than most, but he's just not quite in the same league here.

And obviously Nobuo Uematsu.

Thanks to Shad for the extra link. :D This time Jeremy Soule (5-2) and Nobuo Uematsu (7-1) are the ones moving on. Next up�


Round 1, Fight 11 // The Composers Rumble


Gerard Marino
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg74KgGXfN4&list=PL86EE4C975032159B&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Marino), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1386), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=gerard+marino+interview&oq=gerard+marino+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...13281.14795.19.15013.13.13.0.0.0.7.243 .1536.5j6j1.12.0...0.0.RfgyQ9OWCos&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/gkmarino)

vs.


Michiru Yamane
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLOcT25ph9k&list=PL6E4059C4DF43FA61&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiru_Yamane), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/334), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=michiru+yamane+interview&oq=michiru+yamane+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.11826.17521.20.17933.18.17.1.0.0.8 .277.2400.2j11j3.17.0...0.0.BWsmvJoPWAM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michiru-Yamane/188716184533032)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 12 // The Composers Rumble


Hayato Matsuo
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFSF6RhFJak&list=PL0C970CC451E341B4&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayato_Matsuo), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/296), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hayato+matsuo+interview&oq=hayato+matsuo+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...14395.16109.21.16312.14.14.0.0.0.5.144 .1584.1j13.14.0...0.0.QAAA4-JhzjA&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hayato-Matsuo/104041916299035)

vs.


Glenn Stafford
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAd9x5fTSVo&list=PL471169102F06B34E&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio ( http://www.last.fm/music/Glenn+Stafford), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/184), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=glenn+stafford+interview&oq=glenn+stafford+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.11443.13591.22.13815.16.14.1.0.0.4 .171.1623.3j11.14.0...0.0.5G0-WZ_4E8Q&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glenn-Stafford/111275905555305)



The God of War series presented an interesting challenge. Each soundtrack is the work of multiple composers, yet the music�s quality is high enough that at least one of them deserved to be recognized. Ultimately, Marino was the choice. He played a substantial role on each soundtrack, is responsible for some of the game�s most enduring themes, and has done respectable work outside this IP. Although some of his work is traditionally filmic, The End Begins is a career piece that helped solidify the legacy of God of War.

Yamane wasn�t the founding composer for Castlevania or Suikoden, but she sure kept both series vital. It was a pain to choose five songs for her because there were too many deserving options. Rocket Knight Adventures isn�t even on the list. Legend.

Matsuo is in the mold of other contributing composers like Noriko Matsueda, Hajime Wakai, and Junya Nakano, who didn�t often get the spotlight. Nevertheless, their work shines through. Final Fantasy XII may his most famous credit, but I love the tracks from Master of Monsters (so much atmosphere from a Genesis track!), Ogre Battle, and Front Mission 3 as well.

Glenn Stafford is a longtime composer and director of the audio department for Blizzard. The immediate association with his name is Starcraft, and for good reason. People are still playing that game, meaning they�re still listening to that music. I've seen critics complain it�s atmospheric and unsuited for a standalone listening experience. That�s debatable. What�s not debatable is that the music played an important part in that game�s success. The funky bass lines, phased guitars, filmic interludes, and spacey feel are interesting without being intrusive and successfully combine orchestral and rock influences in a way that�s fun and cohesive.

My votes are for Michiru Yamane and Hayato Matsuo (on the fence with this one).

Michiru Yamane

Michiru Yamane

Glenn Stafford - I think Matsuo is the better composer. But his traits and skills are not displayed at full capacity on Video Game Music. If you want Quality Matsuo Music. You should definetely check his repertoire on the Anime Soundtracks that he composed. Same as Michiru Ooshima.

I vote Stafford mostly because his contribution to the VGM Industry is more notorious

My votes are for Michiru Yamane and Hayato Matsuo

Michiru Yamane

Hayato Matsuo

Very close for the second one.

Michiru Yamane

Glenn Stafford

Michiru Yamane

Michiru Yamane and I guess Hayato Matsuo

Is it just me or does Glenn Stafford look like Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones?

Haha. He kinda does.

Well, there was no doubt about Michiru Yamane (8-0), but Hayato Matsuo had to squeak it out (4-2) to win. Next up...


Round 1, Fight 13 // The Composers Rumble


Russell Brower
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXoFxYutRm4&list=PL10FB3AB03D072F09&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Brower), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/4930), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=russell+brower+interview&oq=russell+brower+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.18723.20395.23.20523.14.14.0.0.0.6 .202.1741.5j8j1.14.0...0.0.G3J-R2d6gb8&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/Hordeland)

vs.


Spencer Nilsen
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G81avmtyyuQ&list=PLEF72A04B756337BE&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Nilsen), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1468), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=spencer+nilsen+interview&oq=spencer+nilsen+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.13322.14900.24.15069.14.13.0.0.0.4 .353.1710.7j4j1j1.13.0...0.0.Pt_tgjTIIvM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/spencer.nilsen)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 14 // The Composers Rumble


Manami Matsumae
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIHh0no7pVs&list=PLE2ABBCF98B35F63A&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manami_Matsumae), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/187), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=manami+matsumae+interview&oq=manami+matsumae+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...15675.17494.25.17699.15.15.0.0.0.4.262 .1601.8j6j1.15.0...0.0.ui5ZZj6ECes&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/manamifans?newwindow=true)

vs.


Bobby Prince
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw&list=PLDA06C3E8E361F6A1&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Prince), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1296), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=bobby+prince+interview&oq=bobby+princ+interview&aq=0lK&aqi=g-lK1&aql=&gs_l=hp.1.0.0i13i30.15633.16926.26.18935.11.9.0.0. 0.3.410.1572.3j3j1j1j1.9.0...0.0.J2jMlPrjRQ4&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://bobbyprincemusic.blogspot.com/)



As a strange coincidence we have Russell Brower, one of Blizzard�s other in-house composers, following Glenn Stafford, with musical selections from two of the same titles. There are significant differences in the two men�s compositional styles, however, that allow for clear distinctions between their works. Brower is a much closer to a by-the-numbers romantic film composer, using orchestral arrangements to create structured narrative pieces and mystical location themes, as opposed to Stafford�s looping atmospheres for player-controlled parts of the game. As with these selections, Brower's work is often lush and romantic (Thread 67222).

Spencer Nilsen is a bit more of an electronic composer, although his full catalog shows off his chops in other genres. He is best known for his Ecco soundtracks and for the USA version of Sonic CD, but Batman Returns is a bit of a forgotten gem, given that there were six versions of that game published on different platforms with different composers.

Manami Matsumae is probably the best-known composer of these four (and the one with the most elaborate Facebook profile picture). Mega Man and Mega Man 2 launched her career. Despite that immense promise, though, her career never reached an equivalent high-water mark. She did work alongside Alph Lyla on an album of arrangements and took a bow on Mega Man 10 with one original composition, but why she didn�t work on more projects--or more projects designed with an international release in mind--is difficult to know. She was attached to ports of several franchises that were popular at the time (like Son Son II and Adventures of Lolo) and composed for an unsuccessful sequel (Jade Cocoon 2) to a somewhat successful game. Those who know Hiroki Kikuta�s career (from Secret of Mana to the Sacnoth disaster and back) might see a parallel or two there. Whatever the cause, it�s unfortunate we haven�t been able to hear more of her music.

Bobby Prince�s name will forever be, in popular lore, connected to one franchise: DOOM. At Doom�s Gate is certainly one of the most recognizable video game themes in existence. And the Metallica scandal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IXNpPhfk1s), credible or not, has probably helped further pigeonhole him to that one series. But you�re doing yourself a disservice if you don�t check out the soundtrack for Duke Nukem 3D. The Saturn arrangements (meaning, simply, better samples) are particularly fun.

My votes are for Spencer Nilsen and Bobby Prince.

Spencer Nilsen

Bobby Prince

EDIT: Regarding the Metallica Scandal, The kind of Riff's that DOOM uses are staple in Thrash and Heavy Metal. While Mouth for War was only one that was blatantly stolen. There's a million bands that uses the same kind of rymthmical structures for riffs. Specially at the end of the 80's and 90's

Anyway

\m/ to Doom Soundtrack. =D

Russell Brower

Bobby Prince

Russell Brower was the driving force behind Wrath of the Lich King--the only really great World of Warcraft soundtrack. A game with continuous content like WoW demands ambient music that will not begin to annoy you after countless hours of gameplay, and Brower was the only Blizzard musician to successfully accomplish this and still present a distinct and memorable sound. He is to a large extent the reason why Northrend will always be my favorite zone; It has the only music in the game that really matters.

Manami Matsumae created the Mega Man sound. Takashi Tateishi may have surpassed her, but I don't think Mega Man 2's historic score would have ever happened had Matsumae not first established the standard.


Edit: I just listened to that "scandal" video in its entirety, and while the guy who made it was overambitious in a lot of his attributions, there were a number of obvious covers. I named "Angry Chair" immediately, and "Mouth of War" is indisputable. A number of others, like "This is Love" and "Them Bones", become obvious once you catch on to what Bobby Prince is doing here. To call it a scandal is pretty ridiculous though. If Metallica weren't lawsuit-happy pricks we'd probably be calling it a fun tribute. I think copyright law exploitation by megamonopolies over the past decade has really clouded popular judgement on the line between creative reinterpretation and intellectual theft. No one regards soundtracks that incorporate Beethoven or Chopin as "scandalous". Sure, Bobby Prince's arrangements were composed by living artists at the time, so there are legitimate grounds for dispute, but they are grey, not black and white, and they would have to follow such lines as "Pantera does not condone violence as entertainment", or "Pantera feels that sales of the Doom ost have made a negative impact on sales of Vulgar Display of Power", or "Bobby Prince has mislead the public into believing that he is the original composer of Vulgar Display of Power", or "Pantera thinks this game sucks really bad and are embarrassed to hear their music in it." Need I go on?

Russell Brower

Manami Matsumae

Shad: What's the track from WoW you're talking about? I've heard Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack more times than I can count but I've never played it.

Shad: What's the track from WoW you're talking about? I've heard Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack more times than I can count but I've never played it.

Northrend is the zone encompassing Wrath of the Lich King in its entirety. I meant no single particular track.

Russell Brower

Bobby Prince

Welcome to Puea!

@Shad: I agree with you that the growing apathy about copyright law has led to a cultural backlash in the other direction, where things falling into a gray area of homage, remix, or synthesis are being unnecessarily called out. Some of the claims against Bobby have legs; others are a stretch. But ultimately, if Vanilla Ice gets off with the "itty bitty ting" defense and Yoko Kanno still has a career, what Bobby did isn't even on the radar, much less a "scandal."

Anwyay, looks like Russell Brower (4-2) and Bobby Prince (4-2) eked out victories. Next up...


Round 1, Fight 15 // The Composers Rumble


Jun Senoue
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH_MCPcjxP0&list=PL5ACC74DA9079D676&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun_Senoue), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/375), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=jun+senoue+interview&oq=jun+senoue+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.54530.55480.27.55653.10.10.0.0.0.7 .398.1467.2j7j0j1.10.0...0.0.qsJavpIrCaE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/crush40)

vs.


Junichi Masuda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vHS-Uwtp8&list=PLE351AB3DFB125495&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junichi_Masuda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/691), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=junichi+masuda+interview&oq=junichi+masuda+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-l1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i13.12031.14124.28.14210.16.16.0.0.0.3 .193.1680.3j11.14.0...0.0.6VXmzibbnTU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/junichi_masuda)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 16 // The Composers Rumble


Koichi Sugiyama
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntmk5aHaPQ4&list=PLE98C67AECBC289B4&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koichi_Sugiyama), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/114), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=koichi+sugiyama+interview&oq=koichi+sugiyama+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.14500.17426.29.17527.17.16.1.0.0.7 .202.1999.6j9j1.16.0...0.0.B68gHd7awvI&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Koichi-Sugiyama/113041356410)

vs.


Michael Land
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejgBZGqKRD4&list=PL4D467BA56168A7DE&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Land), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1405), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=michael+land+interview&oq=michael+land+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.14262.15669.30.15860.13.13.0.0.0.8 .177.1545.2j11.13.0...0.0.0_xn-E07I-g&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/michael.land.543)



Jun Senoue joined the Sonic series in 1994 for Sonic and Knuckles/Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and hasn�t left since. At a time when guitars in video games sounded like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-EH6r9sSmQ), he embraced new technology and added some swagger to the Blue Blur. Despite the presence of a guitar in nearly every picture of him, though, he�s done fine work arranging orchestral pieces for Dark Wizard Symphony (among others) and composing outside of Sonic�s world, including the soundtrack for Burning Rangers.

Similarly, Junichi Masuda�s work is often diminished to one series (Pokemon in his case). Understandably so. The franchise is one of the most lucrative in the world, which is to say that�s a lot of pressure he withstood to create memorable music, and the rewards of that effort are the nostalgia and fervor of a loving fanbase. Yet any retrospective on his career must include Pulseman, too, which is a Genesis classic.

The �Big Boss of Video Game Music� didn�t start in video games. Surprisingly, he was the director of a major broadcasting corporation, but felt in his heart he should be writing music instead. I�ll bet that was a dip in his annual income. Like Soule, he also got his start by writing a letter to a video game company (Enix in his case). From then on out, his destiny would be hitched to Dragon Quest. Incredibly, it was all the way back in 1987 that he staged his first orchestral concert of video game music, a year after releasing a CD of orchestral arrangements of Dragon Quest. Though it would take years for global popular culture to more noticeably appreciate video game music with any seriousness, Sugiyama played perhaps the most important role making people realize that the music could stand on its own.

Legendary LucasArts composer Michael Land appeared on the scene in 1990 with The Secret of Monkey Island. Things quickly fell into place for him. He designed a MIDI sequencer and, in searching out new talent, discovered Peter McConnell and Clint Bajakian. Then he composed one of the most beautiful video game soundtracks of all time in The Dig. Not a bad start to a career. These days he is still working and is purportedly studying the cello and violin, demonstrating another key component to artistic success: never stop learning about your craft and growing as an artist.

My votes are for Junichi Masuda and Koichi Sugiyama.

Jun Senoue

Michael Land

Junichi Masuda

Koichi Sugiyama

Jun Senoue

Michael Land

Junichi Masuda I guess, but i would easily vote for Michael Land over these two... :(

Koichi Sugiyama

Junichi Masuda

Koichi Sugiyama

Junichi Masuda

Koichi Sugiyama

Darn, I missed the last round.

As any last votes come in, here's a little something for those who are waiting for the next post: a bass made from a Commodore 64 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kDhpFaf4EY).

With Junichi Masuda (5-2) and Koichi Sugiyama (5-2) winning, we are now halfway through Round 1! Next up...


Round 1, Fight 17 // The Composers Rumble


Martin O'Donnell
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo5AOMAUohQ&list=PL77462C1F9DD1B1E8&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_O%27Donnell), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/531), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=martin+o%27donnell+interview&oq=martin+o%27donnell+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i8.983623.987666.31.987857.30.22.8.0 .0.5.176.2545.7j15.22.0...0.0.eVphHxPH_1I&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/MartytheElder)

vs.


Stephen Rippy
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mql9PBUzKA&list=PL7B496ACD1B1E7852&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Rippy), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1408), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=stephen+rippy+interview&oq=stephen+rippy+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.15075.16786.32.16945.14.14.0.0.0.2 .167.1543.4j10.14.0...0.0.0rXUGf-RJpo&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/stephenrippymusic)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 18 // The Composers Rumble


Yuzo Koshiro
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg1PDaOnU2Q&list=PL611456BF1F51E8D2&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzo_Koshiro), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/148), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=stephen%20rippy%20interview&pq=stephen%20rippy%20interview&cp=5&gs_id=1ih&xhr=t&q=yuzo+koshiro+interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=yuzo++interview&aq=0c&aqi=g-c1&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (https://twitter.com/yuzokoshiro)

vs.


Michiko Naruke
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=empT3vtj90o&list=PL24ACDFCF6BCCBDEE&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiko_Naruke), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/391), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=michiko+naruke+interview&oq=michiko+naruke+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.16381.18568.35.18690.16.15.1.0.0.7 .311.1991.2j12j0j1.15.0...0.0.DdBs_sxR-Mg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (https://twitter.com/narupon)



For a time, Halo was a lightning rod in discussions about the state of video game music. Despite its melodic, rock-influenced, mostly straightforward approach, it was often contrasted with fans' vague notions of a golden past where video game music was better. When pressed for an explanation, I've personally witnessed many of those conversations wilt into, "Well, vgm used to be memorable," then "Well, the melodies were catchier," with the obvious underlying problem that those people were simply intimidated by orchestral arrangements because they worried they'd sound stupid talking about it. And it often seems to me that's tied to the conspicuousness of the melody. This doesn't totally explain the aversion to Halo's soundtrack, though, because Halo's melodies are pretty freakin' obvious. More so, Halo created a new culture of gamers who were shelling out enough money to grab the attention of game developers, forcing more traditional gamers to feel slighted and disclaim anything about the game, the soundtrack included. Over ten years later, the whole thing seems pretty silly, because the music has many high points, the video game culture has expanded greatly by diversifying the audience, and the nostalgia and longing those gamers felt in response to Halo has had many outlets in modern gaming, not the least of which through downloadable retro and retro-style games made available through consoles. Time has also given Martin O'Donnell a chance to show off many sides to his compositional style, which should be a clear sign that, if anyone, he will not be responsible for a dark future of bland, orchestral, mood music in video games.

Stephen Rippy is a hard man to pin down. Just listen to Chocolate Outline and tell me what genre that song fits into. It's got Spanish-style guitars, rotary electric guitars, autoharp, synthesized tubular bells, atmospheric pings with long reverberating echos, a kalimba solo, and a rocking bassline that, if louder, would fit perfectly into a Rage against the Machine song. Do we just lump this into world music? Electronic music? Whatever you want to call it, it's awesome. And more than that, it's a nice emblem of the open borders approach video game music has long held toward genre mixing.

In the fourth generation of video games, Yuzo Koshiro was king. ActRaiser, Streets of Rage, The Revenge of Shinobi, Beyond Oasis, Ys, Eye of the Beholder, Super Adventure Island. Putting forth tons of quality game soundtracks wasn't enough. He innovated, too, the most obvious example being the electronica soundtrack for Streets of Rage, now cited as a forerunner to today's techno, and an influence on dubstep. I remember the first time I went to my next-door neighbor's house to play Streets of Rage 2. I was blown away by the first stage music. This was 1993. I'd never heard techno before. I didn't even know how to describe it. All those dark alleys and people punching to music you could dance to. It was badass. Around the same time, Nick Arcade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOkGS3enpN4) was on the air, and I remember it seemed like the contestants always ended up playing ActRaiser, which I also thought had awesome music. Years later, I found out it was the same guy. That blew my mind.

Long before Wild Arms, Michiko Naruke was tearing it up with Valis 3 and Psycho Dream. But, of course, Wild Arms is her masterpiece, introducing Wild West themes and gestures into the world of video game music. She wasn't the first, nor the last, but she is the best, and any time a soundtrack contains acoustic guitar and whistling it seems to be a nod at Michiko. Interestingly, Naruke is a huge fan of Jerry Goldsmith and Johann Sebastian Bach and owns an original score by Bach.

My votes are for Stephen Rippy and Yuzo Koshiro.

Martin O'Donnell

Michiko Naruke

Wild Arms soundtracks make me hard.

Stephen Rippy --- very tough decision

Michiko Naruke --- Koshiro's written some great stuff, but I think he's one of the most overrated composers in the business.

The Valis III credits I've seen are a bit ridiculous, crediting Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, Shingo Murakami, Takaharu Umezu, Michiko Naruke, and Minoru Yuasa. Has it been confirmed that Naruke in fact composed most/all of it?

Michiko Naruke

The Valis III credits I've seen are a bit ridiculous, crediting Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, Shingo Murakami, Takaharu Umezu, Michiko Naruke, and Minoru Yuasa. Has it been confirmed that Naruke in fact composed most/all of it?

Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, and Shingo Murakami worked on the PC Engine version of Valis III and arranged those songs for guitar and piano. They're responsible for two commercial releases related to the game's music. (link 1 (http://vgmdb.net/album/8646)) (link 2 (http://vgmdb.net/album/4031))

But they didn't work on the Genesis version of the game. Those composers were Takaharu Umezu, Michiko Naruke, and Minoru Yuasa. (link (www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR90eu7i1Xg#t=50m36s))

It's difficult to find track by track credits for the soundtracks of 4th generation games and before since so few game OSTs/OSVs were released commercially (unless an interviewer got answers years after the fact, which is how I dug up some credits). I did triple-check and sometimes quadruple-check anything that went into the rumble while I added links, but I don't remember why I felt strongly that the particular musical selection in our recommendations list was by Naruke. Because accurate credits on co-composed early games weren't available, I frequently had to make an educated guess about which song sounded like the composer, so that might been my process. But I'll try to find out more information if it's out there.

Stephen Rippy

Yuzo Koshiro - This one was very tough... Naruke is amazing. But Streets of Rage is what made me incline to Koshiro this time I guess... His music on the Ys Series is really great as well. Worth Checking that out.

Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, and Shingo Murakami worked on the PC Engine version of Valis III and arranged those songs for guitar and piano. They're responsible for two commercial releases related to the game's music. (link 1 (http://vgmdb.net/album/8646)) (link 2 (http://vgmdb.net/album/4031))

But they didn't work on the Genesis version of the game. Those composers were Takaharu Umezu, Michiko Naruke, and Minoru Yuasa. (link (www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR90eu7i1Xg#t=50m36s))

Thanks for all the information. It's always an adventure trying to dig up information on earlier game compositions.

I just noticed and had to ask: How on earth did Rob Hubbard not make the list for this rumble?

Hubbard was on the original list, got bumped for requests, and didn't get any support when I mentioned him as a notable leftover. :-( I'm a fan. Unfortunately, plenty of deserving people didn't make the cut to 64. Too many to choose from.

Stephen Rippy

Michiko Naruke

Very tough choice for both...

Stephen Rippy

Yuzo Koshiro

Martin O'Donnell

Yuzo Koshiro

Sorry to be a day late. Was traveling all day yesterday. Koshiro and Naruke are tied with 4 votes apiece. I'll give it 24 more hours for a deciding vote from someone who hasn't yet voted. If none turns up, we'll go with a coin toss, as we've done in the past.

Hi again folks. Michiko Naruke (5-4) has won the tiebreaker, with Stephen Rippy (5-2) winning the other fight. I'll keep it moving up top here...


Round 1, Fight 19 // The Composers Rumble


Toshiharu Yamanishi
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBtKaYpm9Kk&list=PL7A0E901BE63838FF&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://www.cvgm.net/demovibes/artist/1780/), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1004), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=michiko%20naruke%20interview&pq=michiko%20naruke%20interview&cp=20&gs_id=1lw&xhr=t&q=Toshiharu%20Yamanishi%20%20interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=Toshiharu+Yamanishi++interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Funky-Surounin/110615552291191)

vs.


David Wise
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ9xwkMr3e4&list=PL644E405D793234FF&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wise_%28composer%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/507), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=david+wise+interview&oq=david+wise+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K1g-bK2&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30j0i8i30l2.12437.13451.39.13567.10 .10.0.0.0.2.121.967.5j5.10.0...0.0.N2S-P85SXpk&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/david_wise)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 20 // The Composers Rumble


Howard Drossin
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en047NnFSLA&list=PLD335BDC4B0744719&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Drossin), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1384), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=howard+drossin+interview&oq=howard+drossin+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...11714.13096.40.13238.14.13.0.0.0.7.175 .1468.2j10.12.0...0.0.gFdWtFhrk-U&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/howard.drossin)

vs.


Hitoshi Sakimoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfJj04uDFY&list=PL50C0C2CA15EFF930&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Sakimoto), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/112), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hitoshi+sakimoto+interview&oq=hitoshi+sakimoto+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.10355.12817.41.13034.20.17.1.0.0.10.3 16.2287.1j13j0j1.15.0...0.0.i3pJ8ko78QM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/HitoshiSakimoto?sk=wall)



Toshiharu Yamanishi is a mystery man. While it�s often difficult to find out info on early-generation video game composers, there are many research strategies you can employ before hitting a wall, and more often than not one of them will give you a clue, which will lead to more research and more clues. Not with this guy. Yaminishi has been in the business for over 20 years and there�s barely any info out there on him. He has no social networking pages, there is only one picture of him to my knowledge, and yet he has a rabid fanbase and 53 releases to his name. His most famous works (Thunder Force III and IV) are on Technosoft�s Genesis catalog and are metal through and through. But Elemental Master and Devil�s Crush have stood the test of time as Genesis classics as well, and few seem to know how much he has contributed to the Atelier series, continuing his legacy.

Here are the notable soundtracks David Wise has worked on or wholly created: Wizards and Warriors I-III, R.C. Pro-Am, Marble Madness, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Solar Jetman, Battletoads, Donkey Kong Country 1-3, Diddy Kong Racing, Star Fox Adventures, It�s Mr. Pants, and Viva Pinata. As a composer for Rare from 1985-2009, he has written some of the most enduring themes in video game music history, including Aquatic Ambience. Many of his works are classics of their respective consoles. And he�s still going. Not bad. Arguably, he is the most important and influential western composer in all of video game music.

Howard Drossin's music has often been aggressive and rock-based, but it'd be difficult to say back in his Sonic days, when he was was Sega's music director, that he'd be doing a Splatterhouse soundtrack. Like Yamanishi, he cut his teeth on the Genesis with The Ooze, Sonic & Knuckles, and the cult classic Comix Zone. Since then, he has expanded into film and commercial music and, who say this coming?, won a Grammy in 2008 for his orchestrations on the jazz album A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina), which served as the score to Spike Lee's award-winning Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke.

Sakimoto has forcefully staked his claim as a major composer. Perhaps no Final Fantasy soundtrack is as much a lightning rod for debate as Final Fantasy XII. Perhaps no soundtrack has been lauded more than Vagrant Story in our rumbles. Perhaps no composer, other than Sugiyama, is as adept at using an orchestra not just to add oomph to a melody, but to actually variegate it enough while adding texture and tone color in interesting ways to take the compositions to a level of extraordinary achievement.

My votes are for David Wise and Hitoshi Sakimoto.

I was the one who heavily pushed for Yamanishi to be included in the rumble and the least I can do is hand him a vote, despite being against a very worhy opponent. But I still stand by my decision to push for his inclusion despite there being very little info on him. That's because, for me, just these 4 games (Elemental Master, Thunder Force III, Thunder Force IV and Devil's Crush) are more than enough for me to consider him an elite VGM composer. That's even disregarding his many other notable works. So, Toshiharu Yamanishi for me.

As for the other, being a massive Hitoshi Sakimoto fan, my vote goes to him. I like to think he deserves it.

Edit: It only just got me wondering, but why would you say he has a rabid fanbase, Arthur? He's hardly known, as far as I can tell.

Howard Drossin

David Wise and Hitoshi Sakimoto.

I was digging a lot the music of Yamanishi, specially the last track from Atelier. But I was blown away by the versatility of David Wise.


Hitoshi Sakimoto

David Wise

Howard Drossin

It only just got me wondering, but why would you say he has a rabid fanbase, Arthur? He's hardly known, as far as I can tell.

Technosoft fans. They may not know Yamanishi's name, but they know his music under the heading "Technosoft music." And the community is a decent size, as far as I can tell. I've talked to quite a few people who, if you mention Thunder Force III or IV, you'll get something like...

Thunder Force FUCK YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I'd call that "rabid," haha.

We're back. We're rocking. One more day for voting. Tomorrow I'll update with a new fight.

David Wise and Hitoshi Sakimoto

We're back. We're rocking. One more day for voting. Tomorrow I'll update with a new fight.

Mike Tyson vs. an anvil?

Unstoppable forces vs. immovable objects? We got it below. Forum downtime can't stop the rumble. David Wise (6-1) and Hitoshi Sakimoto (6-2) are progressing on, and so are we...


Round 1, Fight 21 // The Composers Rumble


Jack Wall
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFw0gbQk23M&list=PLDEAE2A6F5EBF4191&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wall_%28composer%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/993), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=jack+wall+interview&oq=jack+wall+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K1g-bK1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30j0i8i30.12138.13454.42.13656.10.9 .0.0.0.5.414.1608.2j5j0j1j1.9.0...0.0.sxCdTls71pw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/jackwallmusic)

vs.


Kow Otani
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrFL2zPc2uk&list=PL5B5D2B4C946426F3&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kow_Otani), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1625), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=kow+otani+interview&oq=kow+otani+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.13325.14661.43.14962.11.10.1.0.0.5 .210.1334.3j6j1.10.0...0.0.qWKpwM-3Or0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/kowotani)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 22 // The Composers Rumble


Robin Beanland
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYi8o-RAWuk&list=PL8DC8D2AD88F2A482&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Beanland), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/505), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=robin+beanland+interview&oq=robin+beanland+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.18797.22366.44.22521.23.23.0.0.0.3 .200.2477.11j11j1.23.0...0.0.SME6VsnvANc&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/therealbeano)

vs.


Shogo Sakai
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A-imFwZcHs&list=PL681F00EBA25D75D6&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Shogo_Sakai), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/989), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=shogo+sakai+interview&oq=shogo+sakai+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.11612.13085.45.13260.11.11.0.0.0.5 .182.1242.3j8.11.0...0.0.KhFaDiJN8wE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/shogo_sakai)



Jack Wall has become better known in the last few years as the conductor of Video Games Live and the composer behind Mass Effect, but before he was the understated guy standing next to Tommy Tallarico (a role most people would play in that situation), he was an award-winning industry leader breathing new life into the Myst franchise. Myst III's soundtrack garnered him a nomination for best original soundtrack from the AIAS, but Myst IV's soundtrack won him three Game Audio Network Guild awards, including Music of the Year, and three other nominations. Since then, Rise of the Kasai, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2 have all been frequently nominated for awards, with Jade Empire and Mass Effect winning best soundtrack trophies.

Speaking of awards, Kow Otani has won a few. You may have heard of his soundtrack for Shadow of the Colossus, which is top-five in the best vgm of all time in my opinion. But the majority of his career has been spent composing for films and anime. I've been able to listen to some of his film score for Shakugan no Shana Final, which has shades of the orchestration and budget of Colossus. But it boggles my mind that the only video game project he's been tapped for since Colossus is Sengoku Basara 3, on which he is a small contributor. If you're a fan, I'd recommend Sky Odyssey as maybe being the most similar to Colossus; the rest of his vgm is more conventional. Fingers crossed he does more.

Robin Beanland is easy to think of as David Wise�s sidekick, since they worked at Rare together for so long with Wise the lead composer on their shared works. But The Bean is distinct for several reasons, not the least of which being his humor. As a composer and writer involved with Conker, that's obvious. But going back to, say, his elevator music for GoldenEye or the voice samples on Killer Cuts, he added touches that enlivened the entire experience of his games. I can't help but compare his lack of recognition in the video game world to the plight of comedic actors at the Oscars, where they're routinely dismissed in favor of dramatic actors. Wise did Aquatic Ambience, which is brilliant, but does it require more skill to evince complex, melancholic emotions than to make someone laugh out loud? I really don't think so.

Although I already knew and liked the Robocop and Werewolf soundtracks, Shogo Sakai didn�t land on my radar until Mother 3, an absolutely top-tier soundtrack combining original compositions with the work of Erik Satie. The end-result successfully provided an emotional framework for writer Shigesato Itoi�s ambitious and delicate story about a family coping with tragedy, consumerism, and--of course--pigs. Tinged with Samuel Beckett�s influence, the story shows more pathos and attention to narrative than Beckett�s idea-first tableaus and stands among the best scripts in video game history. The confidently-deployed moments involving beauty (), humor (http://www.bardinelli.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/mother3.gif), sadness (), and bizarreness (http://earthbound.wikia.com/wiki/Ostrelephant) bring together everything that made Earthbound a classic and, at times, even improve on it. I liked this game long before I got to the scene with Satie�s Gymnopedie No. 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAR0WkIQ6mg) playing in the background. Then I was in love. If you haven�t played Mother 3, it�s well worth it.

My votes are for Kow Otani and Shogo Sakai.

Jack Wall

Robin Beanland

I might be the only one around here who remembers Nick Arcade, but I'll post this article (http://splitsider.com/2012/04/keeping-score-with-nick-arcade/) since I was just talking about the show a few fights ago. The article discusses how some of the technology used in Iron Man 2 overlaps with what they were doing on Nick Arcade all the way back in 1992.

Jack Wall - This was a bit against my heart, because I really love Otani for Shadow of the Colossus and his anime soundtracks (especially Haibane Renmei!), but his other VG compositions left me rather unimpressed... While Wall may not have a soundtrack of a SotC caliber, he is a more consistent VG composer overall with so many quality and diverse creations. In a battle of VG Composers he deserves to win more, I think.
Since it's VGM rumble, I didn't consider Otani's anime works in the final judgement.

Shogo Sakai

Kow Otani

Shogo Sakai - What's not to love about Conker's Bad Fur Day Overworld Theme. But man, Almost Victorious rushed my blood.

I might be the only one around here who remembers Nick Arcade, but I'll post this article (http://splitsider.com/2012/04/keeping-score-with-nick-arcade/) since I was just talking about the show a few fights ago. The article discusses how some of the technology used in Iron Man 2 overlaps with what they were doing on Nick Arcade all the way back in 1992.

i remember that show quite a bit.

Jack Wall for the same reasons as Szczepan

Shogo Sakai

Kow Otani

Shogo Sakai

Would be nice if we could all agree to advance both Otani and Wall and ignore the second bracket. :P

Jack Wall for the same reasons as Szczepan

Shogo Sakai

The first fight was close, but Jack Wall (4-3) edged Otani, with Shogo Sakai (6-1) winning the other one. Next up�


Round 1, Fight 23 // The Composers Rumble


Masashi Hamauzu
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65A8o7vMwVM&list=PL8CA56F6DA7905C70&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masashi_Hamauzu), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/145), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=masashi+hamauzu+interview&oq=masashi+hamauzu+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.1137.1137.47.1326.1.1.0.0.0.0.141.141 .0j1.1.0...0.0.yYXnPbzRjNg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://www.facebook.com/MasashiHamauzuOfficial)

vs.


Tommy Tallarico
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OtrgZ2r2GA&list=PL1AAF8FE86E18F001&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Tallarico), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/502), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=tommy+tallarico+interview&oq=tommy+tallarico+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.15960.18500.48.18711.15.15.0.0.0.3 .188.1721.4j11.15.0...0.0.m-vFIg76sQs&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/tommytallarico)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 24 // The Composers Rumble


Grant Kirkhope
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DQfnj33-QU&list=PLD6E3911291035265&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Kirkhope), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1935), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=grant+kirkhope+interview&oq=grant+kir+interview&aq=0b&aqi=g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i8.16637.19724.49.20780.19.13.5.0.0.7 .191.1643.3j10.13.0...0.0.cmkUov639CE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/grantkirkhope)

vs.


Motoaki Takenouchi
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaOlDwRyjjI&list=PL2625B825E1FCEE9D&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoaki_Takenouchi), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/630), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=grant%20kir%20interview&pq=grant%20kirkhope%20interview&cp=19&gs_id=23u&xhr=t&q=Motoaki%20Takenouchi%20%20interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=Motoaki+Takenouchi++interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Motoaki-Takenouchi/103132699727741?sk=info)



Growing up with a pianist as a mother and an opera singer as a father, it�s no wonder Masashi Hamauzu developed an early interest in music. By the time he graduated college, he had enough of a resume to impress Nobuo Uematu himself, who hired Hamauzu to work for Square, where Hamauzu stayed for fourteen years, eventally taking over the lead composer position from Uematsu in 2004. He has been consistent his entire career, with strong work in both the Final Fantasy and SaGa franchises as an arranger, composer, and (though this aspect of his career is often overlooked) musician. Did you know he sang bass on One-Winged Angel?

Tommy Tallarico has a way of getting inside people's heads. My sister knows absolutely nothing about video game music. But I convinced her to come to Video Games Live, and she will never forget him (). He is self-indulgent, he is strident, he is small. But he is a big stage presence, and he is hilarious. He has talent. He has big ideas that make people question if he has a strong enough body of work to back up the outspokenness. He has done a lot of good for video game music. His silliness is, at least in part, a consciously constructed artifice. He makes people laugh. He makes people talk. And by expanding on what Koichi Sugiyama started by hosting worldwide orchestral concerts of video game music, he converts people, almost every day, to our shared belief that video game music can be just as powerful and enduring as any work from any other genre. If possible, try to listen to the music on its own merits, without letting the personality behind it influence the experience.

Not too many composers got famous writing polka and steel drum music. But not too many composers bring the personality, fun, and catchiness that Grant Kirkhope does�just a few reasons why he landed on Brentalfloss� (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gevqco_LDuo) radar. Kirkhope is not just a great composer�GoldenEye, Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, Blast Corps, Viva Pinata�he is also an interesting technician. On Banjo Kazooie, for example, he did something that is now commonplace, but at the time very difficult, making the music interactive during game play. If you jump in the water, the music changes into a harp arrangement. If you enter a haunted mansion, an organ starts playing the theme. As a sidenote, he also has a website with a lot of background information on his compositions and his favorites from each soundtrack, including the never released SNES game Dream (http://www.grantkirkhope.com/samplecomposition.html), which eventually became Banjo Kazooie.

Motoaki Takenouchi is the man behind much of the Shining series and a star of 90s Sega games. In college he studied under Koichi Sugiyama at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (where he was also classmates with Hayato Matsuo). Jewel Master, his first soundtrack, shows off his jazz tendencies with swung notes and little delays, his unusual choices of patches (such as in "King Turtle" or "The Gate of Delirium"), and his gift for creating atmosphere (ala �Time to Kill�). He�s also great at creating frenetic electronic beats, as you�ll hear. An old friend of the rumble, jakob, is the Shrine�s resident Takenouchi fanatic and has the entirety of what�s available posted on his thread (Thread 71739).

My votes are for Tommy Tallarico (I'll step up to bat for him this time) and Motoaki Takenouchi (tough choice).

Tommy Tallarico

Motoaki Takenouchi

Masashi Hamauzu I love his European style. Especially in Saga Frontier 2.



Saga Frontier II by Masashi Hamauzu (1999)
Variation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USVgKQLYqSc), Thema (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXzrulChJXs), Naturvolk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1ySWuRMhY), Ovation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A6rpzCqt90), Unmacht (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ9mtQt5N6w), Botschaft (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRRXlQ9TJCM), Feldschlacht IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOhtv6D-kY8), Todfeind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEYwzoIBJJk), Erfolg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAAGOeWiz2U), Roman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zsONLYqzs), Mibgestalt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8NFIE30jpA), Haupt Mann (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw5YhixEC4c), Eisklumpen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IsqKaesNQ)


and a catchy remix of Feldschlacht IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCOGa_zYsfk) :)


Sorry for so many tracks, but couldn't make up my mind which ones should be removed - so many beautiful things;P Besides it doesn't compete in the rumble, so it's ok i guess. I hope it will be a good listen:) If you will like those I highly encourage to listen to whole soundtrack.
btw About all those german names - Hamauzu was born and spent good part of his childhood in Germany.

Btw maybe I am a bit biased toward him, because I can personally assure you, he;s a great person. I've had a short talk with him after the Ainu concert in Manggha Center in Cracow, around a year ago... He even signed my DS Light T_T Will treasure it forever ;D

Motoaki Takenouchi

Honestly, I"m a little surprised to see votes over Kirkhope. I am a big Takenouchi fan of course, but Grant Kirkhope is one of the more solidly loved game composers out there. Viva Pinata was great, and his Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning recently was fantastic too. He's still in top form, and we maybe haven't even seen the best of him yet.

I won't go off about MT too much, other than post a couple links to some of my favorites:

Shining Wisdom OST - Secon Effort - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tu462qlWaw)

Shining Wisdom OST - Novae - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eulvvHn2Jsk&feature=relmfu)

Shining Force 2 BGM - 10 - Battle #2/Overworld - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULXnfaQg-ZI&feature=related)

Shining Force 2 BGM - 32 - Ending Credits - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-X5fxLprY0&feature=BFa&list=ULVx2OJnoL2Fg)

[Soundtrack] Landstalker - 19 - Treasure Hunter Nigel - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4aSuSGy89o&feature=channel&list=UL) (the arranged soundtrack of this game is killer)

Jewel Master - Fish out of Water [Genesis] Music - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY7ZfS5HC8I)

Jewel Master - Intergalactic Strut [Genesis] Music - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCOhhhUEuk)

Shining Force CD Soundtrack 27 Guard Posts - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy5e8iWtpgs)

Shining Force CD Soundtrack 13 Open Plains - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKnonZDTmow&feature=plcp)

Shining Force CD Soundtrack 12 Great Cypress War- YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCv95eBeItQ&feature=plcp)

My vote is for Motoaki Takenouchi of course, but I can't say I'll be super disappointed if Kirkhope wins. I'm glad to see him face a worthy opponent.

Tommy Tallarico

Motoaki Takenouchi


Edit: Hah, I make a point to listen to the music and vote before I actually read the introduction to the artists or look at other people's votes, and I thought for sure I'd be the only vote for Tallarico.

Masashi Hamauzu & Motoaki Takenouchi

Tommy Tallarico

Grant Kirkhope

Masashi Hamauzu

Grant Kirkhope

WOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAH!!!! NELLY!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kPoqwj6UT8) -Tommy Tallarico - THAT BANJO!


Grant Kirkhope

maybe I am a bit biased toward him, because I can personally assure you, he;s a great person. I've had a short talk with him after the Ainu concert in Manggha Center in Cracow, around a year ago... He even signed my DS Light T_T Will treasure it forever ;D

Nice!


I won't go off about MT too much, other than post a couple links to some of my favorites

Thanks for the links!


Edit: Hah, I make a point to listen to the music and vote before I actually read the introduction to the artists or look at other people's votes, and I thought for sure I'd be the only vote for Tallarico.

Me, too. For a second I glanced at the thread and thought Tallarico had ALL the votes. :-\


WOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAH!!!! NELLY!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kPoqwj6UT8) - THAT BANJO!

x2


By the way, Hitoshi Sakimoto is going to do an 'AMA' (ask me anything) at Reddit.com on Fri, Aug. 3 at 6pm PDT (Los Angeles time).

I just checked the upcoming AMA list on reddit and Sakimoto isn't listed. Where did you get the info that he will be doing an AMA?

His official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/HitoshiSakimoto)

I suppose he'll just post the thread when the time comes. I frequent reddit and I can tell you that most people who want to do an AMA, usually notify the mods at least a couple of days before the fact. This way it can be put on the upcoming list so more people will know about it and it gives the mods time to verify the claims of the poster (admittedly in this case, there will be no need for that much time just to verify; a picture of him holding a piece of paper saying "hi reddit" or something and the date will be more than enough).

Tommy Tallarico (5-3) and Motoaki Takenouchi (6-3) put up some big wins against fierce competition. We�ll see if the same is possible for the underdog in the next fight up�


Round 1, Fight 25 // The Composers Rumble


Koji Kondo
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGX4obVl64w&list=PL73FF0E9B512BD0A9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koji_Kondo), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/190), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=koji%20interview&pq=motoaki%20takenouchi%20interview&cp=7&gs_id=24u&xhr=t&q=koji+kondo+interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=koji+ko+interview&aq=0c&aqi=g-c1g-b1&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Koji-Kondo/112302688785506?rf=112031528809841)

vs.


Frank Klepacki
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlsSiEpZMQY&list=PL112DDA948D3DEA86&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Klepacki), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/244), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=frank+klepacki+interview&oq=frank+klepacki+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.16498.19791.58.20274.16.13.1.0.0.3 .380.1898.4j6j2j1.13.0...0.0.gqRBkFxPk5o&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/frankklepacki)


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Round 1, Fight 26 // The Composers Rumble


Miki Higashino
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFT-wcyT-TU&list=PL5AB8D3D96564FEFA&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miki_Higashino), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/191), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=miki+higashino+interview&oq=miki+higashino+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i8.26425.28514.56.28753.14.10.0.0.0.3. 619.1462.0j2j1j1j0j1.5.0...0.0.wGdkyYv-SyQ&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miki-Higashino/107916719231624?v=photos)

vs.


Ryuji Sasai
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjNftt7bNI&list=PLDD845D64558B9DDD&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryuji_Sasai), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/354), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=ryuji+sasai+interview&oq=ryuji+sasai+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...12641.14582.57.14774.11.11.0.0.0.2.154 .1178.4j7.11.0...0.0.jy799n4K7Kc&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ryuji-Sasai/107748362581771?sk=info)



Koji Kondo is quite possibly the most important composer of our generation. Not only did he give the world the Mario and Zelda scores, but he turned video game music into a commodity. For almost 10 years, the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme has been one of the most downloaded ringtones in the world. Kondo's music has been covered, remixed, arranged, and orchestrated thousands of times. On top of that, he is an master of what Sergei Eisenstein calls the synchronization of senses, using sound design to create vital, profound associations with the on-screen action (for example, a jump in SMB gives you an complimentary boing, in effect rewarding you for moving the character). On top of all that, he has grown as a composer right in front of us, expanding his celebrity as he built on two life-defining soundtracks with the equally compelling work of their immediate sequels, with his experiments in arrangement in Super Mario World and later Ocarina of Time, with his expanding field of reference in SMW 2 and Majora�s Mask, with the triumphant, mature, orchestral dynamism of Wind Waker and Super Mario Galaxy, and so on. The level of cultural saturation is such that people who have never played a video game can hum along with his music. On top of all that, he has helped train members of his own generation of composers and even the generation after him. He is so important that if you were to say, �I have never heard a Koji Kondo piece I liked,� not only would you (probably) be lying, but you�d still have to acknowledge the significance of his celebrity, marketability, and influence. We are here to judge the quality of the music separate from these considerations, but they are nonetheless important reminders of how we got to be a global community of video game music lovers. I'd wager Kondo played a role, directly or indirectly, with all of us.

Above all else, Frank Klepacki�s music is fun. The vocal samples, the fat swaggy guitars, the intensity, the shades of KMFDM, the militaristic snare pops, and the earnestness that suffuses each track are just a lot of fun. He�s best known for the Command and Conquer series, and we have a few examples of that work. But he produced quality soundtracks for many other Westwood Studios games as well. A side-note: from the early 90s to today (as current audio director of Petroglyph Games), he has built up an impressive collection of photos of himself wearing sunglasses () and really () ugly (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Frank_Klepacki_on_an_insert_photo_of_his_Morphscap e_album.jpg/291px-Frank_Klepacki_on_an_insert_photo_of_his_Morphscap e_album.jpg) shirts (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Frank_Klepacki_on_an_insert_photo_of_his_Rocktroni c_album.jpeg/220px-Frank_Klepacki_on_an_insert_photo_of_his_Rocktroni c_album.jpeg).

Many of you all already know how much I love Miki Higashino. Suikoden and Suikoden II are two of my favorite games of all time, and the specific moment when I began loving that series, which I still remember in detail, was when I entered Seika for the first time and heard Eternal Flow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNeOCMKU2V8) and I put my controller down and thought, �God damn, the music in this game is incredible.� Her entire career has been like that. Gradius, Yie Ar Kung Fu (an old arcade classic some of you might remember), LifeForce, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade), Contra III, Vandal Hearts, 10,000 Bullets (aka Moolit Shadow, aka Tsukiyo ni Saraba, a jazzy collaboration with Yasunori Mitsuda). That�s a pretty solid resume. In recent years, she has settled down with her family, but we can only hope the right project will come along to entice her out of retirement.

Many people probably associate Ryuji Sasai with Final Fantasy Legend III and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Fair enough, as those two soundtracks have gone on to become classics of their systems, with Mystic Quest particularly serving as an early touchstone album for video game metal. But if you haven�t already, you gotta check out Rudra no Hihou, a complex Indian-religion-inspired Square RPG never released in the West with a hidden gem of a soundtrack. I�d also recommend checking out this interview (http://www.originalsoundversion.com/school-of-rock-interview-with-squaresoft-composer-ryuji-sasai/) with a damn near ecstatic interviewer and some interesting little nuggets from Sasai. Favorite bands are Extreme, Judas Priest, and Red Hot Chili Peppers? That's a pretty strange trio.

My votes are for Koji Kondo and Miki Higashino.

Frank Klepacki

Ryuji Sasai

Koji Kondo

Sakimoto is doing his AMA (http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/xndgw/i_am_hitoshi_sakimoto_video_game_composer_final/) right now.

We need more votes!

Koji Kondo

Miki Higashino

Koji Kondo

Do I really have to choose between Higashino and Sasai? :\ I'll wait a bit and see how the other votes play out.

Edit: Since Higashino has a solid lead now I think it's safe to give a vote to Ryuji Sasai without impacting the outcome.

Koji Kondo

Miki Higashino

Frank Klepaki

Miki Higashino

Koji Kondo

Ryuji Sasai

Sasai made a push at the end, but it�s going to be Koji Kondo (6-2) and Miki Higashino (4-3) moving on. Next up�


Round 1, Fight 27 // The Composers Rumble


Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyw8GFkZhxQ&list=PL319030C7C739BFDF&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirokazu_Tanaka), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/363), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hirokazu+tanaka+interview&oq=hirokazu+t+interview&aq=0b&aqi=g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i8.12967.16088.55.17141.12.11.1.0.0.4 .153.1250.3j8.11.0...0.0.4TxEfh33Vrc&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.hirokazutanaka.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhirokazu%2Btanaka%2Bofficial%26hl%3De n%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Di5E%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D855%26prmd%3Dimvn so&sa=X&ei=n7sWUNmzH6jG6AHt64HwAg&ved=0CFAQ7gEwAQ)

vs.


Tenpei Sato
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bWk_wYny0I&list=PLABE88125CD6B8FCA&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenpei_Sato), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/608), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=tenpei+sato+interview&oq=tenpei+sato+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.12907.14179.59.14355.12.12.0.0.0.4 .166.1352.4j8.12.0...0.0.NUtwpiVIRfQ&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tenpei-Sato/108014109220842)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 1, Fight 28 // The Composers Rumble


Hiroki Kikuta
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33d6EK2HykM&list=PLD0DA289C66300CB9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroki_Kikuta), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/140), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hiroki+kikuta+interview&oq=hiroki+kikuta+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.12788.14616.60.14809.14.14.0.0.0.2 .189.1626.5j9.14.0...0.0.CT3Qb91DDag&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/hiroki.kikuta?ref=pymk)

vs.


Masami Ueda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53aDI5K49F4&list=PLBD6C038500A8B380&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://www.giantbomb.com/masami-ueda/72-60066/), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/11), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=masami+ueda+interview&oq=masami+ueda+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...11149.13057.61.13191.11.11.0.0.0.5.182 .1343.2j9.11.0...0.0.vExg8tmT0wY&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/PG_ueda)



If you go back to the video game crash of 1983 and start following the bread crumbs to video games� resurrection, Hip Tanaka�s name sure shows up a lot. But to stick to our purposes, as a composer, he created some of the most enduring themes of the NES era, including one of my all-time favorite chiptunes, the Metroid title theme, which arose from his desire to attempt a more atmospheric, horror-movie-like soundtrack than what had previously been heard on the Famicom. Read here (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f63/official-video-game-music-rumble-66118/21.html#post1439700) for an old post where I invent a word trying to describe this song. Besides Metroid, you�ve got the jazz-tinged Dr. Mario and Super Mario Land, the stop-start wackiness of Earthbound, the heroic themes of Kid Icarus, the shudder-inducing jingle for video game�s most famous taunt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoacaodENm8), and the original compositions in the GameBoy version of Tetris.

Tenpei Sato sometimes seems like the lovechild of Michiru Yamane and Noriyuki Iwadare. Combining great, dramatic, melodic string writing and offbeat instrumentation and arrangements, his work almost seems danceable because of how kinetic it is. Then it launches off in another direction, showcasing a sense of humor that we don�t always get in the world of video game music. No surprise that he loves Kate Bush (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4csr6pLZLg), for those who know her work. His claim to fame is, of course, the Disgaea series, but a quick look at his bio or discography will reveal just how many decades he worked before getting that recognition. That may be unfair, but he sure hasn�t lost a sense of gratefulness, as a 2010 interview (http://www.gamespot.com/news/sound-byte-meet-the-composers-akira-yamaoka-and-tenpei-sato-6280370) showed. Even more remarkeable is the diversity of compositional styles showcased in our other selections, particularly Phantom Brave and Rhapsody.

Hiroki Kikuta is the wunderkind who blew up on Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3, then made some unwise (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f63/official-video-game-music-rumble-66118/49.html#post1703178) career choices that took him into the world of Chinese MMORPGs and nearly out of video games entirely. Nevertheless, his work has stood the test of time and it is good to read that, unlike so many others (Tim Follin, Miki Higashino, and on and on), he�s still in the game, most recently sharing composition duties on Soul Calibur V. Conversations about his music often focus on the pretty melodies in the Mana games (fair enough), but check out the melodic percussion throughout Seiken Densetsu 3 or the unusual arrangements in Koudelka and Soukaigi. He always has something interesting going on.

When I think of Masami Ueda, I think of someone who, like Hip Tanaka, is very attentive to atmosphere and melody. His Resident Evil soundtracks are classics of video game music despite doing, at times, very little. In addition, his hyperpowered DMC work helped brand that franchise as much as Dante himself or the combat system. What I don�t immediately think of are the gorgeous, lethargic, glittering area themes of Okami. Just as one example, when Agata Forest stops and that French horn drifts by at 1:17, with the strings churning underneath, a moment and place is summoned with a level of intensity and immediacy that rivals any other song from any other video game I�ve heard. My background is fiction, so I apologize to those who aren�t familiar with Ernest Hemingway. But it�s the same magic he had. Take one detail, juxtapose it with another, and suddenly a 3D image is created. Hemingway could tell you what kind of shirt a guy is wearing and what he thinks about marriage and you�d know the color of the guy�s shoes. Likewise, Ueda has that rare talent to not only create suspense, to surprise, to re-train the listener's ears, but also to edit his works for maximum potency.

My votes are for Hip Tanaka and Hiroki Kikuta (brutal choice).

Side-note: Our thread now has over 100,000 views (!).

Tenpei Sato

Masami Ueda - Resident Evil 2 OST - The Ultimate Bio Weapon Medley - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVHUBfDQfYo)

I don't even need to listen to the samples for these ones (though I will in a bit.) Hirokazu Tanaka and Hiroki Kikuta are two of the best in the business.

I did check out that Tanaka mix briefly, and it's missing a few noteworthy pieces, one completely obvious and one entirely obscure:

Hirokazu Tanaka 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmCCQxVBfyM)
Hirokazu Tanaka 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGTy_Fu4eVw)

Also, I've had a great deal of difficulty sorting out composer credits for Mother 2, in large part due to the complete ost having never been released, but full credits for the original Mother aren't so hard to come by. If we ignore Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka's jointly credited tracks, we're still left with a few of the series' best:

Hirokazu Tanaka - Twinkle Elementary School (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdXCyCGG8bM)
Hirokazu Tanaka - Humoresque of a Little Dog (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jE4JyQXn4A)

I think I remember reading the following on Cracked: "There are two kinds of people: People who like Kate Bush and people who are wrong". Needless to say, the writer was a fan and so am I ^_^

As for the battles, these two are probably among the most difficult yet, and I had a lot of trouble deciding, but I think I'll go for Hirokazu Tanaka and Hiroki Kikuta.

Edit: God damn it, I'm contemplating this so much. Every single one of these guys should go at least round 2, life can be so unfair sometimes.

Tenpei Sato

Masami Ueda

Thanks to everyone for the extra links!


Also, I've had a great deal of difficulty sorting out composer credits for Mother 2, in large part due to the complete ost having never been released

Same here. The best two sources I've found are these (http://vgmdb.net/album/800) two (http://vgmdb.net/album/798) and they only detail credits for a few of the tracks.

Hip Tanaka and Hiroki Kikuta for me.

While all four composers write great music, Hip Tanaka and Hiroki Kikuta's music stand out because of how specifically tuned the melody, harmony, and timbre of the music are to the specific hardware of the system. What Hip Tanaka did with "Metroid" and "Mother" and Hiroki Kikuta did with "Secret of Mana" is not only great music but push the limits of the power of their respective systems and their sound hardware.

Hip Tanaka

Masami Ueda

Welcome to Tascar. :D

This will be the last call for votes. I'll update later today.

In the meantime, check out my updates to the Looking for VGM Recommendations (Thread 69378) sticky.

Hirozaku Tanaka (5-2) got off easy compared to Hiroki Kikuta (4-3), but however the fights go, the result is the same. They'll be moving into Round 2. Next up, our penultimate fights for this round...


Round 1, Fight 29 // The Composers Rumble


Noriyuki Iwadare
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGiNEaNxOxo&list=PL9048713226AFB2EC&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noriyuki_Iwadare), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/104), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=noriyuki+iwadare+interview&oq=noriykinterview&aq=0blK&aqi=g-blK2&aql=&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i8i13i30l2.0.0.63.97.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0. .0.0...0.0.6TxZNJsW6kw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://fr.twitter.com/iwadaren)

vs.


Matt Uelmen
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8jJJXgNLo4&list=PLDF00647A83CC4E15&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Uelmen), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1374), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=matt+uelmen+interview&oq=matt+uelmen+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.10176.11877.64.12035.12.12.0.0.0.1.12 4.1185.6j6.12.0...0.0.Tydmm7839_w&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Uelmen/113651341978913?sk=info)


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Round 1, Fight 30 // The Composers Rumble


Akira Yamaoka
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgr-ZSZSSwA&list=PLBFD0324B1C6F9855&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Yamaoka), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/749), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=akira+yamaoka+interview&oq=akira+yamaoka+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K3&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30l3.13859.15312.65.15711.13.11.0.0 .0.5.444.1760.4j6j4-1.11.0...0.0.eqomTOxa6rQ&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/akirayamaoka)

vs.


Kenji Ito
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gQrTrK5c78&list=PL3FB416A570F02CBA&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Ito), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/138), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=kenji+ito+interview&oq=kenji+ito+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.10572.11583.66.11759.9.9.0.0.0.1.1 41.975.4j5.9.0...0.0.sbbpUYpV3vw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (https://twitter.com/itoken0705)



Fans of Lunar and Grandia know the first composer from today's fights. Noriyuki Iwadare has supplied his brand of uptempo jazzy pop to two successful RPG franchises, and with a level of earnestness and charm that's hard to resist. Although some of his music reminds me of the Love Boat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmUlKPthrag) theme, and although I'm normally not a fan of this kind of buttoned-up swing, I find his compositions, at worst, hokey but endearing. At his best, as displayed throughout the Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete soundtrack, he writes thrilling location themes and battle music.

Matt Uelmen is a god to Diablo fans. Though he doesn't have nearly the amount of credits to his name as many other composers, his signature piece, Tristram, demonstrates why his work has caught people's attention. The delayed, layered acoustic guitars, harmonics, horns, and flute all work together to create a simultaneously folksy and menacing sound, especially once the bowed bass comes in. I've been a fan every since I heard this piece while watching a speedrun, and though I�ve never played the Diablo games, I'm also thoroughly impressed by Harrogath from the Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction soundtrack and some of his lusher, more romantic themes, which (un-coincidentally) show the influence of Russell Brower.

Akira Yamaoka is one of my favorite vgm composers. Although the music recommendations focus on his melodic work, the Silent Hill series is a model of how to write effective dissonant music to serve a narrative. It's just a cherry on top that his melodic music is equally chilling and invigorating. Killing Time, Ordinary Vanity, Breeze in Monochrome Night (and half of the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack along with it), and Tender Sugar are all among my favorite pieces of vgm--many of them so powerful that I remember when and where I first heard them.

Kenji Ito was part of the wave of Square composers who produced career-defining work in the 90s, then left the company in the early 2000s. He is also part of the Tobal No. 1 (http://vgmdb.net/album/20) club of composers that makes seven degrees of video game composers a lot easier to play. Though Ito made a name for himself with Final Fantasy Legend II, he got a chance to show off his real chops when chosen for the Romancing SaGa series on the Super Famicom (a series with very cool graphics for that era, as well). With that opportunity, he established himself as a premier composer for battle themes. Just as one example, listen to the jittery bass and keyboards go back and forth on our SaGa Frontier selection.

My votes are for Matt Uelmen and Akira Yamaoka.

I think that Matt Uelmen and Frank Klepacki are the two most important composers of the PC scene in the late 90s. There isn't a single person actively playing video games at the time that doesn't instantly recognize Tristram or Hell March. In the first fight, my vote wholeheartedly goes to Matt Uelmen, despite his relative inactivity in recent, unlike his opponent who's is still quite busy up to this day.

For the other battle, I have to go with Akira Yamaoka, despite him having broken my heart with the Shadows Of The Damned soundtrack. On the other hand, Theme Of Laura (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBYsdw4Vwx8). He's probably the most unique vgm composer of all time and there aren't many other musicians who share his style even outside of vgm. I'm hoping he can return triumphantly with whatever his next project is.

Matt Uelmen

Kenji Ito

Matt Uelmen

Akira Yamaoka

Matt Uelmen - Almost a decade of last.fm scrobbles now and Tristram is still my most played song.

Akira Yamaoka

blast. missed the Sato fight although it wouldn't have mattered.

anyway, Kenji Ito.

Matt Uelmen

Akira Yamaoka

Apparently, the Shrine got hit with another attack. Sarah says it's been fixed, though, so we are moving on with Matt Uelmen (6-0) and Akira Yamaoka (5-2) winning the previous fights. Now for the final fights of Round 1!


Round 1, Fight 31 // The Composers Rumble


Inon Zur
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5APshEyS68&list=PLB53ADEA78036B1FC&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inon_Zur), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1411), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=inon+zur+interview&oq=inon+zur+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K2&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30l2.12670.13521.67.13658.8.8.0.0.0 .4.295.1006.0j5j1.6.0...0.0.j68jcn2CJ6o&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/InonZur)

vs.


David Bergeaud
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D60HTdBckxM&list=PL12BD14A1C75A6DA5&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bergeaud), Discography (http://www.musipolis.com/NEWSITE08/DavidCredits08.html), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=david+bergeaud+interview&oq=david+bergeaud+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.11113.13799.68.14017.17.16.1.0.0.6 .194.1862.4j12.16.0...0.0.wjB4NfIHrDo&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/dbergeaud)


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Round 1, Fight 32 // The Composers Rumble


Hirokazu Ando
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oERm213GIuI&list=PLCFAD743E3258AE8C&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://www.giantbomb.com/hirokazu-ando/72-59136/), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/475), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hirokazu+ando+interview&oq=hirokazu+ando+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...11419.14207.69.14429.16.15.1.0.0.6.206 .1784.3j11j1.15.0...0.0.nyr8CznRAkw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/HirokazuAndoFanpage)

vs.


Martin Galway
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFYzjU-C3mA&list=PL0B2C28AFD26B418F&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Galway), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1298), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=martin+galway+interview&oq=martin+galway+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.13809.15201.70.15387.13.13.0.0.0.5.23 6.1811.2j10j1.13.0...0.0.0ikAzhkz8xM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/hazard0us/)



Besides having one of the coolest names among all video game composers, Inon Zur is a rare breed for (a) being reknowned despite working on video games solely after the turn of the 21st century and (b) starting in film music and then turning to vgm. His name is attached to so many major franchises, it�s difficult to know where to start: Fallout, Baldur�s Gate, Icewind Dale, SOCOM, Warhammer, Prince of Persia, Twisted Metal, EverQuest, Crysis, Dragon Age, Soul Calibur. I mean, wow. Perhaps one knock on him is that he's constantly on the move, a journeyman who�s been associated with big name acts but who hasn't established a signature style for one series. But Dragon Age may soon change that perception. His body of work, for those willing to give him more than a cursory glance, speaks for itself. You can definitely hear the filmic qualities in his compositions and his comfort level with an orchestra.

There aren�t a lot of French composers in video game music, and David Bergeaud has only been in the mainstream for about a decade. But you probably know his work from the Ratchet and Clank series. To match the frenetic action on-screen, he created frenetic electronic music with strong, short, repeating melodies over big bass lines. �Mechanical� doesn�t quite cover it, because there is so much energy and speed in his work that it remains based in emotion and tension, with real stakes and real danger conveyed.

Hirokazu Ando has still got it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ejhcrkDlxQ). He�s not the biggest public figure. But the world knows Kirby and his music, the defining work of Ando�s career. And gamers certainly know the first two Smash Bros. openings. Were his original compositions a featured part of those games? Without a doubt, no. But his ability to communicate an atmosphere of fun and excitement out of a five-second melody is admirable, his pieces worked well to bookend the games he worked on, he did not disappoint on an extremely high-profile project, and his arrangements remained true to the originals while offering enough to work as, essentially, battle themes. Check out Arcana, too, for something outside of his comfort zone. It�s almost universally the case that becoming the principle composer of a franchise is a better situation for a composer than picking up project after project from one company or another, but it can become stylistically restrictive, too. Listen to how he breaks out with this one.

One of the geniuses of the early years, Martin Galway is historically important to video game composition. But that�s about as sexy as saying that you should read Puritan literature because it helped form American identity. Martin Galway is on this list because his work still stands strong. To say he worked on Comic Bakery, Green Beret, the Ocean Loader games, Yie Ar Kung Fu, the Neverending Story, Wizball, and Rastan is akin to listing Inon Zur�s modern-day achievements. More recently, he composed for Wing Commander (http://www.youtube.com/user/DaveCaspermeyer/videos?view=1) and Starlancer and today is the audio director at Certain Affinity, who have done work for the Halo franchise. Is it any surprise he has such musical talent? Not if you know who his uncle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLXTmgURSTs) is.

My votes are for Inon Zur and Martin Galway.

David Bergeaud

Hirokazu Ando

What do you know? I voted against Arthur on both counts.

Frankly I think Galway's music lags way behind Hubbard, Follin, Tel, and the rest of the C64 crew. And while I realize he probably didn't even know what game he was composing for when he did Yie Ar Kung Fu, it's terribly disappointing considering how interesting a SID approach to Higashino's music (www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OOm4CyFutQ) could have been.

Inon Zur

Hirokazu Ando

Inon Zur

Hirokazu Ando

Oh dang, I really like what Bergeaud did with Ratchet but Inon has got some real gems. Inon Zur it is for me.

Never heard of Galway before but I dig the Comic Bakery music. I'ma have to go with Hirokazu Ando though.

I know Ryuji Sasai is long gone from this competition, but every time I plug in headphones and revisit the Final Fantasy Legend III soundtrack I can't help but think this score was one of the greatest strokes of genius in video game music history (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zICpWwRU6I). No system has ever had quite such an aesthetically pleasing sound as the Game Boy, and no one has ever exploited that better than Sasai, despite having only one go at it.

Inon Zur

Martin Galway

I'll let this run a little longer since the "attack site" message lingered for a few days, possibly scaring people off.

The last two through the gates are Inon Zur (5-1) and Hirokazu Ando (4-2), and just like that Zur is back on the chopping block�


Round 2, Fight 1 // The Composers Rumble


Russell Brower
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXoFxYutRm4&list=PL10FB3AB03D072F09&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Brower), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/4930), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=russell+brower+interview&oq=russell+brower+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.18723.20395.23.20523.14.14.0.0.0.6 .202.1741.5j8j1.14.0...0.0.G3J-R2d6gb8&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/Hordeland)

vs.


Tommy Tallarico
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OtrgZ2r2GA&list=PL1AAF8FE86E18F001&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Tallarico), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/502), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=tommy+tallarico+interview&oq=tommy+tallarico+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.15960.18500.48.18711.15.15.0.0.0.3 .188.1721.4j11.15.0...0.0.m-vFIg76sQs&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/tommytallarico)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 2, Fight 2 // The Composers Rumble


Inon Zur
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5APshEyS68&list=PLB53ADEA78036B1FC&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inon_Zur), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1411), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=inon+zur+interview&oq=inon+zur+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K2&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30l2.12670.13521.67.13658.8.8.0.0.0 .4.295.1006.0j5j1.6.0...0.0.j68jcn2CJ6o&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/InonZur)

vs.


Koji Kondo
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGX4obVl64w&list=PL73FF0E9B512BD0A9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koji_Kondo), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/190), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=koji%20interview&pq=motoaki%20takenouchi%20interview&cp=7&gs_id=24u&xhr=t&q=koji+kondo+interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=koji+ko+interview&aq=0c&aqi=g-c1g-b1&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Koji-Kondo/112302688785506?rf=112031528809841)



First up, we have Russell Brower, one of Blizzard�s in-house composers alongside Glenn Stafford. Between the two, Brower is closer to a romantic film composer, using orchestral arrangements to create structured narrative pieces and mystical location themes, as opposed to Stafford�s looping atmospheres for player-controlled parts of the game. As with these selections, Brower's work is often lush and romantic (Thread 67222).

Tommy Tallarico has a way of getting inside people's heads. My sister knows absolutely nothing about video game music. But I convinced her to come to Video Games Live, and she will never forget him (). He is self-indulgent, he is strident, he is small. But he is a big stage presence, and he is hilarious. He has talent. He has big ideas that make people question if he has a strong enough body of work to back up the outspokenness. He has done a lot of good for video game music. His silliness is, at least in part, a consciously constructed artifice. He makes people laugh. He makes people talk. And by expanding on what Koichi Sugiyama started by hosting worldwide orchestral concerts of video game music, he converts people, almost every day, to our shared belief that video game music can be just as powerful and enduring as any work from any other genre.

Besides having one of the coolest names among all video game composers, Inon Zur is a rare breed for (a) being reknowned despite working on video games solely after the turn of the 21st century and (b) starting in film music and then turning to vgm. His name is attached to so many major franchises, it�s difficult to know where to start: Fallout, Baldur�s Gate, Icewind Dale, SOCOM, Warhammer, Prince of Persia, Twisted Metal, EverQuest, Crysis, Dragon Age, Soul Calibur. I mean, wow. Perhaps one knock on him is that he's constantly on the move, a journeyman who�s been associated with big name acts but who hasn't established a signature style for one series. But Dragon Age may soon change that perception. His body of work, for those willing to give him more than a cursory glance, speaks for itself. You can definitely hear the filmic qualities in his compositions and his comfort level with an orchestra.

Koji Kondo is quite possibly the most important composer of our generation. Not only did he give the world the Mario and Zelda scores, but he turned video game music into a commodity. For almost 10 years, the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme has been one of the most downloaded ringtones in the world. Kondo's music has been covered, remixed, arranged, and orchestrated thousands of times. On top of that, he is an master of what Sergei Eisenstein calls the synchronization of senses, using sound design to create vital, profound associations with the on-screen action (for example, a jump in SMB gives you an complimentary boing, in effect rewarding you for moving the character). On top of all that, he has grown as a composer right in front of us, expanding his celebrity as he built on two life-defining soundtracks with the equally compelling work of their immediate sequels, with his experiments in arrangement in Super Mario World and later Ocarina of Time, with his expanding field of reference in SMW 2 and Majora�s Mask, with the triumphant, mature, orchestral dynamism of Wind Waker and Super Mario Galaxy, and so on. The level of cultural saturation is such that people who have never played a video game can hum along with his music. On top of all that, he has helped train members of his own generation of composers and even the generation after him. He is so important that if you were to say, �I have never heard a Koji Kondo piece I liked,� not only would you (probably) be lying, but you�d still have to acknowledge the significance of his celebrity, marketability, and influence. We are here to judge the quality of the music separate from these considerations, but they are nonetheless important reminders of how we got to be a global community of video game music lovers. I'd wager Kondo played a role, directly or indirectly, with all of us.

My votes are for Russell Brower and Koji Kondo.

Koji Kondo

Iron Zur

Tommy Tallarico

It's a really tough call, and it may in the end boil down to the simple fact that I've heard a lot more of his works, but I'm going with Russell Brower here.

And Koji Kondo of course.

Tommy Tallarico

Koji Kondo

Tommy Tallarico

Koji Kondo

We've got Koji Kondo (5-1) and Tommy Tallarico (3-2) leading the way forward. Next up...


Round 2, Fight 3 // The Composers Rumble


Jack Wall
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFw0gbQk23M&list=PLDEAE2A6F5EBF4191&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wall_%28composer%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/993), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=jack+wall+interview&oq=jack+wall+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K1g-bK1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30j0i8i30.12138.13454.42.13656.10.9 .0.0.0.5.414.1608.2j5j0j1j1.9.0...0.0.sxCdTls71pw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/jackwallmusic)

vs.


Miki Higashino
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFT-wcyT-TU&list=PL5AB8D3D96564FEFA&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miki_Higashino), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/191), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=miki+higashino+interview&oq=miki+higashino+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i8.26425.28514.56.28753.14.10.0.0.0.3. 619.1462.0j2j1j1j0j1.5.0...0.0.wGdkyYv-SyQ&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miki-Higashino/107916719231624?v=photos)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 2, Fight 4 // The Composers Rumble


Koichi Sugiyama
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntmk5aHaPQ4&list=PLE98C67AECBC289B4&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koichi_Sugiyama), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/114), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=koichi+sugiyama+interview&oq=koichi+sugiyama+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.14500.17426.29.17527.17.16.1.0.0.7 .202.1999.6j9j1.16.0...0.0.B68gHd7awvI&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Koichi-Sugiyama/113041356410)

vs.


Hirokazu Ando
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oERm213GIuI&list=PLCFAD743E3258AE8C&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://www.giantbomb.com/hirokazu-ando/72-59136/), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/475), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hirokazu+ando+interview&oq=hirokazu+ando+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...11419.14207.69.14429.16.15.1.0.0.6.206 .1784.3j11j1.15.0...0.0.nyr8CznRAkw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/HirokazuAndoFanpage)



Jack Wall has become better known in the last few years as the conductor of Video Games Live and the composer behind Mass Effect, but before he was the understated guy standing next to Tommy Tallarico (a role most people would play in that situation), he was an award-winning industry leader breathing new life into the Myst franchise. Myst III's soundtrack garnered him a nomination for best original soundtrack from the AIAS, but Myst IV's soundtrack won him three Game Audio Network Guild awards, including Music of the Year, and three other nominations. Since then, Rise of the Kasai, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2 have all been frequently nominated for awards, with Jade Empire and Mass Effect winning best soundtrack trophies.

Many of you all already know how much I love Miki Higashino. Suikoden and Suikoden II are two of my favorite games of all time, and the specific moment when I began loving that series, which I still remember in detail, was when I entered Seika for the first time and heard Eternal Flow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNeOCMKU2V8) and I put my controller down and thought, �God damn, the music in this game is incredible.� Her entire career has been like that. Gradius, Yie Ar Kung Fu, LifeForce, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade), Contra III, Vandal Hearts, 10,000 Bullets (aka Moolit Shadow, aka Tsukiyo ni Saraba, a jazzy collaboration with Yasunori Mitsuda). That�s a pretty solid resume. In recent years, she has settled down with her family, but we can only hope the right project will come along to entice her out of retirement.

The �Big Boss of Video Game Music� didn�t start in video games. Surprisingly, he was the director of a major broadcasting corporation, but felt in his heart he should be writing music instead. I�ll bet that was a dip in his annual income. Like Soule, he also got his start by writing a letter to a video game company (Enix in his case). From then on out, his destiny would be hitched to Dragon Quest. Incredibly, it was all the way back in 1987 that he staged his first orchestral concert of video game music, a year after releasing a CD of orchestral arrangements of Dragon Quest. Though it would take years for global popular culture to more noticeably appreciate video game music with any seriousness, Sugiyama played perhaps the most important role making people realize that the music could stand on its own.

Hirokazu Ando has still got it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ejhcrkDlxQ). He�s not the biggest public figure. But the world knows Kirby and his music, the defining work of Ando�s career. And gamers certainly know the first two Smash Bros. openings. Were his original compositions a featured part of those games? Without a doubt, no. But his ability to communicate an atmosphere of fun and excitement out of a five-second melody is admirable, his pieces worked well to bookend the games he worked on, he did not disappoint on an extremely high-profile project, and his arrangements remained true to the originals while offering enough to work as, essentially, battle themes. Check out Arcana, too, for something outside of his comfort zone. It�s almost universally the case that becoming the principle composer of a franchise is a better situation for a composer than picking up project after project from one company or another, but it can become stylistically restrictive, too. Listen to how he breaks out with this one.

My votes are for Miki Higashino and Koichi Sugiyama.

Jack Wall

Hirokazu Ando

Miki Higashino and Koichi Sugiyama.

Miki Higashino

Koichi Sugiyama

Jack Wall

Koichi Sugiyama

Extra links for those who have already voted:

- Ever seen the disastrous Super Mario Bros. Special (http://www.metafilter.com/118923/Special-Mario-Bros) for the PC-88?
- Classic video game ads (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65846913@N02/sets/72157627449293880/with/6049921007/)
- Video game photoshops (http://thechive.com/2012/08/15/game-on-35-photos/)

Miki Higashino and Koichi Sugiyama.

Miki Higashino

Koichi Sugiyama

Pretty convincing wins for Miki Higashino (6-2) and Koichi Sugyiama (7-1). Next up...


Round 2, Fight 5 // The Composers Rumble


Michiko Naruke
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=empT3vtj90o&list=PL24ACDFCF6BCCBDEE&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiko_Naruke), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/391), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=michiko+naruke+interview&oq=michiko+naruke+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.16381.18568.35.18690.16.15.1.0.0.7 .311.1991.2j12j0j1.15.0...0.0.DdBs_sxR-Mg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (https://twitter.com/narupon)

vs.


David Wise
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ9xwkMr3e4&list=PL644E405D793234FF&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wise_%28composer%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/507), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=david+wise+interview&oq=david+wise+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K1g-bK2&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30j0i8i30l2.12437.13451.39.13567.10 .10.0.0.0.2.121.967.5j5.10.0...0.0.N2S-P85SXpk&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/david_wise)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 2, Fight 6 // The Composers Rumble


Hitoshi Sakimoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfJj04uDFY&list=PL50C0C2CA15EFF930&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Sakimoto), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/112), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hitoshi+sakimoto+interview&oq=hitoshi+sakimoto+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.10355.12817.41.13034.20.17.1.0.0.10.3 16.2287.1j13j0j1.15.0...0.0.i3pJ8ko78QM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/HitoshiSakimoto?sk=wall)

vs.


Noriko Matsueda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPPugQHTQ5Q&list=PL49FEC66FBBD3AAEC&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noriko_Matsueda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/225), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=noriko+matsueda+interview&oq=noriko+matsueda+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...202920.205553.1.205645.15.15.0.0.0.7.1 89.1707.2j12.14.0...0.0._0v_XGSEdsE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=5a9e2f4e506b37d1&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Noriko-Matsueda/105605539473271)



Long before Wild Arms, Michiko Naruke was tearing it up with Valis 3 and Psycho Dream. But, of course, Wild Arms is her masterpiece, introducing Wild West themes and gestures into the world of video game music. She wasn't the first, nor the last, but she is the best, and any time a soundtrack contains acoustic guitar and whistling it seems to be a nod at Michiko. Interestingly, Naruke is a huge fan of Jerry Goldsmith and Johann Sebastian Bach and owns an original score by Bach.

Here are the notable soundtracks David Wise has worked on or wholly created: Wizards and Warriors I-III, R.C. Pro-Am, Marble Madness, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Solar Jetman, Battletoads, Donkey Kong Country 1-3, Diddy Kong Racing, Star Fox Adventures, It�s Mr. Pants, and Viva Pinata. As a composer for Rare from 1985-2009, he has written some of the most enduring themes in video game music history, including Aquatic Ambience. Many of his works are classics of their respective consoles. And he�s still going. Not bad. Arguably, he is the most important and influential western composer in all of video game music.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has forcefully staked his claim as a major composer. Perhaps no Final Fantasy soundtrack is as much a lightning rod for debate as Final Fantasy XII. Perhaps no soundtrack has been lauded more than Vagrant Story in our rumbles. Perhaps no composer, other than Sugiyama, is as adept at using an orchestra not just to add oomph to a melody, but to actually variegate it enough while adding texture and tone color in interesting ways to take the compositions to a level of extraordinary achievement.

Square�s longtime backup composer, Matsueda worked in small roles or on small IPs until Front Mission 2 and Final Fantasy X-2 gave her a chance to shine. Maybe less notable, but still interesting, is her contribution to Chrono Trigger: a badass battle track on our list of recommendations. You�ll find her work is jazzy and a little funky, typically using organ and wah guitars.

My votes are for David Wise and Hitoshi Sakimoto.

Michiko Naruke

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Michiko Naruke

Hitoshi Sakimoto

David Wise

Hitoshi Sakimoto

David Wise

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Too bad for Matsueda, I actually like her music a lot.

David Wise

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Michiko Naruke

Noriko Matsueda

So David Wise (4-3) sneaks into the third round and Hitoshi Sakimoto (6-1) does his thing. Next up...


Round 2, Fight 7 // The Composers Rumble


Hayato Matsuo
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFSF6RhFJak&list=PL0C970CC451E341B4&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayato_Matsuo), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/296), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hayato+matsuo+interview&oq=hayato+matsuo+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...14395.16109.21.16312.14.14.0.0.0.5.144 .1584.1j13.14.0...0.0.QAAA4-JhzjA&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hayato-Matsuo/104041916299035)

vs.


Yoko Shimomura
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLJLyneZGKc&list=PLE64B2BAA70FFFF58&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Shimomura), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/139), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=yoko+shimomura+interview&oq=yoko+shimo+interview&aq=0c&aqi=g-c1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i7.26502.28115.5.29235.10.10.0.0.0.3. 189.1210.2j8.10.0...0.0.6Q_BKIsO9Dw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/midiplex)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 2, Fight 8 // The Composers Rumble


Junichi Masuda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vHS-Uwtp8&list=PLE351AB3DFB125495&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junichi_Masuda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/691), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=junichi+masuda+interview&oq=junichi+masuda+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-l1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i13.12031.14124.28.14210.16.16.0.0.0.3 .193.1680.3j11.14.0...0.0.6VXmzibbnTU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/junichi_masuda)

vs.


Jeremy Soule
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQszBHMHHc&list=PL97E1FFCF0C95B473&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Soule), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/431), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=jeremy+soule+interview&oq=jeremy+soule+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-c1g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i7j0.5377.6423.15.6515.12.11.0.0.0.7.1 84.1382.3j7.10.0...0.0.u-hkgf_FqJ4&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeremy-Soule/113212795356312)



Matsuo is in the mold of other contributing composers like Noriko Matsueda, Hajime Wakai, and Junya Nakano, who didn�t often get the spotlight. Nevertheless, their work shines through. Final Fantasy XII may his most famous credit, but I love the tracks from Master of Monsters (so much atmosphere from a Genesis track!), Ogre Battle, and Front Mission 3 as well.

Yoko Shimomura is, of course, important for several reasons. As a video game composer, she ranks among the best to have ever lived. Her work spans three decades and many genres, is instantly recognizable around the world, and is consistently of a high quality. On top of that, she is a female composer who has asserted herself in a male-dominated profession, opening doors for many other female composers. On top of that, she has trained, encouraged, and influenced an entire generation of composers. It's difficult to limit her career into five representative songs because there's just so much of it that should be heard. Besides Street Fighter II, Super Mario RPG, Parasite Eve, Legend of Mana, and Kingdom Hearts, you could just as easily check out Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (no kidding), Buster Brothers, The King of Dragons, Breath of Fire, Live A Live, Front Mission, Xenoblade, and the rest of the Kingdom Hearts series. I like the five songs we've got just because you can go from one to the next and say, "Wait. The person who created Guile's Theme also created Beware the Forest Mushrooms? And Primal Eyes? And Nostalgic Song? And Dearly Beloved?" They're all so different and distinctive.

Junichi Masuda�s work is often diminished to one series (Pokemon in his case). Understandably so. The franchise is one of the most lucrative in the world, which is to say that�s a lot of pressure he withstood to create memorable music, and the rewards of that effort are the nostalgia and fervor of a loving fanbase. Yet any retrospective on his career must include Pulseman, too, which is a Genesis classic.

Jeremy Soule's career, as I've written about a few times before, is one of my favorite stories in the business. He was a teenager from Keokuk, Iowa�a weird kid who began writing music around the age of five and annoyed his teachers by turning in musical notation instead of his math homework. By the sixth grade, he was taking private lessons from Western Illinois University faculty members, eventually earning the equivalent of a Master�s degree before he graduated high school. He wasn't as devoted to classical music as he was video games, though, a culture he believed would earn legitimacy from better music composition. So he did something that took massive balls�he made a cassette tape of his music and sent it to Square and LucasArts with a letter explaining that this is what he thought video game music should aspire to. Despite being the unlikeliest of scenarios, Square listened to the tape and made Soule an employee within two weeks of mailing the letter, immediately assigning him to score Evermore, their Q4 follow-up to Front Mission, Chrono Trigger, and Seiken Densetsu 3. It was an insanely high-profile project for a teenager who�d never worked on a video game before, and he nailed it, which is perhaps a useful reminder in the power of boldness (http://chrisyeh.blogspot.com/2006/06/quote-of-day-boldness-has-genius.html), especially in artistic endeavors.

My votes are for Yoko Shimomura and Jeremy Soule.

Yoko Shimomura

Jeremy Soule

Yoko Shimomura

Jeremy Soule

Yoko Shimomura

Jeremy Soule

Yoko Shimomura

Jeremy Soule

We are one voter away from our first blow-out in a long, long time.

Whether that happens or not, here's a little rumble nostalgia for you historians and old-timers: SupraDarky's VGM of the Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGc9rG5qKo) for today was also the winner of our Aquatic Themes Rumble almost three years ago.

Yoko Shimomura

Jeremy Soule

Yoko Shimomura

Jeremy Soule

Overkill

Welp, that was easy. Yoko Shimomura (7-0) and Jeremy Soule (7-0) both sweep the competition. Next up�


Round 2, Fight 9 // The Composers Rumble


Shoji Meguro
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4loSMvSUy5Q&list=PL88D9B7B19A64C4BC&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dji_Meguro), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/983), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=shoji+meguro+interview&oq=shoji+meguro+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.23203.24810.7.24970.13.13.0.0.0.2.191 .1396.6j7.13.0...0.0.rW4puC2j6ak&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sh%C5%8Dji-Meguro/108048675884968?rf=108613029170737)

vs.


Yasunori Mitsuda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjvqzDaK0c&list=PLB3BEC3D253EA8DF3&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunori_Mitsuda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/146), Interview (https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=yasunori+mitsuda+interview&oq=yasunori+mitsuda+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-bK1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i8i30.1589.6016.0.6157.31.22.2.5.5.0 .262.2435.8j11j2.21.0...0.0.QST4UeHgA8s&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=35cee4a8be45ec82&biw=1280&bih=855), Social (http://www.facebook.com/yasunori.mitsuda)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 2, Fight 10 // The Composers Rumble


Yasuaki "Bun Bun" Fujita
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2yEBE2ueuQ&list=PLD0AE462FF9DB307C&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bun_Bun), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/189), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=yasuaki+fujita+interview&oq=yasuaki+fujita+interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...15603.18435.8.18545.16.15.1.0.0.6.222. 1922.5j9j1.15.0...0.0.686qe__clM0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bun-Bun/104106776291185?rf=112047245480664)

vs.


Kenji Yamamoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmG-Af0LK88&list=PLC972CBED72A4B8E7&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Yamamoto_%28composer_born_1964%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/693), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=kenji+yamamoto+interview&oq=kenji+yamamoto+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.17891.20172.11.20327.16.16.0.0.0.5.19 5.1854.4j12.16.0...0.0.M0kVp00mZ1E&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenji-Yamamoto/139153592824834?rf=209811782370232)



Shoji Meguro is, of course, the man behind the music for the Shin Megami Tensei series. Although he has worked on other high-profile projects, any conversation about him has to start and end with SMT. I�ve seen him called a rock composer, and while there is a lot of rock music on his soundtracks, I think that label sells him short in a terrible way. Start out with our five selections to see what I mean.

Mitsuda is one of the all-time greats and linked above are some of his all-time classic compositions. You've got the flute and violin motif from Time's Scar, the entrancing gamelan in Time's Circuits, and the beautiful arrangement of June Mermaid�all of which are representative of the quality on the rest of those soundtracks. Mitsuda is so good, he Rick Roll'd us with Robo�s Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ8xce9HtD8) and we didn�t even care.

Bun Bun is another god of the NES era, like Kodaka�with a legacy tied to Capcom platformers. You may be aware of the awesomeness that is Mega Man 3�s title theme. He also worked on several show and movie tie-ins with Disney, which Capcom always seemed to hit out of the park, despite the poor work of LJN and others on similar titles. Bun Bun�s gifts lie mainly in creating memorable melodies.

Kenji Yamamoto had the unenviable job of carrying on Hip Tanaka's Metroid legacy once the series graduated to the Super Nintendo. If he wasn't already a legend by that point for his NES work, he was after Super Metroid came out. And if some people forgot about him by the time the GameCube was released, he again proved his worth. He's not a flashy composer with a big public persona, nor is his music demanding on your attention. But he is brilliant in creating atmospheres and environments that deepen the games he works on. In that regard, he is just like another one of the game's storytellers.

My votes are for Yasunori Mitsuda and Kenji Yamamoto.

Yasunori Mitsuda and Kenji Yamamoto.

Yasunori Mitsuda

Kenji Yamamoto

Yasunori Mitsuda

Kenji Yamamoto

Yasunori Mitsuda

Kenji Yamamoto

Yasunori Mitsuda

Yasuaki Fujita

Jeez, poor Bun Bun. Voting down the guy who (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91qHSO084FI) brought (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkr7jJpbzLg) us (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrtwxZ5H6iE) Mega Man 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egE5j-1eiZE) and Breath of Fire? I hope people didn't just jump on the shutout bandwagon here.

Close to another blow-out. Yasunori Mitsuda (6-0) and Kenji Yamamoto (5-1) this time. Next up...


Round 2, Fight 11 // The Composers Rumble


Stephen Rippy
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mql9PBUzKA&list=PL7B496ACD1B1E7852&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Rippy), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1408), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=stephen+rippy+interview&oq=stephen+rippy+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.15075.16786.32.16945.14.14.0.0.0.2 .167.1543.4j10.14.0...0.0.0rXUGf-RJpo&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (http://www.facebook.com/stephenrippymusic)

vs.


Motoaki Takenouchi
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaOlDwRyjjI&list=PL2625B825E1FCEE9D&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoaki_Takenouchi), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/630), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=grant%20kir%20interview&pq=grant%20kirkhope%20interview&cp=19&gs_id=23u&xhr=t&q=Motoaki%20Takenouchi%20%20interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=Motoaki+Takenouchi++interview&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Motoaki-Takenouchi/103132699727741?sk=info)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Round 2, Fight 12 // The Composers Rumble


Motoi Sakuraba
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0kamtR5UI&list=PLEFABC6AFBA3E3A2A&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoi_Sakuraba), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/166), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=motoi+sakuraba+interview&oq=motoi+sakuraba+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.18842.20496.12.20670.14.14.0.0.0.3.13 4.1520.5j9.14.0...0.0.Oud70ZCKj_s&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Motoi-Sakuraba/54496443014)

vs.


Chris H�lsbeck
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbGMJ-jli8Q&list=PL85D04B93856501EA&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_H%C3%BClsbeck), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1164), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=chris+huelsbeck+interview&oq=chris+huelsbeck+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.1142081.1145378.2.1145573.25.20.4. 0.0.6.167.2236.7j13.20.0...0.0.lYj5X_BQibc&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=5a9e2f4e506b37d1&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/Chris_Huelsbeck)



Stephen Rippy is a hard man to pin down. Just listen to Chocolate Outline and tell me what genre that song fits into. It's got Spanish-style guitars, rotary electric guitars, autoharp, synthesized tubular bells, atmospheric pings with long reverberating echos, a kalimba solo, and a rocking bassline that, if louder, would fit perfectly into a Rage against the Machine song. Do we just lump this into world music? Electronic music? Whatever you want to call it, it's awesome. And more than that, it's a nice emblem of the open borders approach video game music has long held toward genre mixing.

Motoaki Takenouchi is the man behind much of the Shining series and a star of 90s Sega games. In college he studied under Koichi Sugiyama at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (where he was also classmates with Hayato Matsuo). Jewel Master, his first soundtrack, shows off his jazz tendencies with swung notes and little delays, his unusual choices of patches (such as in "King Turtle" or "The Gate of Delirium"), and his gift for creating atmosphere (ala �Time to Kill�). He�s also great at creating frenetic electronic beats, as you�ll hear.

Motoi Sakuraba is progressive rock personified, from the hair to the crushed velvet shirt to the long, jazzy keyboard solos. He was the go-to guy for the Wolf Team and tri-Ace and has been hitched to several franchises over the years as the grandfathered-in composer, much like Uematsu was. Yet Sakuraba is not as well-known or well-respected as Uematsu despite the extraordinary quantity and quality of his work. Fans of his music can find many, many reused themes and nods between one franchise and another on his soundtracks, if you go looking, which adds to the fun.

Huelsbeck is one of the kings of the the Commodore and Amiga, beginning his career as a teenager working roughly alongside the NES era with much better hardware, some of which he designed himself. He's most often associated with The Great Giana Sisters (an infamous Super Mario Bros. rip-off) and the Turrican series. But since the launches of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series and Arnie Roth's projects, Huelsbeck's music for Apidya and R-Type (the Amiga and Commodore versions) has gotten recognition as well. With much of his music, you'll hear one of the hallmarks of early Commodore music--using a very quick arpeggio to create a trilling note, almost as if the note has been shot and is exploding. With the Turrican music especially, you can hear his affection for driving electronica beats and slow-building synths.

My votes are for Motoaki Takenouchi and Motoi Sakuraba.

Motoaki Takenouchi

Motoi Sakuraba.

Tough calls on both fronts.

Stephen Rippy

Chris H�lsbeck

Oh hey it's my bro, Motoaki Takenouchi

Motoaki Takenouchi

Motoi Sakuraba

Last call for votes.

Motoaki Takenouchi

Motoi Sakuraba

Easy wins for Motoaki Takenouchi (5-1) and Motoi Sakuraba (4-1). Next up, the penultimate fights of Round 2...


Round 2, Fight 13 // The Composers Rumble


Hiroki Kikuta
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33d6EK2HykM&list=PLD0DA289C66300CB9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroki_Kikuta), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/140), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hiroki+kikuta+interview&oq=hiroki+kikuta+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.12788.14616.60.14809.14.14.0.0.0.2 .189.1626.5j9.14.0...0.0.CT3Qb91DDag&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/hiroki.kikuta?ref=pymk)

vs.


Bobby Prince
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw&list=PLDA06C3E8E361F6A1&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Prince), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1296), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=bobby+prince+interview&oq=bobby+princ+interview&aq=0lK&aqi=g-lK1&aql=&gs_l=hp.1.0.0i13i30.15633.16926.26.18935.11.9.0.0. 0.3.410.1572.3j3j1j1j1.9.0...0.0.J2jMlPrjRQ4&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://bobbyprincemusic.blogspot.com/)


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Round 2, Fight 14 // The Composers Rumble


Akira Yamaoka
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgr-ZSZSSwA&list=PLBFD0324B1C6F9855&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Yamaoka), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/749), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=akira+yamaoka+interview&oq=akira+yamaoka+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1g-K3&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i30l3.13859.15312.65.15711.13.11.0.0 .0.5.444.1760.4j6j4-1.11.0...0.0.eqomTOxa6rQ&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/akirayamaoka)

vs.


Michiru Yamane
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLOcT25ph9k&list=PL6E4059C4DF43FA61&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiru_Yamane), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/334), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=michiru+yamane+interview&oq=michiru+yamane+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.11826.17521.20.17933.18.17.1.0.0.8 .277.2400.2j11j3.17.0...0.0.BWsmvJoPWAM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michiru-Yamane/188716184533032)



Hiroki Kikuta is the wunderkind who blew up on Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3, then made some unwise (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f63/official-video-game-music-rumble-66118/49.html#post1703178) career choices that took him into the world of Chinese MMORPGs and nearly out of video games entirely. Nevertheless, his work has stood the test of time and it is good to read that, unlike so many others (Tim Follin, Miki Higashino, and on and on), he�s still in the game, most recently sharing composition duties on Soul Calibur V. Conversations about his music often focus on the pretty melodies in the Mana games (fair enough), but check out the melodic percussion throughout Seiken Densetsu 3 or the unusual arrangements in Koudelka and Soukaigi. He always has something interesting going on.

Bobby Prince�s name will forever be, in popular lore, connected to one franchise: DOOM. At Doom�s Gate is certainly one of the most recognizable video game themes in existence. And the Metallica scandal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IXNpPhfk1s), credible or not, has probably helped further pigeonhole him to that one series. But you�re doing yourself a disservice if you don�t check out the soundtrack for Duke Nukem 3D. The Saturn arrangements (meaning, simply, better samples) are particularly fun.

Akira Yamaoka is one of my favorite vgm composers. Although the music recommendations focus on his melodic work, the Silent Hill series is a model of how to write effective dissonant music to serve a narrative. It's just a cherry on top that his melodic music is equally chilling and invigorating. Killing Time, Ordinary Vanity, Breeze in Monochrome Night (and half of the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack along with it), and Tender Sugar are all among my favorite pieces of vgm--many of them so powerful that I remember when and where I first heard them.

Yamane wasn�t the founding composer for Castlevania or Suikoden, but she sure kept both series vital. It was a pain to choose five songs for her because there were too many deserving options. Rocket Knight Adventures isn�t even on the list. Legend.

My votes are for Hiroki Kikuta and Akira Yamaoka.

Hiroki Kikuta

Michiru Yamane even though it's a tough call. Yamaoka is cool.

Akira Yamaoka

Bobby Prince

Hiroki Kikuta

Akira Yamaoka

Tough choices

Hiroki Kikuta

Michiru Yamane

Hiroki Kikuta

Akira Yamaoka

This is it. With Hiroki Kikuta (6-1) and Akira Yamaoka (4-3) moving forward, these fights will determine the last two composers to make it to Round 3...


Round 2, Fight 15 // The Composers Rumble


Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyw8GFkZhxQ&list=PL319030C7C739BFDF&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirokazu_Tanaka), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/363), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=hirokazu+tanaka+interview&oq=hirokazu+t+interview&aq=0b&aqi=g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i8.12967.16088.55.17141.12.11.1.0.0.4 .153.1250.3j8.11.0...0.0.4TxEfh33Vrc&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.hirokazutanaka.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhirokazu%2Btanaka%2Bofficial%26hl%3De n%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Di5E%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D855%26prmd%3Dimvn so&sa=X&ei=n7sWUNmzH6jG6AHt64HwAg&ved=0CFAQ7gEwAQ)

vs.


Nobuo Uematsu
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ&list=PL4562BAE6D669BE02&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Uematsu), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/77), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=nobuinterview&pq=jeremy%20soule%20interview&cp=6&gs_id=q7&xhr=t&q=nobuo+uematsu+interview&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=nobuo+interview&aq=0c&aqi=g-c1g-K1g-bK2&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=878), Social (https://twitter.com/#!/uematsunobuo)


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Round 2, Fight 16 // The Composers Rumble


Shogo Sakai
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A-imFwZcHs&list=PL681F00EBA25D75D6&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Shogo_Sakai), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/989), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=shogo+sakai+interview&oq=shogo+sakai+interview&aq=f&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0i30.11612.13085.45.13260.11.11.0.0.0.5 .182.1242.3j8.11.0...0.0.KhFaDiJN8wE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (https://twitter.com/shogo_sakai)

vs.


Matt Uelmen
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8jJJXgNLo4&list=PLDF00647A83CC4E15&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Uelmen), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1374), Interview (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=matt+uelmen+interview&oq=matt+uelmen+interview&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0.10176.11877.64.12035.12.12.0.0.0.1.12 4.1185.6j6.12.0...0.0.Tydmm7839_w&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2e4edfb6fecd5b31&biw=1280&bih=907 ), Social (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Uelmen/113651341978913?sk=info)



If you go back to the video game crash of 1983 and start following the bread crumbs to video games� resurrection, Hip Tanaka�s name sure shows up a lot. But to stick to our purposes, as a composer, he created some of the most enduring themes of the NES era, including one of my all-time favorite chiptunes, the Metroid title theme, which arose from his desire to attempt a more atmospheric, horror-movie-like soundtrack than what had previously been heard on the Famicom. Read here (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f63/official-video-game-music-rumble-66118/21.html#post1439700) for an old post where I invent a word trying to describe this song. Besides Metroid, you�ve got the jazz-tinged Dr. Mario and Super Mario Land, the stop-start wackiness of Mother and Earthbound, the heroic themes of Kid Icarus, the shudder-inducing jingle for video game�s most famous taunt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoacaodENm8), and the original compositions in the GameBoy version of Tetris.

Koji Kondo may have written the most universally recognizable music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGX4obVl64w) from a video game, but Uematsu is, in my mind, the better composer. My wife, who is a classical composer and has absolutely no interest in video games whatsoever, has gone the whole gamut from avoiding my room when I'm playing vgm, to showing mild interest as she started to recognize Uematsu's music, to asking to hear more of his stuff, to humming Terra's theme while working without realizing she's doing it, to buying tickets when she found out Video Games Live was coming to our town. He's not untouchable. His stature as a vgm god has invited criticism, some of it merited. Some of his work has become self-indulgent and bloated. Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking. But I can't think of another composer who has done so much quality work over such a long time; who has so often ennobled cartoonish, poorly-written characters and transformed throwaway scenes into haunting, unforgettable moments in the canon of video game history; who has played a crucial and dramatic role in the turnaround of a failing company; and who has lived the life of an artist without any public pretension, without any meaningful critical appreciation for a decade, and in so doing has quietly transformed our global culture. All the time now you can see flyers for a major American orchestra doing a night of video game tunes. This would not be possible without Video Games Live, which would not be possible without Nobuo Uematsu, because there would not be a sufficient audience for the video game music as an art form without him. The commercial viability of video games�not just video game music, but video games on the whole�in our time goes back, in large part, to the explosion of western interest in Final Fantasy 7, which would not have been the revolution it was without Aerith's Theme. Has any composer done more for the entire industry?

Although I already knew and liked the Robocop and Werewolf soundtracks, Shogo Sakai didn�t land on my radar until Mother 3, an absolutely top-tier soundtrack combining original compositions with the work of Erik Satie. The end-result successfully provided an emotional framework for writer Shigesato Itoi�s ambitious and delicate story about a family coping with tragedy, consumerism, and�of course�pigs. Tinged with Samuel Beckett�s influence, the story shows more pathos and attention to narrative than Beckett�s idea-first tableaus and stands among the best scripts in video game history. The confidently-deployed moments involving beauty (), humor (http://www.bardinelli.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/mother3.gif), sadness (), and bizarreness (http://earthbound.wikia.com/wiki/Ostrelephant) bring together everything that made Earthbound a classic and, at times, even improve on it. I liked this game long before I got to the scene with Satie�s Gymnopedie No. 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAR0WkIQ6mg) playing in the background. Then I was in love. If you haven�t played Mother 3, it�s well worth it.

Matt Uelmen is a god to Diablo fans. Though he doesn't have nearly the amount of credits to his name as many other composers, his signature piece, Tristram, demonstrates why his work has caught people's attention. The delayed, layered acoustic guitars, harmonics, horns, and flute all work together to create a simultaneously folksy and menacing sound, especially once the bowed bass comes in. I've been a fan every since I heard this piece while watching a speedrun, and though I�ve never played the Diablo games, I'm also thoroughly impressed by Harrogath from the Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction soundtrack and some of his lusher, more romantic themes, which (un-coincidentally) show the influence of Russell Brower.

My votes are for Nobuo Uematsu and Matt Uelmen. Both tough choices.

Matt Uelmen

Nobuo Uematsu

Nobuo Uematsu

Matt Uelmen

Sucks for Tanaka to have to go against the man himself.
I'll throw him a bone.

Hirokazu Tanaka

Matt Uelmen

Nobuo Uematsu

Matt Uelmen

Awh, bye Hirokazu.

Nobuo Uematsu

Matt Uelmen

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time � Lost Woods

Nobuo Uematsu

Moving on to Round 3 with Nobuo Uematsu (7-1) and Matt Uelmen (7-0) as the last entrants. Also, Ocarina of Time�s �Lost Woods� eked out a victory against itself (1-0). Next up�


Round 3, Fight 1 // The Composers Rumble


Yasunori Mitsuda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjvqzDaK0c&list=PLB3BEC3D253EA8DF3&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunori_Mitsuda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/146) // Keyword: Chrono // Beat: Oshima, Meguro

vs.


Kenji Yamamoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmG-Af0LK88&list=PLC972CBED72A4B8E7&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Yamamoto_%28composer_born_1964%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/693) // Keyword: Metroid // Beat: Miyake, Fujita


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Round 3, Fight 2 // The Composers Rumble


Nobuo Uematsu
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ&list=PL4562BAE6D669BE02&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Uematsu), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/77) // Keyword: Uematsu // Beat: Kyd, Tanaka

vs.


Miki Higashino
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFT-wcyT-TU&list=PL5AB8D3D96564FEFA&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miki_Higashino), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/191) // Keyword: Suikoden // Beat: Sasai, Wall



At this point, we're pitting the greats against one another. Everybody's got a signature work. My votes are for Yasunori Mitsuda (check out Soma Bringer, too, if you don't know it) and Nobuo Uematsu.

Boo, Yasunori Mitsuda gets a relatively free ride and Miki Higashino gets eaten alive.

Oh wait I voted for her.

Yasunori Mitsuda

Nobuo Uematsu

Yasunori Mitsuda

Nobuo Uematsu

Mitsuda

Higashino

Nobuo Uematsu Keyword:Uematsu

Nice.

Nobuo Uematsu

Yasunori Mitsuda

I am getting repeated "Database Error" pages when I click around on the Shrine. Pretty much every other click. So I'll leave this open for another day in case people want to vote but haven't been able to get to the rumble.

P.S. I'm also curious to see if Higashino can actually topple Uematsu. If that happens, FFS may implode into nothingness like the house at the end of Poltergeist.

eh, i doubt that highly.

No surprises here. Yasunori Mitsuda (6-0) and Nobuo Uematsu (4-2) will move on. Next up...


Round 3, Fight 3 // The Composers Rumble


Akira Yamaoka
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgr-ZSZSSwA&list=PLBFD0324B1C6F9855&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Yamaoka), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/749) // Keyword: Phantasmagoria // Beat: Ito, Yamane

vs.


Hitoshi Sakimoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfJj04uDFY&list=PL50C0C2CA15EFF930&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Sakimoto), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/112) // Keyword: Ivalice // Beat: Drossin, Matsueda


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Round 3, Fight 4 // The Composers Rumble


Koji Kondo
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGX4obVl64w&list=PL73FF0E9B512BD0A9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koji_Kondo), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/190) // Keyword: Mario // Beat: Klepacki, Zur

vs.


Hiroki Kikuta
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33d6EK2HykM&list=PLD0DA289C66300CB9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroki_Kikuta), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/140) // Keyword: Mana // Beat: Ueda, Prince



My votes are for Akira Yamaoka and Koji Kondo.

Akira Yamaoka

Koji Kondo

Sakimoto

Hikuta

Hitoshi Sakimoto & Koji Kondo

Hitoshi Sakimoto & Koji Kondo

Akira Yamaoka

Hiroki Kikuta

Koji Kondo is one of the most influential and significant figures in the history of video game music. No doubt about it. But was he one of the very best? You always see people claim that Led Zeppelin and other act of the 60s or 70s are the greatest bands of all time, and no amount of clear counter examples will sway their opinions. But being the first to really achieve greatness--being the pioneer--does not render one's works insurmountable. I like to think of Koji Kondo as a really amazing musician for his time who has since been eclipsed by quite a number of other composers (like Hiroki Kikuta). The most influential? Perhaps. The greatest? I have my doubts.

Sakimoto and Kondo.

Kikuta = Most overrated game composer of all time. Secret of Mana had one good song (and even then it's meh after 2 loops), rest was mindless garbage to me.

Kikuta = Most overrated game composer of all time. Secret of Mana had one good song (and even then it's meh after 2 loops), rest was mindless garbage to me.

I incline to partially agree. I just never liked Kondo that much. And yeah, his stuff is sticky, but stickiness doesn't make good music to me.

Hikuta did a very solid soundtrack with seiken densetsu 3 imo and while disrupting and very out of place, A few Koudelka songs are fun.

Hikuta is one of the most famous yet very innactive after 90's composer from the Industry, ever noticed that?.

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Hiroki Kikuta

I like to think of Koji Kondo as a really amazing musician for his time who has since been eclipsed by quite a number of other composers (like Hiroki Kikuta).


Kikuta = Most overrated game composer of all time. Secret of Mana had one good song (and even then it's meh after 2 loops), rest was mindless garbage to me.


I incline to partially agree. I just never liked Kondo that much. And yeah, his stuff is sticky, but stickiness doesn't make good music to me. Hikuta did a very solid soundtrack with seiken densetsu 3 imo and while disrupting and very out of place, A few Koudelka songs are fun.

Interesting. I don't hear people talk about this too much, but I'd agree that Kondo is not the be-all, end-all of video game composition. However, as much as I like Kikuta, I didn't think his work surpassed Kondo's quality-wise. And Kondo is way ahead of him in terms of the number of solid soundtracks he has done. Kikuta has Secret of Mana, SD3, Soukaigi, and some hit or miss stuff. Kondo has 7 Marios, 4 Zeldas, and a bunch of murkier co-composer or advisory credits.

The upshot of all this is that our winners were Hitoshi Sakimoto (6-3) and Koji Kondo (5-4) even with some doubts created about the latter's future success. Next up...


Round 3, Fight 5 // The Composers Rumble


David Wise
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ9xwkMr3e4&list=PL644E405D793234FF&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wise_%28composer%29), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/507) // Keyword: Rare // Beat: Yamanishi, Naruke

vs.


Jeremy Soule
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQszBHMHHc&list=PL97E1FFCF0C95B473&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Soule), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/431) // Keyword: Morrowind // Beat: Follin, Masuda


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Round 3, Fight 6 // The Composers Rumble


Matt Uelmen
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8jJJXgNLo4&list=PLDF00647A83CC4E15&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Uelmen), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1374) // Keyword: Diablo // Beat: Iwadare, Sakai

vs.


Koichi Sugiyama
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntmk5aHaPQ4&list=PLE98C67AECBC289B4&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koichi_Sugiyama), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/114) // Keyword: Boss // Beat: Land, Ando



My votes are for Jeremy Soule and Matt Uelmen. While we're being honest about Kondo, I'll admit I've never been wowed by Sugiyama. Historically important, he established the template for the RPG soundtrack, sure. And I have plenty of nostalgia for his early stuff. I remember grinding through Dragon Warrior as a kid. But he's been doing the same thing for 30 years. And in a competition like this, at the highest level, technical competency and impressive arrangements aren't good enough. I want a panorama of the composer's career that offers some sense of that person's spirit, some numinous detail that opens up a sense of wonder in the listener. When I listen to Sugiyama, I think, "That's nice." When I listen to Uelmen, I think, "Wow!"

Jeremy Soule

Koichi Sugiyama

David Wise

Matt Uelmen - Guys, definetely check Torchlight II soundtrack, it's free for download on the official website of the game.

In fact, here's the Link.

Torchlight II | The Torchlight II Soundtrack (http://www.torchlight2game.com/news/2012/09/18/the-torchlight-ii-soundtrack/)

It's a beautiful Jewel.

David Wise

Matt Uelmen

Although I always have been very fond of Sugiyama. There aren't many pure orchestral composers in video game space to begin with, and he's one of the best to boot. This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vamr7qq6hoA) is my favorite track from DQ8, give it a listen.

Also, here's (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/178187/memorial_composer_ryu_umemoto.php) an interesting read from Gamasutra: A memorial for composer Ryu Umemoto

Edit: Something just occured to me. Arthur, in the paragraph you dedicated to Uelmen you mentioned you really liked tracks like Harrogath and other lush romantic themes from Diablo 2 and said that it might be an influence from Russell Brower. But why? Brower's first work for Blizzard was The Burning Crusade in 2007; long after Diablo 2's release. And as far as I can tell, Brower had nothing to do with Blizzard before that. Unless there's something I'm missing.

Jeremy Soule

Matt Uelmen

Jeremy Soule

Matt Uelmen

Jeremy Soule

Koichi Sugiyama - Deserves more than just one vote. He contributed a lot in making vg music being taken seriously by people who weren't gamers...

Guys, definetely check Torchlight II soundtrack, it's free for download on the official website of the game.

Thanks. :D


This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vamr7qq6hoA) is my favorite track from DQ8, give it a listen.

Thanks x2. :D


Edit: Something just occured to me. Arthur, in the paragraph you dedicated to Uelmen you mentioned you really liked tracks like Harrogath and other lush romantic themes from Diablo 2 and said that it might be an influence from Russell Brower. But why? Brower's first work for Blizzard was The Burning Crusade in 2007; long after Diablo 2's release. And as far as I can tell, Brower had nothing to do with Blizzard before that. Unless there's something I'm missing.

Didn't mean to give that impression. The sentence was "I'm also thoroughly impressed by Harrogath from the Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction soundtrack and some of his lusher, more romantic themes, which (un-coincidentally) show the influence of Russell Brower." At the end of that sentence I meant his romantic themes from other soundtracks--not specifically ones from Diablo 2. Uelmen and Brower have been co-credited on WoW: Burning Crusade, WoW: Mosaic, and Diablo 3. The intent was merely to give a nod to the overlap between their works. Always good to check my facts, though. As much as I try to verify everything, some details always seem to slip through the cracks.


Well, for this one we can crown Jeremy Soule (5-2) and Matt Uelmen (5-2), which brings us to the last fights of Round 3...


Round 3, Fight 7 // The Composers Rumble


Tommy Tallarico
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OtrgZ2r2GA&list=PL1AAF8FE86E18F001&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Tallarico), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/502) // Keyword: Napoleon // Beat: Hamauzu, Brower

vs.


Motoi Sakuraba
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0kamtR5UI&list=PLEFABC6AFBA3E3A2A&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoi_Sakuraba), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/166) // Keyword: Prog // Beat: Nakano, H�lsbeck


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Round 3, Fight 8 // The Composers Rumble


Yoko Shimomura
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLJLyneZGKc&list=PLE64B2BAA70FFFF58&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Shimomura), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/139) // Keyword: Queen // Beat: Kodaka, Matsuo

vs.


Motoaki Takenouchi
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaOlDwRyjjI&list=PL2625B825E1FCEE9D&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoaki_Takenouchi), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/630) // Keyword: Underdog // Beat: Kirkhope, Rippy


My votes are for Motoi Sakuraba and Yoko Shimomura.

Motoi Sakuraba & Yoko Shimomura

Motoi Sakuraba

Yoko Shimomura

Motoi Sakuraba

Yoko Shimomura

Tommy Tallarico

Yoko Shimomura

Motoi Sakuraba

Yoko Shimomura

Tallarico

Shimomura

Tommy Tallarico

Yoko Shimomura

With those wins by Motoi Sakuraba (5-3) and Yoko Shimomura (8-0), we are now in the Quarterfinals, folks. Each composer has been given an extended playlist under the �music� link. Let it begin�


Quarterfinals, Fight 1 // The Composers Rumble


Yasunori Mitsuda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjvqzDaK0c&list=PLB3BEC3D253EA8DF3&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunori_Mitsuda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/146) // Beat: Oshima, Meguro, Yamamoto

vs.


Motoi Sakuraba
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0kamtR5UI&list=PLEFABC6AFBA3E3A2A&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoi_Sakuraba), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/166) // Beat: Nakano, H�lsbeck, Tallarico


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Quarterfinals, Fight 2 // The Composers Rumble


Yoko Shimomura
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLJLyneZGKc&list=PLE64B2BAA70FFFF58&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Shimomura), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/139) // Beat: Kodaka, Matsuo, Takenouchi

vs.


Jeremy Soule
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQszBHMHHc&list=PL97E1FFCF0C95B473&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Soule), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/431) // Beat: Follin, Masuda, Wise


My votes are for Yasunori Mitsuda and Yoko Shimomura.

Yasunori Mitsuda

Jeremy Soule -- I voted against him in Round 1 because he was up against Tim Follin, and Follin is nigh on par with Uematsu for me. As it stands though, Soule is probably the hottest name in video game music right now and I wouldn't mind seeing him through to the final round.

Mitsuda

Shimomura

Yasunori Mitsuda

Yoko Shimomura

Yasunori Mitsuda

Yoko Shimomura

Yasunori Mitsuda

Jeremy Soule by a hair

Yasunori Mitsuda

Jeremy Soule by a hair

Yasunori Mitsuda (7-0) and Yoko Shimomura (4-3) are in the semifinals. Let's see who they'll be going up against...


Quarterfinals, Fight 3 // The Composers Rumble


Koji Kondo
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGX4obVl64w&list=PL73FF0E9B512BD0A9&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koji_Kondo), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/190) // Beat: Klepacki, Zur, Kikuta

vs.


Nobuo Uematsu
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ&list=PL4562BAE6D669BE02&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Uematsu), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/77) // Beat: Kyd, Tanaka, Higashino


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Quarterfinals, Fight 4 // The Composers Rumble


Hitoshi Sakimoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfJj04uDFY&list=PL50C0C2CA15EFF930&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Sakimoto), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/112) // Beat: Drossin, Matsueda, Yamaoka

vs.


Matt Uelmen
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8jJJXgNLo4&list=PLDF00647A83CC4E15&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Uelmen), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/1374) // Beat: Iwadare, Sakai, Sugiyama


My votes are for Nobuo Uematsu and Hitoshi Sakimoto.

Just a reminder: each composer now has an extended playlist. For each composer, that meant one song per soundtrack except for Uelmen, who has only composed for 7 games. If anyone has a favorite song not represented on the playlists, please share. :D

Uematsu

Sakimoto - I'm suprised that this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP2nWp60gvo) track wasn't picked for VS. Although I'm fine with abandoned mines.

Nobuo Uematsu

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Nobuo Uematsu

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Nobuo Uematsu

Hitoshi Sakimoto
make that three

Nobuo Uematsu

Matt Uelmen

Nobuo Uematsu

Matt Uelmen

Nobuo Uematsu

Hitoshi Sakimoto

()

- the final four -



Semifinals, Fight 1 // The Composers Rumble

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMKoaBc385A)
Yoko Shimomura
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLJLyneZGKc&list=PLE64B2BAA70FFFF58&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Shimomura), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/139) // Beat: Kodaka, Matsuo, Takenouchi, Soule

vs.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PbZjTTkDyU)
Hitoshi Sakimoto
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfJj04uDFY&list=PL50C0C2CA15EFF930&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Sakimoto), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/112) // Beat: Drossin, Matsueda, Yamaoka, Uelmen


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Semifinals, Fight 2 // The Composers Rumble

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCN-0b_qfXc)
Nobuo Uematsu
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ&list=PL4562BAE6D669BE02&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Uematsu), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/77) // Beat: Kyd, Tanaka, Higashino, Kondo

vs.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94x9amQo-0I)
Yasunori Mitsuda
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjvqzDaK0c&list=PLB3BEC3D253EA8DF3&feature=plpp_play_all), Bio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunori_Mitsuda), Discography (http://vgmdb.net/artist/146) // Beat: Oshima, Meguro, Yamamoto, Sakuraba



Yoko Shimomura is, of course, important for several reasons. As a video game composer, she ranks among the best to have ever lived. Her work spans three decades and many genres, is instantly recognizable around the world, and is consistently of a high quality. On top of that, she is a female composer who has asserted herself in a male-dominated profession, opening doors for many other female composers. On top of that, she has trained, encouraged, and influenced an entire generation of composers. It's difficult to limit her career into ten representative songs because there's just so much of it that should be heard. They're all so different and distinctive.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has forcefully staked his claim as a major composer. Perhaps no Final Fantasy soundtrack is as much a lightning rod for debate as Final Fantasy XII. Perhaps no soundtrack has been lauded more than Vagrant Story in our rumbles. Perhaps no composer, other than Sugiyama, is as adept at using an orchestra not just to add oomph to a melody, but to actually variegate it enough while adding texture and tone color in interesting ways to take the compositions to a level of extraordinary achievement.

Uematsu's stature as a vgm god has invited criticism, some of it merited. Some of his work has become self-indulgent and bloated. Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking. But I can't think of another composer who has done so much quality work over such a long time; who has so often ennobled cartoonish, poorly-written characters and transformed throwaway scenes into haunting, unforgettable moments in the canon of video game history; who has played a crucial and dramatic role in the turnaround of a failing company; and who has lived the life of an artist without any public pretension, without any meaningful critical appreciation for a decade, and in so doing has quietly transformed our global culture.

Mitsuda is one of the all-time greats. You've got the flute and violin motif from Time's Scar, the entrancing gamelan in Time's Circuits, and the beautiful arrangement of June Mermaid—all of which are representative of the quality on the rest of those soundtracks. The second half of his career has been no less invigorating with classics like Arc Rise Fantasia, Graffiti Kingdom, and the shockingly under-discussed Soma Bringer. The first time I heard it, I couldn't believe I'd never heard of it. You want staying power, just look at the totality of this man's career. Mitsuda is so good, he Rick Roll'd us with Robo’s Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ8xce9HtD8) and we didn’t even care.

My votes are for Yoko Shimomura and Nobuo Uematsu.

What my votes came down to:

(1) While Sakimoto has more chops in orchestration and can be pinned down to a signature sound, Shimomura is equally impressive, equally prolific, equally historically significant, more diverse in what she brings to the table, and (in my opinion) more enjoyable to listen to.

(2) I went with Uematsu because he was the first video game composer to write a soundtrack I was willing to buy as a standalone CD. This criteria was used as a final tie-breaker to a debate that went on for days.

Yoko Shimomura

Nobuo Uematsu

Yoko Shimomura

Nobuo Uematsu

Yoko Shimomura

Nobuo Uematsu

Uematsu

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Nobuo Uematsu

The caption for the banner should probably be "No one will know Sakimoto is photoshopped in." A couple days later with rested eyes, and that does not exactly look as convincing as I intended it to. The rest of them are real, though, and were photographed together.

By the way, the composer photos are all links to covers, if you missed that. That damn post is a link explosion. If any of you all have favorite covers of these composers, that'd be something I'd like to hear. Lonlongjp got priority for my picks because he is an amazing guitarist and a sweet human being. Earnest in a way that few people allow themselves to be on the internet. He loves playing the guitar, making beautiful music, sharing it with other people, and taking suggestions for new pieces of vgm to play. I dare say his cover of "Corridors of Time" is my favorite YouTube video. One of my favorite covers of any musician. The room's acoustics add some bite to the notes, which can get harsh. But they also add a chilling echo that gives the whole performance depth and emotional weight. It's absolutely perfect for the song.

Also, currently Yoko's winning and Uematsu's winning. We'll see if any more votes come in. You all have a good Wednesday.

Hitoshi Sakimoto

Nobuo Uematsu

Something cool I found: A Google Chrome app (http://gamemusic.multimedia.cx) that has the entire library of NES,SNES,GB,DS,MD,DC game soundtracks. Also has composer credits and copyrights for each individual track (whenever possible anyway, you're not going to find detailed credits for Earthbound for example), as opposed to the whole soundtrack, which I appreciate. Check it out.

Thanks for the link! I'll check it out. As for the votes, Shimomura and Sakimoto are now tied 4-4. The next vote from someone who hasn't yet voted will determine the winner, and after that voting will be closed.

Shimomura vs Sakimoto? Interesting set of composers. Both have written really good stuff and things I find to be horribly bland and uninspired. Though they both are really hit-and-miss for me, I think I tend to like on-point Sakimoto just a little better.

Also, Uematsu even though this one isn't tied. I love his writing, but he's really lost it over the recent years it seems.

Final Round // The Composers Rumble


(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfJj04uDFY&list=PL50C0C2CA15EFF930&feature=plpp_play_all)

vs.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ&list=PL4562BAE6D669BE02&feature=plpp_play_all)