Elysian Shadows

Who is the one game composer whose music has evoked you most?

Masashi Hamauzu is the composer that I look up to. The way he mixes atmospheric sounds and orchestral sounds is amazing. FFX was my fav OST thanks to Masashi Hamauzu. Now that Square's in-house composers have been discharged, I hope he goes freelance.

I met Tommy Tallarico two years ago in London and his bro took me backstage to meet him. He is one composer I look up to for his success but his music doesn’t impress me. But I can’t deny the impression he’s made on gamers and non-gamers thanks to Video Games Live. See it. It’s amazing.

How can I not say Uematsu. He's just the greatest, hands down.

I would probably place Yasunori Mitsuda at a close second for his work on Chrono Trigger/Cross, Xenogears, and Mario Party.

hurstshifter wrote:How can I not say Uematsu. He's just the greatest, hands down.

How can I not agree? :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUG-W-PtgcY

Besides him, Aaron Waltz and the guy who did the music for Everlong. Sometimes the music itself is the only main reason to play a game. (:

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Michael Land definetly, and Nobuo Uematsu.

I've got a couple: Hiroki Kikuta for Seiken Densetsu 3, and Matt Uelmen for Diablo 2.

AerisAndMe wrote:

hurstshifter wrote:How can I not say Uematsu. He's just the greatest, hands down.

How can I not agree? :D

He's just the most popular.
When you make shubadubillion tracks for some of the most popular games in universe, some of them are bound to be good. >:/

And in the end it all depends on the taste. For example, I'm not into happy ass Japanese tunes, period.

Jeremy Soule is good. His first job as a game composer was for Square. Maybe I should move to Japan.

cypher1554R wrote:
He's just the most popular.
When you make shubadubillion tracks for some of the most popular games in universe, some of them are bound to be good. >:/

And in the end it all depends on the taste. For example, I'm not into happy ass Japanese tunes, period.

Part of the reason that FF was successful was due to the music. An OST was released for FFI. I’m sure I’ve clocked more hours playing the FFVII OST in the car than I have played the game. Though I do feel his music is very simple. He uses very basic chord progressions but that’s the magic right there. His music is very easy to comprehend and makes for an enjoyable gaming experience.

I'm a big fan of Rik Schaffer (DAoC, VtM: Bloodlines, NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer)

His pieces have a really full, creepy ambiance that I really dig.

Thel wrote:

cypher1554R wrote:
He's just the most popular.
When you make shubadubillion tracks for some of the most popular games in universe, some of them are bound to be good. >:/

And in the end it all depends on the taste. For example, I'm not into happy ass Japanese tunes, period.

Part of the reason that FF was successful was due to the music.

A "part".. A part that any other decent composer could fill (imo).

Thel wrote:An OST was released for FFI.

So it was for many many other games. (not just rpg)

Thel wrote:I’m sure I’ve clocked more hours playing the FFVII OST in the car than I have played the game. Though I do feel his music is very simple. He uses very basic chord progressions but that’s the magic right there. His music is very easy to comprehend and makes for an enjoyable gaming experience.

I bet!! If some XYZ dude was making soundtrack for FF and Nobuo was making it for some other low budget game, the XYZ guy would be the one you'd be talking about here and not sir Uematsu.

I'm not saying he's bad. He's good. But... wait.. I forgot what my point was..

Something in the sense: There are tons of better game music composers we don't know of, because they weren't the ones making soundtrack for FF. Something like that.. or maybe just so I have something to say

As far as Japanese rpgs are concerned, I'd vote for Michiko Naruke (Wild ARMs).

Oh and let's not forget Michael Jackson in Sonic 3

Ken Nakagawa, Daisuke Achiwa, Akira Tsuchiya

^ I really like these three, team "Gust."

They did the soundtrack for Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana. <3

cypher1554R wrote:

Thel wrote:An OST was released for FFI.

So it was for many many other games. (not just rpg)

Keeping in mind that FFI was for the NES - there are relatively few games from that generation that have had OSTs released.

My personal faves would be Nobuo Uematsu and Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts soundtracks - I love her use of syncopation and her ability to subtly convey emotion). I'd also say Chopin, primarily for "Raindrop" which was used in Eternal Sonata and a series of Halo 3 advertisements, though I don't know that he'd really count in this category being from the 1800s and all