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Yoshitaka Hirota

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Yoshitaka Hirota
Born (1971-09-01) September 1, 1971 (age 53)
Kyoto, Japan
GenresVideo game music
Occupations
  • Composer
  • musician
InstrumentBass guitar
Years active1994–present
LabelsDog Ear Records

Yoshitaka Hirota (弘田佳孝, Hirota Yoshitaka, born September 1, 1971) is a Japanese video game composer and bass guitarist, whose most notable works include the soundtracks to the Shadow Hearts series. Hirota was previously a sound effects programmer having worked on various Square titles. His first work as a video game composer was for the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Bomberman 64: The Second Attack.

Biography

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Early works

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As a teenager, Hirota's older brother would play covers of The Beatles and The Carpenters. Hirota composed his first song at the age of ten.[1] At the age of 20, unsure of his career path, Hirota was invited by composer Yasunori Mitsuda to work at Square, and was hired as a sound designer.[2]

Square

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Hirota has a friendship from childhood with fellow composer Yasunori Mitsuda who he has worked with on Bomberman 64: The Second Attack, Biohazard 2 Drama Albums, Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts II. Under the direction of Mitsuda, Street Fighter Alpha 3 was to have a "hard" sound, and Biohazard 2 was to have an "ominous sound".[3]

Shadow Hearts

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Kyoko Kishikawa has worked with Hirota on Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts II (although not Shadow Hearts: From the New World) and Rogue Galaxy Premium Arrange, providing eerie female scat vocals for a number of his tracks. Ryo Fukuda has been the sound manipulator for Hirota on the Shadow Hearts games as well as composing and arranging a few tracks for all three games. He also co-composed with Hirota on Sonic Shuffle. Kenji Ito worked with Hirota on the soundtrack of Shadow Hearts II.

Live performance

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Hirota has performed bass guitar for Ito's live performance of Culdcept music during the Extra Live Concert.[4] and for Ito's vocal song for Lux-Pain,[5] Hirota frequently performs bass guitar with Kishikawa's band.[6] He is currently a member of Nobuo Uematsu's band, the Earthbound Papas.

Musical style and influences

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Hirota's Shadow Hearts music is notable for its fusion of cultural music with Hirota's personal Industrial style. Although Hirota is primarily a bass guitarist, he is capable of playing a variety of other instruments: the Biwa, the Syami, the Alter Ego Figaro, the Saw Wo, the Son, the Khene, the Old Drum, the Madaru, the Gong, the Suzu, and the Kalimba.[7]

Works

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Video games

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Composition
Title Year Notes
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack 1999 With Tomohiko Kira, Yasunori Mitsuda, Hidenobu Otsuki, Tomori Kudo, Hiroyo Yamanaka, and Kenji Hiramatsu[2]
Dive Alert[3] 1999
Faselei![3] 1999
Sonic Shuffle 2000 With Hidenobu Otsuki, Ryo Fukuda, Takeo Suzuki, and Kazumi Mitome[3]
Shadow Hearts 2001 With Yasunori Mitsuda, Masaharu Iwata, and Ryo Fukuda[1]
Shadow Hearts: Covenant 2004 With Yasunori Mitsuda, Kenji Ito, Ryo Fukuda, and Tomoko Kobayashi[8]
Shadow Hearts: From the New World 2005 With Tomoko Imoto, Ryo Fukuda, and Hirotomi Imoto[2]
Fist Groove 2 2006
Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen 2007
Hana Saku DS Gardening Life[2] 2007
DK: Jungle Climber 2007 With Yuichi Kanno and Takashi Kouga[2]
Start Yoga with Tipness on your DS 2007
Maji de Manabu: LEC de Ukaru 2008
Glory of Heracles 2008 With Yuichi Kanno[9]
D.Gray-Man Sousya no Shigaku 2008
Klonoa 2008
Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming 2011 With various others[10]
Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle 2011
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz 2012 With Saori Kobayashi
UnchainBlades EXXIV 2012 With Tsutomu Narita, Nobuo Uematsu, and Michio Okamiya[11]
Kakuriyo no Mon 2015 Only composed "其れでも先へ進む")[12]
Egglia: Legend of the Red Cap 2017 With Yoko Shimomura[13]
Sound design
Title Year
Final Fantasy VI 1994[1]
Live A Live 1994[14]
Chrono Trigger[2] 1995
Seiken Densetsu 3[14] 1995
Bahamut Lagoon[14] 1996
Final Fantasy VII[2] 1997
Front Mission 2[2] 1997
Parasite Eve[2] 1998
Chrono Cross[2] 1999
Koudelka[2] 1999

Other works

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Title Year Notes
Talk While Asleep 1995 Co-remixer with Fumiya Tanaka[3]
We are not alone ~Mou Hitori Ja Nai~ 1998 Co-composer with Kazumi Mitome[3]
Biohazard 2 Drama Album: Chiisana Toubousha Sherry 1999 Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda[2]
Biohazard 2 Drama Album: Ikiteita Onna Spy Ada 1999 Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda[2]
Street Fighter Zero 3 Drama Album 1999 Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda[3]
near death experience, SHADOW HEARTS 2005 Arranger of 5 Tracks[2]
Angelic Vale 2005 Arranger of 2 Tracks[3]
Tsuki no Uta 2005 Debut Single of Saki Imozuki. Arranger of all tracks
Yoruoto Hyouhon 2005 Debut Album of Noriko Mitose. Composer and arranger of 1 Track[15]
Rogue Galaxy 2006 Arranger of 1 Track[16]
Kinema in the Hall 2007 Rekka Katakiri Album. Composer and arranger of all tracks[2]
Cotton 2007 Noriko Mitose Album. Arranger of 1 Track[17]
Hareyaka naru Sora no Yukue 2007 Rekka Katakiri Album. Composer and Arranger of 1 Track[2]
Struldbruggs ~Majin Kaikou~ 2007 Co-Composer
Istoria ~Musa~ 2007 Akiko Shikata album. Composer and Arranger of 1 Track[18]
Umineko no Naku Koro ni 2008 Akiko Shikata Single, Arranger of 1 Track[19]
"message" 2008 Collaboration Album - Composer and Arranger of 1 Track[20]
Griotte no Nemuri Hime 2009 Haruka Shimotsuki Album[21]
SUZUNO=MIYA Ar tonelico III hymmnos concert side. Red 2010 Composer and Arranger of 2 Tracks[22]
Guwange 2010 Arranger of 1 Track[23]
yorlga 2010 Noriko Mitose album, Composer and Arranger of all tracks[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Interview with Yoshitaka Hirota (RocketBaby - January 2002)". Rocketbaby.net. 2002-01-01. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Jeriaska (2007-01-01). "Near Death Experience: an interview with Yoshitaka Hirota". Square Haven. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Chris Greening, Harry Simons (2005-11-01). "Interview with Yoshitaka Hirota (November 2005)". Square Enix Music. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  4. ^ "Concert Information". Extra: Hyper Game Music Event 2007. Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  5. ^ "Album Information". Lux-Pain Original Soundtrack. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  6. ^ Jeriaska. "Interview with Darumaya". Takahiro Yamamoto (trans.). RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  7. ^ "Instruments" (in French). Deep in Coma. Retrieved 2008-10-20.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "SHADOW HEARTS II Original Soundtracks". Video Game Music Database. June 18, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  9. ^ Gann, Patrick (June 10, 2009). "E3 2009: New Game and Composer Announcement Highlights". Original Sound Version. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  10. ^ "Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming - Original Soundtrack". Video Game Music Database. May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  11. ^ "Unchainblades EXXIV Original Soundtrack". Video Game Music Database. September 27, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "かくりよの門 Original Soundtrack". iTunes. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  13. ^ Yoko Shimomura [@midiplex] (April 13, 2017). "というわけで、本日、私と弘田佳孝氏（@kulko_yh）で音楽を担当している『エグリア』リリースされました！是非是非遊んで頂けると嬉しいです〜(*´◡'*)" (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ a b c "Yoshitaka Hirota". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  15. ^ "Yoruotohyouhon". Video Game Music Database. April 14, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "ROGUE GALAXY Premium Arrange". Video Game Music Database. August 31, 2006. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  17. ^ "cotton". Video Game Music Database. December 24, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  18. ^ "Istoria ~Musa~". Video Game Music Database. January 13, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  19. ^ "Umineko no Naku Koro ni / Akiko Shikata". Video Game Music Database. August 15, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  20. ^ "コラボレーションアルバム メッセージ Collaboration Album "Message"". Video Game Music Database. November 6, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "Griotte no Nemuri Hime ~Fel Ary Lu En Tindharia~". Video Game Music Database. August 7, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  22. ^ "SUZUNO=MIYA Ar tonelico III hymmnos concert side. Red". Video Game Music Database. October 19, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  23. ^ "GUWANGE Arrange Album + Original Sound Track". Video Game Music Database. January 12, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "yorlga". Video Game Music Database. March 2, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
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