I believe that there are still people who believe that game music is something equal to just an effect incorporated into the game, something like a BGM. And therefore this is something that I would like to show that is not true.
We hope that eventually there would be an occasion which I can personally prove that game music can in fact impress many different people and move them.
I always begin to compose the melody first.
Like many composers, most of my compositions are influenced by the music I've listened to throughout my life.
As you may know my use of Celtic music is extremely simple and short. However there is something about it that will remain in your mind for a long, long time.
However now we can create a sound that can truly startle someone and in terms of sound effects I think the environment that we are in now has improved dramatically.
I think that American people really know how to pursue fun, they really know how to have a good time. Japanese are somewhat more reserved than Americans, so I'm jealous.
Games are considered to be in the sub-culture category, coming under movies, coming under manga or comics or animation, especially in Japan.
Well my own impression of my musical pieces is that no matter how long I've been at it, there's not much improvement. So that's kind of regrettable.
Even in Japan, I don't think that the game culture is established. For example, my father will watch movies but games don't appear in his life at all, I think that that's sad.
Game Boy is something that I would like to make something for.
So I don't really have a clear plan, in terms of music, as to where I want to head in the future.
And its very strange, but I think there is something very common - not only in Celtic music - but there is a factor or element in Celtic music that is similar in music that we find in Japan, the United States, Europe, and even China and other Asian countries.
I have been interested in Irish traditional music for the past few years.
However, very recently I have come to an understanding that complex music is not necessarily pleasant.
There's some familiarity in Celtic music, even if you've never heard that piece of music before.
I guess many game music fans prefer original soundtrack albums.
I believe that there are many interesting projects that are potentially possible for me other than game music, and therefore in my mind there are several things that are being contemplated.
For over ten years or so game music has developed into a very large market.
The second album of Black Mages is currently in the process of recording and the basic tracks have already been completed. Hopefully sometime in the future we will be able to have a concert.
I receive more fan mail from the females.
Certainly my only interest is not in Celtic music.
However in countries outside of Japan I think game music is still a potential growth market that has not yet developed to the extent that we are seeing in Japan.
It was very difficult to startle or surprise someone with a particular sound during the family computer era.
I don't know anyone who would be exclusively working on game music, per se.
