Yoko Kanno composed melancholic experimental music for Cowboy Bebop (1998-9). Komuro's name became synonymous with a brand of catchy music, suitable for karaoke, which blurred boundaries between anime music and pop music. He wrote several works between concerts, escapes, suites and cantatas, small pieces for harpsichord. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) This fabulous German genius is recognized as one of the greatest classical composers in history. As you all know, the soundtrack in anime can either make or break it. So let’s meet these 50 classical composers and find out why they’re so great. He spearheaded a trend for electronic music inspired by European dance clubs, which he composed for the influential anime series City Hunter (1987-8). Comprehensive list of anime music composers Discussion. His career began as an anime composer, with his first record being the soundtrack to Vampire Hunter D (1985). Composer Tetsuya Komuro, for example, eventually became a multimillionaire music producer for pop artists like Namie Amuro. In the 1980s, the anime industry intersected more strongly with Japan's pop music industry. Particularly notable anime music composers in the 70s include Yuji Ohno, who composed modern jazz albums for Lupin III, and Seiji Yokoyama, who composed symphonies for Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned, a feature film adapted from The Tomb of Dracula. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. It sold well, and very soon it became the industry standard for all anime TV shows to produce spin-off LP records with ten to twelve songs. Kohei Tanaka (Japanese:, Hepburn: Tanaka Khei, born February 14, 1954) is a Japanese composer, arranger, conductor and singer-songwriter. The major success of John William's score for Star Wars (1977) inspired the creators of Spaceship Battle Yamato (1974-5) to release the record Symphonic Suite Yamato (1977), composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa. Īnime soundtracks became more mainstream in the 1970s. The songs themselves were typically cheerful imitations of Western music styles, with essentially anonymous composers. Arguably the best anime soundtrack of all time, Cowboy Bebop’s jazz fusion sound revitalized music in anime. These would be expanded with a few extra verses to sell on small 45 rpm records for children. īeginning with Astro Boy in 1963, Japanese cartoons had short theme songs. The careers of anime composers are accordingly shaped by different commercial pressures than other kinds of music writers. On another note though, of course his fans wouldn't say that they find him boring.Composer who mainly composes music for anime productionsĪn anime composer is a composer who mainly composes music for anime productions.Īnime soundtracks are part of the " media mix" of anime marketing, in which a show encourages purchases of related products, such as memorabilia, games, and retail tie-ins. I personally adore his tracks like aLIEz and the theme he made for Kabaneri. He's really good at making the sort of tracks that play at the climax of a show, so some of his music might seem "generic" on the surface (and the lyrics are often not exactly deep). The reason that so many love him is also the reason so many hate him. I think this is exactly what I was saying. What they will know, at the very least, is the name of one of the many anime series that he has contributed to over the years. As for Hans Zimmer, I don't care much about him either way. Hiroyuki Sawano is a name that any anime-lover should know but might not. I used to listen to the Attack On Titan soundtracks on a daily basis. As one of the most famous and influential anime ever made, it’s fitting that Evangelion also has one of the best anime soundtracks. To me, it's the opposite of boring, and is among the most exciting music I have heard. I don't think any of Hiroyuki Sawano's fans would agree. To him kind of applies what said about Sawano. It sounds very samey, even in same tracks. I just think that most of what Zimmer does is more of background noise, not really something I'd listen on its own. Composer, pianist, and producer, Max Richter is one of the best-known classical composers at work this century, with over one billion streams of his music online, and a further one million album sales.