Nobuo Uematsu

[Oneilio]

Any of you ever heard this Japanese composer's work on the Final Fantasy series? It's simply brilliant. The scores in FF8 and 9 are particularly my favorites. There are a good many in FF10 that stand out, like Suteki Da Ne (Isn't It Beautiful). Any of you into his music as much as I am?

[chocothrax]

I'm a big fan of FF8.

[Raul_]

I'm a HUGE fan of Nobuo Uematsu. His melodies are the most beautiful of video game music and his arranged concerts, with real orchestras, are just awesome ! He made a lot of other various arrangements too (celtic, hard rock, ethnic...).
He came to Paris last year during a japanese festival wich is Heaven for FF fan (Advent Children on a big screen :p ). This guy is really cool and funny ! I told to Uematsu-san I liked music thanks to him. This day, there was some folks who were coming from Spain just for him...:cool:

[Bod]

Yeah, Nobuo Uematsu has been one of my top-composers since I was a gaming-lad. :) It's a shame he's left Square-Enix now but I hope he'll continue to compose many great game scores. Final Fantasy VII's soundtrack is still one of my favourites. There are some very nice themes which have carried on since the original Final Fantasy, such as the opening prelude. Final Fantasy IX was the last Final Fantasy he scored himself, as X had other composers working with him. There were some very notable tracks in VI, VIII and IX also. Advent Children was the last thing he scored for Square-Enix before leaving. Has anyone heard anything by his band: The Black Mages?

[Counterpoint]

Definitely, Nobuo Uematsu is one of the best game composers (actually I frequently listen to his game scores more often than I listen to film scores...). Amazing stuff, especially in the later Final Fantasy games (VII - X). Actually the music he wrote for FF6 was excellent too, I think some of my favourite themes of his were made for this game.

Yasunori Mitsuda is no slouch either... if you havn't heard it, the music he wrote for the "Chrono Cross" soundtrack is awesome. It's possibly my favourite video game score.

I think they worked together on the first game in that series, "Chrono Trigger"... which is also a great soundtrack. :)

- Matt

[JoriH]

Nobuo Uematsu is one of my favourite composers too. I think all the FFs(excluded x-2)
have great music but VII is the one for me because it was the first FF I played.
It's a shame that game music usually isn't that much important to the production companies making games. To me, music really brings the feeling to the game.
Luckily there are exceptions like the games you've mentioned and also Black isle games like Baldur's gate and Icewinterdale have great soundtracks.
I'm not sure why the music isn't sometimes considered that important in games, money perhaps? I think everyone from this forum would be capable of writing a great soundtrack to any kind of game, with a decent price of course..:)

[IBBIAZ]

Yasunori Mitsuda is no slouch either... if you havn't heard it, the music he wrote for the "Chrono Cross" soundtrack is awesome. It's possibly my favourite video game score.


You've pointed out my favorite composer. He is amazing. Funny that you mention this - I'm working on a Chrono Cross vgmix right now!

[ToddK]

"Isnt It Beautiful" by Nobuo Uematsu

Played and recorded it myself.
Using Nuendo, and my classical guitar.

Download it here
http://michaelk101.com/todd/toddmp3/finalfantasy.mp3

[Stefan Podell]

Not bad, Todd...

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[IBBIAZ]

That's pretty good! You should think about a competition called Dwelling of Duels.

http://dod.vgmix.com/index.php

[lavoll]

http://www.square-enix-usa.com/uematsu/black_mages/index.html

:)

[Counterpoint]

Hi Todd,

"Isnt It Beautiful" by Nobuo Uematsu

Played and recorded it myself.
Using Nuendo, and my classical guitar.


Nicely done, and very well performed!

Nobuo has written many extremely memorable themes and this is a good one. :)

Thanks for posting that!

- Matt

[Counterpoint]

http://www.square-enix-usa.com/uematsu/black_mages/index.html

:)

Cool find! This would be a neat show to see live.

I love the concept of live performances of VG music... Nobuo certainly shows alot of dedication to his craft. Got to respect how he takes the time and energy to try and push this style of music more out into the mainstream and get more people to take it seriously as a genre. I have no doubt future generations will be reading about him in the history books. :)

I'd also love to see one of his live Final Fantasy concerts. I've heard some recordings (which sounded great, especially some music from FFVI performed by the Tokyo symphony) but it's just not the same as being there...

- Matt

[Counterpoint]

Hi Ibbiaz,

You've pointed out my favorite composer. He is amazing. Funny that you mention this - I'm working on a Chrono Cross vgmix right now!

Very cool, can you post a link where we can hear it? :) :) :)

Chrono Cross has got to be among the best game scores of all time. I can still recall many (if not all) of the main themes from this game and I havn't played it for several years now.

Cheers,

- Matt

[Waywyn]

haha cool thread,

uemastu is really a great composer. my faves are "aeris theme" and "highwind takes the skies" of the FF7 game :)

[Moonchilde]

I think he is way over-rated. Too many people think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you guys like Uematsu, and are looking for good game composers, I highly recommend Kow Otani, who did Shadow of the Colossus or Koichi Sugiyama who did the Dragon Quest games. Actually, Koichi is a lot better at orchestration than Uematsu and has a much better sense of symphonic music, hands down. If you like Uematsu's hard rock stuff, I would suggest looking into Motoi Sakuraba's work, mainly done on Tri-Ace stuff like Star Ocean. He is an amazing keyboardist and he likes to lug his B3 around on live performances too :) Yuzo Koshiro is also another good VG composer, with a great sense of classical style as heard in Act Raiser 1 and 2.

[Waywyn]

I think he is way over-rated. Too many people think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you guys like Uematsu, and are looking for good game composers, I highly recommend Kow Otani, who did Shadow of the Colossus or Koichi Sugiyama who did the Dragon Quest games. Actually, Koichi is a lot better at orchestration than Uematsu and has a much better sense of symphonic music, hands down. If you like Uematsu's hard rock stuff, I would suggest looking into Motoi Sakuraba's work, mainly done on Tri-Ace stuff like Star Ocean. He is an amazing keyboardist and he likes to lug his B3 around on live performances too :) Yuzo Koshiro is also another good VG composer, with a great sense of classical style as heard in Act Raiser 1 and 2.

hey moonchilde,

thanks for the names, some of them i know but the others i have to check out. (you know, same old song like with every style of music ... "whoot, you don't know xxx??" :))

on the other side i have to say that you should leave that to the people who they like most. for me personally the "highwind takes to the skies" is a very very cool track. some might ask, what is so special on the track, but i think it just hit me :)

some think williams suck, some think zimmer is the best, ... taste is different, ... but definitely thanks for the suggestions :)

[Moonchilde]

If I'm thinking of the right track, Highwind is pretty boring to me... it is just so repetitive IMO.

You should definately check out Motoi Sakuraba, I bet he is right up your ally, a nice mix of rock-synth. Check out any of his arrange soundtracks for Valkyrie Profile or Star Ocean. Especially check out the Star Ocean Blue Sphere arrange soundtrack.

[Waywyn]

sure its repetitive, but i like the melody and its arrangement. simple, but it does what it should: sounds like an airship which takes off to the skies. just a cool melody. i think i could sing it 50 years later only by listening to it once and it still would capture me.

... but like i mentioned before, some like it, some not.

i will definitely check out the other guys.

[Counterpoint]

I think he is way over-rated. Too many people think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you guys like Uematsu, and are looking for good game composers, I highly recommend Kow Otani, who did Shadow of the Colossus or Koichi Sugiyama who did the Dragon Quest games. Actually, Koichi is a lot better at orchestration than Uematsu and has a much better sense of symphonic music, hands down. If you like Uematsu's hard rock stuff, I would suggest looking into Motoi Sakuraba's work, mainly done on Tri-Ace stuff like Star Ocean. He is an amazing keyboardist and he likes to lug his B3 around on live performances too :) Yuzo Koshiro is also another good VG composer, with a great sense of classical style as heard in Act Raiser 1 and 2.

Well, I wouldn't call Nobuo "the greatest thing since sliced bread" but I definitely have alot of respect for the work he's done so I wouldn't call him "overrated" either... At least you are able to back your words with examples of what you think is better, so I do appreciate your opinion. :)

I did like the score for Shadow of the Colossus, that was some excellent work and very dramatic. Definitely deserves at least a 9/10 for the soundtrack. Kow Otani did an amazing job.

Unfortunately I havn't played any of the Dragon Quests yet... so I havn't heard any of those soundtracks.

Thanks for the info, I'll have to see if I can track down some of Koichi, Motoi and Yuzo's works.

- Matt

[Counterpoint]

sure its repetitive, but i like the melody and its arrangement. simple, but it does what it should: sounds like an airship which takes off to the skies. just a cool melody. i think i could sing it 50 years later only by listening to it once and it still would capture me.

... but like i mentioned before, some like it, some not.

i will definitely check out the other guys.

I agree... I'm one of the ones who likes the Highwind theme. :)

Have you heard the version of it performed by the London symphony? They also performed Aeris's theme and Sephiroth's battle music. It's worth tracking down if you like these themes and want to hear a "real" version of them.

Cheers,

- Matt

[Fi.Re.]

2 Moonchilde and for All: Great respect! Sometimes i think, that I am one, so deeply game-music-sick. But such topics convincing me not to think, that it's sickness...
Uematsu and Matsuda are great composers, but Sakuraba (and co.) takes my breathe with Valkyrie Profile and Star Ocean 3 OSTs. Also, Michiru Yamane and Co. (Konami Kukeiha Club) with Castlevanias (on PS2 and PS1) OSTs, Junichi Nakatsuru (mainly) with Soul Caliburs OSTs.

[Waywyn]

I agree... I'm one of the ones who likes the Highwind theme. :)

Have you heard the version of it performed by the London symphony? They also performed Aeris's theme and Sephiroth's battle music. It's worth tracking down if you like these themes and want to hear a "real" version of them.

Cheers,

- Matt

yes counterpoint, definitely heard that. its cool to hear that game music come to live. i think it was my first experience with game music played from a real orchestra.

i am really happy to be at gc 2006 here in germany, because on the concert night they will again play some classics with real orchestra. always fun to see.

[Raul_]

Moonchilde, Uematsu is the one I like the best but I listen the others too.:) Yes, Sakuraba did really great works on Star Ocean and Walkyrie Profile. (By the way, I know he just did a new concert, I have to check this.)
Otani is just brilliant. His SofC soundtrack is one of the best I have ever heard, and is totally orchestrated. As for Jeremy Soule and Morrowind. Sometimes video game music is really close to cinema.
I like very much Masashi Hamauzu and his Unlimited SaGa too. We know since a few weeks that he will in charge of FF13.

It's great to see some excellent composers of this board talking about video game music :)