More Info on Akira YamaokaSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Multiple issues|BLP sources=January 2010|original research=September 2007Infobox musical artist| name = Akira Yamaoka| image = Akira Yamaoka - Game Developers Conference 2010 - Day 3 (3).jpg| caption = Akira Yamaoka at the Game Developers Conference in 2010| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_date = Birth date and age|1968|2|6|birth_place = Niigata, Niigata|Niigata , Japan| instrument = Guitar, keyboards| genre = Rock music|Rock , ambient music|ambient , dark ambient , industrial music|industrial , trip-hop | occupation = Composer, sound design er, director of audiography|sound director , video game producer | years_active = 1993& ndash;present| label =| associated_acts =Nihongo| Akira Yamaoka |?? ?|Yamaoka Akira|born February 6, 1968 is a Japanese video game music|video game composer , sound design er, director of audiography|sound director , and video game producer who worked for Konami since 1993 until his resignation in 2009. He is best known for creating the music in the Silent Hill series; he also worked as a sound director and producer on the series as well as serving as a composer and producer of the Silent Hill (film)|Silent Hill feature-length film and its Silent Hill: Revelation 3D|sequel .cite web|url= http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/37030/a-new-silent-hill-way-from-konami|title=A New Silent Hill on the Way From Konamicite web|url= http://michaeljbassett.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/silent-hill-composer-is/|title=Director's Blog - Silent Hill 2 Composer
Biography
Early life
Yamaoka attended Tokyo Art College,cite web|title=Interview with Akira Yamaoka|url= http://www.spelmusik.net/intervjuer/akira_yamaoka_eng.html|publisher=spelmusik.net|month=July | year=2002|accessdate=2007-07-16 where he studied product design and interior design.
Career
On December 2, 2009, it was announced that Yamaoka was leaving his long term employer Konami.cite web | author=Remo, Chris | date=December 2, 2009 | title=Report: Silent Hill Composer Yamaoka Leaves Konami | url= http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26345/Report_Silent_Hill_Composer_Yamaoka_Leaves_Konami.php | publisher= Gamasutra | accessdate=2009-12-02 On February 3, 2010, it was announced that Yamaoka has joined Grasshopper Manufacture and will be working with Goichi Suda and Shinji Mikami on their psychological-action thriller game, Shadows of the Damned , in partnership with Electronic Arts .cite web|url= http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/03/silent-hill-composer-yamaoka-joins-suda-51s-video-game-band|title=Silent Hill composer Yamaoka joins Suda 51's 'video game band'
Personal life
Before working as a video game composer, Yamaoka initially sought a career as a designer, but instead became a musician after studying product design at Tokyo Art College.
In 1993 he joined Konami to work on the game Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 . and then shortly thereafter worked on the music for the PC Engine and Sega CD versions of Snatcher . When Konami began searching for a musician to compose Silent Hill s score, Yamaoka volunteered because he thought he was the only one capable of making the soundtrack.
Yamaoka stated in a 2009 interview that his favorite game creator is Suda 51 and his favorite video game is No More Heroes (video game)|No More Heroes . Nintendo Power , Volume 248
Musical style and influences
Yamaoka cites among his influences Angelo Badalamenti (best known for his soundtrack work with David Lynch ), Metallica and Depeche Mode .
When asked if his studies at Tokyo Art College had helped him in his musical career, he replied: "At that time, Mick Karn of Japan (band)|Japan , Steve Strange of Visage , and a lot of other musicians combined the notions of Art and Music with their own new style. I got really influenced by that. Therefore, every time I write songs, I try to combine Art and Music." He has also stated that he derives much of his influence from baroque styles common throughout the 18th century.
Discography
Smart Ball (1991) & ndash; with Yasuhiko Fukuda and Manabu Saito
Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (1994) & ndash; with Michiru Yamane and Aki Hata
Sparkster (SNES)|Sparkster (1994) & ndash; with Kazuhiko Uehara, Masahiro Ikariko, Michiru Yamane , and M. Matsuhira
Snatcher (1994)
Gradius Deluxe Pack (1996) & ndash; with Miki Higashino , Kiyohiko Yamane, and Motoaki Furukawa
Lightning Legend: Daigo no Daibouken (1996) & ndash; with Ohamo Kotetsu, Matamata, Hitofumi Ushima, and Yasuo Asai
Speed King (1996) (PlayStation version)
International Superstar Soccer Pro (1997)
Poy Poy (1997)
Kensei: Sacred Fist (1998) & ndash; with Kyoran Suzuki and Norikazu Miura
'' International Superstar Soccer Pro '98 (1998)
Silent Hill (video game)|Silent Hill (1999)
Gradius III & IV (2000)
Silent Hill 2 (2001)
Contra: Shattered Soldier (2002) & ndash; with Sota Fujimori
Silent Hill 3 (2003)
Rumble Roses (2004) & ndash; with many others
Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
iFuturelist (2006)
Silent Hill (film)|Silent Hill (2006) & ndash; with Jeff Danna
Rumble Roses XX (2006) & ndash; with many others
Silent Hill: Origins (2007)
Silent Hill Homecoming (2008)
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2009)
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (2010) & ndash; with (mainly) Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda
Play For Japan: The Album (2011) one of several contributors
Silent Hill Persondata | NAME =Yamaoka, Akira | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = Japanese composer | DATE OF BIRTH =February 6, 1968 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Niigata, Niigata|Niigata , Japan | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Yamaoka, Akira Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Video game composers Category:Japanese composers Category:Ambient musicians Category:Industrial musicians Category:People from Niigata Prefecture Category:Silent Hill
