Akira Yamaoka
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Template:Nihongo is a Japanese composer, musician, producer, and sound designer who composed for Konami's Silent Hill video game series from 1999 to 2009,Template:Efn and 2024 onwards. He also produced many of its installments, and composed for its three film adaptations.
Yamaoka worked with Konami from 1993 to 2009. He has been the sound director at Grasshopper Manufacture since 2010. He has been a director and sound designer at Supertrick Games since 2018.
Life and career
Yamaoka attended Tokyo Art College,<ref name="spelmusik1">Template:Cite web</ref> where he studied product design and interior design. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Yamaoka joined Konami on September 21, 1993.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed He immediately began to work on the games Contra: Hard Corps, Sparkster, and Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2. Shortly thereafter, he 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.<ref name="spelmusik1" /> Although initially hired as a composer, he soon became involved in overall sound design.<ref name="factmag.com">Template:Cite web</ref> His favorite of his own soundtracks is Silent Hill 2.<ref name="giantbomb1">Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 2, 2009, it was announced that Yamaoka was leaving his long term employer Konami.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 3, 2010, it was announced that Yamaoka had joined Grasshopper Manufacture and was working with Goichi Suda and Shinji Mikami on their action game, Shadows of the Damned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was first appointed to the role of chief sound officer at Grasshopper, but became involved in aspects of game production as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On August 10, 2012, Yamaoka announced he would be releasing a second solo album in late 2012, one "different from the usual Silent Hill music."<ref name="musicjapanplus.jp">Template:Cite web</ref> On October 31, 2012, he announced via Facebook, that the new three-track Spanish-language single "Revolución" would premiere at V-CON during a live performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, he expressed interest in returning as a composer for Silent Hills, although the project was later cancelled.<ref name="factmag.com" />
In late October and early November 2015, Yamaoka and his band performed tracks from the Silent Hill series at nine live events in cities across the United Kingdom, titled "Silent Hill Live".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2016, Yamaoka performed live at the BitSummit 4th indie game festival in Kyoto, Japan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Style and influences
Yamaoka stated some of his favorite songs to be "Der Mussolini" by D.A.F., "Amber" by Craig Armstrong, "Moments in Love" by Anne Dudley, "Moon Over Moscow" by Visage, and "The Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He stated in 2009 that his favorite game creator is Suda51 and his favorite video game is No More Heroes.<ref>Nintendo Power, Volume 248</ref> In 2014, he stated his favorite film was Dario Argento's Suspiria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
When asked what other artists influenced his work, Yamaoka cited Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails as his "main inspiration, both performing and in music style."<ref name="musicjapanplus.jp" /> Among his other influences are Angelo Badalamenti (best known for his soundtrack work with David Lynch), Metallica and Depeche Mode.<ref name="spelmusik1" />
When asked if his studies at Tokyo Art College had helped him in his musical career, he replied:<ref name="spelmusik1" /> "At that time, Mick Karn of 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.
Personal life
In March 2011, Yamaoka auctioned some of his musical instruments to raise charity funds for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.<ref name="giantbomb1" /> He is married to Ai "Tamu" Murata, who is the drummer of the heavy metal band Nemophila. They have two daughters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Works
Video games
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Smart Ball | with Yasuhiko Fukuda and Manabu Saito |
| 1994 | Contra: Hard Corps | with several others |
| Sparkster | with several others | |
| Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 | with Michiru Yamane | |
| Snatcher | PC Engine version, Sega CD version, PlayStation version, Sega Saturn version | |
| 1996 | Gradius Deluxe Pack | with Miki Higashino, Kiyohiko Yamane, and Motoaki Furukawa |
| Ganbare Goemon: Uchū Kaizoku Akogingu | with several others | |
| Road Rage/Speed King | PlayStation version | |
| Lightning Legend: Daigo no Daibouken | "Spring's Undersea Walking Hurricane (Rankerk Hatred)" | |
| 1997 | Moon: Remix RPG Adventure | "Tears of Machine" and "TILT" |
| International Superstar Soccer Pro 98 | with several others | |
| Nagano Winter Olympics '98 | with Soshiro Hokkai and Keiko Fukami | |
| 1998 | Poy Poy 2 | |
| NBA In The Zone '98 | with Yuichi Asami, Ryuichi Inoue, and Nobuhiko Matsufuji | |
| Kensei: Sacred Fist | with Kyoran Suzuki and Norikazu Miura | |
| 1999 | Silent Hill | |
| ISS Pro Evolution | with Shinji Enomoto, Kosuke Soeda, and Hideki Kasai | |
| 1999–2012 | Bemani series | |
| 2000 | Gradius III and IV | |
| ESPN MLS GameNight | with Shinji Enomoto, Kosuke Soeda, and Hideki Kasai | |
| 2001 | Silent Hill 2<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2002 | Contra: Shattered Soldier | with Sota Fujimori |
| 2003 | Silent Hill 3<ref name="auto"/> | |
| 2004 | Rumble Roses | with several others |
| Silent Hill 4: The Room<ref name="auto"/> | ||
| 2006 | Rumble Roses XX | with several others |
| 2007 | Silent Hill: The Arcade | with Masayuki Maruyama and Jun Ito |
| Silent Hill: Origins<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| Silent Hill: The Escape | ||
| 2008 | Silent Hill: Homecoming | |
| Otomedius Gorgeous! | arrangements | |
| 2009 | Silent Hill: Shattered Memories<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2010 | No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle | with several others |
| 2011 | Shadows of the Damned | |
| Rebuild of Evangelion: Sound Impact | arrangements | |
| Sdatcher | ||
| 2012 | Sine Mora | |
| Liberation Maiden | ||
| Lollipop Chainsaw | music director | |
| Silent Hill: Book of Memories | guitarist on "Love Psalm (Book of Memories)" | |
| Black Knight Sword | ||
| 2013 | Rotolla | |
| Killer Is Dead | music director | |
| 2014 | Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day | |
| Murasaki Baby | "Neeko" | |
| 2015 | Persona 4: Dancing All Night | "Time To Make History" remix |
| 2016 | Puzzle & Dragons X<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | with Kenji Ito, Yuzo Koshiro, and Keigo Ozaki |
| The Silver Case<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | arrangements, "WHITEOUT" | |
| Let It Die | music director | |
| 2017 | Astro Boy: Edge of Time<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| World of Tanks | "Battle in Japan" with Andrius Klimka<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2018 | The 25th Ward: The Silver Case<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | with Baiyon, Erika Ito, and Masafumi Takada |
| 2020 | Dead by Daylight | Chapter XVI: Silent Hill<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Ninjala | with several others | |
| World of Tanks | "Mirny-13 – Hangar Theme" with Aleksandr Khilko and Aleksey Vanchuk<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> | |
| 2021 | The Medium | with Arkadiusz Reikowski<ref name="Takahashi-May2020">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2022 | Deathverse: Let It Die<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2023 | Decarnation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Stray Souls<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 2024 | Silent Hill: The Short Message | |
| Silent Hill 2 | Remake | |
| Slitterhead<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 2025 | Silent Hill f | with Kensuke Inage, Dai, and Koichi "Xaki" Sakita |
| Let It Die: Inferno<ref>https://www.4gamer.net/games/948/G094802/20250905052/</ref> | Sound Director |
Films
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Silent Hill | with Jeff Danna, also executive producer |
| 2011 | Julia X | "Julia's Wish" |
| 2012 | Silent Hill: Revelation | with Jeff Danna |
| 2014 | Patema Inverted | sound director |
| 2017 | Kuso<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | with Flying Lotus, Aphex Twin, Thundercat, and various others |
| 2026 | Return to Silent Hill<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Anime/television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cyberpunk: Edgerunners | Anime series based on Cyberpunk 2077<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Other
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | iFuturelist | |
| 2011 | "Ex Animo" by Play for Japan: The Album | with various others |
| Snatcher | ||
| 2012 | RevoluciónTemplate:Cn | |
| "Rinkaku (Eternal Slumber Mix)" by Dir En GreyTemplate:Cn | ||
| 2013 | "Rose Cat" by World 1-2 | with various others |
| 2014 | "Sustain the Untruth (Remix)" by Dir En GreyTemplate:Cn | |
| 2016 | En Mo Takenawa |
Notes
References
External links
- 1968 births
- Ambient composers
- Industrial musicians
- Japanese film score composers
- Japanese male film score composers
- Japanese rock guitarists
- Japanese sound designers
- Japanese video game composers
- Konami people
- Living people
- Musicians from Niigata Prefecture
- People from Niigata (city)
- Silent Hill
- Trip hop musicians