Beatmania

• Film, Game Music

  GDC 2010: Osamu Kubota’s Past and Philosophy on Videogame Music

  June 3, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this GDC 2010: Osamu Kubota’s Past and Philosophy on Videogame Music

  

  Remember when I told you there was more to come from our busy time at GDC 2010 this past March? Well, this is the last of it! Sorry that it’s taken so long, but I think it will be worth the wait. We talked to Osamu Kubota a couple years back, where, yes, we ran that fateful photo of him wearing lipstick. When we saw him at GDC, however, he was without the lipstick, and looked rather professional.

  This time we sit down for a chat about his work on Granado Espada, his interactions with IMC Games director Kim Hakkyu, his philosophy on music in games, his history with a J-pop band in the 1980s, and what his plans are for the rest of 2010. He has a lot of interesting things to say, so join us in our interview with Osamu Kubota after the jump! (more…)

• Game Music, Interviews

  GDC 2010: From Beatmania to Carnegie Hall – An Interview with TaQ

  April 13, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this GDC 2010: From Beatmania to Carnegie Hall – An Interview with TaQ

  

  I thought I told you that we won’t stop! We still have a couple interviews to churn out from GDC last month, and they’re actually somewhat related. This time we have Taku “TaQ” Sakakibara, who is known mostly for his extensive work on the Beatmania series. His work was ported over to Dance Dance Revolution, and his name should look very familiar to series fans with hits like “Electro Tuned,” “Era,” and my personal favorite, “Holic.”

  It’s actually been a while since TaQ worked on a Bemani project, and we take this opportunity to talk about his time with the company, the retooling of his music for Dance Dance Revolution, how he came to work on a track for Granado Espada, and a 20-minute long symphony he wrote that debuted in the prestigious Carnegie Hall. While we realize TaQ isn’t a household name, we hope we can introduce you to him and his work!

  Hit the jump for our talk with TaQ! (more…)

• Game Music

  An Interview With Osamu Kubota, a Man Who Loves His Piano and Lipstick

  August 27, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 7 Comments Share this An Interview With Osamu Kubota, a Man Who Loves His Piano and Lipstick

  

  Okay, so he has quite a sense of humor.  The above flyer for Osamu Kubota’s “Piano Fetish” concert from 2003 is honestly a joke, but really, who doesn’t love to put on a little makeup now and then?

  While Osamu Kubota isn’t a household name in the States, his work on the Beatmania series and the Korean MMORPG Granado Espada have earned him recognition among game music fans. He’s actually somewhat of a renaissance man, having worked on film, games, and independent efforts through his studio, Musique de Poche, and his fluency in English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese make him a fitting ambassador for music throughout Asia.

  As an accomplished pianist, Kubota brings a unique perspective to game music. Having worked with a live orchestra on the recording of Granado Espada, he is on the cutting edge of game audio, effectively combining live performances, electronic elements, and processing techniques that lend his work a distinct polish. We’ve finally been able to sit down with Kubota to discuss his past, his philosophy on music and games, and what he has in store for fans in the future. To my knowledge, this is the first interview he’s done for an English game music outlet, so it’s a great pleasure to introduce to you Osamu Kubota.

  Hit the jump for our lengthy interview with this extremely talented and passionate (and beautiful?) musician. (more…)

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