Go Shiina
Encyclopedia
, better known as Go Shiina, is a Japanese video game composer employed at Namco Bandai Games
. He is best known for creating the scores to Tales of Legendia
, the Mr. Driller
series, and God Eater
.
, Japan
, Masaru Shiina was taught how to play the electronic organ
from his parents when he was growing up. Although he was not a dedicated musician before becoming a composer, he was at one time a member of a Megadeth
cover band who also played J-pop
music. Shiina enrolled at Dokkyo Junior High School. After being rejected by 46 companies, including a jewelry company, a finance company, and a fast food company, he was hired by Namco
(now Namco Bandai Games
); he had little prior experience with video games.
Creating music for old arcade releases using Namco's sound trackers felt more like computer programming than composing for Shiina, but he has said that the experience helped him out when he would have to use MIDI sounds in future games. The songs he composed for the first Mr. Driller were deemed unfitting for a puzzle game by some of the staff and they almost didn't make it into the final product.
Mr. Driller G's score was Go Shiina's first solo project. He was given extensive access to live instruments and an incredible amount of creative freedom; this soundtrack would set the stage for his later work. The scores for future games in the Mr. Driller series would also be composed exclusively by Shiina.
The critically acclaimed soundtrack of Tales of Legendia
is perhaps his most well-known work. When he began writing songs for the game he tried to follow in the footsteps of the usual Tales series composer, Motoi Sakuraba
, but after realizing that Legendia's imagery and story were different from the rest of the series he was inspired to develop his own style for the music.
, and rock, and he often mixes different genres and instruments together for unique sounds. Many of Shiina's songs use live string sections, slap bass
, audio filter effects and artificial languages.
He has said that he can write music in any genre, as long as he is motivated, and has also stated that "when I write a song, the time it takes me depends on whether I know the singer's natural voice. The genre doesn't matter..." Shiina feels that there are two types of compositions: "some tracks can stand alone as musical pieces, and some only work when you hear them in the game," and he often alters or leaves out certain songs when putting together albums. When composing vocal or instrumental tracks he sings the parts out loud.
He enjoys listening to the works of Ayumi Hamasaki
.
For the soundtrack to God Eater, Shiina explained that the creative nature of the story pushed him to be creative with the music as well. He looked around for a variety of instruments from many countries, and some of the styles and instruments featured in the score include Japanese traditional music
, African rhythms
, and the Indian sitar
.
He has also done string arrangements for bands.
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
. He is best known for creating the scores to Tales of Legendia
Tales of Legendia
, is a role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was released in Japan on August 25, 2005 and in the United States on February 7, 2006. Tales of Legendia's characteristic genre name is . It is the seventh mothership title in the Tales...
, the Mr. Driller
Mr. Driller
is a series of video games developed by Namco. Mr. Driller puts the player in the role of a driller moving down through screens of blocks, having to keep his air supply from running out while avoiding being squashed by falling blocks...
series, and God Eater
God Eater
Gods Eater Burst is a 2011 action-adventure video game exclusively for the PlayStation Portable developed and published by Namco Bandai Games in Japan and published by D3Publisher, a sister company of Namco Bandai Games, in North America. The game was originally released in Japan as on February...
.
Biography
Born in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Masaru Shiina was taught how to play the electronic organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
from his parents when he was growing up. Although he was not a dedicated musician before becoming a composer, he was at one time a member of a Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
cover band who also played J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
music. Shiina enrolled at Dokkyo Junior High School. After being rejected by 46 companies, including a jewelry company, a finance company, and a fast food company, he was hired by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
(now Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
); he had little prior experience with video games.
Creating music for old arcade releases using Namco's sound trackers felt more like computer programming than composing for Shiina, but he has said that the experience helped him out when he would have to use MIDI sounds in future games. The songs he composed for the first Mr. Driller were deemed unfitting for a puzzle game by some of the staff and they almost didn't make it into the final product.
Mr. Driller G's score was Go Shiina's first solo project. He was given extensive access to live instruments and an incredible amount of creative freedom; this soundtrack would set the stage for his later work. The scores for future games in the Mr. Driller series would also be composed exclusively by Shiina.
The critically acclaimed soundtrack of Tales of Legendia
Tales of Legendia
, is a role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was released in Japan on August 25, 2005 and in the United States on February 7, 2006. Tales of Legendia's characteristic genre name is . It is the seventh mothership title in the Tales...
is perhaps his most well-known work. When he began writing songs for the game he tried to follow in the footsteps of the usual Tales series composer, Motoi Sakuraba
Motoi Sakuraba
is a Japanese composer of video games, anime series, and television dramas as well as independent progressive rock albums.-Biography:Motoi Sakuraba was born in Akita Prefecture, Japan...
, but after realizing that Legendia's imagery and story were different from the rest of the series he was inspired to develop his own style for the music.
Musical style and influences
Go Shiina's music is characterized by dramatic melodies and unusual arrangements. His soundtracks contain a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, orchestral, fusionFusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
, and rock, and he often mixes different genres and instruments together for unique sounds. Many of Shiina's songs use live string sections, slap bass
Slapping
In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different playing techniques used on the double bass and on the bass guitar.-Double bass:...
, audio filter effects and artificial languages.
He has said that he can write music in any genre, as long as he is motivated, and has also stated that "when I write a song, the time it takes me depends on whether I know the singer's natural voice. The genre doesn't matter..." Shiina feels that there are two types of compositions: "some tracks can stand alone as musical pieces, and some only work when you hear them in the game," and he often alters or leaves out certain songs when putting together albums. When composing vocal or instrumental tracks he sings the parts out loud.
He enjoys listening to the works of Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
.
For the soundtrack to God Eater, Shiina explained that the creative nature of the story pushed him to be creative with the music as well. He looked around for a variety of instruments from many countries, and some of the styles and instruments featured in the score include Japanese traditional music
Traditional Japanese music
Traditional Japanese music is the term used to describe historical Japanese folk music, or traditional music.-Rhythm:One of the characteristics of traditional Japanese music is a sparse rhythm. It also doesn't have regular chords. In Japanese music, one cannot beat time with one's hands because...
, African rhythms
Music of Africa
Africa is a vast continent and its regions and nations have distinct musical traditions. The music of North Africa for the most part has a different history from sub-Saharan African music traditions....
, and the Indian sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
.
He has also done string arrangements for bands.
Discography
| Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Co-worker |
| 1998 | Quick & Crash | Composition | |
| 1999 | Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere | Composition | many others |
| Mr. Driller (Arcade) | Composition | Tomoko Tatsuta | |
| 2001 | Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, known in Japan as . is a PlayStation 2 platform video game by Namco released in 2001. It is the sequel to 1997's Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. It was planned for Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil to be ported to the Nintendo GameCube... |
Composition | many others |
| Mr. Driller G | Composition | ||
| 2002 | Mr. Driller: Drill Land Mr. Driller: Drill Land Mr. Driller: Drill Land, also known as Mr. Driller 5, is a puzzle video game released in 2002 by Namco. The game was released only in Japan.-Plot:... |
Composition | |
| 2003 | Taiko no Tatsujin Taiko no Tatsujin is a series of rhythm games created by Namco. The series has seen releases for the arcade, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, iOS, Advanced Pico Beena, and mobile phones.... |
Composition/arrangement | |
| 2005 | The Idolmaster | Composition | many others |
| Tales of Legendia Tales of Legendia , is a role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was released in Japan on August 25, 2005 and in the United States on February 7, 2006. Tales of Legendia's characteristic genre name is . It is the seventh mothership title in the Tales... |
Composition/arrangement | ||
| Tekken: Dark Resurrection Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is an update to Tekken 5 and is technically the seventh game in the Tekken series. The arcade version was released in Japan in 2005 and in North America in 2006, while the PSP version was released later that year... |
Composition/arrangement | many others | |
| 2006 | Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology is a spin-off of the Tales action role-playing game series for the PlayStation Portable. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology's characteristic genre name is . Like some of the previous games that bear Tales of the World in their title, this game is a crossover title featuring characters from... |
Composition | Motoi Sakuraba Motoi Sakuraba is a Japanese composer of video games, anime series, and television dramas as well as independent progressive rock albums.-Biography:Motoi Sakuraba was born in Akita Prefecture, Japan... |
| Pro Baseball Nechu Star 2006 | Composition (opening) | ||
| 2007 | Tekken 6 Tekken 6 is a fighting game developed and published by Namco Bandai. It is the eighth game in the Tekken franchise. It was released in Japanese arcades on November 26, 2007 as the first game running on the PlayStation 3-based System 357 arcade board. The game received an update, subtitled Bloodline... |
Composition | many others |
| Kyou Kara Maoh! Hajimari no Tabi | Composition | several others | |
| 2008 | Mr. Driller Online Mr. Driller Online Mr. Driller Online is a downloadable puzzle video game created by Namco Bandai based on the popular Japanese video game series for the Xbox Live Arcade. The title was released on April 2, 2008 via the Xbox Live Marketplace.-Gameplay:... |
Composition | |
| Echoes of War Echoes of War Echoes of War is a Blizzard Entertainment-produced orchestral version of the music from their three most popular video game series, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo... |
Arrangement | several others | |
| 2009 | Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 is the fifth entry in the Tales of the World series, and the second entry in the Radiant Mythology series. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2's characteristic genre name is . Like other games in the series, it features a group of characters from various Tales games. 50 characters from the... |
Composition/arrangement | several others |
| Tales of VS. Tales of VS. is the latest escort title in the Tales series exclusively for the PlayStation Portable, released on August 6, 2009 in Japan. It was developed by Matrix Software and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is a cross-over action game which features various characters from past Tales games. Tales of VS... |
Composition/arrangement | Motoi Sakuraba Motoi Sakuraba is a Japanese composer of video games, anime series, and television dramas as well as independent progressive rock albums.-Biography:Motoi Sakuraba was born in Akita Prefecture, Japan... |
|
| God Eater God Eater Gods Eater Burst is a 2011 action-adventure video game exclusively for the PlayStation Portable developed and published by Namco Bandai Games in Japan and published by D3Publisher, a sister company of Namco Bandai Games, in North America. The game was originally released in Japan as on February... |
Composition | ||
| 2010 | Ace Combat: Joint Assault Ace Combat: Joint Assault Reception to the game has been mixed. GameSpot and IGN stated that the game's story was not as dramatic as those from previous titles, and its saving grace is the co-operative play options and the easy access to new rewards... |
Composition/arrangement | several others |
| God Eater BURST God Eater Gods Eater Burst is a 2011 action-adventure video game exclusively for the PlayStation Portable developed and published by Namco Bandai Games in Japan and published by D3Publisher, a sister company of Namco Bandai Games, in North America. The game was originally released in Japan as on February... |
Composition | ||
| 2011 | Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 is a sixth entry in the Tales of the World series, and the third entry in the Radiant Mythology series. Like other games in the series, it features a group of characters from various Tales games.-Job Classes:... |
Composition | |
| 2012 | Ace Combat 3D: Assault Horizon Legacy | Composition | TBA |
| God Eater 2 | Composition | ||