Tetsuya Shibata
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese video game music composer
and sound director
. He is credited for over twenty musical scores produced for Capcom
's video game releases including the Monster Hunter
and Devil May Cry
series, as well those in the Darkstalkers, Power Stone
and Resident Evil Outbreak
series. His later works with the company involved organizing orchestra
l recordings for the major releases Resident Evil 5
and Monster Hunter Tri. In 2009, Shibata left Capcom and began his own sound studio Unique Note Co., Ltd. with colleague Yoshino Aoki
.
, Japan
. While growing up, his mother was a singer and a music teacher. Shibata began playing classical piano
at a very young age. He taught himself how to play guitar
, bass guitar
, and drums while in junior high school
and high school
. Shibata completed a law degree
from Kansai University
in 1996. While at the university, he heavily studied classic
, rock
, and jazz
genres outside of his major. He eventually bought a synthesizer
to compose his own music.
s such as the Darkstalkers and Power Stone
series. Among other titles, Shibata, alongside Mitsuhiko Takano and frequent collaborator Masato Koda, created the score for the first game in Capcom's successful Monster Hunter
series. Notably, Shibata composed music for the second, third, and fourth installments in Capcom's highly regarded Devil May Cry series
. In later releases he chose to replace electronic music with vocal songs
in the games' various battle and ending themes to make the music more recognizable for each game. One of these pieces, "Out of Darkness" from Devil May Cry 4
, was nominated for a Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Award in 2009. He proclaimed that his favorite project so far has been Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
, on which he did all the sound production. He also personally found this to be the most challenging project in his career. Shibata's role in the soundtrack production of 2006's Dead Rising
involved bringing in licensed music alongside Capcom's in-house compositions.
In late 2008 and early 2009, Shibata worked as senior sound director on two major releases. For Resident Evil 5
, he organizined recordings by the Hollywood Studio Symphony
, and did the same for Monster Hunter Tri with the FILMharmonic Orchestra in Prague. In addition, he produced the Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert, a concert celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Monster Hunter franchise. Some of his compositions from the original Monster Hunter were performed. This would be his last role at Capcom, as he states that he left the company because he wanted to create music for a wide range of companies and genres, including those outside of video games. Torn between his responsibilies as a manager and his desire to compose music more freely, he was reluctant to leave the game developer because he had many ongoing projects at the time. His superior informed him that Capcom would not argue with his decision.
In May 2009, he founded and became the president of his own music company called Unique Note Co., Ltd. The company aspires to create music for several types of media like television
, commercials
, film
s, and film trailers, as well as video games. Shibata himself plays guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard
for his own compositions. Early in the company's establishment, Shibata was joined by another former Capcom composer, Yoshino Aoki
, who is now the group's vice president as well as a composer, arranger, and lyricist. Shibata had previously worked with Aoki on several projects at Capcom. He had gained respect for her musical talent over the years, especially for her score of Breath of Fire IV
which he experienced while he was putting together the Breath of Fire Original Soundtrack Special Box in 2006. So far Unique Note has worked on musical scores for Fullmetal Alchemist: Senka wo Takuseshi Mono and Half-Minute Hero for the PlayStation Portable
, as well as two musicals
.
and Franz Schubert
. In middle school he listened to Britpop
bands Kajagoogoo
and Boy George
. In high school, he became interested in rock bands such as Aerosmith
, Guns N' Roses
, and Led Zeppelin
. By college, he began listening to the jazz stylings of Oscar Peterson
, Makoto Ozone
, and Chick Corea
. He states his most recent interest is in the French pianist Baptiste Trotignon.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and sound director
Director of audiography
The Director of Audiography is the head of the sound department and the person responsible for planning the audiography and managing the audiographers of a film....
. He is credited for over twenty musical scores produced for Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's video game releases including the Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is an action game for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed and published by Capcom. Monster Hunter was released in North America on September 21, 2004...
and Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry (series)
Devil May Cry is a series of five action hack and slash video games set in the modern day. The series was developed by Capcom and created by Hideki Kamiya. Originally intended to be a sequel in Capcom's Resident Evil series, Devil May Cry was such a radical departure from the series' style that it...
series, as well those in the Darkstalkers, Power Stone
Power Stone
Power Stone is a fully 3D arena fighting game series made by Capcom. Power Stone was initially released on the Sega NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast...
and Resident Evil Outbreak
Resident Evil Outbreak
Resident Evil Outbreak, known as in Japan, is a single player game with online playability for the PlayStation 2 initially released in 2003. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 1. This game was the first in the Resident Evil series to feature cooperative gameplay and online multiplayer...
series. His later works with the company involved organizing orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l recordings for the major releases Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...
and Monster Hunter Tri. In 2009, Shibata left Capcom and began his own sound studio Unique Note Co., Ltd. with colleague Yoshino Aoki
Yoshino Aoki
is a Japanese video game music composer. She began her career with video game company Capcom and later became a free-lance composer.-Life and career:...
.
Early life
Tetsuya Shibata was born October 24, 1973 in OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, 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...
. While growing up, his mother was a singer and a music teacher. Shibata began playing classical piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at a very young age. He taught himself how to play guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and drums while in junior high school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. Shibata completed a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from Kansai University
Kansai University
, or , is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university located in Suita, Osaka, Japan and in two other locations: Osaka City; and Takatsuki, Osaka.-History:Kansai University was founded as Kansai Law School in November 1886, in Osaka...
in 1996. While at the university, he heavily studied classic
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
genres outside of his major. He eventually bought a synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
to compose his own music.
Career
With a high interest in starting a career in the musical field, Shibata began applying for jobs in composition after college. Friends of some of his relatives introduced him to the video game industry. Shibata joined Capcom's Sound Management Section in 1997, where he took on various roles such as manager, director, producer, and composer for over twenty different games in a twelve year span. His earliest works were many fighting gameFighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
s such as the Darkstalkers and Power Stone
Power Stone
Power Stone is a fully 3D arena fighting game series made by Capcom. Power Stone was initially released on the Sega NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast...
series. Among other titles, Shibata, alongside Mitsuhiko Takano and frequent collaborator Masato Koda, created the score for the first game in Capcom's successful Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is an action game for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed and published by Capcom. Monster Hunter was released in North America on September 21, 2004...
series. Notably, Shibata composed music for the second, third, and fourth installments in Capcom's highly regarded Devil May Cry series
Devil May Cry (series)
Devil May Cry is a series of five action hack and slash video games set in the modern day. The series was developed by Capcom and created by Hideki Kamiya. Originally intended to be a sequel in Capcom's Resident Evil series, Devil May Cry was such a radical departure from the series' style that it...
. In later releases he chose to replace electronic music with vocal songs
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
in the games' various battle and ending themes to make the music more recognizable for each game. One of these pieces, "Out of Darkness" from Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4 is an action game that was published and developed by Capcom in 2008 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows platforms. The game is the fourth installment to the Devil May Cry series....
, was nominated for a Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Award in 2009. He proclaimed that his favorite project so far has been Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, released in Japan as simply , is an action game that was developed and published by Capcom, released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2...
, on which he did all the sound production. He also personally found this to be the most challenging project in his career. Shibata's role in the soundtrack production of 2006's Dead Rising
Dead Rising
is an action-adventure, survivor horror video game, developed by Capcom and produced by Keiji Inafune. It was released on August 8, 2006 exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. The game was a commercial success. It has been introduced into the Xbox 360 "Platinum Hits" lineup, and a cell...
involved bringing in licensed music alongside Capcom's in-house compositions.
In late 2008 and early 2009, Shibata worked as senior sound director on two major releases. For Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...
, he organizined recordings by the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
, and did the same for Monster Hunter Tri with the FILMharmonic Orchestra in Prague. In addition, he produced the Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert, a concert celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Monster Hunter franchise. Some of his compositions from the original Monster Hunter were performed. This would be his last role at Capcom, as he states that he left the company because he wanted to create music for a wide range of companies and genres, including those outside of video games. Torn between his responsibilies as a manager and his desire to compose music more freely, he was reluctant to leave the game developer because he had many ongoing projects at the time. His superior informed him that Capcom would not argue with his decision.
In May 2009, he founded and became the president of his own music company called Unique Note Co., Ltd. The company aspires to create music for several types of media like television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, and film trailers, as well as video games. Shibata himself plays guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
for his own compositions. Early in the company's establishment, Shibata was joined by another former Capcom composer, Yoshino Aoki
Yoshino Aoki
is a Japanese video game music composer. She began her career with video game company Capcom and later became a free-lance composer.-Life and career:...
, who is now the group's vice president as well as a composer, arranger, and lyricist. Shibata had previously worked with Aoki on several projects at Capcom. He had gained respect for her musical talent over the years, especially for her score of Breath of Fire IV
Breath of Fire IV
Breath of Fire IV, originally released in Japan as is a role-playing video game developed by Capcom, and is the fourth game in the Breath of Fire series. It was originally released for the Sony PlayStation home console in Japan and North America in 2000, and the PAL region in 2001...
which he experienced while he was putting together the Breath of Fire Original Soundtrack Special Box in 2006. So far Unique Note has worked on musical scores for Fullmetal Alchemist: Senka wo Takuseshi Mono and Half-Minute Hero for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, as well as two musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
.
Musical style and influences
Shibata lists musical influences from many different genres before joining Capcom. As a child, he was exposed to the classical styles of Frédéric ChopinFrédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
and Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
. In middle school he listened to Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
bands Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
and Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
. In high school, he became interested in rock bands such as Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. By college, he began listening to the jazz stylings of Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, Makoto Ozone
Makoto Ozone
is a Japanese jazz pianist.He began playing organ at two and by seven was an improviser. He appeared on Japanese television with his father from 1968 to 1970. At twelve he switched to piano after being impressed by albums by Oscar Peterson. In 1980 he entered the Berklee College of Music and later...
, and Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
. He states his most recent interest is in the French pianist Baptiste Trotignon.
Composer
- Earth SeekerEarth Seekeris a role-playing video game published by Enterbrain and developed by Crafts & Meister and Kadokawa Shoten for the Wii console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 2011.-Plot:...
(2011) – with Yoshino AokiYoshino Aokiis a Japanese video game music composer. She began her career with video game company Capcom and later became a free-lance composer.-Life and career:... - Otomedius ExcellentOtomedius Excellentis an Xbox 360 game and the sequel to the 2007 arcade game Otomedius by Konami, which is a spin-off of the Gradius series. Otomedius Excellent features female characters representing different Konami franchises riding on vehicles or equipped with flying armor...
(2011) – with many others - Half-Minute Hero (2009) – with Yoshino AokiYoshino Aokiis a Japanese video game music composer. She began her career with video game company Capcom and later became a free-lance composer.-Life and career:...
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Senka wo Takuseshi Mono (2009) – with Yoshino Aoki
- Devil May Cry 4 (2008) – with Shusaku Uchiyama, Kota Suzuki, Akihiko Narita, Rei Kondoh, Chamy Ishikawa and Shinichiro Satoh
- Street Fighter Alpha 3 MaxStreet Fighter Alpha 3Street Fighter Alpha 3, known as in Japan and Asia, is a fighting game by Capcom originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware. It is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series, following Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and Street Fighter Alpha 2...
(2006) – with Takayuki Iwai - Devil May Cry 3 (2005) – with Kento Hasegawa
- Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 (2005) – with Mitsuhiko Takano, Kento Hasegawa and Etsuko Yoneda
- Monster Hunter (2004) – with Masato Koda and Mitsuhiko Takano
- Resident Evil OutbreakResident Evil OutbreakResident Evil Outbreak, known as in Japan, is a single player game with online playability for the PlayStation 2 initially released in 2003. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 1. This game was the first in the Resident Evil series to feature cooperative gameplay and online multiplayer...
(2004) – with Mitsuhiko Takano, Kento Hasegawa and Etsuko Yoneda - Devil May Cry 2 (2003) – with Masato Koda and Satoshi Ise
- Auto ModellistaAuto ModellistaAuto Modellista is a racing game developed and published by Capcom, first released on Sony PlayStation 2, and subsequently, on Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox...
(2002) – with Isao Abe - Heavy Metal: GeomatrixHeavy Metal: GeomatrixHeavy Metal: Geomatrix is a fully 3D arena fighting game released in 2001 by both Sega and Capcom for the Sega NAOMI and Dreamcast, based upon the Heavy Metal license....
(2001) - Power Stone 2Power Stone 2Power Stone 2 is a multiplayer fighting game that built on the innovative gameplay introduced by its predecessor, Power Stone. Power Stone 2 allows up to four players to choose from multiple characters and utilize items such as tables, chairs, and rocks in battle.Power Stone 2 originated as an...
(2000) - Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service (2000) – with Yuko Takehara
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of HeroesMarvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroesis a fighting game, developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. With the fourth installment of this series, Capcom simplified the controls to make the gameplay more accessible for casual players. The button configuration was trimmed down to 4 main...
(2000) – with Mitsuhiko Takano - Power StonePower StonePower Stone is a fully 3D arena fighting game series made by Capcom. Power Stone was initially released on the Sega NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast...
(1999) - Plasma Sword: Nightmare of BilsteinPlasma Sword: Nightmare of BilsteinPlasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, released in Japan as is the 3D weapon-based fighting game released by Capcom for the arcades. It is the sequel to Star Gladiator and runs on the ZN-2 hardware, an improved version of PlayStation-based ZN-1 hardware its predecessor ran on...
(1998) – with Takayuki Iwai - Street Fighter Alpha 3Street Fighter Alpha 3Street Fighter Alpha 3, known as in Japan and Asia, is a fighting game by Capcom originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware. It is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series, following Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and Street Fighter Alpha 2...
(1998) – with Takayuki Iwai, Yuki Iwai, Isao Abe and Hideki Okugawa - Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire (1997) – with Takayuki Iwai
- Darkstalkers 3 (1997) – with Masato Koda and Takayuki Iwai
Sound director/producer
- Monster Hunter Tri (2009)
- Resident Evil 5Resident Evil 5Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...
(2009) - Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (2008)
- Monster Hunter Freedom 2Monster Hunter Freedom 2Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is a PlayStation Portable video game and sequel to Monster Hunter Freedom, largely based on its PlayStation 2 predecessor Monster Hunter 2, which was never released outside of Japan....
(2007) - Dead Rising (2006)
Other works
- Suisei (2009) - with Yoshino Aoki
- Rakuen (2009) – with Yoshino Aoki
- Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert ~Hunting Music Festival~ (2009)
- Breath of Fire Original Soundtrack Special Box (2006)
External links
- Unique Note official website
- Composer profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...