Ryu Umemoto
Encyclopedia
Ryu Umemoto was a Japan
ese video game music composer, born in Yokohama
, Kanagawa Prefecture
. He is known for composing soundtracks to various visual novel
and shoot 'em up
games since the 1990s, for several companies including FamilySoft, C's Ware
, ELF Corporation
, D4 Enterprise
, and Cave
. He is considered to be one of the greatest FM-synth
chiptune
composers, and has often been compared to Yuzo Koshiro
.
, Kanagawa Prefecture
. He was a descendent of the 16th-century daimyo
Takeda Shingen
. He was also a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, which had a strong influence on his music, much of which had spiritual undertones. The first video game he ever played was Taito
's Elevator Action
(1983).
He never had any formal education in music, but was entirely self-taught, and had often experimented with synthesizer
s since he was young. His musical influences included electronic music
band Yellow Magic Orchestra
and video game composer Yuzo Koshiro
. During high school
, Umemoto began doing freelance projects for personal computer game
soundtracks. His first assignment was for the company FamilySoft, after sending them some demo works.
During the 1990s, he composed the soundtracks for various personal computer game
s, establishing himself as a commercial musician. From 1992 to 1993, he worked for FamilySoft, producing soundtracks for mostly anime-based games, including several based on the mecha anime
franchises Gundam
and Macross
. He also composed some of the compositions in Princess Maker 2
during this time.
He then worked as a freelance musician on various projects for other companies such as C's Ware
and ELF Corporation
. His first major projects were for several C's Ware visual novel
s, beginning with the 1994 title Xenon, an eroge
space station adventure game
. He had to meet tight deadlines for C's Ware, often under two months while working on simultaneous projects. He also composed the soundtracks for other C's Ware visual novels such as Desire (1994) and EVE Burst Error (1995). The EVE Burst Error soundtrack in particular was praised for its "pairing between audio and visuals" and its high "degree of emotional involvement." He then worked with ELF, for which he composed the soundtrack for their most famous visual novel, YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world (1996).
In later years, he expanded his range of activity as an arranger, conductor and sound director. From 2007 to 2008, he began working for D4 Enterprise
, establishing the ARTDINK sound department with former employees of ThinkRidge. He began gaining more international attention for his work with the company Cave
in the last few years of his life, producing soundtracks for bullet hell shooters such as Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
(2003), Espgaluda II
(2005), Akai Katana (2010), and NIN2-JUMP (2011). On 17 August 2011, he died of illness at the age of 37.
1992:
1993:
1994:
1995:
1996:
2000:
2002:
2003:
2005:
2006:
2007:
2009:
2010:
2011:
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...
ese video game music composer, born in Yokohama
Yokohama
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...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. He is known for composing soundtracks to various visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
and shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
games since the 1990s, for several companies including FamilySoft, C's Ware
C's Ware
C's Ware is a Label of HimeyaSoft Inc. not to be confused with their US-Distribution arm Himeya Soft Inc., from Tokyo, Japan developing story driven interactive visual novel adventure games, such as Desire, EVE Burst Error, and Glo-Ri-A...
, ELF Corporation
ELF Corporation
ELF Corporation is an eroge studio. One of its most popular games is Dōkyūsei, a pioneering dating sim, which has had a sequel, and been turned into video and TV series. The character design of the main villains from the -saku series is the company mascot...
, D4 Enterprise
D4 Enterprise
D4 Enterprise is a Japanese video game publisher currently specializing in content delivery services like Project EGG over the Internet. The company has also provided Neo Geo and MSX titles to the Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii.-See also:...
, and Cave
Cave (company)
Cave Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company, known primarily for its manic shoot 'em ups. Cave remains one of the most active makers of arcade shoot-'em-ups in the Japanese market...
. He is considered to be one of the greatest FM-synth
Frequency modulation synthesis
A 220 Hz carrier tone modulated by a 440 Hz modulating tone with various choices of modulation index, β. The time domain signals are illustrated above, and the corresponding spectra are shown below ....
chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
composers, and has often been compared to Yuzo Koshiro
Yuzo Koshiro
is a Japanese video game music composer and audio programmer. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune music and video game sound design...
.
Biography
He was born on 18 February 1974, 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...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. He was a descendent of the 16th-century daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
. He was also a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, which had a strong influence on his music, much of which had spiritual undertones. The first video game he ever played was Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
's Elevator Action
Elevator Action
is a 1983 arcade game by Taito. It debuted during the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". Innovative in gameplay, this game was very popular for many years, with game music created by musician Yoshino Imamura...
(1983).
He never had any formal education in music, but was entirely self-taught, and had often experimented with 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...
s since he was young. His musical influences included electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
and video game composer Yuzo Koshiro
Yuzo Koshiro
is a Japanese video game music composer and audio programmer. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune music and video game sound design...
. During 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....
, Umemoto began doing freelance projects for personal computer game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
soundtracks. His first assignment was for the company FamilySoft, after sending them some demo works.
During the 1990s, he composed the soundtracks for various personal computer game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
s, establishing himself as a commercial musician. From 1992 to 1993, he worked for FamilySoft, producing soundtracks for mostly anime-based games, including several based on the mecha anime
Mecha anime
Mecha anime cover all series that revolve around the use of piloted robotic armors in battle, which is broken down into two subcategories of Super Robot and Real Robot. Mecha series cover a wide variety of genres from comedy to drama, though are always fantastical and larger-than-life in nature and...
franchises Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
and Macross
Macross
is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
. He also composed some of the compositions in Princess Maker 2
Princess Maker 2
Princess Maker 2 is the second installment in the Princess Maker series of life simulation games developed by the Japanese computer game and anime production company Gainax. It has been translated into Korean and Chinese; an English-language beta version exists, but was never formally released. In...
during this time.
He then worked as a freelance musician on various projects for other companies such as C's Ware
C's Ware
C's Ware is a Label of HimeyaSoft Inc. not to be confused with their US-Distribution arm Himeya Soft Inc., from Tokyo, Japan developing story driven interactive visual novel adventure games, such as Desire, EVE Burst Error, and Glo-Ri-A...
and ELF Corporation
ELF Corporation
ELF Corporation is an eroge studio. One of its most popular games is Dōkyūsei, a pioneering dating sim, which has had a sequel, and been turned into video and TV series. The character design of the main villains from the -saku series is the company mascot...
. His first major projects were for several C's Ware visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s, beginning with the 1994 title Xenon, an eroge
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
space station adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
. He had to meet tight deadlines for C's Ware, often under two months while working on simultaneous projects. He also composed the soundtracks for other C's Ware visual novels such as Desire (1994) and EVE Burst Error (1995). The EVE Burst Error soundtrack in particular was praised for its "pairing between audio and visuals" and its high "degree of emotional involvement." He then worked with ELF, for which he composed the soundtrack for their most famous visual novel, YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world (1996).
In later years, he expanded his range of activity as an arranger, conductor and sound director. From 2007 to 2008, he began working for D4 Enterprise
D4 Enterprise
D4 Enterprise is a Japanese video game publisher currently specializing in content delivery services like Project EGG over the Internet. The company has also provided Neo Geo and MSX titles to the Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii.-See also:...
, establishing the ARTDINK sound department with former employees of ThinkRidge. He began gaining more international attention for his work with the company Cave
Cave (company)
Cave Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company, known primarily for its manic shoot 'em ups. Cave remains one of the most active makers of arcade shoot-'em-ups in the Japanese market...
in the last few years of his life, producing soundtracks for bullet hell shooters such as Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
On 2007-3-26, Arika's vice president Ichiro Mihara mentioned the release of Nintendo DS version of Ketsui in his personal page . The game, subtitled Death label, was available for download in test events in 2007-3-31. Video footage of the game was also released by Mihara...
(2003), Espgaluda II
Espgaluda II
Espgaluda II is a manic shooter by Cave, sequel to Espgaluda, which was the prequel released after ESP Ra.De.. An Xbox 360 release, titled Espgaluda II Black Label, was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan.-Story:...
(2005), Akai Katana (2010), and NIN2-JUMP (2011). On 17 August 2011, he died of illness at the age of 37.
Soundtracks
This is a list of soundtracks that he composed.1992:
- HIBIKI (PC-98)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Hyper Classic Operation (FM TownsFM TownsThe FM Towns system is a Japanese PC variant, built by Fujitsu from February 1989 to the summer of 1997. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and PC games, but later became more compatible with regular PCs...
) - Square Resort (X68000Sharp X68000The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
)
1993:
- AZURE (FM Towns)
- Dengeki Division (PC-98)
- Macross: Remember Me (PC-98)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: A Year of War (PC-98)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Return of Zion (PC-98)
- MSX Train (MSX)
- Princess Maker 2Princess Maker 2Princess Maker 2 is the second installment in the Princess Maker series of life simulation games developed by the Japanese computer game and anime production company Gainax. It has been translated into Korean and Chinese; an English-language beta version exists, but was never formally released. In...
(PC-98, FM Towns, PC Engine, SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, MS-DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, MacintoshMacintoshThe Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
, GP32GP32The GP32 is a handheld game console developed by the Korean company Game Park. It was released on November 23, 2001, in South Korea only.- Overview :The GP32 is based on a 133 MHz ARM CPU and 8 MB of RAM...
) - Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (PC-98)
- War Torn Versnag (PC-98)
1994:
- DESIRE ～Spiral of Immorarity～C's WareC's Ware is a Label of HimeyaSoft Inc. not to be confused with their US-Distribution arm Himeya Soft Inc., from Tokyo, Japan developing story driven interactive visual novel adventure games, such as Desire, EVE Burst Error, and Glo-Ri-A...
(PC-98, Saturn, Windows, PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
) - XENON ～Phantom Limb～C's WareC's Ware is a Label of HimeyaSoft Inc. not to be confused with their US-Distribution arm Himeya Soft Inc., from Tokyo, Japan developing story driven interactive visual novel adventure games, such as Desire, EVE Burst Error, and Glo-Ri-A...
(PC-98, FM Towns)
1995:
- EVE Burst ErrorC's WareC's Ware is a Label of HimeyaSoft Inc. not to be confused with their US-Distribution arm Himeya Soft Inc., from Tokyo, Japan developing story driven interactive visual novel adventure games, such as Desire, EVE Burst Error, and Glo-Ri-A...
(PC-98, Saturn, Windows, PlayStation 2)
1996:
- YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world (PC-98, Saturn, Windows)
- GROUNSEED (PC-98)
2000:
- PsyvariarPsyvariaris a vertically scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Success Corporation on Taito's G-NET hardware.The game is known for heavy uses of Engrish at game intro.-Control:...
(ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
)
2002:
- PopotanPopotanis a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Petit Ferret with character designs by Akio Watanabe under the alias Poyoyon Rock. It was originally released as a PC game for CD-ROM on December 13, 2002 and subsequently re-released on DVD-ROM and for the PlayStation 2 with certain scenes removed...
(Windows)
2003:
- ECLIPSE (Windows)
- Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku TachiKetsui: Kizuna Jigoku TachiOn 2007-3-26, Arika's vice president Ichiro Mihara mentioned the release of Nintendo DS version of Ketsui in his personal page . The game, subtitled Death label, was available for download in test events in 2007-3-31. Video footage of the game was also released by Mihara...
(Arcade, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
)
2005:
- Espgaluda IIEspgaluda IIEspgaluda II is a manic shooter by Cave, sequel to Espgaluda, which was the prequel released after ESP Ra.De.. An Xbox 360 release, titled Espgaluda II Black Label, was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan.-Story:...
(Arcade, i-modeI-modeNTT DoCoMo's i-mode is a mobile internet service popular in Japan. Unlike Wireless Application Protocol, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail and the packet-switched network that delivers the data...
, iOS) - GLAS AUSZEICHNUNG (Windows)
2006:
- CrymeRhymeParadox (Windows)
- Ano Machi no Koi no Uta (Windows)
- StoneAge2 (Windows)
2007:
- R.U.R.U.R.R.U.R.U.R.is a Japanese H-game for computer, developed and published by light. The game is known for its use of established science fiction elements in its story, along with numerous references to several works of literature, including Antoine de Saint Exupéry's The Little Prince and Karel Čapek's R.U.R.In...
(Windows)
2009:
- Kaiten Illust Puzzle Guruguru Logic (Nintendo DSiNintendo DSiThe is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
) - Kitto, sumi wataru asa shoku yorimo (Windows)
- Spinning "Guru Guru" Logic (Nintendo DSi)
2010:
- Espgaluda II Black LabelEspgaluda IIEspgaluda II is a manic shooter by Cave, sequel to Espgaluda, which was the prequel released after ESP Ra.De.. An Xbox 360 release, titled Espgaluda II Black Label, was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan.-Story:...
(Xbox 360) - Akai KatanaCave (company)Cave Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company, known primarily for its manic shoot 'em ups. Cave remains one of the most active makers of arcade shoot-'em-ups in the Japanese market...
(Arcade) - Akai Katana ShinCave (company)Cave Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company, known primarily for its manic shoot 'em ups. Cave remains one of the most active makers of arcade shoot-'em-ups in the Japanese market...
(Xbox 360)
2011:
- NIN2-JUMPCave (company)Cave Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company, known primarily for its manic shoot 'em ups. Cave remains one of the most active makers of arcade shoot-'em-ups in the Japanese market...
(Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
)