Soyo Oka
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese composer
, musician
and author
, formerly employed by Nintendo
. She is best recognized for her video game soundtrack
s during the 1980s and 1990s.
, Japan
. She first started learning to play the piano
in 1970 when she was 4 years old, and started composing music nearly a decade later in 1979, when she was 15.
Oka attended the Osaka College of Music
in Osaka
, Japan, majoring in Composition
. During her time as a student, she began studying the music of Koji Kondo
, and started composing music for video games, feeling that composing video game music would be a promising career. She was later hired by Nintendo as an inhouse composer in 1987, and had the opportunity to work on a game score with Koji Kondo (whom she still holds in high esteem to this day.)
Having left Nintendo in 1995, she has worked and continues to work as a freelance musician
, composing scores for video games, television
, radio
, software, website
s and CD-ROM
s in Japan
. She has also released numerous sample libraries and books, and performs on piano for various events and projects. Companies she has worked for include Sony
, Mitsubishi
, Seiko
, Fujitsu
, Hitachi
, Yamaha
and Toshiba
, amongst others.
In 2005, Oka composed "Shinkirou (Mirage)", one of the ending themes for the anime
Desert Punk
. It was also released on the "Destiny of the Desert" CD single in the same year.
based, often making use of irregular time signatures
and uneven phrase
lengths. More commonly heard are musical traits such as syncopation
, changes in tonality
(modulations
) and a wide selection of modern jazz chords
and voicings, of which are perhaps the largest staple of her music. Considering the limited sound capabilities of the NES
and SNES
consoles she composed for (particularly in terms of polyphony
), this was quite an accomplishment. However, even though much of her music has a modern sound, the majority of her work retains consonance
and is thematic
, and frequently utilises melodic lines and hooks
.
The majority of her work shows clear influence taken from the music of Koji Kondo
, and as a result, occasionally her soundtracks are confused for having been written by him (particularly Super Mario Kart
). Additionally, she has cited Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Debussy, Stravinsky, John Williams
, Lyle Mays
, Yellow Magic Orchestra
, Queen
, and Chick Corea
as some of her musical influences.
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 composer
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...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, formerly employed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. She is best recognized for her video game soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s during the 1980s and 1990s.
Biography
Oka was born in Nishinomiya, HyogoNishinomiya, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Ōsaka and Kōbe. On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is best known as the home of Kōshien Stadium, where the Hanshin Tigers baseball team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball...
, 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...
. She first started learning to play the 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...
in 1970 when she was 4 years old, and started composing music nearly a decade later in 1979, when she was 15.
Oka attended the Osaka College of Music
Osaka College of Music
is a private university in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1915, and it was chartered as a university in 1958.-External links:*...
in Osaka
Osaka
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, majoring in Composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
. During her time as a student, she began studying the music of Koji Kondo
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for scoring numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series.-Early life:...
, and started composing music for video games, feeling that composing video game music would be a promising career. She was later hired by Nintendo as an inhouse composer in 1987, and had the opportunity to work on a game score with Koji Kondo (whom she still holds in high esteem to this day.)
Having left Nintendo in 1995, she has worked and continues to work as a freelance musician
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
, composing scores for video games, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, software, website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s and CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
s in 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...
. She has also released numerous sample libraries and books, and performs on piano for various events and projects. Companies she has worked for include Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
, Seiko
Seiko
, more commonly known simply as Seiko , is a Japanese watch company.-History and ongoing developments:The company was founded in 1881, when Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and jewelry shop called in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later, in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the...
, Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
, Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd.
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
, Yamaha
Yamaha (manufacturer)
is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, electronics, motorcycles and power sports equipment.-History:...
and Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
, amongst others.
In 2005, Oka composed "Shinkirou (Mirage)", one of the ending themes for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Desert Punk
Desert Punk
is a post-apocalyptic manga series written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, serialized in Enterbrain's Comic Beam since 1997. The published chapters have been collected in 13 volumes....
. It was also released on the "Destiny of the Desert" CD single in the same year.
Musical style
A large amount of Oka's game music is fairly liberal and distinctly jazzJazz
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...
based, often making use of irregular time signatures
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
and uneven phrase
Phrase (music)
In music and music theory, phrase and phrasing are concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes, both in their composition and performance...
lengths. More commonly heard are musical traits such as syncopation
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
, changes in tonality
Tonality
Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center", or tonic. The term tonalité originated with Alexandre-Étienne Choron and was borrowed by François-Joseph Fétis in 1840...
(modulations
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
) and a wide selection of modern jazz chords
Jazz chords
Jazz chords are chords and chord symbols which are commonly found in Jazz music and harmony.-Intervals:Each chord is described as a series of intervallic relationships to the root of the chord...
and voicings, of which are perhaps the largest staple of her music. Considering the limited sound capabilities of the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
consoles she composed for (particularly in terms of polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
), this was quite an accomplishment. However, even though much of her music has a modern sound, the majority of her work retains consonance
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
and is thematic
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
, and frequently utilises melodic lines and hooks
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
.
The majority of her work shows clear influence taken from the music of Koji Kondo
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for scoring numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series.-Early life:...
, and as a result, occasionally her soundtracks are confused for having been written by him (particularly Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart
is a go-kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The first game of the Mario Kart series, it was launched in Japan on August 27, 1992, in North America on September 1, 1992, and in Europe on January 21, 1993. Selling eight million copies...
). Additionally, she has cited Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Debussy, Stravinsky, John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, Lyle Mays
Lyle Mays
Lyle Mays is an American jazz pianist and composer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny as a member of the Pat Metheny Group...
, 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...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, 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...
as some of her musical influences.
Game Soundtracks
- (1988) Ice Hockey (NESNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
): composer - (1988) Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally (FDS): composer (1 song: "Monster Dance." all others by Hiroaki Suga and Hideki Kanazashi)
- (1988) Vs. Excitebike (FDS): composer
- (1989) Famicom Mukashibanashi Yūyūki (Zenpen)Yuyuki, often simply titled as , is a text-based adventure video game title developed by Nintendo EAD and Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo exclusively in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System...
(FDS): composer - (1989) Famicom Mukashibanashi Yūyūki (Kouhen)Yuyuki, often simply titled as , is a text-based adventure video game title developed by Nintendo EAD and Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo exclusively in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System...
(FDS): composer - (1990) PilotwingsPilotwingsis a video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division, led by producer Shigeru Miyamoto. The game was originally released in Japan on December 21, 1990, shortly after the launch of the SNES...
(SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
): composer (sound effects and implementation by Koji Kondo) - (1991) Sim City (NES (unreleased), SNES): composer
- (1992) Super Mario KartSuper Mario Kartis a go-kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The first game of the Mario Kart series, it was launched in Japan on August 27, 1992, in North America on September 1, 1992, and in Europe on January 21, 1993. Selling eight million copies...
(SNES): composer (sound effects and implementation by Taro Bando) - (1993) Super Mario All-StarsSuper Mario All-StarsSuper Mario All-Stars, known as in Japan, is a collection of platforming video games that was developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. It contains enhanced remakes of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels , Super Mario Bros...
(SNES): composer, arranger (original composition by Koji KondoKoji Kondois a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for scoring numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series.-Early life:...
) - (1994) Wario's WoodsWario's Woodsis a puzzle game, developed and published by Nintendo, for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES version was released in Japan on February 19, 1994, and both versions were released simultaneously in North America on December 10, 1994...
(NES): composer (with Shinobu Amayake) - (1997) Battle Bugs (PSPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
): composer - (1997) Lagnacure (PS): sound effects
- (2004) Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magical te (PS2PlayStation 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...
): composer - (2004) Gakkō no Kaidan: Hyakuyōbako no Fuuin (GBAGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
): composer - (2011) Zombie Daisuki (Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
): composer
Derivative
- (1994) Wario's WoodsWario's Woodsis a puzzle game, developed and published by Nintendo, for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES version was released in Japan on February 19, 1994, and both versions were released simultaneously in North America on December 10, 1994...
(SNES) - (1996) Mario Kart 64Mario Kart 64is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii...
(N64) - (2001) Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
- (2005) Mario Kart DSMario Kart DSis a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe on November 14, 2005, and in Japan on December 8, 2005. The game is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series of video games, and the first to...
(Nintendo DS) - (2008) Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
(WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) - (2008) Mario Kart WiiMario Kart Wiiis a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
(Wii) (uncredited) - (2009) Excitebike: World RallyExcitebike: World RallyExcitebike: World Rally received mixed to positive reviews, which the game hold's a score of 72% on Game Rankings and a score of 70/100 on Metacritic...
(WiiWareWiiWareWiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
) (uncredited) - (2008) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) (uncredited)
Other
- (2005) Desert PunkDesert Punkis a post-apocalyptic manga series written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, serialized in Enterbrain's Comic Beam since 1997. The published chapters have been collected in 13 volumes....
: ending theme composition - "Shinkirou (Mirage)" - (2007) Second Brain: composer (solo work)
External links
DJ Alice - Soyo Oka's Homepage- Interview with Soyo Oka at RocketBaby
- Artist profile at VGMdb
- 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...