Tsuyoshi Sekito
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese video game composer, arranger
, and musician who has been employed at Square Enix
since 1995. As a composer, he is best known for scoring the video games Brave Fencer Musashi
(1998) and The Last Remnant
(2008). He also plays the guitar in the rock bands The Black Mages
and The Star Onions; both groups arrange and perform compositions from the Final Fantasy
series.
, Japan. His career as a video game composer began at the end of the 1980s when he joined Konami
's sound team. The first game he scored was Space Manbow
in 1989. The following year, he created the music for SD Snatcher
and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
along with several other composers. He was subsequently assigned to score the sports titles Double Dribble: 5-on-5 (1991) and Soccer Superstars (1995) and the cartoon adaptations Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers
(1991) and Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
(1993), often as the leading composer. In 1994, he created the soundtrack to the arcade game
Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters
with Yuichi Sakakura. He left Konami in 1995 to join the Osaka branch of Square
.
After joining Square, Sekito did not compose any games until 1998; his first assignment for the company was to create the music for Brave Fencer Musashi
. In 1999, he assisted in scoring the soundtrack to Chocobo's Dungeon 2 by creating 12 pieces. His fellow composers were Kumi Tanioka
and Kenji Ito
. The following year, he composed music for the Japan-only All Star Pro-Wrestling
along with Kenichiro Fukui
and Tanioka. Sekito went solo for the game's sequel, All Star Pro-Wrestling II (2001), and was joined by Fukui again for the third and final installment, All Star Pro-Wrestling III (2003).
In 2002, after Sekito and Fukui's collaboration on All Star Pro-Wrestling, they decided to arrange
some of the pieces in the Final Fantasy
series, composed by Nobuo Uematsu
. The two presented their arrangements to Uematsu who enjoyed their work. Although hesitant at first, Uematsu agreed to join Sekito and Fukui in forming the rock band The Black Mages
; Sekito served as the group's guitarist. In 2003, Keiji Kawamori, Arata Hanyuda, and Michio Okamiya also joined the band. The Black Mages have released three studio albums, and have appeared at several concerts to promote their albums.
bands Van Halen
and Dream Theater
and film score composer Jerry Goldsmith
as musical influences.
Arrangement
Arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, and musician who has been employed at Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
since 1995. As a composer, he is best known for scoring the video games Brave Fencer Musashi
Brave Fencer Musashi
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 1998 for the Sony PlayStation. The game involves real-time combat in a 3D environment, and features voice overs for most dialogue. Brave Fencer Musashi was scored by Tsuyoshi Sekito, a former Konami employee...
(1998) and The Last Remnant
The Last Remnant
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The game is directed at both Japanese and Western audiences and had a simultaneous release in Japan, North America and Europe, on November 20, 2008 for the Xbox 360. The game was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows at the end...
(2008). He also plays the guitar in the rock bands The Black Mages
The Black Mages
The Black Mages were a Japanese instrumental rock band formed in 2002 by Nobuo Uematsu, Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito - three composers for Square Enix. The band arranged Uematsu's Final Fantasy video game series-based compositions in a rock style often similar to progressive metal, achieved...
and The Star Onions; both groups arrange and perform compositions from the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series.
Biography
Tsuyoshi Sekito was born 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. His career as a video game composer began at the end of the 1980s when he joined Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
's sound team. The first game he scored was Space Manbow
Space Manbow
Space Manbow is a shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Konami for the MSX2 in 1989. It was later re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console service on the 24th of November, 2009. It has never been released outside of Japan.-Summary:...
in 1989. The following year, he created the music for SD Snatcher
SD Snatcher
SD Snatcher is a role-playing video game by Konami for the MSX2 computer platform in exclusively in Japan. It is a spinoff of the original Snatcher, adapting the same storyline into a different genre...
and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
is an overhead stealth action game that was originally released by Konami in for the MSX2 computer standard exclusively in Japan. Metal Gear 2 was directed and written by Hideo Kojima, who also designed the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear...
along with several other composers. He was subsequently assigned to score the sports titles Double Dribble: 5-on-5 (1991) and Soccer Superstars (1995) and the cartoon adaptations Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles II: Back from the Sewers in Europe, and simply Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 in Japan, is a 1991 Game Boy game by Konami...
(1991) and Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure was the first Tiny Toon Adventures-based game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. It was released in 1993 and developed and published by Konami....
(1993), often as the leading composer. In 1994, he created the soundtrack to the arcade game
Arcade game
An 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...
Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters
Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters
Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is a 1994 arcade prequel to the original Lethal Enforcers, takings place in the American Old West.-General information:...
with Yuichi Sakakura. He left Konami in 1995 to join the Osaka branch of Square
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
.
After joining Square, Sekito did not compose any games until 1998; his first assignment for the company was to create the music for Brave Fencer Musashi
Brave Fencer Musashi
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 1998 for the Sony PlayStation. The game involves real-time combat in a 3D environment, and features voice overs for most dialogue. Brave Fencer Musashi was scored by Tsuyoshi Sekito, a former Konami employee...
. In 1999, he assisted in scoring the soundtrack to Chocobo's Dungeon 2 by creating 12 pieces. His fellow composers were Kumi Tanioka
Kumi Tanioka
is a Japanese video game music composer and musician. She is most known for composing the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series.-Early life:Kumi Tanioka was born in Hiroshima, Japan. She studied music and composition while in school and enjoyed listening to video game music as her younger brother...
and Kenji Ito
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the Mana and SaGa series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged music for over 15 other albums, concerts, and plays...
. The following year, he composed music for the Japan-only All Star Pro-Wrestling
All Star Pro-Wrestling
is a Japan-exclusive professional wrestling video game developed and published by Square on June 8, 2000 for the PlayStation 2. It was the first wrestling game published on this platform....
along with Kenichiro Fukui
Kenichiro Fukui
is a Japanese video game composer and musician. Before working at Square Enix, he was employed at Konami. He is an arranger and a keyboardist in the band The Black Mages, formed in 2003. Additionally, Fukui arranged Angela Aki's "Kiss Me Good-Bye" from Final Fantasy XII. In October 2007, he left...
and Tanioka. Sekito went solo for the game's sequel, All Star Pro-Wrestling II (2001), and was joined by Fukui again for the third and final installment, All Star Pro-Wrestling III (2003).
In 2002, after Sekito and Fukui's collaboration on All Star Pro-Wrestling, they decided to arrange
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
some of the pieces in the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series, composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
. The two presented their arrangements to Uematsu who enjoyed their work. Although hesitant at first, Uematsu agreed to join Sekito and Fukui in forming the rock band The Black Mages
The Black Mages
The Black Mages were a Japanese instrumental rock band formed in 2002 by Nobuo Uematsu, Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito - three composers for Square Enix. The band arranged Uematsu's Final Fantasy video game series-based compositions in a rock style often similar to progressive metal, achieved...
; Sekito served as the group's guitarist. In 2003, Keiji Kawamori, Arata Hanyuda, and Michio Okamiya also joined the band. The Black Mages have released three studio albums, and have appeared at several concerts to promote their albums.
Musical style and influences
Sekito cites heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
and Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
and film score composer Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
as musical influences.
Video games
CompositionArrangement
- Final Fantasy ChroniclesFinal Fantasy ChroniclesFinal Fantasy Chronicles is a compilation of Square's console role-playing games Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, released for the North American Sony PlayStation on June 29, 2001...
(1999) - Final Fantasy Origins (2002)
- Front Mission OnlineFront Missionis a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and is now with Square Enix as Product Development Division-6...
(2005) - Final Fantasy III (Nintendo DS) (2006) – with Keiji Kawamori
- Dissidia: Final FantasyDissidia: Final Fantasyis an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
(2008) – with Your Favorite EnemiesYour Favorite EnemiesYour Favorite Enemies is an Alternative rock/Progressive rock/Indie rock band formed in 2006 by Alex Foster , Jeff Beaulieu , Sef , Ben Lemelin , Miss Isabel and Charles “Moose” Allicy ....
and Mitsuto Suzuki - Dissidia 012 Final FantasyDissidia 012 Final Fantasyis a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
(2011) - with Keiji Kawamori, Mitsuto Suzuki and Rieko Mikoshiba - Lord of Vermilion Re:2 (2011) - with Ryo YamazakiRyo Yamazakiis a Japanese synthesizer programmer and occasional composer of video game music currently working at Square Enix.-Biography:Yamazaki has created several compositions for Front Mission 4, Front Mission Online, and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII...
, Mitsuto Suzuki, Yasuhiro Yamanaka and Keiji Kawamori
Films
Composition- Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (2005) – with Nobuo Uematsu and Keiji Kawamori
Arrangement
- Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (2009) – with Keiji Kawamori
Other works
- feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus (2001) – with Masashi HamauzuMasashi Hamauzuis a Japanese video game composer who was employed at Square Enix from 1996 to 2010. He is best known for his work on the Final Fantasy and SaGa series. Born into a musical family in Germany, Hamauzu was raised in Japan...
and Masayoshi KikuchiMasayoshi Sokenis a Japanese video game composer and sound editor who has worked for Square Enix since 2001. He is best known for scoring the Nintendo DS game Mario Hoops 3-on-3... - The Black Mages (2003)
- The Black Mages II: The Skies Above (2005)
- The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight (2008)