Nobuo Uematsu...

[image=http://www.ffwa.org/news/images/nobuo-mn.jpg]




He's been called the John Williams of the video game world, and the description is apt. Born in Kouchi City Japan on March 21, 1959. Nobuo started playing the piano at the age of 12 and has never been formerly taught. By his own admition, he said he wanted to learn to play the piano because he wanted to be like Elton John.

After finishing high school, Nobuo graduated from University of Kanagawa and his major was suprisingly not music! When Nobuo turned 22, he joined many amantuer bands as a keyboard player, but he discover that he love writing music more then playing, so he decided to pursuit a career as a composer and sent out many demo tapes to many companies. One of them finally hired him to write some music for radio CM.

In 1985, one of Nobuo's friend, who was working at a video game company called Squaresoft ask Nobuo if he wanted to write music for some of their video game and the rest is history.

In his spare time, Nobuo enjoys listening to Irish music, watching Japanese pro wrestling, drink/make beer and learn how to play the Fiddle.

Currently Nobuo Uematsu resides in Japan with his wife Reiko and his dog Pao.



The Japanese composer who has done the music on all of the Final Fantasy series of video games, happens to be one of my favorite people associated with music of all time, his music is very moving and inspiring....

If you have heard his music and like it, come and discuss it here...

 

You know, a few months ago I was searching for Final Fantasy 3 music on Kazaa. Results came up and I was surprised to see actual ORCHESTRAL music, the same music from the game, except for real instruments. I was stunned, it should have won a Grammy (The Opening Theme)

 

Yeah, I agree, that song is great...

 

Count me in as a fan. He truly is the John Williams of video game music.

For those who don't think video game music can possibly come close to other forms of music, pick up the CD Final Fantasy S Generation. From "Liberi Fatali" to "Melodies of Life - Final Fantasy", it's an excellent compilation of the best music from the three Playstation games.

 

I have to bring this thread back to the first page. Surely there must be others here who appreciate video game music and the works of Nobuo Uematsu in particular.

 

Interesting article snippet. I'm not familiar with what else he's done besides Final Fantasy titles, but I'd have to disagree with the 'John Williams' comparison. 'John Williams' of video game world, so that's saying he's like the best in his game right? Not to discredit his talents or anything, but I think Yasunori Mitsuda the man responsible for the soundtracks of the Chrono Series, Xenogears and the upcoming Xenosaga is more deserving of that title. I love Nobuo Uematsu (sp?) earlier work no mistaken, but lately I find him inconsistent and his later works getting weaker and weake. IMHO There's sort of a mix of powerful memorable stuff like 'Liberi Fateli' or since I can't spell it but you know 'The Sorceress Theme' to the unimpressive forgettable, like the entire soundtrack of Final Fantasy IX sounded like it was done on a casio keyboard or sixteen bit MIDI like on my old comp.

 

Go, Nobuo, go!

Oh, yes. I'm a fan of Final Fantasy and Uematsu. His music just fits perfectly to these games. Especially FF7, the soundtrack is just so bloody perfect.

But, alas, Square hasn't learn to have decent sound effects. Thus the music sounds more like MIDI. Thank you, Square, thank you right to H***!

 

nobuo uematsu rox.

my favourite pieces from FFVI are the world of ruin, the battle music and the boss music. the first is incredibly peaceful, relaxing music, and the last two are wrought with great intensity. i'll try and find some MIDIs on the web of them.

video game music is great, and very underrated. they're starting to get some of the recognition they deserve, which is nice.

 

If there is truly an easily recognizable name in game soundtrack work, it would HAVE to be Uematsu. And he deserves every bit of recognition he deserves! Forget the fact that he's a great game composer; he simply knows how to create great music period. I imagine if he was ever called on to work with a full live orchestra, he could truly produce a memorable work.

 

I agree, Uematsu is phenomenal. For pete's sake, how many other videogames get released with a soundtrack? (At least it doesn't happen often here in the States.) In a way, he's very similar to John Williams in his use of themes. Leitmotif runs throughout his work (I think it's more clear in his later pieces).

 

I've always been a fan of video game music, but actually, I'm not sure if I've heard any of Uematsu's music. Would anyone mind listing some of the songs he's composed? Perhaps I will listen to them and share my impressions.

 

haven't his pieces been recorded by the Tokyo Symphony?

 

I recently heard a remix CD of the Final Fantasy music from all of the games. The compilation was excellent, and so I dug around to find some MIDIs of the original work. I really enjoy the stuff....

So, time for my question (be warned, it's very stupid ) --
Has Nobuo done all of the Final Fantasy scores?

 

I the music in the Final Fantasy games. It's great! I never expected to hear such wonderful stuff in a video game.

 

Oh, yeah. I love the music from the Final Fantasy games. I have a soundtrack from the company TokyoPop, that has orchestrated selections from Final Fantasy 7-9. I want to get the one from FFX, and I think there is one from 4-6 as well. For example, the song that Celes sings at the opera in Final Fantasy 6. (FFIII in America.) I love that song. And the piano version of Eyes on Me, Liberi Fatali, One-Winged Angel.. the list goes on. I can't say enough about FF music, I get as many remixes or CDs of it I can. Video game music just doesn't get enough recognition, there is really some great stuff out there.

 

Granted, Nobuo Uematsu is an incredible composer, and it's not my intention to steal any of the thunder in this, the thread of his namesake, yet...

Taku Iwasaki.
Re: The Rurouni Kenshina OVAs (at least)
Haunting, beautiful, tender, dark, sinister, intense, epic, romantic, universal, tragic, sad, and heartwrenchingly poignant render themselves inadequately generic banalities as adjectives to describe such art. Still, I can do no better.

 

he wanted to be like Elton John.


haha exactly like elton john eh?

 

I love Nobuo Uematsu's music!

His music is intregal to the gaming experience, taking you to great heights and deep lows.

Man, I can't believe that I'm gushing.

Did he do the music for all of the Final Fantasy games, or just most? ?

 

I love the music from the Final Fantasy games. It's top quality. But then again, everything about Final Fantasy is so much more than a video game. The whole thing is groundbreaking.

 

Nobuo who?

Please don't compare him to Williams--the second most shameless plagiarist in film scoring, next to James Horner.

 

I still think Nobuo Uematsu is overrated, some of his latest scores haven't been as consistently good as his previous ones. Then again, I think Final Fantasy is overrated too...

Right now I'm listening to Yasunori Mitsuda's (Chrono Trigger, Xenogears) score to Xenosaga, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It's chock full of space-opera goodness

 

Sucks the movie didn't do so hot at the box office.

As a game...it woulda done great, but it felt like some things were missing. Coupled with the fact that the lead male looked like Ben Affleck, but didn't sound like him, kinda made me lose focus-so distracting!

Other than that, yeah the music is absolutely awesome. My friends even made CD's with FF music on them for my birthdays!

Aw.

Ciou-See the Sig

 

I have a friend who's really into the FF series and I've recently fallen in love with the few tracks that I know, thanks to him. Liberi Fatali is incredible, and I presume Eyes on Me was composed by him also... well, whoever did, I was singing along to it all of last night.

I don't think it's just video game music that is underrated - instrumentals on the whole recieve far too little recognition. Most younger people I know refuse to listen to tracks without words - however, some of my favourite soundtracks and pieces contain either no or minimal lyrics. It's a pity really. They're missing out on some wonderful pieces.

*goes back to humming Across the Stars*

LittleJedi

 

Whoops, I forgot to correct a HUGE mistake which people here probably already realized accrediting the 'Chrono Trigger OST' to Mitsuda, when it was done by Uematsu, and one of his best works IMHO. Okay so he probaby is the best, for that one soundtrack alone nyah, but Mitsuda's gonna catch up.

 

Wow! I abandoned this thread and left it for being dead, I'm glad to see it here with some good feedback.

Did he do the music for all of the Final Fantasy games, or just most?

He's done it for all of them, I'm pretty sure.