Yoshitaka Hirota

Yoshitaka Hirota (弘田佳孝, Hirota Yoshitaka, born September 1, 1971) is a Japanese video game composer and bass guitarist. His most notable works include the soundtracks to the Shadow Hearts series. Hirota was previously a sound effects programmer having worked on various Square titles. His first work as a video game composer was for the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Bomberman 64: The Second Attack.

Early works

As a teenager, Hirota's older brother would play covers of The Beatles and The Carpenters. Hirota composed his first song at the age of ten. At the age of 20, unsure of his career path, Hirota was invited by composer Yasunori Mitsuda to work at Square, and was hired as a sound designer.

Square

Hirota has a friendship from childhood with fellow composer Yasunori Mitsuda who he has worked with on Bomberman 64: The Second Attack, Biohazard 2 Drama Albums, Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts II. Under the direction of Mitsuda, Street Fighter Alpha 3 was to have a "hard" sound, and Biohazard 2 was to have an "ominous sound".

Shadow Hearts

Kyoko Kishikawa has worked with Hirota on Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts II (although not Shadow Hearts: From the New World) and Rogue Galaxy Premium Arrange, providing eerie female scat vocals for a number of his tracks. Ryo Fukuda has been the sound manipulator for Hirota on the Shadow Hearts games as well as composing and arranging a few tracks for all three games. He also co-composed with Hirota on Sonic Shuffle. Kenji Ito worked with Hirota on the soundtrack of Shadow Hearts II.

Live performance

Hirota has performed bass guitar for Ito's live performance of Culdcept music during the Extra Live Concert. and for Ito's vocal song for Lux-Pain, Hirota frequently performs bass guitar with Kishikawa's band. He is currently a member of Nobuo Uematsu's band, the Earthbound Papas.

Musical style and influences

Hirota's Shadow Hearts music is notable for its fusion of cultural music with Hirota's personal Industrial style. Although Hirota is primarily a bass guitarist, he is capable of playing a variety of other instruments: the Biwa, the Syami, the Alter Ego Figaro, the Saw Wo, the Son, the Khene, the Old Drum, the Madaru, the Gong, the Suzu, and the Kalimba.

Video games

Composition

• Bomberman 64: The Second Attack (1999) – with Tomohiko Kira, Yasunori Mitsuda, Hidenobu Otsuki, Tomori Kudo, Hiroyo Yamanaka, and Kenji Hiramatsu
• Faselei! (1999)
• Dive Alert: Becky's Version (2000)
• Dive Alert: Matt's Version (2000)
• Sonic Shuffle (2000) – with Hidenobu Otsuki, Ryo Fukuda, Takeo Suzuki, and Kazumi Mitome
• Shadow Hearts (2001) – with Yasunori Mitsuda, Masaharu Iwata, and Ryo Fukuda
• Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2004) – with Yasunori Mitsuda, Kenji Ito, Ryo Fukuda, and Tomoko Kobayashi
• Shadow Hearts: From the New World (2005) – with Tomoko Imoto, Ryo Fukuda, and Hirotomi Imoto
• Fist Groove 2 (2006)
• Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen (2007)
• Hana Saku DS Gardening Life (2007)
• DK Jungle Climber (2007) – with Takashi Kouga and Yuichi Kanno
• Start Yoga with Tipness on your DS (2007)
• Maji de Manabu: LEC de Ukaru (2008)
• Glory of Heracles (2008) – with Yuichi Kanno
• D.Gray-Man Sousya no Shigaku (2008)
• Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming (2011) - with various others
• Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle (2011)
• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz (2012) – with Saori Kobayashi
• UnchainBlades EXXIV (2012) – with Tsutomu Narita, Nobuo Uematsu, and Michio Okamiya
• Kakuriyo no Mon (2015) – (Only composed "其れでも先へ進む")
• Egglia: Legend of the Red Cap (2017) – with Yoko Shimomura

Sound design

• Final Fantasy VI (1994)
• Live A Live (1994)
• Chrono Trigger (1995)
• Seiken Densetsu 3 (1995)
• Bahamut Lagoon (1996)
• Final Fantasy VII (1997)
• Front Mission 2 (1997)
• Parasite Eve (1998)
• Koudelka (1999)

Other works

• Talk While Asleep (1995) Co-remixer with Fumiya Tanaka
• We are not alone ~Mou Hitori Ja Nai~ (1998) Co-composer with Kazumi Mitome
• Biohazard 2 Drama Album: Chiisana Toubousha Sherry (1999) Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda
• Biohazard 2 Drama Album: Ikiteita Onna Spy Ada (1999) Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda
• Street Fighter Zero 3 Drama Album (1999) Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda
• near death experience, SHADOW HEARTS Arrangetracks (2005) Arranger of 5 Tracks
• Angelic Vale Arrange Tracks (2005) Arranger of 2 Tracks
• Tsuki no Uta (2005) (Debut Single of Saki Imozuki) Arranger of all tracks
• Yoruoto Hyouhon (2005) (Debut Album of Noriko Mitose) Composer and arranger of 1 Track
• Rogue Galaxy Premium Arrange (2006) Arranger of 1 Track
• Kinema in the Hall (Rekka Katakiri Album) (2007) Composer and arranger of all tracks
• Cotton (2007) (Noriko Mitose Album) Arranger of 1 Track
• Hareyaka naru Sora no Yukue (2007) (Rekka Katakiri Album) Composer and Arranger of 1 Track
• Struldbruggs ~Majin Kaikou~ (2007) Co-Composer
• Istoria ~Musa~ (Akiko Shikata album) (2007) Composer and Arranger of 1 Track
• Umineko no Naku Koro ni (Akiko Shikata Single) (2008) Arranger of 1 Track
• "message" (2008) Collaboration Album - Composer and Arranger of 1 Track
• Griotte no Nemuri Hime (Haruka Shimotsuki Album) (2009)
• SUZUNO=MIYA Ar tonelico III hymmnos concert side. Red (2010) Composer and Arranger of 2 Tracks
• Guwange Arrange Album + Original Soundtrack (2010) Arranger of 1 Track
• yorlga (2010) (Noriko Mitose album) Composer and Arranger of all tracks