Joe Hisaishi
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Joe Hisaishi (久石 譲 Hisaishi Jō), an eminent composer and a prolific director, is responsible for over 100 soundtracks and conventional albums dating back to 1981. In his two decade career, he is best-known for his work with animator Hayao Miyazaki, including the soundtracks to Spirited Away (2002), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbour Totoro (1988), and Nausica of the Valley of Wind (1983). Not so well known are the other musical roles he plays - he is also type-setter, author, arranger, and a head of orchestra. He has inspired millions of people around the world with his work.
Joe Hisaishi was born on December 6th, 1950, in Nagano, Japan as Mamoru Fujisawa. When he started to take violin lessons at age four, Hisaishi discovered his passion for music. Realizing his love, he attended the Kunitachi College of Music to major in music composition in 1969. Hisaishi collaborated with music minimalists as a typesetter, furthering his experience in the musical world.
He enjoyed his first success of the business in 1974, when he composed music for a small animation called Gyatoruzu. This and other early works were created under his real name. During this period, he composed for Sasuga No Sarutobi (Academy of Ninja) and Futari Taka (A Full Throttle).
In the 1970s, Japanese popular music, electronic music, and new-age music flourished - those genres, as well as the Yellow Magic Orchestra (Japanese electronic band in 1978-1988), influenced Hisaishi's compositions. He developed his music from the ideals of minimalism and expanded toward orchestral work. Around 1975, Hisaishi presented his first public performance, spreading his name around his community. His first album, Mkuwaji, was released in 1981, with its first work, Information, being released a year later.
As his works were becoming well-known, Hisaishi formulated an alias inspired by Quincy Jones, an African-American musician and producer. The name, "Quincy Jones," was retranscribed in Japanese as "Joe Hisaishi." ("Quincy," pronounced "Kuishi" in Japanese, is close to the Japanese pronunciation of the kanji for "Hisaishi"; "Joe" came from "Jones.") This pseudonym became part of Mamoru Fujisawa and remains with him.
In 1983, with his new name, Hisaishi was recommended by a record company to create an album for Nausica of the Valley of Wind. Hisaishi and the director of the animated movie, Hayao Miyazaki, became great friends and worked together on many projects. This big break led to Hisaishi fervently composing more Japanese movie soundtracks; in 1986, Castle in the Sky was released; later, in the 1990s, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away were revealed to the public. As more exposure was given to Hisaishi and the anime industry, Joe Hisaishi's career grew. He not only started a solo career as a musician, but he also started to produce music and create his own label (Wonder Land Inc.). A year later, the label produced its first album, Pretender, in New York.
Because of his hard work throughout the years, Hisaishi has won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Music five times - in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, and 2000. He also received the 48th Newcomer Award in 1997 from the Ministry of Education (Public Entertainment Section) and many other music awards as a revered figure in the Japanese movie industry.
In 1998, he provided the soundtrack to the Nagano Winter Olympics. In 1999, Hisaishi composed the music for the third installment in a series of popular computer-animated educational films about the human body.
The year of 2001 was the busiest; Hisaishi produced music for Takeshi Kitano's Brother and Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away and served as executive producer of the Night Fantasia 4 Movement at the Japan Expo in Fukushima 2001. Quartet, the film directed by Hisaishi, received excellent reviews at the Montreal Film Festival. On October 6, Hisaishi made his debut as the film director for Quartet, in addition to writing both the music and script for the movie. His first soundtrack for a foreign film, Le Petit Poucet, was released in the same year.
Right now, Hayao Miyazaki's next film, Howl's Moving Castle, is finished and will be scheduled for release on November 20, 2004 in Japan; Hisaishi composed the score for that movie. From November 3 to November 29, 2004, Hisaishi is on his "Joe Hisaishi Freedom - Piano Stories 2004 Tour" with Canadian musicians.
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Discography
Listed chronologically by original release date - this list is not complete
1981.08.21 MKWAJU (ムクワジュ)
1982.10.25 Information
1983.11.25 Nausica of the Valley of the Wind Image Album
1984.02.25 Nausica of the Valley of the Wind Symphonic Album
1984.03.25 Nausica of the Valley of the Wind
1984.04.25 Nausica of the Valley of the Wind Drama Album
1984.12.21 W's Tragedy (Wの悲劇 オリジナルサントラ)
1985.06.25 α-BET-CITY(アルファベットシティ)
1985.09.01 Early Spring Tale (早春物語)
1985.10.25 Arion Image Album
1986.03.25 Arion
1986.04.25 Arion Symphonic Album
1986.05.25 Castle In the Sky Image Album
1986.09.25 Castle In the Sky (date may be 1986.08.25?)
1986.09.25 Curved Music
1986.10.25 Mezon Ikkoku (めそん一刻)
1986.11.25 Nausica Best Collection (Soundtrack, Symphony)
1987.01.25 Castle in the Sky Symphonic Album
1987.03.05 恋人たちの時刻 サントラ
1987.03.21 Robot Carnival
1987.07.21 Drifting Classroom (漂流教室 オリジナルサントラ)
1987.11.25 My Neighbor Totoro Image Album
1988.03.25 Carrying You
1988.05.01 My Neighbor Totoro
1988.07.21 Piano Stories
1988.08.21 Night City (シングル)
1988.09.25 My Neighbor Totoro Soundbook Album
1988.12.21 Illusion
1988.12.21 冬の旅人 (date may be 1989.01.10?)
1988.12.21 Venus Wars Image Album
1989.02.25 Castle In the Sky Drama Album
1989.02.25 My Neighbor Totoro Drama Album
1989.04.10 Kiki's Delivery Service Image Album
1989.04.10 Venus Wars
1989.04.21 The Inners (はるかなる時間の 彼方へ)
1989.08.25 Kiki's Delivery Service
1989.09.21 Pretender
1989.09.25 Kiki's Delivery Service Drama Album
1989.10.25 Nausica of the Valley of the Wind Hi-Tech
1989.11.25 Castle In the Sky Hi-Tech
1989.12.21 Kiki's Delivery Service Hi-Tech
1990.01.25 My Neighbor Totoro Hi-Tech
1991.02.22 I Am
1991.04.21 Futari
1991.04.21 Kojika Monogatari
1991.07.01 Universe Within: Special Issue (驚異の小宇宙･人体)
1992.02.01 天外魔境２ 卍MARU
1992.02.12 My Lost City
1992.03.04 君だけをみていた
1992.03.15 My Neighbor Totoro Piano Solo
1992.03.15 Nausica of the Valley of the Wind Piano Solo
1992.05.25 Porco Rosso Image Album
1992.07.22 Porco Rosso
1992.09.25 Porco Rosso Drama Album
1992.09.09 Symphonic Best Selection
1992.10.21 B+1
1992.11.21 Piano Stories
1992.11.21 Universe Within I: Human Body I
1992.11.25 Ano Natsu, Ichiban Shizukana Umi
1992.11.25 Kiki's Delivery Service (Vocal)
1992.11.25 Seisyun Den-Deke-Deke-Deke
1993.01.21 Haruka Nostalgy
1993.06.09 Sonatine
1993.08.04 Samurai Kids
1994.03.18 Universe Within II: Brain & Mind II
1994.03.21 Universe Within I: Human Body II
1994.03.24 BIRTH
1994.03.24 さすがの猿飛
1994.06.01 Joe's Project (ぴあの)
1994.06.25 オリジナルサントラ ぴあの Vol.1
1994.07.21 Universe Within II: Brain & Mind Best
1994.07.27 Earthly Paradise (地上の楽園)
1994.08.10 Joe's Project 2 (ぴあの / 純名里沙)
1994.08.25 オリジナルサントラ ぴあの Vol.2
1995.01.25 MELODY Blvd. (メロディブルーバ ード)
1996.06.26 Kids Return
1996.07.20 Nokto De La Galaksia Fervojo(銀河鉄道の夜)
1996.07.22 Princess Mononoke Image Album
1996.10.25 Piano Stories II: The Wind of Life
1997.02.01 Parasite Eve
1997.07.02 Princess Mononoke
1997.09.10 Asian Dream Song (旅立ちの時)
1997.10.15 Works I
1998.01.01 Hana-Bi
1998.02.25 Hope: Nagano Paralympics 1998 Tribute
1998.07.08 Princess Mononoke Symphonic Suite
1998.10.14 Nostalgia: Piano Stories III
1998.10.31 Tree of Early Winter Rains (時雨の記)
1999.04.28 Universe Within I: Human Body I & II
1999.04.28 Universe Within II: Brain & Mind I & II
1999.04.28 Universe Within III: Gene I
1999.05.26 Kikujiro
1999.08.04 Universe Within III: Gene II
1999.09.22 Works II
1999.12.01 My Neighbor Totoro Song & Karaoke Album
1999.12.22 Joe Hisaishi Best Selection
2000.03.28 First Love (Hatsu-Koi)
2000.04.26 Alpenrose
2000.04.26 Alpenrose Symphonic Album
2000.04.29 As the River Flows
2000.05.17 Shoot The Violist(ヴィオリストを撃て)
2001.01.17 Brother
2001.04.04 Spirited Away Image Album
2001.06.21 Joe Hisaishi Meets Kitano Films
2001.07.18 Spirited Away
2001.07.18 Spirited Away (single)
2001.09.27 Quartet
2001.10.15 Le Petit Poucet
2002.03.06 Encore
2002.07.26 Super Orchestra Night 2001
2002.10.02 Castle In the Sky (New soundtrack for American release)
2002.10.02 Dolls
2002.10.02 Stroll of Mei and Catbus
2002.10.23 My Neighbor Totoro Orchestra Stories
2002.11.23 Kaze no Bon (風の盆から)
2002.12.26 Mibugishiden
2003.01.29 Curved Music II
2003.03.12 Etude
2004.01.21 Private (プライベート)
2004.01.21 Howl's Moving Castle Image Album
2004.11.19 Howl's Moving Castle Soundtrack
DVDs
2002.03.25 Quartet
2003.03.19 4Movement
2003.06.25 a Wish to the Moon (-Joe Hisaishi & 9 cellos 2003ETUDE&ENCORE TOUR-)
Scores released by Zen-On Music Company Ltd.
Orchestra Stories of Tonari no TOTORO, Original Edition
ENCORE, Original Edition
a string quartet"QUARTET"
Piano Stories
There are also numerous television and cinema soundtracks created by Joe Hisaishi which were never released for sale. Joe Hisaishi's catalogue has also been extensively bootlegged by Taiwan's popular bootleg labels EverAnime and Son May; none of the titles which are bootlegged are even out of print.
de:Joe Hisaishi eo:HISAISI Jo fr:Joe Hisaishi it:Joe Hisaishi ja:久石譲 pl:Joe Hisaishi ru:Хисаиси, Джо zh:久石让
External link
- Joe Hisaishi's Official Site (http://www.joehisaishi.com/)
- Joe Hisaishi's French Site (http://www.joehisaishi.net/)