Yoshitaka Hirota

Yoshitaka Hirota (弘田佳孝, Hirota Yoshitaka; born September 1, 1971) is a Japanese video game composer and bass guitarist, whose 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.

Yoshitaka Hirota
Born	(1971-09-01) September 1, 1971 (age 53) Kyoto, Japan
Genres	hard rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Composer musician
Instrument	Bass guitar
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Dog Ear Records

Biography

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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".^[3]

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.^[4] and for Ito's vocal song for Lux-Pain,^[5] Hirota frequently performs bass guitar with Kishikawa's band.^[6] 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.^[7]

Works

Video games

Composition

Title	Year	Notes
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack	1999	With Tomohiko Kira, Yasunori Mitsuda, Hidenobu Otsuki, Tomori Kudo, Hiroyo Yamanaka, and Kenji Hiramatsu[2]
Dive Alert[3]	1999
Faselei![3]	1999
Sonic Shuffle	2000	With Hidenobu Otsuki, Ryo Fukuda, Takeo Suzuki, and Kazumi Mitome[3]
Shadow Hearts	2001	With Yasunori Mitsuda, Masaharu Iwata, and Ryo Fukuda[1]
Shadow Hearts: Covenant	2004	With Yasunori Mitsuda, Kenji Ito, Ryo Fukuda, and Tomoko Kobayashi[8]
Shadow Hearts: From the New World	2005	With Tomoko Imoto, Ryo Fukuda, and Hirotomi Imoto[2]
Fist Groove 2	2006
Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen	2007
Hana Saku DS Gardening Life[2]	2007
DK: Jungle Climber	2007	With Yuichi Kanno and Takashi Kouga[2]
Start Yoga with Tipness on your DS	2007
Maji de Manabu: LEC de Ukaru	2008
Glory of Heracles	2008	With Yuichi Kanno[9]
D.Gray-Man Sousya no Shigaku	2008
Klonoa	2008
Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming	2011	With various others[10]
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[11]
Kakuriyo no Mon	2015	Only composed "其れでも先へ進む")[12]
Egglia: Legend of the Red Cap	2017	With Yoko Shimomura[13]

Sound design

Title	Year
Final Fantasy VI	1994[1]
Live A Live	1994[14]
Chrono Trigger[2]	1995
Seiken Densetsu 3[14]	1995
Bahamut Lagoon[14]	1996
Final Fantasy VII[2]	1997
Front Mission 2[2]	1997
Parasite Eve[2]	1998
Chrono Cross[2]	1999
Koudelka[2]	1999

Other works

Title	Year	Notes
Talk While Asleep	1995	Co-remixer with Fumiya Tanaka[3]
We are not alone ~Mou Hitori Ja Nai~	1998	Co-composer with Kazumi Mitome[3]
Biohazard 2 Drama Album: Chiisana Toubousha Sherry	1999	Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda[2]
Biohazard 2 Drama Album: Ikiteita Onna Spy Ada	1999	Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda[2]
Street Fighter Zero 3 Drama Album	1999	Co-Composer with Yasunori Mitsuda[3]
near death experience, SHADOW HEARTS	2005	Arranger of 5 Tracks[2]
Angelic Vale	2005	Arranger of 2 Tracks[3]
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[15]
Rogue Galaxy	2006	Arranger of 1 Track[16]
Kinema in the Hall	2007	Rekka Katakiri Album. Composer and arranger of all tracks[2]
Cotton	2007	Noriko Mitose Album. Arranger of 1 Track[17]
Hareyaka naru Sora no Yukue	2007	Rekka Katakiri Album. Composer and Arranger of 1 Track[2]
Struldbruggs ~Majin Kaikou~	2007	Co-Composer
Istoria ~Musa~	2007	Akiko Shikata album. Composer and Arranger of 1 Track[18]
Umineko no Naku Koro ni	2008	Akiko Shikata Single, Arranger of 1 Track[19]
"message"	2008	Collaboration Album - Composer and Arranger of 1 Track[20]
Griotte no Nemuri Hime	2009	Haruka Shimotsuki Album[21]
SUZUNO=MIYA Ar tonelico III hymmnos concert side. Red	2010	Composer and Arranger of 2 Tracks[22]
Guwange	2010	Arranger of 1 Track[23]
yorlga	2010	Noriko Mitose album, Composer and Arranger of all tracks[24]