Yoko Shimomura x Michiru Yamane – Composer Interview - shmuplations.com
shmuplations.com
This massive interview with Yoko Shimomura and Michiru Yamane originally appeared in the book Game Ongakuka Interview Shuu.

From the shmuplations bluesky post about the interview:

Today we have a very special interview with legendary composers Michiru Yamane and Yoko Shimomura exploring, in unprecedented depth, their classical music roots and formative influences. The interview is peppered with Yamane and Shimomura’s personal favorite pieces (Chopin and Ravel loom large), which I’ve provided links to for easy reference as you read. They also talk about kayōkyoku, fusion, and film music!

One thing I love about this interview is the friendly vibe between Shimomura and Yamane, who had suprisingly similar musical upbringings. Here Shimomura shares a funny anecdote about musical snobbery that I’m sure many will relate to. Shimomura: By the time I was in middle school, I'd listen to pop music but walk around with this slightly insufferable attitude like, "Sure, but my favorites are Ravel and Rachmaninoff. I'm not like the rest of you." (laughs) I listened to a wide spectrum from the Romantic era to early modernism, but I didn't care much for Classical era composers like Mozart or Beethoven. I was just far too deeply in love with the Impressionists. I can appreciate other genres and think they sound cool, but at my core, I'm a classical nerd through and through. Even today, if I think about what to listen to before going to bed, it's always classical music.

Here we have Shimomura (respectfully) throwing a little shade at Koichi Sugiyama and Dragon Quest. 😅 Yamane: It's surprising to hear that you didn't go through a rock phase as a kid, Shimomura. Considering your work on games like Street Fighter II, you write rock-styled tracks so effortlessly. Shimomura: Not at all! I barely knew left from right; I just somehow managed to scrape my way there. The whole reason I thought about trying game music in the first place was because I heard Dragon Quest and thought, "If it's classical-styled music like this, even I might be able to do it." (Sorry Sugiyama Sensei!!) But at the time, Capcom wasn't making RPGs, so I had no choice but to write action game music. When I first joined, I couldn't write a single line for bass or drums.

Finally, if you can read Japanese, I highly recommend purchasing the book from which this interview came. The eleven other interviews (with people like Hirokazu Tanaka, Yuzo Koshiro, and Hiroki Kikuta) are an absolute goldmine of info that can’t be found anywhere else. www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4910511431