It is likely that most gamers have heard the music of Norihiko Hibino.  While initially determined to become a jazz artist in the U.S., Hibino wound up in the gaming world, tackling Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty as one of his first projects at Konami.  Since that time, he has gone on to work on many other Metal Gear titles along with other Konami franchise including Zone of the Enders, Boktai, and Lunar Knights.  He has since left Konami to start his own studio, GEM Impact, and as you will read, he has a lot in store for game music fans in 2008.  His unique experience as a Japanese game composer with a background in jazz and a knowledge of the music industry in the U.S. sets Hibino apart from his colleagues, and makes for an interesting discussion about game music.

M4G: You have worked extensively on the Metal Gear franchise over the years.  As a trained jazz musician, describe your experience working on the series, including your collaboration with Harry Gregson-Williams.  Would you say the high-profile series has provided one of your greatest challenges in the gaming industry?
Norihiko Hibino: When I started with Konami I didn't realize Metal Gear would be such an important title.  It was 1999 and the Metal Gear Solid 2 end-roll song was done by Rika Muranaka and Konami finished its contract with Harry Gregson-Williams.  Except for these two pieces, nothing regarding the in-game music had been decided yet.  My boss, Mr. Muraoka said to me, "I want to brush up the music this time.  It's on the PlayStation 2 and the music must be high quality, and that's all up to you!"  So I started transcribing many Hollywood movie scores and made them sound exactly like originals including the mix.  At the time I felt like, "I only write experimental music and I 'm not making any money for the company, I feel bad." I was responsible for the music direction for Harry, and had the chance to examine his separate tracks, which was a great experience for me.  After 5 years at Konami, the working situation had completely changed so I decided to start my own company.  I do, however, still work on Metal Gear.

M4G: It has been said that you were initially introduced to music through the piano, but decided to move on to other instruments because your perception of the piano as a "feminine" instrument.  Has your opinion of the piano changed over the years?  How has your experience as an accomplished live performer helped or hindered your ability to score music for games?
Norihiko Hibino: Now I see many great male piano players, I even feel like "I wish I could be a jazz pianist so I can create music much faster."  The advantage of being an established player is having a wide network of players.  These players respect me, and they offer thrilling performance in recording sessions.  Thanks to my experience, the recording sessions always provide a happy and creative atmosphere.  Also, I don't usually experience any difficulties finding unique instrument players for my work.

M4G: You have a long history of collaborations with other composers in Japan.  How would you characterize the video game music industry in Japan?  Would you be willing to discuss your recent experience with Noriyuki Iwadare on Elvandia Story and with Yuzo Koshiro on the Etrian Odyssey arrange album? 
Norihiko Hibino:  In Japan, video game music composers are underestimated.  I still frequently encounter people in the music industry who think video game sounds cheap.  I really think I need to work towards changing this, and I try to expand the network of video game composers in Japan to create more opportunities to be recognized.

Recently I worked closely with Koshiro-san and produced a remix album of his work on Etrian Odyssey.  For this project I called upon famous video game composers like Mitsuyoshi-san from SEGA, Okamiya-san from The Black Mages (Uematsu-san's group) as well as singer Rebecca Evans from the music industry to give the album and its composers a truly artistic look.  I also helped organize the "EXTRA live" event/concert in Japan last year where game composers perform and DJ live on the stage.  I hope this event will grow and gain mainstream appeal like Video Games Live has in the U.S.

M4G: Tell us about your company, GEM Impact.  Who is currently working for GEM Impact, and what are your goals with the company?  What are your thoughts on the rising trend among Japanese composers to create these kinds of audio production teams (Basiscape, SuperSweep, etc.)?
Norihiko Hibino: GEM Impact is a music production company, and we have 6 composers/producers on board.  We focus on high-end video game and movie soundtrack production.  One of our strengths is our experience as musicians and live recording artists.  We have a live venue in Roppongi, Tokyo called Vanilla Mood where young cats gather and play every night.  Our goal is to create more opportunities for composers and musicians in Japan to work globally through games and other media.

One of the good things about Japanese composers is that they've all had experience working at a video game company, and they know the basics of game production, including programming, graphic design, and memory issues, etc. They also understand the importance of consistently creating great melodies, and why game producers constantly make demands about changing track lengths and request retakes.  The only problem is they cannot speak English and do not know the culture outside Japan, so I act as a mediator and help them go abroad.

M4G: You are frequently tasked with creating vocal pieces for the projects you work on.  Please describe your experience working on vocal themes such as "Snake Eater," "Out of Nowhere," "Ghost Ship," and/or "Akashi," and your relationship with vocalist Harario.  In recent years, we've seen an increase in the number of vocal tracks featured in games, so is it your personal opinion that vocal themes are necessary in games today?
Norihiko Hibino:  The reason I'm used to working on vocal pieces is quite simple.  Harario, the head of my music school, is a great singer.  I learned so many things about vocals while collaborating with her, and as a sax player, I have worked with various vocalists over the years. 

Considering vocal tracks in games, we have to be careful to ensure the singer has a strong connection to the game's contents, including the characters and voice actors.  We can't have an artist whose voice and personality have nothing to do with the in-game characters.  Of course lyrics are key, too.  I don't like the whole "power game" involved with having well-known artists work on a title, as is done in film.  Usually those songs are made simply to catch the listener's ear.  I believe, however, there is a need in games for a more subdued approach that tailors the music and vocals to the specific needs of the project, which is much more impressive than throwing in big-name artists just for the sake of it.

M4G: What kinds of tools are you using when you create music?  You have made extensive use of your experience as a jazz musician in regards to brass, but you've also used ethnic Asian instruments in your music for Yakuza 2 and electronic elements for Zone of the Enders.  Do you approach a given score differently depending on the musical style the project calls for?
Norihiko Hibino:  I use Logic/Gigasampler for sequencing and Pro Tools for mixing.  Before I start a project I always think about the budget and consider the most effective way to use it.  If the score requires energetic music but I don't have a large budget, I go for an electric and short brass sound because usually those samples sound better than real ones.  If I have a sufficient budget and am asked to create something unique, then I go for ethnic or orchestral instruments.  These rich, unstable textures cannot be reproduced by samples.  If I am asked to create a huge orchestral sound with a small budget, I create most of the music in Logic, but I try to hire at least one trumpet/trombone player and at least one violin player to double lines.  This is, of course, all dependent upon the needs of the given project.

M4G: What types of projects are you interested in working on?  Are there certain game genres or developers that you would like to work with?  I have been a proponent of jazz music in games for quite some time, so I was curious what your thoughts were on game music as a medium for introducing a young audience to new styles of music.
Norihiko Hibino: It has been said that jazz doesn't make money. and I've learned this the hard way.  This isn't because jazz is bad, but rather because jazz musicians and producers don't know how to adapt to this digital age to make money.
 
Video game music composers need to find/define thematic material from improvised solos, and that is really the key.  You have to be objective with players and sometimes pick up on subtle things you may have ignored before and throw out 95% of what you thought were gold phrases.  If it sounds impressive when it's in the game, that is the key. Also, you need to be aware of what can be done during post-processing while you're recording.  This includes using delays, samples, pitch changes, and so on.  These elements are all a part of the composition process.

I want to work on projects with somewhat "extreme" elements.  This includes action and sports games.  I would really love to emphasize this high energy content with my music.

M4G: Your band, The Outer Rim, recently performed music from Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill on-stage at the Extra: Hyper Game Music Event in Japan alongside Akira Yamaoka.  Please tell us a little bit about the group, and if we can expect to see an album any time soon.  Feel free to share your thoughts on that performance as well as on your relationship with Akira Yamaoka.
Norihiko Hibino: The Outer Rim is my favorite group that I play with.  Leader and bassist Jeff Curry and drummer Nobuaki Fujii are recorded for the Metal Gear series a lot, and pianist Hakuei Kim is one of the most in-demand pianists in Tokyo.  He alone has released 3 albums that are highly regarded both in Japan and Europe.  Our sound is somewhere between Jazzanova and King Crimson.it's hard to say.  We just finished our first album which includes a remixed track from Suda-san's No More Heroes game on the Wii.  It sounds really outrageous, and I'll have short drama in English as an after-story to No More Heroes, which will be laid over the music.

M4G: Again, as a performer, what are your thoughts on music in games today?  Is there anything you think is missing from game music?  Has your experience studying film music in the United States given you any insights into the differences in approach and style between Japanese game composers and those in the U.S.?  Are there any game composers from the U.S. that you follow?
Norihiko Hibino:  I feel that composers in the United States are deeply influenced by Hollywood.  While studying at Berklee, I noticed that American composers typically try to "sync" music to the picture.  In Japan, composers focus more on "balance," meaning things like making the percussion not too loud so that the sound effects are clear, and writing vague music to fill the silence. and I personally think there should be other ways.

When I compose or produce music for a game, my only thought is to go to a musical extreme to allow the virtual character to come alive.  There's no need to musically describe what the visuals are already telling you, and there's no need to eliminate what may be a meaningful moment of silence.
 
I get tons of demos from Japanese composers but only a few from the United States.  In the future, I'd like to collaborate with composers outside of Japan in order to mix cultures, so please send me demos!

M4G: Can you tell us about any of your projects in 2008?  Can we expect to hear you work in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots?  If you can't tell us about any specific projects, can you tell us your goals going into 2008 and beyond?
Norihiko Hibino:  The GEM Impact staff and I have just finished Metal Gear Solid 4, which we weren't even supposed to work on at first.  Now we're working on "Blassreiter," an anime by Gonzo (the team responsible for Kill Bill's animation).  We're also working on an American
Xbox LIVE Arcade title, Namco Bandai's Idolm@aster series, a Germany company's PSP/Wii title, a Korean-developed title, and music for Pachi-slot, which is a Japanese arcade slot machine that has surprisingly high-quality sound.  Finally, we're working with Yuzo Koshiro on the Etrian Odyssey 2 remix.

I'm so glad that GEM Impact has started to become recognized around the world.  My theme is "From Japan to Worldwide" and I'm telling my co-workers everyday, "don't just look at the domestic market, you're making music for the world."

www.gem-impact.com

Jayson Napolitano and Chris Greening