26 Facts About Hitoshi Sakimoto

Hitoshi Sakimoto is a Japanese composer and sound producer.

Hitoshi Sakimoto is best known for scoring the video games Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, though he has composed soundtracks for numerous other games.

Hitoshi Sakimoto worked at the video game company Square from 1998 to 2000, before founding the music and sound production company Basiscape in 2002.

Hitoshi Sakimoto was born on February 26,1969, in Tokyo, Japan.

Hitoshi Sakimoto began developing an interest in music beginning in elementary school, when he taught himself to play the piano and electronic organ and participated in some brass and rock bands.

Hitoshi Sakimoto started composing for games when he was 16, and was paid to both create the music and the program to play it for several games.

Hitoshi Sakimoto created the synthesizer driver "Terpsichorean" to enhance the sound quality of the game's music; the synthesizer driver has been implemented into many games throughout the Japanese game market in the early 1990s.

Between 1990 and 1992, Hitoshi Sakimoto worked on over 20 different video games for several different companies such as Toshiba EMI, Artec, and Data East.

Hitoshi Sakimoto worked on 14 other titles that year, including Shin Megami Tensei and Alien vs Predator.

In 1997, Hitoshi Sakimoto composed the score for Final Fantasy Tactics, which made him internationally famous, and was the score he was best known for outside Japan until at least 2006.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has contributed to video games, anime, and films.

Hitoshi Sakimoto says that he left Square to found the company because he wanted more freedom in choosing his projects.

Hitoshi Sakimoto expanded in the mid-2000s with the addition of Mitsuhiro Kaneda, Kimihiro Abe, Noriyuki Kamikura, Yoshimi Kudo, and Azusa Chiba.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has been involved in non-gaming projects during his career.

Hitoshi Sakimoto contributed one track each to the albums Ten Plants and 2197, which feature music from various well-known artists.

Hitoshi Sakimoto collaborated with singer Lia in 2005 to create the music for the album Colors of Life.

Hitoshi Sakimoto composed the music for two anime series; Romeo x Juliet and The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk ; as well as the original video animation Legend of Phoenix ~Layla Hamilton Monogatari~ in 2005.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has made numerous appearances at video game concerts that have performed his compositions.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has developed a strong relationship with the Australian-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra.

Hitoshi Sakimoto composes his music by playing the pieces "briefly on the piano", and then working on a computer for more detailed arrangements.

The style of Hitoshi Sakimoto's compositions is mostly orchestral; he creates the orchestral sound by playing the music through a sequencer instead of using a real orchestra due to the high cost.

When composing a soundtrack for a video game, Hitoshi Sakimoto first sits down with the director or producer of the game and works out what emotions they want the game to evoke in the player, and after making a demo for them, sets out to create music that fits that feeling.

Hitoshi Sakimoto has stated that his biggest musical influences are "old techno and progressive rock" groups such as the Japanese synthpop group Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Hitoshi Sakimoto cites the American jazz musician Chick Corea as a major influence.

Hitoshi Sakimoto enjoys listening to techno and jazz fusion in his spare time.

Hitoshi Sakimoto cited Vagrant Story as one of his favorite soundtracks.