Nobuyoshi Sano

Japanese composer

Nobuyoshi Sano

佐野 信義

Also known as| sanodg
Born|  (1969-01-19) January 19, 1969 (age 54)
Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
Genres|

* Electro
* techno
* big beat
* synthpop
* rave
* video game music

Occupation(s)|

* Composer
* musician
* producer

Instrument(s)|

* Piano
* synthesizer

Years active| 1992-present

Musical artist

Nobuyoshi Sano (佐野 信義, Sano Nobuyoshi, born January 19, 1969), better known as sanodg, is a Japanese video game composer, musician and record producer. He is best known for scoring tracks for the Ridge Racer and Tekken series, as well as Drakengard.

## Biography[edit]

### Early life[edit]

In elementary school, Sano listened to Yellow Magic Orchestra and played Space Invaders, gaining interest in both video games and music. Prior to joining Namco, he had no inclination towards composing video game music,[1] although he did write music with various synths as a hobby.[2] The first synth he bought was a Korg MS-10, while he borrowed other synths from friends as he could not afford those.[3] During his time at university, he studied telecommunication engineering.[4]

### Namco (1992–2001)[edit]

After graduating from university in 1992, Sano found two jobs for Korg and Namco. As he felt that the atmosphere of Korg's workplace was stoic and unwelcoming, he settled with a position as a sound designer at Namco.[3] Sano's first project was Zombie Castle, which he created the sound effects for. The following year, he composed the score of Numan Athletics, taking inspiration from techno. Sano also scored "Rare Hero" for Ridge Racer, a series he has composed additional music for since. During his early years at the company, he worked closely with senior composer Shinji Hosoe on several game projects, along with Ayako Saso, Takayuki Aihara and junior composer Hiroto Sasaki. He contributed several tracks to albums on Hosoe's Troubadour Record label and was also a member of his groups, Oriental Magnetic Yellow (OMY) and Manikyua-Dan.[3] OMY was a group parodying Yellow Magic Orchestra, where he was named Ryuichi Sanomoto, parodying Ryuichi Sakamoto.[5]

Following the departure of Hosoe along with co-workers Saso and Aihara who all joined Arika, Sano composed for Tekken 3 in 1997 with Keiichi Okabe. Serving as the sound director, he took a big beat approach to the music with a slower tempo than the music found in previous games,[1] as this genre had not previously been utilized in games.[4] During development, a tester criticized the music and wanted the music to sound closer to Virtua Fighter; this angered Sano, although the report was dismissed.[6] Both composers later worked on the PS1 version, as well as both the arcade and PS2 versions of Tekken Tag Tournament. His final in-house work at Namco was on the unreleased game Starblade: Operation Blue Planet.

### Cavia (2001–2010)[edit]

In 2001, Sano left Namco citing unhappiness with its recent developments, and subsequently joined Cavia as a sound director.[1] With Takayuki Aihara, Sano composed Drakengard, which released in 2003. Their goal was to create an experimental soundtrack that reflected the hack-and-slash gameplay and dark atmosphere, as well as the narrative theme of "madness." The music was composed through sampling various shortened pieces of classical music, and was then performed by a full orchestra.[7][8] Sano and Aihara also sought to emulate the music of Northern Europe.[9] The soundtrack received a mixed reception from users, many of which harshly criticized it for being repetitive and grating.[10] He detailed experiences of reading large volumes of negative comments surrounding the music on 2ch on a daily basis, which was much more than he had initially anticipated.[1] However, it has also been praised for its unconventional approach, especially years after the game was released. As a result of the initial reception, his role in Drakengard 2 was limited to sound direction.[11]

In addition to Drakengard, Sano composed the soundtrack of Resident Evil: Dead Aim, using a synth-heavy score inspired by Goblin. For 2004's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Sano took inspiration from drum and bass to match the game’s sense of speed.[1] In 2006, Sano released a compilation album titled sanodg works, featuring a selection of tracks he considers to be his best. While the album was originally planned to include his work on the Ridge Racer and Tekken series, legal issues prevented their inclusion.[11][12] The same year, he produced a collaborative album with the company Melody Clip, titled FM Sound Module Maniax, featuring tracks from various video game composers written with FM synthesis. Ringtone versions were also distributed on Melody Clip free of charge.[13]

Sano designed and produced KORG DS-10 for Nintendo DS.[14] He formed a trio of the same name consisting of himself, Yasunori Mitsuda and Michio Okamiya in order to promote the program.[15] The three had spoken about their interest in creating a synthesizer for the DS; Korg approved of this idea.[10] He intended it to be used for any genre the user desired to create music in, rather than a particular genre like chiptune or techno.[16] He also chose to model the synth on the Korg MS-10 as he bought this synth during his teenage years, and also felt that the DS vaguely resembled the synth.[17][18]

### Detune (2010–present)[edit]

Following Cavia's disbandment, Sano established Detune, a music software production company in May 6, 2010.[19] Detune developed a follow-up to KORG DS-10 titled KORG M01, intended as a DS version of the Korg M1 synth.[20] In 2012, Detune released iYM2151, a music program for the iPad based on the Yamaha YM2151 sound chip.[21] In the same year, Sano composed "Algorithm" for the game Orgarythm using iYM2151.[22] The following year, a Nintendo 3DS eShop version of KORG M01 was released worldwide, titled KORG M01D.[20] In 2014, he released a compilation album titled sanodg's arcade game music works, which features the soundtracks of four arcade games he worked on during his time at Namco.[23] During 2016 to 2017 he created a series of EDM-styled albums with Hiroyoshi Kato, the first of which was titled EDM IS GAME.[24]

He will score the upcoming mobile FMV game Clive is a Good Guy, developed by British game studio Indolent Games and set to be released in 2024. Upon seeing images of the game he described it as having a "very artistic feeling" compared to Japanese mobile games, and is particularly pleased to work on the game.[25]

## Works[edit]

### Video games[edit]

Year  | Title  | Notes

|
|

1993  | Zombie Castle | sound effects
Numan Athletics |
8line |
Ridge Racer | "Rare Hero"
1994  | Attack of the Zolgear | sound effects and editing; with Hiroto Sasaki
Ridge Racer 2 | "Grip" and "Rare Hero 2"
1995  | Mach Breakers: Numan Athletics 2 | with Hiroto Sasaki, Shinji Hosoe and Ayako Saso
Tekken | PS1 version; arrangements; with various others
Ridge Racer LD | with Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso and Takayuki Aihara
Rave Racer | with Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso and Takayuki Aihara
Dirt Dash | "Hill"
Dunk Mania |
Cyber Cycles | "Bahama"
1996  | Xevious 3D/G | "Area 4" and "Boss 4"
Tekken 2 | PS1 version; arrangements; with various others
Prop Cycle | "Wind Woods"
Dancing Eyes | "Angel Stage" and "Angel Motion"
1997  | Tekken 3 | arcade version; with Keiichi Okabe
Xevious 3D/G+ | "Area 4" and "Boss 4"
1998  | Tekken 3 | PS1 version; with various others
Gunmen Wars |
1999  | Tekken Tag Tournament | arcade version; with various others
2000  | Tekken Tag Tournament | PS2 version; with various others
World Kicks |
Ridge Racer V | "Paris" and "RareHero2000"
2001  | Taiko no Tatsujin | vocals ("Kimi ni, Romantic")
Unreleased  | Starblade: Operation Blue Planet |
2002  | One Piece - Big Secret Treasure of the Seven Phantom Islands | sound director
2003  | Resident Evil: Dead Aim |
Drakengard | with Takayuki Aihara
2004  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | composer and sound director
Ridge Racer | "Chrome Drive" and "Rareheroes"
2005  | Tekken 5 | PS2 version; with various others
Drakengard 2 | sound director
Ridge Racer 6 | "Floodlight" and "Radiance"
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection | arrangement ("Martial Medicine")
2006  | Bullet Witch | sound director
Ridge Racer 2 | "Paris Remix"
Ridge Racer 7 | "Hard Drive" and "Onyx"
2008  | Beatmania IIDX 14: Gold CS | "Playball"
KORG DS-10 | designer; with Yasunori Mitsuda
Beatmania IIDX 15: DJ Troopers CS | "Sidechained Threats"
2009  | BQLSI STAR LASER | sound designer
KORG DS-10 PLUS | designer; with Yasunori Mitsuda
2010  | LightBike 2 |
Criminal Girls | "I Love You"
KORG M01 | designer; with Yasunori Mitsuda
Taiko no Tatsujin 14 | "Taiko Time"
2011  | Taiko no Tatsujin Portable DX | vocals ("Boku wa Synth")
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 | arcade version; with various others
Ridge Racer | "Virtuoso"
2012  | iYM2151 | designer
Ridge Racer Unbounded | "Down & Under"
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz | with various others
Orgarhythm | "Algorithm"
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 | console versions; with various others
maimai PLUS | arrangement ("Space Harrier Main Theme [Reborn]")
2013  | Tekken Revolution | "Lunar fringe theories"
KORG M01D | designer
Drakengard 3 | "Exhaustion 3"
2014  | KORG DSN-12 |
2015  | TorqueL |
Cosmic Break 2  |
Tekken 7 | arcade version; "The day before the glass matrix"
2017  | Kakuriyo no Mon | "Yosen Hirasaka"
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age | sound director
Moeyo! Kung-Fu Lady Dragon | "Kokaku Stage (Seiryumon)"
2019  | Beatmania IIDX 27: Heroic Verse | "Duration"
2021  | Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... | audio supervisor
2024  | Clive is a Good Guy |

### Anime[edit]

Year  | Title  | Notes

|
|

2009  | Arad Senki: Slap Up Party | "XXX"
2013  | Genshiken: Second Season | "SUMIRE #propaganda"
Yowamushi Pedal | "Are!!"
2018  | The Journey Home | "Trust Me"

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Chris, Greening (August 11, 2014). "Nobuyoshi Sano Interview: Musical and Technical Innovator". Video Game Music Online. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
2. ^ "The Man Behind iYM2151". MATRIXSYNTH. May 10, 2012. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012.
3. ^ a b c "ゲームミュージック＆アニメ専門店". ga-core. June 10, 2009. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009.
4. ^ a b Davies, Paul (August 15, 2001). "PlayStation News: Tekken 3 musicians choose Big Beat - ComputerAndVideoGames.com" (PDF). ComputerandVideoGames.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
5. ^ "OMY". Troubadour Record.
6. ^ "ゲームミュージック＆アニメ専門店 ga-core - ジーエー・コア -" (in Japanese). June 17, 2009. Archived from the original on August 26, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
7. ^ Ben, Schweitzer. "Drag-on Dragoon Original Soundtrack :: Liner Notes Translated by Ben Schweitzer". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
8. ^ Ishida, Katsuo (November 10, 2003). "「ドラッグ オン ドラグーン」 サウンドクリエイター インタビュー". GAME Watch (in Japanese).
9. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (May 22, 2003). "Drakengard Interview". IGN. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
10. ^ a b "GameSetInterview: Korg DS Trio Talk App Creation, EXTRA Concert". GameSetWatch. December 11, 2008. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
11. ^ a b "ゲームミュージック＆アニメ専門店 ga-core - ジーエー・コア -" (in Japanese). June 26, 2009. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
12. ^ Sano, Nobuyoshi (2006). ""sanodg works"". sanodg. Archived from the original on November 1, 2006.
13. ^ "Melody Clip♪". Famitsu. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006.
14. ^ "The Nintendo DS is your instrument: the Korg DS-10". Ars Technica. November 9, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
15. ^ "Game Music Superstars Plan Tokyo Concert". Wired.com. September 8, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
16. ^ Mielke, James (July 25, 2008). "Korg DS-10 Developer Interview". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011.
17. ^ North, Dale (November 14, 2008). "Destructoid interview: KORG DS-10 producer Nobuyoshi Sano". Destructoid.
18. ^ Maekawa, Makoto (October 6, 2010). "シンセな恋の物語". Rooftop (in Japanese).
19. ^ "株式会社DETUNE" (in Japanese). Retrieved November 26, 2021.
20. ^ a b "Interview: KORG M01D Creator Nobuyoshi Sano Talks About Making Sweet Music On The 3DS eShop". Nintendo Life. November 18, 2013.
21. ^ "『【ナムコ世代必見】iPadに降臨した、FM音源の皇帝「iYM2151」" (in Japanese). ASCII. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
22. ^ "『orgarhythm(オルガリズム)』でDETUNE佐野電磁氏とのコラボ楽曲が配信開始" (in Japanese). Famitsu. December 20, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
23. ^ Greening, Chris (April 12, 2014). "Nobuyoshi Sano prepares three new album releases". Video Game Music Online.
24. ^ Greening, Chris (April 24, 2016). "Nobuyoshi Sano and Hiroyoshi Kato to team up for new EDM album". Video Game Music Online.
25. ^ "Legendary games composer Nobuyoshi Sano boards Mobile FMV Game Clive is a Good Guy". EIN Presswire. July 13, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Tekken

Video games|

| Main series|

* Tekken
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* Dark Resurrection
* 6
* 7
* 8

|

Spin-offs|

* Card Challenge
* Tag Tournament
* Advance
* Death by Degrees
* Hybrid
* Tag Tournament 2
* 3D: Prime Edition
* Revolution
* Mobile

List of media|

| Films|

* The Motion Picture
* Tekken
* Blood Vengeance
* Kazuya's Revenge

|

TV series|

* Bloodline

Other|

* Comic

Characters|

* Christie Monteiro
* Eddy Gordo
* Heihachi Mishima
* Jin Kazama
* Josie Rizal
* Julia Chang
* Kazuya Mishima
* King
* Lars Alexandersson
* Lei Wulong
* Ling Xiaoyu
* Lucky Chloe
* Marshall Law
* Michelle Chang
* Nina Williams
* Yoshimitsu

Guests|

* Akuma
* Geese Howard
* Gon
* Negan
* Noctis Lucis Caelum

People|

* Katsuhiro Harada
* Seiichi Ishii
* Yuu Miyake
* Nobuyoshi Sano
* Keiichi Okabe

Related games|

* Soulcalibur
* Virtua Fighter
* Pac-Man Fever
* Namco × Capcom
* NamCollection
* Urban Reign
* Street Fighter X Tekken
* Tekken X Street Fighter
* Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
* Project X Zone
* Project X Zone 2
* Digimon World Re:Digitize
* PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
* Pokkén Tournament
* The King of Fighters All Star
* Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* France
* BnF data

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* 2

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template