Noriyuki Asakura

Japanese composer and vocalist

Noriyuki Asakura
朝倉 紀行

Birth name| 浅倉 紀幸 (Asakura Noriyuki)
Born|  (1954-02-11) 11 February 1954 (age 71)
Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
Genres|

* Ambient rock
* rock
* jazz rock
* folk rock
* video game music

Occupation(s)| Musician, composer, vocalist
Years active| 1982–present
Website| n-asakura.com

Musical artist

Noriyuki Asakura (朝倉 紀行 (formerly 浅倉 紀幸), Asakura Noriyuki; born 11 February 1954) is a Japanese composer and vocalist, best known for composing the soundtracks to the anime series Rurouni Kenshin and the video game franchises Tenchu and Way of the Samurai. He is well known for combining traditional Japanese music with elements of rock, jazz, and other world music. He established the music production studio Mega-Alpha in 2003, which composes for various types of media.

## Career

[edit]

Asakura was born in Itabashi, Tokyo and raised in Ehime Prefecture.[1] Asukara was interested in music since childhood, but gained a greater interest after listening to Led Zeppelin, performing for multiple amateur rock bands as a guitarist and vocalist.[2] While attending Nihon University, Asakura entered the music industry professionally in 1982, marking his debut by performing the theme song for Keiji Yoroshiku as Noriyuki Asakura & GANG. He has since began composing music for television programs and movies, as well as producing music for a number of Japanese pop stars during the 1980s and early 1990s. He debuted in the anime industry by composing 1987's Junk Boy, followed by Time Travel Tondekeman and the Shakotan Boogie original video animation.[3] Asakura composed his first video game score for Crime Crackers, which released in 1994.[4] In 1996, he composed the soundtrack to Rurouni Kenshin, which combined traditional Japanese music with rock, giving the soundtrack a contemporary feel. His compositions for the series would influence his style and later work.[2]

In 1998, Asakura composed the soundtrack to Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, after being introduced to producer Masami Yamamoto and delivering a sample from a previous project, which became the game's opening theme. Contrary to popular belief, "Add'ua", the theme song to the first Tenchu game was not sung in Japanese, but rather in the West African language of Hausa.[4] "Sadame", the theme song for Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, and "Kurenai No Hana", the theme song for Tenchu: Fatal Shadows, were performed in Japanese. Following his work on Tenchu, Asakura composed the soundtrack for Acquire's Way of the Samurai. Asakura composed and performed "THE BUSTER," serving as the ending theme for Siren, which released in 2003.[2]

In 2003, Asakura established Mega-Alpha, a music production company, in order to compose music for television programs, anime, and video games.[5] Under Mega-Alpha, Asakura composed for multiple anime series, including Ragnarok the Animation, Major, and Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc.[3] In 2008, Asakura returned to the Tenchu franchise, composing Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, taking influence from his prior compositions and classical music.[4] In 2014, Asakura composed Kadokawa Games' tactical role-playing game Natural Doctrine, which included an arrangement of "The Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson as the ending theme song.[6] Asakura composed additional music for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which released in March 2019.[7] In 2020, Asakura composed Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story, a spin-off of the Way of the Samurai franchise.[8] Asakura was to compose for Tokyo Babylon at King Records, which was set to premiere in 2021.[9] The series was canceled following investigation of plagiarism regarding character designs by the production company, with a new anime production to be produced by a different studio.[10]

## Style

[edit]

Motivated by a desire to take a different approach to soundtracks for historical Japanese fiction, Asakura combines traditional Japanese music with elements of rock, as well as folk music from multiple Asian countries including China, Thailand, and Turkey. Asakura further developed this style with Tenchu and  Way of the Samurai.[1] Asakura's style is also influenced by the way progressive rock musicians expanded on rock music in the 1970s, adopting a more experimental approach to traditional music in order to expand the horizons of its conventions.[2][4]

## Works

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021)

|

Video games  Year  | Title  | Notes

|
|

1994  | Crime Crackers |
1997  | Crime Crackers 2 |
1998  | Tenchu: Stealth Assassins |
2000  | Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins |
2001  | Way of the Samurai |
2003  | Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven |
Way of the Samurai 2 |
Siren | composed "THE BUSTER!"
2004  | Tenchu: Fatal Shadows | composed "Kurenai No Hana"
Capcom Fighting Evolution |
2005  | Samurai Western |
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins |
2008  | Tenchu: Shadow Assassins |
Way of the Samurai 3 |
2011  | Way of the Samurai 4 |
2014  | Natural Doctrine |
2019  | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | additional music (with Yuka Kitamura)
2020  | Pro Yakyuu Famista 2020 | composed "GREAT BASEBALL"[11]
Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story |
Anime  Year  | Title  | Notes

|
|

1987  | Junk Boy |
1989  | Time Travel Tondekeman |
1991  | Shakotan Boogie |
1996  | Rurouni Kenshin |
2004  | Major |
Ragnarok the Animation |
2011  | Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc |
2014  | Knights of Sidonia |
2017  | Atom: The Beginning | [12]
2018  | Zoids Wild |
2020  | Tomica Kizuna Mode Combine Earth Granner | [13]
2021  | Mazica Party | [14]
2023  | I'm in Love with the Villainess | [15]
TBA  | Tokyo Babylon |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Composer N. Asakura". Retrieved 3 November 2021.
2. ^ a b c d "作品との出会いに感謝！ 作曲活動25年の朝倉紀行氏が『天誅』サウンドを語る". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 October 2021.
3. ^ a b Chris, Greening (10 March 2013). "Noriyuki Asakura Profile". Video Game Music Online. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
4. ^ a b c d "Interview: Inside The Music Of The Tenchu Series". Game Developer. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
5. ^ "Mega-Alpha Inc". Retrieved 18 November 2008.
6. ^ "角川ゲームスが「KADOKAWA GAME STUDIO MEDIA BRIEFING 2013 AUTUMN」を開催。「艦これ改（仮）」および「NAtURAL DOCtRINE」が正式発表された会場の模様をレポート". 4gamer.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 November 2021.
7. ^ "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice soundtrack set for vinyl release". The Vinyl Factory. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
8. ^ "なぜ「侍道」の外伝だったのか。アクワイアのキーパーソンが語る，「侍道外伝 KATANAKAMI」誕生の経緯と"和風ハクスラ"制作に懸ける思い". 4gamer.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 November 2021.
9. ^ "CLAMP's Tokyo Babylon 2021 TV Anime Unveils Cast, Staff, New Video, April Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
10. ^ Pineda, Rafael, Antonio (28 March 2021). "Tokyo Babylon 2021 Anime Canceled with Restart Planned, After More Plagiarism Uncovered". Anime News Network. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
11. ^ "祝！プロ野球開幕！！Nintendo Switch™ 『プロ野球 ファミスタ 2020』2020年9月17日（木）発売決定！＆34年の歴史で初となる「オープニングアニメーション映像」を公開!". PR TIMES (in Japanese). 19 June 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
12. ^ "News Sites Briefly List Staff, 2017 Spring Premiere for Atom the Beginning Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
13. ^ "Zoids Wild Zero Anime Reveals Theme Song Artists, More Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
14. ^ "Takara Tomy Reveals Mazica Party Franchise With April TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
15. ^ "I'm in Love with the Villainess Yuri Isekai Novels Get TV Anime in 2023". Anime News Network. Retrieved 13 December 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Composer N. Asakura (official site)
* Noriyuki Asakura discography at MusicBrainz
* RocketBaby's Interview

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Spain

Artists|

* MusicBrainz