Eminence Online, Game Music Feature

Kow Otani recently worked with Eminence Group on Echoes of War: The Music of Blizzard Entertainment. He's also the composer for the highly-regarded PlayStation 2 adventure game, Shadow of the Colossus. Otani also has an extensive background composing music for film and anime. In this interview, we ask Mr. Otani about his experiences as a composer, his thoughts on future Shadow of the Colossus franchise possibilities, his personal influences, and more.

Eminence Online: Mr. Otani, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. We look forward to learning from you.

Kow Otani: Yes, and thank you as well.

EO: Your primary body of work has been for film and television (including anime). Why the recent interest in game music? Do you prefer working with real instrumentalists over, say, the limitations of an 8-bit or 16-bit console? Or is there another reason as to why you've only recently started taking interest in game music?

KO: The first game I wrote music for was Sky Odyssey (Sony Computer Entertainment). After this experience, I learned that in a game, the pace is determined primarily by the player, and the music is taken in differently by different people. In films and anime, the music has a very rigid, set prerequisite: not just in length of time, but also in purpose. With games, the possibilities are infinite. Also, though I do like 8-bit and 16-bit sounds (they are cheap to produce, after all), I do enjoy writing for full orchestra.

EO: Recount for us, if you would, the series of events that led you to work with Eminence on the "image" themes for the Diablo series on Echoes of War. Also, did you enjoy working on this project, and do you think you'd be willing to do something like it again in the future?

KO: I was invited by Hiroaki Yura to participate in Echoes of War, and gladly accepted (for more details on this encounter, see the DVD on the special edition of Echoes of War). I enjoyed working on the project, and I wish much success for Eminence, that they would be able to reach a large, worldwide audience. And of course, I'd like to do this again!

EO: Many English-speaking gamers know you best for your work on the hit PlayStation 2 title Shadow of the Colossus. Considering the game was silent except for the dramatic, action-based sequences, why do you think people remember the soundtrack so fondly?

KO: I would say that the game's sense of drama fits the music very well, which leaves a strong impression in one's mind.

EO: Having written music for many Gamera movies, do you think your experience composing music for fantasy works that involve large, insurmountable beasts helped you to score Shadow of the Colossus?

KO: (laughter) No, no relevance between Gamera and Shadow of the Colossus. The experience of doing different works over the years has helped me as a composer, but to me, there is no correlation between those two specific works. But there's no question that the Gamera projects helped me with the development of my music.

EO: It was recently announced that an American studio is planning on creating a live-action movie based on Shadow of the Colossus. Given the game's minimalist story and presentation, do you think a film adaptation of the game is a good idea? Also, if you were asked to compose the score for the film, would you do it?

KO: Perhaps it would be better for that studio to wait until the Shadow of the Colossus sequel (game) before doing the movie. However, if the movie goes ahead as planned, and I was asked to do the music, I'd definitely do the score.

EO: You wrote the music for the TV anime adaptation of Deltora Quest, which is based on a series of books by Australian author Emily Rodda. What inspirational source did you use for the music: the visuals of the anime, or the plot as created by Rodda herself?

KO: Rodda's story was my primary influence. The nature and the scenic beauty of the illustrations inspired my music. The character designs for the TV anime were also an inspiration for the anime soundtrack.

EO: In general, what does the process look like for you to use the visual aspect of a film, TV show, anime, or game to inspire you as a musician? Or are you able to compose for these types of media without much prior knowledge or exposure?

KO: The visual aspect is very important. The music I compose is dependent upon the visual feedback. The music would dramatically change without it. It would be the same reaction as when people see delicious food, or beautiful people.

EO: As a pianist, do you find that you like to compose music for piano, or are there other instruments that you frequently like to incorporate in your music?

KO: I compose music for piano and other instruments regularly, and I enjoy doing both.

EO: What other musicians, Japanese or international, living or dead, have influenced your own work?

KO: All ancestors, before I was born, have influenced my work in some way. In terms of classical music, Stravinsky and Bartok have influenced me. And of course, contemporary musicians including Led Zeppelin and Bjork have had an impact on my own work.

EO: Do you have a favorite score among all of the soundtracks you've written in the last two decades?

KO: My favorites are Shadow of the Colossus (PlayStation 2), Deltora Quest (anime), Haibane Renmei (anime), and Kewaishi (a Japanese movie).

EO: Thank you again, Mr. Otani, for answering our questions. It has been a pleasure. If you would like to learn more about Mr. Otani and his music, you can find a sizeable portion of his discography listed on Wikipedia. Mr. Otani also appears extensively on the bonus DVD that comes with the special edition of 'Echoes of War.'

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