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Escape to Japan

Japan is one of gaming's most important epicentres. Louise Blain goes in search of the music of this key sub-genre. Featuring such releases as Okami, Zelda and Final Fantasy.

Japan is one of gaming's most important epicentres. Louise Blain goes in search of the music of this key sub-genre. Featuring such composers as Koji Kondo (Super Mario Brothers), Shunsuke Kida (Demon's Souls); Yasuaki Iwata and Manaka Kataoka (Zelda: Breath of the Wild) and Kow Otani (Shadow of the Colossus). And we hear from Cody Matthew Johnson and Yoko Honda, the composers of an arresting soundtrack to the new samurai game Trek to Yomi, featuring highly authentic Gagaku music.

Available now

25 minutes

Last on

Sat 7 May 2022 15:00

Music Played

  • Yugo Kanno

    Nioh 2 "Prologue / Battle"

    Composer: Akhiro Manabe. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
    • Nioh 2 (Original Soundtrack).
    • KOEI TECMO.
  • CAPCOM

    Okami "Shinshue Fields Nos. 1&2"

    Performer: CAPCOM.
    • SULEPUTER.
  • Koji Kondo

    Super Mario Bros "Theme"

    Performer: Koji Kondo.
    • Classic Tones.
  • Koji Kondo

    Super Mario Odyssey "Lake Lamode O"

    Composer: Naoto Kubo. Composer: Shigetoshi Gohara. Composer: Shiho Fujii. Composer: YÅ«ki Tsuji. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
    • Super Mario Odyssey Original Soundtrack.
    • Being Group.
  • Kow Otani

    Shadow of the Colossus: Roar of the Earth "The Farthest Land"

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Choir: Gey's AX.
    • Shadow Of The Colossus.
    • Iam8bit.
  • Masatoshi Yanagi

    Ghostwire: Tokyo

    Performer: Masatoshi Yanagi.
    • Ghostwire: Tokyo (Official Game Soundtrack).
    • Bethesda Soundworks.
  • Ryuji Iuchi

    Shenmue III "Shenshua's Poem"

    Performer: Ryuji Iuchi.
    • Brainwave.
  • Shunsuke Kida

    Demon's Souls "Flamelurker", "Return to Slumber"

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
    • Demon’s Souls Soundtrack (Collector’s Edition).
    • Sony Masterworks.
  • Nobuyuki Shimizu

    LocoRoco "dadhi dado da"

    Composer: Kemmei Adachi. Performer: Nobuyuki Shimizu. Performer: Kemmei Adachi.
    • Fangamer.
  • Kazumi Totaka

    Animal Crossing "Prologue (06) Sunny"

    Composer: Kenta Nagata. Composer: Toru Minegishi. Composer: Shinobu Tanaka. Performer: Studio-Ensemble.
    • Aniplex Inc..
  • Cody Matthew Johnson

    Trek to Yomi "Ishi Wo Tsugu Mono"

    Composer: Yoko Honda. Ensemble: Studio-Ensemble.
    • Trek to Yomi (Original Soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Cody Matthew Johnson

    Trek to Yomi "Kamikakushi, As if"

    Composer: Yoko Honda. Ensemble: Studio-Ensemble.
    • Trek to Yomi (Original Soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Cody Matthew Johnson

    Trek to Yomi "The Emptiness of Vengeance"

    Composer: Yoko Honda. Ensemble: Studio-Ensemble.
    • Trek to Yomi (Original Soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Yasuaki Iwata

    The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

    Composer: Manaka Kataoka. Composer: Hajime Wakai. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
    • The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild – Sound Selection.
    • Nintendo.
  • Nobuo Uematsu

    Final Fantasy Piano Concerto "2nd mvt"

    Performer: Katharina Treutler. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.
    • MERREGNON.
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir

    Battlefield 2042 "The Observation of Beautiful Forms"

    Composer: Sam Slater. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
    • Battlefield 2042 (Official Soundtrack ).
    • Lakeshore Records.

Broadcast

  • Sat 7 May 2022 15:00

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