Masayoshi Soken

Masayoshi Soken (祖堅正慶, Soken Masayoshi, born January 10, 1975) is a Japanese video game composer and sound editor who has worked for Square Enix since 2001. Soken is best known for being the lead composer and sound director of Final Fantasy XIV and its expansions. Throughout his musical career, Soken has also used the names "Masayoshi Kikuchi", "Sorbonne Soken", and "Luis Noma".

Masayoshi Soken
Also known asMasayoshi Kikuchi
Sorbonne Soken
Luis Noma
Born (1975-01-10) January 10, 1975
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
GenresRock, jazz
Occupation(s)Composer, sound designer
InstrumentsPiano, guitar
Years active2001–present
LabelsSquare Enix Music

Biography

Born in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, Soken and his family later moved to Tokyo, where he attended the Tokyo University of Science, majoring in chemistry.[1][2] He was exposed to music at a young age—his father was a professional trumpet player and his mother taught piano.[2] Rather than pursue a career in science, he was hired as a sound editor at an arcade game company.[2] He joined Square in 1998, where he assisted Kenji Ito on sports video games such as Gekikuukan Pro Baseball: The End of the Century 1999.[2] He is credited with arranging two songs on the extended play feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus under the pseudonym "Masayoshi Kikuchi".[3] His debut as a composer came with the Japan-exclusive sports games Nichibeikan Pro Baseball: Final League, in which he was the sole composer, and World Fantasista with synthesizer programmer Takeharu Ishimoto.

In 2005, Soken worked on Drakengard 2 and Front Mission 5: Scars of the War.[1] The following year, Soken composed and arranged the score to Mario Hoops 3-on-3.[4] Along with Kenji Ito and Tsuyoshi Sekito, he created the soundtrack to Dawn of Mana (known as "Seiken Densetsu 4" in Japan), with Academy Award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto providing the main theme.[5] Soken also arranged a few tracks from previous Mana games, and performed the electric guitar for his arrangements. In 2007, he scored the online game Elebest with Ai Yamashita.[1]

Soken has also contributed to Square Enix advertisements; Front Mission 5: Scars of the War (2005) featured the sports commercial song "Blue Stream",[6] Soken's only composition in the game.[7] He also participated in a Square Enix advertisement for pencils where he got beaten up by two robots; the commercial featured music composed by him. Soken created the fanfare for Square Enix Music TV, a monthly video feature where new album releases are discussed and interviews with Square Enix composers are conducted.[1] For the iTunes-exclusive Square Enix Music Official Bootleg collection, Soken contributed the piece "Dog Street" for the first volume in 2006,[8] and "Languid Afternoon" for the third volume in 2007; he went under the alias "Sorbonne Soken" on the third volume.[9] In 2008, he composed the Japan-exclusive Nanashi no Game, this time under the pseudonym "Luis Noma".[10] In 2010, he composed another sports game for the Wii, Mario Sports Mix.

Since the 2010 development team reshuffling, he has been sound director for Final Fantasy XIV. Soken became primary composer for the title with the launch of A Realm Reborn and the expansions that followed. He began performing in a rock band with members of the sound team starting with the album Final Fantasy XIV: From Astral to Umbral.[2] This band, The Primals, has since performed at numerous Final Fantasy XIV events including Fan Festival.[11] Following Nobuo Uematsu's illness in 2018[12], Soken composed the main theme for Shadowbringers. With the previous expansions' main theme songs having previously been composed by Uematsu, this made Shadowbringers' soundtrack the first in the Final Fantasy XIV series to be entirely written by Soken.

Musical style and influences

Soken primarily approaches his game composing with the player's experience in mind.[13] When tasked with arranging Final Fantasy music originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, he takes extra care to achieve this goal.[14][15] Soken credits his experience as a sound designer, sound editor, and voice editor for helping him handle the pressure of the Final Fantasy XIV remake.[2]

Soken's favorite bands are Rage Against the Machine and Pennywise.[13][16]

Works
YearTitleNotes
1998Gekikuukan Pro Baseball: The End of the Century 1999with Kenji Ito, also sound designer
2002Nichibeikan Pro Baseball: Final Leaguealso sound designer
World Fantasistawith Takeharu Ishimoto, also sound designer
Kamaitachi no Yoru 2
2005Drakengard 2sound designer
Front Mission 5: Scars of the Warsound designer
2006Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Dawn of Manawith Kenji Ito, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryuichi Sakamoto
2007Elebestwith Ai Yamashita
2008Nanashi no Gamealso sound designer
Lord of Vermilionsound designer
2009Lord of Vermilion IIsound designer
Nanashi no Game: Mealso sound designer
Noroi no Game: Chialso sound designer
Noroi no Game: Okualso sound designer
2010Final Fantasy XIValso sound director
Lord of Arcanasound designer
Mario Sports Mixwith Kumi Tanioka
2013Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Rebornalso sound director
2014Drakengard 3sound editor
2015Final Fantasy XIV: Heavenswardalso sound director
2017Final Fantasy XIV: Stormbloodalso sound director
2019Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringersalso sound director

References
  1. "Masayoshi Soken Profile". Game Music Online. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  2. http://www.vgmonline.net/masayoshisokeninterview/
  3. "Final Fantasy X: feel / Go Dream". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20170609042425/http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/cm/profile/soken/index.html
  5. "Seiken Densetsu 4 Original Soundtrack -Sanctuary-". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  6. Harry. "Front Mission 5 ~Scars of the War~ Original Soundtrack :: Review by Harry". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  7. "Front Mission 5 ~Scars of the War~ Original Soundtrack". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  8. Don. "Square Enix Music Official Bootleg Vol. 1 :: Review by Don". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  9. Don. "Square Enix Music Official Bootleg Vol. 3 :: Review by Don". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  10. Chris (July 23, 2008). "Nanashi no Game EP Released". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  11. https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/topics/detail/416f6054a6618c4b7a0bc921821bb203e8237a77
  12. Final Fantasy Composer Nobuo Uematsu Stopping Work Due to Health Problems - IGN, retrieved September 6, 2019
  13. https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/06/05/final-fantasy-xiv-eorzean-symphony-masayoshi-soken/
  14. https://www.usgamer.net/articles/final-fantasy-xiv-orchestra-interview
  15. https://www.inverse.com/article/37691-final-fantasy-xiv-music-music-a-realm-reborn-masayoshi-soken-guinness-world-records
  16. http://www.rpgfan.com/features/Masayoshi-Soken-E3-2018-Interview/
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