Akira Yamaoka?

[Yuki]

They definitely did a good job making it so haunting in their version but it kinda loses its charm due to the fact it wasn't specifically an original song made exclusively for the game like in the past for Silent Hill soundtracks.

I see people say this same sort of thing about including any kind of vocal music in the series, or about the KoRn song. I don't get it; if it's a good song, why does it matter if it was originally made for the game or not?

[Q. Valintyne]

I just find it a bit funny that "Always on my Mind" isn't an original song for this game and was a song originally done by Pet Shop Boys.

First off, this is wrong. The first person to record it was Brenda Lee. The song was written by another group of fellas, but that's a different story. The version I know the best was Willie Nelson's, but it has also been done by Elvis and Michael Bublé.

They definitely did a good job making it so haunting in their version but it kinda loses its charm due to the fact it wasn't specifically an original song made exclusively for the game like in the past for Silent Hill soundtracks.

No... it doesn't. A song is a song.

I see people say this same sort of thing about including any kind of vocal music in the series, or about the KoRn song. I don't get it; if it's a good song, why does it matter if it was originally made for the game or not?

I agree wholeheartedly with this. The Korn song was made specifically for Downpour, yet people bitch about it being Korn. If "Freak on a Leash" was used, people would (again) use the "it wasn't made for the game" spiel.

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's vocal rendition of "Always On My Mind" is haunting. Willie Nelson's... isn't. It's bittersweet and mournful. It's definitely not haunting.

[NarooN]

I never understood all the whining about Akira & Mary's music in the games. Then again, the fanbase loves to cry about every damn thing there is, so it's not surprising, lol.

[Axiomatic]

Yamaoka is certainly a genius when it comes to creating an effective ambient score and as a sound designer. Maybe some of his rock songs are a bit generic and trite, but if you take his music out of Silent Hill it loses most of its impact.

I definitely do not look down on sampling either. I don't care at all for recording music in the conventional sense. That's not my thing, so it doesn't bother me if Yamaoka is essentially building sound collages out of sample libraries. It's how he uses these samples that matters most. It takes a lot more than just putting random bits and pieces together to make something work. You have to have the right sensibilities and a clear idea of what you want. It is essentially painting a picture with sound. 

I have some of the samples that Akira uses and I can't create anything that sounds remotely similar to him. He has his own distinctive style, which is ultimately far more important than any of the instruments and tools that he uses. And that's all that samples are (tools and instruments) to be used in the same fashion as other instruments. Why anyone would hold that against Akira is beyond me. 

I agree with you, but I understand where people are coming from when they feel disillusioned about Yamaoka's use of samples. Fortunately for him, all of his ambient samples work well in the context of the Silent Hill.

[Purramid_Head]

Yamaoka is certainly a genius when it comes to creating an effective ambient score and as a sound designer. Maybe some of his rock songs are a bit generic and trite, but if you take his music out of Silent Hill it loses most of its impact.

I definitely do not look down on sampling either. I don't care at all for recording music in the conventional sense. That's not my thing, so it doesn't bother me if Yamaoka is essentially building sound collages out of sample libraries. It's how he uses these samples that matters most. It takes a lot more than just putting random bits and pieces together to make something work. You have to have the right sensibilities and a clear idea of what you want. It is essentially painting a picture with sound. 

I have some of the samples that Akira uses and I can't create anything that sounds remotely similar to him. He has his own distinctive style, which is ultimately far more important than any of the instruments and tools that he uses. And that's all that samples are (tools and instruments) to be used in the same fashion as other instruments. Why anyone would hold that against Akira is beyond me. 

I agree with you, but I understand where people are coming from when they feel disillusioned about Yamaoka's use of samples. Fortunately for him, all of his ambient samples work well in the context of the Silent Hill.

It still takes a lot of work to compose what he did. I don't see anything wrong with it. This is how I am looking at it.

*hears closer sounds from SH3*

"OMG it sucks because he totally sampled that sound from a rhino! "

What kind of sense does that make?

Not even mentioning the samples of real life visual media, and the sampling of other fictional works that the team has done. Why is this surprising?

[keeps]

hiphop, house, industrial and generally electronic music all over the place has heavy sampling

[what]

I was bummed because my favorite track from Shattered Memories was hardly his work at all. He sampled someone else's song and just added effects over top of it.

I don't think it's wrong, or surprising, that he does what he does. But being good at piecing sounds together is not genius musical talent.

[Axiomatic]

To be clear, I'm in the same camp as Purramid_Head and keeps. I was just pointing out that I could see why people might feel a little let down. When most people I know think of sampling, they assume the person doing the sampling does moee work and just takes someone else's composition and essentially copy/paste, but this is wrong.With that said, Yamaoka has in some cases done nothing but copy/paste and slap an effect or two over it. It's serviceable, but not wonderful composition.

[NarooN]

Yeah, I see your point. But is there really such a thing as a musician who has never made a mediocre work? I just don't think it's really that big of a deal. You can see his later stuff get a little lazy, but I bet that's mainly because he was tired of doing the same thing for like a decade. He finally left the studio a few years ago.

[keeps]

I don't really ever use the word genius about anyone or anything. Math/science is a bit different I guess. I'm listening to this Rondenion record of pieced together sounds at the moment and I could say it was genius if I was pressed to - the vibe and atmosphere it creates is unique and transcends where the sounds originated. It's a fresh take with a keen insight. Obvious subjectivity.

I like that track you linked, what. Who is it by?
If it was like public domain or used with permission I don't see the problem with it. He is scoring a video game.

Someone who often writes music based on others works is Yoko Kanno. The creators might come to her and say "I want something like this" or she references it herself but it's common. That could be said to be derivative and lowbrow disposable music but after the end of the world it won't matter. Selection and deft handling of sources and motifs is worth something.

Jean-Luc Godard says some good stuff about sampling.

I wonder why there was never an official like club remix compilation of Silent Hill tracks. Konami had that extensive Bemani talent pool and Akira was right there involved in it too. Would have been classy.

[Axiomatic]

NarooN, a composer with as many tracks as Yamaoka will likely produce a mediocre track. I'm curious, what, what do you take to be musical genius? keeps, Godard is wonderful.

[rollerfan222]

I've noticed the soundtrack Akira sampled the most out of was Origins, so many elements of it got thrown into Homecoming's and SM's soundtracks. Not to say the later two weren't great, since it's only 2 or 3 songs that contain samples from Origins in each OST.

I know he uses a lot of stuff from other people, but that's not a reason to discredit him as a composer, afterall he's the ones mixing the stuff he samples from other people.

[schlaufuchsMIKE]

I haven't listened to the soundtrack, but from what I remember from playing the game, it did sound to me like he was getting kind of bored with it all.

[NarooN]

NarooN, a composer with as many tracks as Yamaoka will likely produce a mediocre track. I'm curious, what, what do you take to be musical genius? keeps, Godard is wonderful.

I don't really think I have a personal template for what I consider genius. It's actually not a term I really use much, if at all. I think Akira did a lot of great stuff, and I'm sure many can agree on that. I mean, I think I've called some musicians I listen to genius, like I've said "Wow, this track is genius" or something. I think nowadays, that term is used mostly as a really endearing adjective more than to imply that, for example, no one else could possibly come up with such a thing. So in terms of the earlier definition, I'd say Akira had numerous sparks of genius throughout his SH tenure.

[Purramid_Head]

I've noticed the soundtrack Akira sampled the most out of was Origins, so many elements of it got thrown into Homecoming's and SM's soundtracks. Not to say the later two weren't great, since it's only 2 or 3 songs that contain samples from Origins in each OST.

I know he uses a lot of stuff from other people, but that's not a reason to discredit him as a composer, afterall he's the ones mixing the stuff he samples from other people.

I thought Shattered Memories was fitting myself because the OST is a lot softer and less ambient. Origins had a wonderful OST but I think HC's was a bit lazy. I just felt he wasn't feeling it then.

[Axiomatic]

NarooN, a composer with as many tracks as Yamaoka will likely produce a mediocre track. I'm curious, what, what do you take to be musical genius? keeps, Godard is wonderful.

I don't really think I have a personal template for what I consider genius. It's actually not a term I really use much, if at all. I think Akira did a lot of great stuff, and I'm sure many can agree on that. I mean, I think I've called some musicians I listen to genius, like I've said "Wow, this track is genius" or something. I think nowadays, that term is used mostly as a really endearing adjective more than to imply that, for example, no one else could possibly come up with such a thing. So in terms of the earlier definition, I'd say Akira had numerous sparks of genius throughout his SH tenure.

NarooN, thanks for your answer. I agree with you. Note: I was throwing that question at the user, "what". I associate genius with technical mastery, though it's not restricted to this. According to the endearing adjective use, it seems clear that Yamaoka is a genius. I think he's also technically competent, so I'd call him a genius as well. Though I'm okay with him not being considered a genius, too.

On another note, the Shattered Memories soundtrack is one of the best for me.