How the Streets of Rage and Etrian Odyssey composer was inspired by disco, city pop, and slyly recording music from arcade cabinets
F<\/span>rom the urban warzones of Shinobi and Streets of Rage to the high fantasy realms of Ys and Etrian Odyssey, Japanese composer Yuzo Koshiro has seen (and heard) it all. His engineering wizardry helped establish video game music as a force to be reckoned with, alongside its cinematic and televisual siblings. His foresight allowed him to retain the rights to his own music, in an industry that\u2019s often keen on prising the art from the artist. In so many ways, and across so many disciplines, Koshiro has always been ahead of his time.
And it all began with him secretly recording the music from his favourite games in arcades. \u201cWhen I was a teenager, spending time at amusement arcades, game developers would only release a few video game titles in a year,\u201d he explains. \u201cHowever, each game had its own distinct electronic sound that set them apart, creating an immersive atmosphere in the arcade halls.\u201d Koshiro \u2013 and many other Japanese game music enthusiasts of the era, he says \u2013 would go to a game centre with a tape recorder in hand, so he could thumb the cassette into a player at home and listen to the music whenever he wanted.
\u201cI had a strong affinity for popular arcade game music, including well-known titles like Space Harrier, The Tower of Druaga, and Gladius,\u201d he explains, when I ask what tracks made it to his own, personal tapes. \u201cI thoroughly enjoyed transcribing these iconic compositions by ear, programming them on the PC-8801SR [an 8-bit Japanese home computer], and writing the [music language].\u201d
These games \u2013 and the short, catchy melodies and chirps that made up their soundscapes \u2013 would \u201csignificantly inspire\u201d Koshiro, and become foundational for his early work; both 1987\u2019s Ys and Sorcerian had a similar sound to what he\u2019d heard in the arcades and learned to replicate at home. Koshiro\u2019s skill was twofold: his natural ear for melody (enriched by lessons from his mother, a piano teacher; one of her later students was Studio Ghibli\u2019s Joe Hisaishi) was added to by his technical knowhow. Koshiro taught himself how to program: it wasn\u2019t enough to be able to write music, he needed to know how to make<\/em> it.
\u201cThere came a turning point in my music style when I composed Misty Blue,\u201d he reflects. \u201cMisty Blue incorporated elements of popular music, and disco, from the 1990s. During this time, I consciously began striving to differentiate my music from other major styles. I sought to make my compositions stand out by infusing them with distinctiveness and exploring new musical elements.\u201d
Misty Blue \u2013 a peculiar mystery adventure about a musician investigating the death of music producer, named after a 1966 Nashville country song by Bob Montgomery \u2013 was the perfect place for Koshiro to start spreading his wings. It was experimental, self-aware, and ahead of its time. \u201cAs Misty Blue gained popularity and received love from fans, I gained confidence in creating music with a cutting-edge style that other game music didn\u2019t have. This newfound confidence eventually led me to create the Streets of Rage series.\u201d
The connection between Misty Blue and Streets of Rage is clear. While the former took the high-energy beat and colourful expression of disco to form the backdrop of a moody murder mystery, the latter began with dance music. And ran with it. Koshiro \u2013 by now a successful composer, travelling the world \u2013 had heard early techno tracks in Los Angeles, and was inspired to fold them into his own style.
Mixing violence with voice, forcing the somewhat primitive Sega Genesis\/Mega Drive sound processor to its limit with voice samples and meaty sound effects, Streets of Rage was monumental. And its influence that hasn\u2019t faded with time; only recently, Koshiro toured as a DJ, playing music from the series to packed nightclubs around Europe. His music is as popular with non-gamers as it is with his core audience.
But it\u2019s not Streets of Rage that has Koshiro\u2019s heart. It may be his most famous work, often included in \u201cbest-of\u201d lists and licensed for compilation albums, but his personal highlight lies elsewhere. \u201cIt\u2019s the Etrian Odyssey series that holds the most significance for me, because it reconnects me to my roots,\u201d he explains. The first three instalments of the niche Nintendo DS RPG series intentionally replicate the sound of 90s RPGs by using \u201cFM synth\u201d \u2013 a fully digital, and artistically expressive, way of programming audio that gives you more granular control over the resulting music.
\u201cEtrian Odyssey brings back memories of my early composition career, when I worked with the YM2203 FM sound chip on Xanadu Scenario II,\u201d reflects Koshiro. \u201cThis return to FM synthesis in the process of creating music for Etrian Odyssey provided a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and rediscovery.\u201d
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\u201c[Back in the 90s], I had numerous aspirations in FM music creation. I strived to enhance the quality of my music and elevate my compositional skills to match the high standards set by arcade games of that era. However, I faced significant challenges and couldn\u2019t fully achieve my goals, back then.
\u201cReturning to FM synthesis for the Etrian Odyssey music, I felt a renewed sense of determination. While I may not have completely realised all my aspirations, I was able to make significant progress towards them. This makes the Etrian Odyssey series even more meaningful to me, as it represents a fulfilling path towards the realisation of my musical goals.\u201d
Koshiro has always been committed to bringing his personal tastes into the mix, whether that was making arcade games sound \u201ceven more arcade-y\u201d in Ys, or replicating the bass and beats of techno in Streets of Rage. In his eyes at least, Etrian Odyssey does that more faithfully than his previous works. So, if you\u2019ve got a soft spot for Streets of Rage\u2019s impeccable aural background, you should do yourself a favour and give some of Etrian Odyssey\u2019s complex, melodic retro-flavoured soundtracks a spin, too. You may just find yourself an unexpected new favourite.
Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.<\/p>\n