Tsuneyoshi Saito

Tsuneyoshi Saito
斉藤 恒芳
Born (1965-04-28) April 28, 1965 (age 59)[1]
Shuzenji, Shizuoka, Japan
GenresVideo game music, anison, classical music, electronic, instrumental
OccupationComposer
InstrumentKeyboard
Years active1990–present
LabelsEpic Records Japan
Sony Music
Websitewww.spacecraft.co.jp/saito/

Tsuneyoshi Saito (斎藤 恒芳, Saitō Tsuneyoshi, born April 28, 1965) is a Japanese composer and arranger for anime shows and video games. He composed the original music for the third Tenchi Muyo film Tenchi Forever! The Movie,[2] the feature anime film xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night's Dream,[3][4] the Fafner anime series including the original anime series, its feature film Fafner: Heaven and Earth, and its 2014 sequel Fafner: Exodus[5][6][7] He composed and arranged the soundtrack for the anime series Dennō Coil,[8][9] Kamen Rider Kiva, and Idolmaster: Xenoglossia. In video games, he co-composed music for Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, and co-arranged the music for Final Fantasy VI that appears on the album Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale.[10][11]

In addition to anime and video game music, he was involved in a Japanese band called Kryzler & Kompany which formed while he was in college. He served as the keyboardist, with Taro Hakase on violin and Yoshinobu Takeshita on bass.[12] Their first eponymous album was released in September 1990 and sold 74,000 copies. Their second, Kryzler And Company #, sold over 81,000 copies. Steve McClure of Billboard wrote that they have become "Japan's unlikeliest pop idols, attracting hordes of screaming fans, a far cry from the decorum and reserve usually shown by Japan's classical music audiences."[13] One of the band's greatest claims to fame was providing the music for Celine Dion's single "To Love You More" which was recorded the theme song for the Japanese drama Koibito Yo (My Dear Lover). The song reached number one on Billboard Japan.[14] The group produced 11 albums before going on hiatus as Hakase pursued a solo career.[15] In February 2015, the group released a new album New World to commemorate their 25th anniversary.[16][17]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference profile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2012). The Anime Encyclopedia, Revised & Expanded Edition. Stone Bridge Press. p. 976. ISBN 9781611725155. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  3. ^ Amith, Dennis (May 8, 2010). "Tsubasa the Movie/xxxHolic the Movie – Clamp Double Feature (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)". J!-ENT. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "Production I.G [WORK LIST]". productionig.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  5. ^ "Fafner Exodus Sequel's Teaser Video Reveals Fall 2014 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference news was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference works was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "CDJapan : Denno Coil Soundtrack Ongakushu Animation Soundtrack (Tsuneyoshi Saito) CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "Anime News Service - February 8–19 Anime News". Anime News Service. February 19, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  10. ^ Barton, Matt (February 22, 2008). Dungeons and Desktops. CRC Press. ISBN 9781439865248. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  11. ^ "Game Music Review: Final Fantasy VI: Grand Finale - RPGamers Network". rpgamers.net. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "BIOGRAPHY - TARO HAKASE Official Website". taro-hakase.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  13. ^ McClure, Steve (October 12, 1991). Sinclair, David (ed.). "Global Music Pulse". Billboard. p. 72. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Hits of the World - Japan". Billboard. December 16, 1995. p. 86. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  15. ^ "About Taro". tarohakase.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  16. ^ "葉加瀬太郎 25th Anniversary KRYZLER & KOMPANY Concert Tour "NEW WORLD"". tv-asahi.co.jp. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  17. ^ "KRYZLER & KOMPANY「NEW WORLD」│HUCD-10178│4582137891783│Shopping│Billboard JAPAN". Billboard JAPAN. Retrieved March 3, 2015.