«It is surreal and deeply humbling to have my music heard by so many transcending background» Hello, Furukawa-san. Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity to talk with you about your work. The pleasure and privilege is mine. Thank you for having me. First of all, we would like to know more about you, your musical background and find out how you got into the world of composition.
One of your very first assignments as orchestrator and composer was for Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. What do you remark of that work and what did you learn from working on this great TV show?
My appointment on Clone Wars as orchestrator eventually evolved to additional music composition on the spin-off television series. Among the many things I learned working alongside Kevin Kiner (my mentor and senior composer on Clone Wars), perhaps the most educational was observing how he communicated with and served George Lucas’ vision. As composers, we are usually the ones doing the “telling” musically, and therefore often need to consciously adjust ourselves to listen to what the director and the project requires. In hindsight, my younger self was a bit of a raucous know-it-all, and such adjustment of perspective was very much needed. I’m forever grateful to Kevin for having patiently tolerated and set me straight. Let’s talk about The Last Guardian. How did you got involved in this project?
Once you are on board, was it difficult to find the proper musical tone for the wonderful world created by Ueda-san? I think you have done a fantastic job in this respect.
While I was playing the game and I listened your music, I realized how you avoid showing with your music what we are seeing on screen, playing the action instead of the emotion during an emotional scene or vice-versa. To me, it reflects your great work from the point of view of a filmmaker for the story of Trico and the boy because you enrich the narrative with this decision. Can you tell us about this?
How delays in the launch of the game (several years) affect your work? With that uncertainty, it must have been difficult to you compose the score.
Your soundtrack has nothing to do with Oshima or Otani works for Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Was it clear for you and Ueda-san that there will not be any reference of the music from the previous games?
Composer, orchestrator, piano performer, orchestra conductor… I suppose that it has been a wonderful experience for you recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices and Trinity Boys choirs. Tell us about what did you feel during these recording days and how much work is required for a recording like this.
The scope of the recording sessions was bigger than anything I had previously experienced in my career, and therefore took massive effort in preparation and coordination. My wonderful producers at Sony Music Publishing and Mario de Sa, the LSO manager, were instrumental in making this all happen. One might falsely assume that institutions as esteemed as the LSO, London Voices, and the Trinity Boys Choir would have a lot of hurdles to overcome, but the reality was anything but. They are truly some of the most genuine and humble musicians I have every had the pleasure of working alongside, and I could not imagine The Last Guardian’s score without them. Also, due to the extended music production timeline, I was able to orchestrate everything myself. I believe orchestration to be just as important as composition in defining a composer’s voice, and relish every opportunity to do so myself. What do you think when you read a lot of great reviews of your music for The last Guardian as well as unanimous recognition of specialized media? Did you imagine something like this?
Furukawa-san, once again, thank you very much for the interview and your kindness, thank you very much for give us such a fantastic score as The Last Guardian. BSOSpirit team wish you all the best from Spain. Thank you, once again, for having me. It’s been an absolute pleasure speaking with you, and thank you for such warm remarks.
BSOSpirit’s team would like to thank Greg O’Connor his valuable help to conduct this interview.
|
Author
BIO: Effortlessly blending timeless orchestral elegance with modern sensibilities, award-winning composer Takeshi Furukawa’s music has accompanied some of the world’s most recognizable franchises and brands on screen. From his television works for Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Wars: Clone Wars, to the prestigious Cannes Lions-winning global campaigns for Mercedes-Benz, Apple, and Sony, Furukawa’s signature style of soaring melodies colored by refined orchestration has become synonymous with cinematic grandeur. His most recent appointment on the blockbuster PlayStation 4 title The Last Guardian has further established Furukawa as one of the most exciting new voices in the industry. For this third installment in the seminal Ico franchise, Furukawa collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Trinity Boys Choir, and the London Voices. The resulting score has garnered universal praise with various media outlets hailing Furukawa’s music as «wondrous» (IGN) and «entirely gorgeous» (Forbes). Previous works in cinema include scores to NoNAMES and the critically acclaimed Slamdance-winning documentary Bhopali. An ardent enthusiast of contemporary concert music, he also is currently working on a forthcoming album of chamber works. Furukawa resides in Los Angeles, and is represented worldwide by the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency.
|
No hay comentarios