Yoko Kanno


Yoko Kanno is a Japanese composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime films, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has written scores for Cowboy Bebop, Darker than Black, Macross Plus, Turn A Gundam, The Vision of Escaflowne, , Wolf's Rain, Kids on the Slope and Terror in Resonance, and has worked with the directors Yoshiyuki Tomino, Shinichirō Watanabe and Shōji Kawamori. Kanno has also composed music for pop artists Maaya Sakamoto and Kyōko Koizumi. She is also a keyboardist, and is the frontwoman for the Seatbelts, who perform many of Kanno's compositions and soundtracks.

Biography

Early life

Yoko Kanno was born March 18, 1963 in Sendai, Japan. Her earliest experiences with music came from attending church with her parents. She studied keyboard from a young age on both the piano in her home and the organ at her kindergarten. In elementary school, she began participating in composition contests, but in high school, Kanno began to take more of an interest in literature than in music.
Kanno attended Waseda University, where she majored in literature, but she transcribed music for various student groups at Waseda in her free time. During this time, Kanno—whose parents had only allowed her to listen to classical music—was introduced to rhythm by a friend who played drums in a school band. She spoke of this experience in an interview with Akihiro Tomita:
While with this band, she studied the composition and style of popular music.
While at Waseda, Koei, a Japanese video game company, asked Kanno to compose the soundtrack to Nobunaga's Ambition. The game turned out to be a hit, and Kanno's music career was launched.

Professional life

Yoko Kanno's soundtrack themes include "Kiseki no Umi", "Voices", "Tank!", "Yakusoku wa Iranai", "Gravity", "Inner Universe" and . In regards to making the Stand Alone Complex soundtrack she said:
Having composed in various genres, including blues, classical, jazz, techno, and J-pop, she was once asked if she favored a particular genre:
Since she works in the animation industry, she only receives instructions and storyboards from directors which helps her with composing. However, it is uncertain if all of her works are to be included in the finished project. She once said that this is a way she likes to work, for she does not have to deal with rules during composing. In reference to this, she once stated:
She was the lead member of the project band called Seatbelts, which regrouped in the year of 2004 to compose the soundtrack of the PlayStation 2 Cowboy Bebop video game, released in Japan in 2005.
She has composed for Koei games released during the late 1980s to early 1990s and for Napple Tale, a Dreamcast game. Due to her close involvement in the Cowboy Bebop anime, the game released by Bandai also features her work.
Apart from anime and games, Kanno also composes for live-action films and television commercials. Some popular brands she has composed for are Canon, DoCoMo, Fuji Xerox, Seven-Eleven, Microsoft, Nissan, Toyota, Shiseido, Avon, and MasterCard to name a few. Grand Funk Inc. is her recording studio of choice in producing for these two media. Contributions to films started in the 1990s but only since 2002 has there been a trend towards the medium. Most of the latter were shown in international film festivals.
She attended Otakon and Anime Expo in 1999, as well as Anime Expo New York in 2002. In 2010, she made a surprise appearance at Anime Expo. Yoko Kanno performed her solo PianoMe concert at Otakon 2013.
She composed a three-movement suite, entitled "Ray of Water," for the ascension of Emperor Naruhito. It was performed for him and Empress Masako at the enthronement celebration on November 9, 2019. Yoshikazu Okada wrote the lyrics for the vocal portion, which was performed at the celebration by the idol group, Arashi.

Connection to Gabriela Robin

On many of Kanno's tracks, a woman named "Gabriela Robin" was credited as a lyricist and vocalist, but whenever these songs were performed in concert, either Maaya Sakamoto or Origa would perform them instead. In a 2009 written interview, Robin proclaimed that she would perform for the first time live at Kanno's 2009 Tanabata Sonic concert, but at the end of the concert, which featured Kanno directing the Warsaw Philharmonic, Kanno turned to the audience and sang "Moon", a song previously attributed to Robin from the Turn A Gundam soundtrack, revealing that "Gabriela Robin" was simply a pseudonym Kanno used to write songs mixing English and Japanese freely. In a later interview, Kanno said she had picked the name because the first orchestral recording she had heard was the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and at the time Yitzhak Rabin served as Israel's Prime Minister.

Personal life

In addition to Japanese, she speaks a little English and some French, but claims that her English is "poor" and she needs translation help to converse in French. In regards to spirituality and religion, she said:
Besides music, Kanno also enjoys photography and writing. She has written a number of journals for Newtype magazine of which photos for illustrations are done by Kanno herself as well, and a selection of photos taken by Kanno of her protégé and former production partner Maaya Sakamoto were featured in the special event program for Sakamoto's 2010 thirtieth birthday concert at Nippon Budokan.
In 2011, Kanno expressed her support and wishes to the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, composing a song titled "Kimi de Ite, Buji de Ite". Later, she composed NHK's official support song on the occasion of the first anniversary of the earthquake entitled "Hana wa Saku" featuring lyrics by Sendai film director Shunji Iwai. The song features notable natives from the affected areas of Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate.

Discography

Solo studio albums

Anime works

Video games

Movie works

TV work

TV ShowYearKanno's Role
Yo ni mo Kimyou na Monogatari – Mama Shinhatsubai2001Composer
Mayonaka Betsu no Kao 2002Composer
X'smap~Tora to Raion to Gojin no Otoko~2004Composer
Chichi ni Kanaderu Merodi2006Composer
Camouflage2008Composer
Kaze ni Mai Agaru Vinyl Sheet2009Composer
Gochisōsan2013Composer
2017Composer

Works for associated acts

Works for pop albums

ArtistAlbumYearKanno's Role
Chiyono YoshinoMontage1988Composer for two tracks
Chiyono YoshinoSong Bird1989Composer for three tracks,
arranger for two tracks
Chiyono YoshinoMelanger1990Composer for one track,
performer on two tracks
Keiko NakajimaKeiko Nakajima1990Composer for all tracks
Kyoko EndoRenai1990Arranger for seven tracks
Kyoko EndoKobitori ni Naritai1993Arranger for all tracks
Kyoko EndoFuyu no Miwa1993Arranger for all tracks
Kyoko EndoHashire Hashire1999Arranger for two tracks
Aki OkuiLost Melodies1994Arranger for two tracks
Aki OkuiStraw Color1997Arranger for one track
Aki OkuiTsuki no Mayu2000Composer for all tracks
Hitomi MienoHajimari no Boukenshya-tachi
~Hikari no Chizu~		1995Composer for two tracks
Miki ImaiLove of my Life1995Arranger for four tracks
Miki ImaiThank You1996Arranger for four tracks
Miki ImaiIMAI.MIKI from 19861998Arranger for one track
Miki ImaiBlooming Ivory2000Arranger for one track
Yuri ShiratoriAtarashii Kutsu1995Composer for two tracks,
Lyricist for one track
Yuri ShiratoriCaramel Pop1995Composer and lyricist for two tracks
Kyōko KoizumiOtokonoko, Onnanoko1996Composer for eight tracks,
arranger for all tracks except 9 by Samply Red
Kyōko KoizumiFor my Life 1999Composer for two tracks
Maaya SakamotoGrapefruit1997Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoDIVE1998Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoSingle Collection+ Hotchpotch1999Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoLucy2001Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoEasy Listening2001Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoSingle Collection+ Nikopachi2003Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoShōnen Alice2003Composer for all tracks
Maaya SakamotoKazeyomi2009Composer for two tracks
Maaya SakamotoYou Can't Catch Me2011Composer for one track
Akino AraiSora No Mori1997Composer for five tracks
Akino AraiSora No Miwa1997Composer for two tracks
Akino AraiHiru No Tsuki1998Arranger for two tracks
Akino AraiRGB2002Composer for one track
Yasui InoueKyuu Dan1998Composer for one track
Crystal KayEternal Memories1999Composer for two tracks
Crystal KayKomichi no Hana1999Composer for one track
Crystal KayC.C.L. Crystal Lover Light2000Composer for one track,
Arranger for one track
Kei KobayashiNagashime Play2003Composer for all tracks
SMAPSay What You Will2005Composer for two tracks
SMAPsuper.modern.artistic.performance2008Composer for one track
Yukawa ShioneYuki No Waltz2007Composer for one track
AKINO from bless4Lost in Time2007Composer for all tracks
Chitose HajimeCassini2008Composer for one track
OrigaThe Songwreath2008Composer for one track
YoshikaWorld2008Composer for one track
May'nMay'n☆Street2009Composer for two tracks
Natsumi KiyouraJuuku Iro2010Composer for one track
Megumi NakajimaBe with You2012Composer for one track
Clammbonyet2015String arranger for one track

Works on Imperial commission

Commercial music

Companies that have commissioned Kanno for commercial music.