There’s no doubt that Motoi Sakuraba is a legend in the videogame industry. Getting his start in a progressive rock band in Japan, his breakout title was Tales of Phantasia, which has resulted in his contribution to over 18 Tales of titles and scoring some of gaming’s biggest franchises, including Dark Souls, Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile, Golden Sun, and the Mario Sports series, among many others. While he still remains one of the most prolific composers in games, he’s looking forward to exploring independent games around the world and hopes his music can be of service to those projects.
Read his full biography, credits list, and hear some sample music on his Scarlet Moon Artists page. Check below for an interview with Motoi Sakuraba about his style, inspirations, and collaboration with Scarlet Moon.
Working on Indie Games
As a composer, there isn’t much of a difference between independent and AAA game production. I want my music to be used by as many people who want and value it. However, when I got my start in music, my albums were released on an indie music label, so I feel that the “indie” creative environment presents more freedom to experiment and realize new things.
Favorite Kinds of Projects
I have experience with and love to make music for a wide variety of games. So when it comes to style, type, team size, or project size, none of these are distinguishing factors. I’m just happy to support the project.
Creative Philosophy
My personal style is progressive rock and symphonic rock. My creative philosophy is that while I do pay a certain degree of attention to detail and meticulous adjustment of my music, I don’t want to be too particular. I would rather the music flow as an artistic expression of me and the project.
What Makes Me Unique
I don’t know that I have the answer to this question or think about it at all! I think you can listen to my past works and hopefully it speaks to you.
Partnership with Scarlet Moon
I was introduced to Scarlet Moon by Emi Evans, whom I’ve worked with in the past. I’m looking forward to our partnership to allow me to do what I want to do most: provide my music to a variety of creative projects from all around the world!
Learn more: https://scarletmoon.com/bio-motoi-sakuraba
Contact: https://www.scarletmoon.com/contact.html