Koji Kondo

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Koji Kondo

Background information
Born August 13, 1960
Japanese flag Nagoya, Japan
Occupation(s) Musician, composer

Koji Kondo (近藤 浩治 Kondō Kōji?, b. August 13, 1960) is a Japanese composer and musician best known for his scores for various video games produced by Nintendo.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Kondo was born in Nagoya, Japan. He took to music at an early age, writing simple tunes for fun even as a small child. At seventeen, he decided to pursue music professionally. He undertook classical training, and he learned to play several instruments.

In the 1980s, Kondo learned that a company called Nintendo was seeking musicians to compose music for its new video game system, the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System outside Japan). Kondo had never considered writing video game music before, but he decided to give the company a chance. He was hired in 1983.

Kondo found himself in a totally different environment at Nintendo. Suddenly, he was limited to only four "instruments" (two monophonic pulse channels, a monophonic triangle wave channel which could be used as a bass, and a noise channel used for percussion) due to limitations of the system's sound chip. Though he and Nintendo's technicians eventually discovered a way to add a fifth channel (normally reserved for sound effects), his music was still severely limited on the system.

Kondo has stayed with Nintendo through various consoles, including the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo outside Japan), the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo GameCube, the Nintendo DS and most recently the Wii. These latter systems have vastly improved Nintendo's audio capabilities, and Kondo today composes music with CD quality sound.

Koji Kondo attended the world-premiere of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony at the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont, Illinois in May of 2006. His music from the Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda series was performed by a full symphony orchestra. This event drew nearly 4000 attendees.

[edit] Musical style and influences

Koji Kondo is acclaimed the world over thanks to his unique partnership crafting the most recognizable themes and soundtracks with industry giant Nintendo (and to his credit, a creatively fluent partnership with Shigeru Miyamoto). Fans and critics alike cite his greatest talent being his ability to craft melodies that while catchy and pleasant upon first listen, remain enjoyable even when looped over long periods of time and played through inferior sound equipment. His songs are certainly memorable; the title theme song to Super Mario Brothers retains its iconic status 20 years after its initial release. Not unknown in the musical community, Mr. Kondo can count talent such as Paul McCartney among his fans. Kondo's music has been cited as being as integral to the Nintendo style as the game design of Shigeru Miyamoto.

Conversely, this familiarity is also the cause of most criticism of Kondo's work. Over nearly 20 years in video game music, his style has changed very little. The themes of Super Mario Bros. in 1985 are little different from those of Super Mario Sunshine in 2002, although the earlier game sounds more primitive due to technology constraints. This need for sameness over the years is something of a two-edged sword for Kondo; when he has tried something different, as in The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (1998), some criticised him for abandoning the themes and styles they have grown to enjoy (although others found this to be some of his best work).

"Super Mario Bros. Theme" has been on Billboard Magazine's Hot Ringtones chart for over 110 weeks, where it also hit #1.

Koji Kondo's work shows at least three major influences: Latin music, jazz music, and classical music (mainly ragtime and march music), often with a strong cinematic flair. Latin is particularly evident in his bouncy themes throughout the Mario series, such as the soundtrack to Super Mario Bros. 3. The happy main theme has a slow, samba-like rhythm. The second theme offers a more upbeat, ragtime-like style. The Bowser theme would not sound out of place being played by a Mexican mariachi band. This influence also shows up in his more recent works, such as the Gerudo Valley theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a song with a certain stereotypical Andalusian flair.[citation needed]

Kondo's more jazz-influenced pieces also come from a wide variety of projects. One of the earliest examples of this is his minimalist underground theme from the first Super Mario Bros. Saria's theme from Ocarina of Time sounds almost Dixieland in places. All of this is hardly surprising; Kondo lists Henry Mancini as one of his most admired influences.

Kondo was trained as a classical musician, and this shows in his more ambitious projects, such as the soundtracks to the Zelda and Star Fox series. These pieces are distinctively cinematic, reminiscent of John Williams' work on Star Wars or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The title theme to the 1986 The Legend of Zelda is grandiose for all its low fidelity. Several of Mr. Kondo's themes have been famously recorded with full orchestral backing, with several tours of his work featured highly in concerts presented around the world.

Kondo's work is also highly influenced by Eastern Asian music, which might not be surprising given his country of birth. His songs are predominantly melody-based with little supporting harmony, which is in keeping with the Asian tradition. This makes him somewhat unique among the most popular video game composers, as his counterparts such as Nobuo Uematsu and Koichi Sugiyama produce more Western-sounding compositions for their games.

[edit] Video game soundtracks (incomplete)

[edit] Albums (incomplete)

  • Super Mario Bros. Original Soundtrack (Cassette) (1986)
    • Cat. Number: 10FC-2046
    • Track 1 is original. Track 2 is the 'Orchestra Version'.
  • Super Mario Brothers ~MARIO SYNDROME~ (Record) (1986)
    • Cat. Number: K13A-748
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Disco/Dance-style Arrangements of Super Mario Bros., featuring vocals
  • Famicom Music (1986; reprinted in 2002)
    • Cat. Number: 28XA-69 (reprint: SCDC-00145)
    • Tracks 1, 2, 4-6 and 9-11 are original. Tracks 3 and 7 are arranged versions.
    • Arrangement by Yoshihiro Kunimoto
    • Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  • Nazo no Murasame-jou / The Legend of Zelda (1986)
    • Cat. Number: 10FC-8001
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Features 'Orchestra Versions' of the music from the two games
  • Famicom Music VOL.2 (1987; reprinted in 2002)
    • Cat. Number: 28XA-197 (reprint: SCDC-00151)
    • Tracks 1-5 and 7-10 are original. Track 8 is an arranged version.
    • Arranged by Yoshihiro Kunimoto
    • Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
      • Shin Onigashima Part 1 (1)
      • Doki Doki Panic (6)
      • Nazo no Murasame-jou (8)
      • Shin Onigashima Part 2 (10)
  • Toy Music: Dancing Super Mario Brothers - Akihabara Electric Circus (1988)
    • Cat. Number: CT32-5299
    • Tracks 2-10 are arranged versions. Track 1 is original.
    • Arranged by Akihabara Electric Circus
    • Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  • Super Mario Bros. 3: G.S.M. (FC) Nintendo 1 (1988)
    • Cat. Number: D25B-0005
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Tracks 1-4 are arranged versions. Track 5 is original.
    • Arranged by Yoshihiro Kunimoto (1, 4) and Nobuyuki Ohnogi (2, 3)
  • Fantastic World of Super Mario Bros. 3 (CD/Cassette) (1988)
    • Cat. Number: BY12-5031 (Cassette version: KHY-1036)
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Tracks 1-4 are arranged versions. Track 5 is original.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3 ~ Akihabara Electric Circus (1988)
    • Cat. Number: CT32-5329
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • All tracks arranged by the Akihabara Electric Circus
  • Super Mario Bros. 1.2.3.: Hop! Step! Jump! (1989)
    • Cat. Number: CA-3393
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Tracks 1 & 2 are arranged versions. Track 3 is original.
    • Arranged by the Mario Freaks Orchestra (1, 2)
  • Super Mario Bros. Special (1990)
    • Cat. Number: MECG-28003
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Tracks 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14 and 17 are Drama tracks. Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16 are Vocal arranges.
    • Drama track voices:
    • Singers:
      • Shinichi Ishihara
      • Yashino Takamori
      • Kiyoko Itayagoshi
      • Takahide Inoue
      • Chika Sakamoto
  • Game Music Graffiti (1990)
  • Super Mario World (1991)
    • Cat. Number: WPCL-233~4
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Disc 1 contains arranged music from Super Mario Bros. 1, 3, and Super Mario World
    • Disc 2 contains original music from Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3 and Super Mario World, as well as Sound Effects libraries from each
    • Disc 1 arranged by Soichi Noriki
  • Game Music Concert ~ The Best Selection (1991)
  • Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music (1992)
  • Famicom Music ~ Best Selection (1992)
  • Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music ~ Fun Together With Beyer (1993)
  • Super Mario Compact Disco: Ambassadors of Funk featuring M.C. Mario (1993)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Sound and Drama (1994)
    • Cat. Number: SRCL-2940~1
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Disc 1 contains arranged (1-8) and drama (9) versions of The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods. Disc 2 contains original music from The Legend of Zelda, and The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods.
    • Disc 1 arranged by Yoshiyuki & Masumi Ito
  • Game Music Concert 4 - Live Best Collection - (1994)
  • Yoshi's Island Original Sound Version (1995)
    • Cat. Number: PSCN-5040
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Game Music Concert 5 - Live Best Collection - (1996)
  • Super Mario RPG Original Sound Version (1996)
    • Cat. Number: PSCN-5047~8
    • Composition by Yoko Shimomura, Nobuo Uematsu, and Koji Kondo
    • All tracks arrangaed by Shimomura.
    • Koji Kondo composed:
      • Disc 1: Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 26, 30, 37, and 38
      • Disc 2, Tracks 15, 16, and 22
  • Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack (1996)
    • Cat. Number: PCCG-00357
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Track 1 voiced by Charles Martinet
    • Track 36 is a piano arrangement
  • Star Fox 64 Original Soundtrack (1997)
  • The Legend of Zelda The Ocarina of Time Original Soundtrack (1998)
    • Cat. Number: PCCG-00475
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Original Soundtrack Vol. II ~ The Lost Tracks~ (1998)
    • Cat. Number: 8110010
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • German promotional soundtrack
    • Tracks 1-20 are original. Tracks 21-23 are arranged versions.
    • Arrangement by Acoustic Department
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Hyrule Symphony (1999)
    • Cat. Number: ZMCX-102
    • All composition by Koji Kondo (except Track 13 Koji Kondo with Akito Nakamura, Kozue Ishikawa & Minako Hamano)
    • (String) Orchestra arrangements of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Track 13 is a medley from the series.
    • Arrangement by Ryuichi Katsumata
  • The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Re-Arranged Album (1999)
    • Cat. Number: TKCA-71824
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
    • Arrangement by MOKA
  • N64Y2K: Millennium Trax (1999)
    • Cat. Number: 3591040
    • Koji Kondo composed tracks 1, 6, 8, 14-16, and 20
    • Arrangements by Acoustic Department
  • Nintendo All-Star Dairanto Smash Brothers (2000)
  • The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask Original Soundtrack (2000)
    • Cat. Number: PICA-2006
    • All composition by Koji Kondo, except for Disc 1: Tracks 36 & 52, and Disc 2: Track 7, composed by Toru Minegishi
  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Orchestrations (2000)
    • Cat. Number: FMCN-1003
    • All composition by Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi
    • Arranged by the Majora Philharmonic Sound Orchestra
  • Smash Brothers DX Orchestra (2002)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Takt of Wind Original Sound Tracks (2003)
    • Cat. Number: SCDC-00250~1
    • Composition by Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi, and Koji Kondo
  • PEACH - Healing Music (2003)
  • Mario & Zelda Big Band Live (2003)
  • Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 (2004)
  • Famicom 20th Anniversary Arrange Sound Tracks (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SCDC-00320
    • Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  • Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 3 (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SCDC-00319
    • Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
      • Shin Onigashima: The First Part (1-13)
      • Shin Onigashima: The Second Part (14-24)
  • Game Sound Museum ~Famicom Edition~: 01 Super Mario Bros. (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SDEX-0010
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Game Sound Museum ~Famicom Edition~: 10 The Legend of Zelda (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SDEX-0019
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Game Sound Museum ~Famicom Edition~: 11 Nazo no Murasame-jou (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SDEX-0020
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Game Sound Museum ~Famicom Edition~: 14 Shin Onigashima -Part 1- (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SDEX-0023
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Game Sound Museum ~Famicom Edition~: 15 Shin Onigashima -Part 2- (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SDEX-0024
    • All composition by Koji Kondo
  • Game Sound Museum ~Famicom Edition~: S-3 Mario Bros. / Super Mario USA (2004)
    • Cat. Number: SDEX-0027
    • Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  • Famicom Sound History Series "Mario the Music" (2004)
  • Nintendo Sound History Series "Zelda the Music" (2004)

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

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