is a Japanese
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and
arranger
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
, known for his work on television dramas and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series.
Biography
Yokoyama was born in
Nagano Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...
.
He started to take piano lessons at the age of three,
taught by his aunt who is an alumna of
Kunitachi College of Music
The is a private music conservatory in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1926 as the Tokyo Conservatory of Music, Kunitachi now offers study programs in performance, music education, composition, computer music, and musicology, for bachelor ...
,
but became interested in music when he was in elementary school, after playing his own compositions.
When he was in middle school, he began to compose music using a
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
that he bought and his computer,
and had also briefly played in a band.
Interested in computers, Yokoyama attended National Institute of Technology, Nagano College, studying
electronic engineering
Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering which emerged in the early 20th century and is distinguished by the additional use of active components such as semiconductor devices to amplify and control electric current ...
for five years after graduating from middie school.
Influenced by
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores.
Hisaishi's music has been known to explor ...
s music in
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...
s films that he watched when he was young and musician
Tetsuya Komuro
is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of the ...
, Yokoyama decided to pursue a career in music and attended Kunitachi College of Music when he was nineteen,
following his aunt encouragement.
While in college, he met guitarist
Hiroaki Tsutsumi
is a Japanese musician and composer best known for his work on various anime television series. He started his musical career at the age of 14 when he first started playing the guitar. After winning a guitar contest three years later, he decided ...
, who would later work with Yokoyama on many projects.
After graduating, Yokoyama worked as a freelancer, writing songs for various artists, including
Momoiro Clover Z
is a Japanese idol girl group, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or .
The four members of MCZ are known for energetic performances, incorporating elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies.
MCZ is notable for being the first female group to ho ...
,
before joining the music production company Miracle Bus in 2009,
where he began to produce soundtracks for television dramas,
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, and other media.
His first work as a sole composer was the 2011 television drama series ''
Mitsu no Aji: A Taste of Honey''.
He occasionally records his score overseas,
and improvises instruments that would match the concept of each work, such as using buckets and decking brushes as instruments when recording the soundtrack for ''
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans''.
Works
Television dramas
Anime
Films
Other projects
References
External links
Profileat Miracle Bus
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yokoyama, Masaru
1982 births
21st-century Japanese composers
21st-century Japanese male musicians
Anime composers
Japanese film score composers
Japanese male film score composers
Japanese music arrangers
Japanese television composers
Kunitachi College of Music alumni
Living people
Male television composers
Musicians from Nagano Prefecture