is a Japanese
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
composer, best known for his work in the ''
Ape Escape
''Ape Escape'' is a series of video games developed primarily by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, starting with '' Ape Escape'' for PlayStation in 1999. The series incorporates ape-related humour, unique gameplay, and a ...
'' video game series. He started producing music in 1989 as well as remixing singers such as Nami Shimada. He and fellow producer
Shinichiro Yokota formed Far East Recording in 1990, releasing various albums and singles. In 1999, after releasing ''Sumo Jungle'', he was given an opportunity to compose for Ape Escape.
In 2014, "The Far East Transcripts" EP was released, sparking interest in Terada's work. A year after, the album ''
Sounds from the Far East'' was released, which led to him touring and creating more music.
Biography
Early life and career
Terada was born on March 19, 1965, in Tokyo, Japan, playing the
electronic organ
An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...
when he was younger. He majored in
computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...
and
electronic organ
An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...
at the
University of Electro-Communications
The is a national university in the city of Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan.
It specialises in the disciplines of computer science, the physical sciences, engineering and technology. It was founded in 1918 as the Technical Institute for Wireless-Commu ...
. In 1987, he traveled to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
as a part of a three-piece band and "fell in love with the city and its distinctive sound." When he returned to Tokyo, he started producing
house music and trying to emulate the city's style, sending demos to labels like
Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based independent record label founded by musician Arthur Russell and entrepreneur Will Socolov. It was active between 1981 and 1992, and specialized in dance music and hip hop.
Background and ...
but with no avail. That same year, Terada met
Shinichiro Yokota at a
Vestax
Vestax Corporation was a Japanese musical instrument, turntable and audio equipment firm founded by Hidesato Shiino in 1977. The company started by designing and manufacturing electronic guitars. In the 1980s, Vestax produced multitrack recorder ...
DJ Contest,
where Terada introduced Yokota to house music
synthesizers and letting him use his instruments.
In 1989, he produced the song "Sun Shower" for singer Nami Shimada, which was remixed by
Larry Levan
Larry Levan (; born Lawrence Philpot, July 20, 1954 – November 8, 1992) was an American DJ best known for his decade-long residency at the New York City night club Paradise Garage, which has been described as the prototype of the modern da ...
and
Mark Kamins Mark Kamins (April 13, 1955 – February 14, 2013) was an American record producer, remixer, and disc jockey famous for his role in the New York club scene. He is best known for helping launch the career of singer Madonna by bringing her to Sire ...
. A year after, he and Yokota formed the label Far East Recording after Terada graduated university,
releasing their first album called ''Far East Recording'' in 1992.
In 1997, he composed for the Japanese drama
Psychometrer Eiji
is a Japanese manga series written by Yuma Ando and illustrated by Masashi Asaki. It was serialized by Kodansha in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1996 to 2000, with its chapters collected in 25 ''tankōbon'' volumes. A sequel, titled ''Ps ...
alongside
Chuei Yoshikawa
is a Japanese folk and jazz guitarist.Okinawa Style magazine 沖縄スタイル 19: 南の島の楽園生活マガジン - Issue 19 - Page 66 2007" 最近では吉川忠英と組んだ「唄膝び I 」、「唄遊び II 」で新境地を開拓 ...
and
DJ Krush
, better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a record producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.
Early life
Ishi was born in ...
.
Video games and Omodaka
Terada started composing soundtracks for video games in 1998, with his first for ''Wangan Trial''.
In 1999, Terada was given an opportunity to compose the music for
Ape Escape
''Ape Escape'' is a series of video games developed primarily by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, starting with '' Ape Escape'' for PlayStation in 1999. The series incorporates ape-related humour, unique gameplay, and a ...
after a game director listened to his track "Sumo Jungle." When he learned what the game was about, Terada was "really excited" as he played on the
PlayStation and was shown demo footage of the game. A year after, he composed for the Japanese version of the
PlayStation 2 game
Fantavision.
In 2001, he created the project Omodaka while trying to create a "
boat racing song."
He released the first album, ''Cantata No. 147'', under the project in 2006. Japanese folk singer Akiko Kanazawa joined the project as the genre transitioned to
folktronica
Folktronica is a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments – especially stringed instruments – and incorporating hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, although i ...
in 2009. That same year, he donned a white mask and a
Miko
A , or shrine maiden,Groemer, 28. is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. were once likely seen as shamans,Picken, 140. but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perfor ...
outfit. Under the project, Terada writes about the prostitution during the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...
and
gambling in Japan
Most forms of gambling in Japan are generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23; however, there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing and certain motor sports.
Public sports, lottery, and toto (football pools) are held u ...
and starts with a
backing track
A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live musi ...
s first instead of
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...
.
Resurgence
In 2014, London-based Japanese label Hhatri released ''The Far East Transcripts'', an EP which included three of Yokota's tracks and one of Terada's tracks. The EP sparked renewed interest in Japanese house music, especially Yokota and Terada's works. In 2015, Dutch label Rush Hour reached out to Terada if he wanted to release a compilation album of his work, to which he agreed. They released a compilation album called ''
Sounds from the Far East'', which was compiled by German-born Korean DJ Hunee.
The album's release led to Terada producing more music and going on tours, including Europe and North America for the first time in 2016. In 2017, he toured with Nick Dwyer of Weird Together in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, which was hosted by the
Red Bull Music Academy.
Artistry
Influences
Terada is influenced by
house and
hip hop, as well as bands such as
RC Succession
was an influential Japanese rock band from Tokyo, formed in 1968. One of Japan's longest-running bands, it went through many line-up changes over the years with front man Kiyoshiro Imawano and bassist Kazuo Kobayashi the only constant members ...
,
Akiko Yano
is a Japanese pop and jazz musician and singer born in Tokyo and raised in Aomori and later began her singing career in the mid-1970s. She has been called "one of the major musical talents of the Japanese popular music world", and her vocals and ...
and
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is cons ...
. He has since moved away from hip-hop to more sample-based and digital production. He is also influenced by foreign people, such as English singer
Sheila Chandra.
Musical style
Terada's musical style focuses on house music and jungle.
In an interview with
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character t ...
, he revealed that he uses the stereotypes of Asia when running the Far East Label, with Terada also saying the he is happy when someone tells him that he combines "Asian elements" with house music.
As Omodaka, he is influenced by
YMCK,
traditional Japanese music
Traditional Japanese music is the folk or traditional music of Japan. Japan's Ministry of Education classifies as a category separate from other traditional forms of music, such as (court music) or (Buddhist chanting), but most ethnomusicolo ...
, and retro game sounds. He uses consoles such as the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...
,
Nintendo DS,
PSP, and
Korg Kaossilator.
[
]
Discography
Albums
As Soichi Terada
As Omodaka
As Far East Recording
Games
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terada, Soichi
1965 births
Japanese composers
Japanese electronic musicians
Japanese house musicians
Japanese male composers
Japanese music arrangers
Living people
Musicians from Tokyo
Remixers
Video game composers