[Andlabs]

All right it's about time I made this topic.


Okay so we all know Shiratsu did the music (or some of it) and the sound effects in Knuckles' Chaotix. Currently, the wiki states that he did the following:

• The Hybrid Front (1994) - Composer
• OutRunners (1994) - Composer
• Knuckles' Chaotix (1995) — Composer, Sound Effects
• Panzer Dragoon Zwei (1996) — Music Composer
• Feel the Magic XY/XX (2004) — Special Thanks
• Astro Boy (2004) — Sound Artist
• Phantasy Star Universe (2006) — Sound Effects

He was credited for some music in Hybrid Front but I'm not really a total fan of that soundtrack as a whole (it has some good stuff on it). The project2612 vgz archive of that game has individual credits in each song. With OutRunners, he seems to have been credited as one of the music converters, but he also wrote a song exclusively for the Genesis version:

The style, arrangement, and texture of Travel Seaward and Door Into Summer leads me to believe he was the principal songwriter of Door Into Summer, as well as similar songs like Seascape and Tribute.

What struck me as odd however was the large gap between 1996 and 2004. Our wiki page on his partner in Chaotix, Mariko Nanba, is much more illustrated and has a more complete history of her time at Sega. I did try searching but the results I found were confusing. However, one night on irc.esper.net's #mod_shrine, the user tristendo posted this song, The End and the Beginning from Let's Make a J-League Pro Soccer Club!, a Saturn Japan exclusive. Just by listening, what was the very first thing I noticed?

Those drums are the same drums in Chaotix. And in no time, I found this page, which says not only the original J-League but also its sequel were composed by Shiratsu. Sadly I don't know the years these were published, so...

So this leads me to the two questions I am asking now:

1. Which games did Junko Shiratsu write for other than the ones stated above?
2. What drums were used in Chaotix, J-League, and possibly more? Can anyone identify the synthesizer? Is it custom?

Thanks.

This post has been edited by Andlabs: 25 May 2010 - 07:16 PM

[Mad Echidna]

Junko is a woman's name.

[DigitalDuck]

Junko is a woman's name.

It's primarily a woman's name, but it's also given to men as well, as are many feminine Japanese names.

[Chilly Willy]

Junko is a woman's name.

It's primarily a woman's name, but it's also given to men as well, as are many feminine Japanese names.

While there are more unisex names in Japanese (many more than in English), I've yet to see a single male Junko. It would be like finding a boy named Nancy or Susan.

[DigitalDuck]

While there are more unisex names in Japanese (many more than in English), I've yet to see a single male Junko. It would be like finding a boy named Nancy or Susan.

I know a guy called Junko.

Although I can't find any guys called Junko online, according to this, the ratio is very low, only two girls to one guy called Junko. I don't know of any other countries where "Junko" is popular enough to tip the balance that much.

[Chilly Willy]

Although I can't find any guys called Junko online, according to this, the ratio is very low, only two girls to one guy called Junko. I don't know of any other countries where "Junko" is popular enough to tip the balance that much.

From the link:

Based on popular usage, it is 2.125 times more common for Junko to be a girl's name.

Uh... what are they basing that on?? A quick google seems to indicate something more like 999999.9 times more common.

Oh well, it really doesn't matter. It's just a name. Given the way some people are, "Junko Shiratsu" is pronounced "Edward Thompson".

Whoever it is, they're very reclusive... all we find on them is a few game songs. I think I could find more about myself online that I did about this person. I think the OP found all there is to find.

[dsrb]

Panzer Dragoon Zwei's OST is great. Perhaps worth nothing is that the booklet identifies the main composer (I assume; s/he is credited first and non-specifically) as Yayoi Wachi, with Shiratsu, Teruhiko Nakagawa and Tomonori Sawada assisting (or maybe solo) on several tracks. Also, Mariko Nanba assisted on Panzer Dragoon Saga, which is arguably even better!

[Andlabs]

Does the booklet say exactly which tracks or is that an assumption? Also out of curiosity would you know which tracks in Saga were Nanba's?

[dsrb]

About Zwei, I should have been clearer: The booklet credits Wachi first by name only, hence my 'deduction' that s/he was the lead composer, then the others with specific track numbers by their names. I have it, but unfortunately not at this address. I seem to recall making scans for The Will of the Ancients, but they don't appear to have been uploaded publicly. I've PMd the webmaster asking if he knows if my or any other scans are floating around. I did request a translation of them from one forum member, but they didn't include the track numbers, and I have none of my sent PMs, so I don't have the links even if they'd still be up. <- Wait, this emoticon is called "british"? Heh.

和智弥生：Wachi Yayoi
白津順子：Siratsu Junko
中川輝彦：Nakagawa Teruhiko
澤田朋伯： Sawada Tomonori

are the composers of the PDZ original score.

As for Saga, I asked the same question to a forum member who was apparently in contact with Kobayashi, and got these replies, which luckily I still have saved:

well this is what Saori Kobayashi answered me about Mariko Nanba cooperation.

Saori : Mariko Nanba was my once co-worker.
And she is still my good friend.

In the case of AZEL,
I composed the main theme and she asisited me.
We created AZEL's music parts based on it.

for example:

main theme.......kobayashi
stage 1..........kobayashi
stage 1,2 boss...kobayashi
stage 3..........nanba
stage 4 boss.....nanba

..........like that.

/end

voila, so no specific theme attributed :p

Well mariko was her assistant but she developed some tracks based on Saori's themes. I'll try to ask saori for some details.

I never received any more details. I too would be interested in specific credits, but perhaps it was very collaborative, or Kobayashi won't recall, and I don't want to bother anyone too much.

I hope this is of some use anyway.

[Andlabs]

Stemming form this discussion:



The last two of the three are associated with the DC/PC game Hundred Swords. Does anyone have this game can can confirm Shiratsu is in the production credits? Or better, write the Sega Retro article for this game please? :D

I'm still wondering about that first entry... Wirudanesu? Wilderness? Is this more Hundred Swords or what?

EDIT:

[12:48am] OKeijiDragon: Andlabs, I'm finding more about her other work on JASRAC under her name "白津　順子". Now does "ＢＲＡＮＤＮＥＷ　ＦＵＴＵＲＥ" mean anything?

[12:50am] OKeijiDragon: How about : トオイ　キオク TOOI KIOKU
[12:51am] OKeijiDragon: ＴＲＩＣＫ　ＳＴＡＲ (?)


[12:53am] OKeijiDragon: ＦＬＡＰ　ＴＨＥ　ＷＩＮＧＳ
[12:53am] OKeijiDragon: ＧＬＯＲＩＯＵＳ　ＧＲＯＷＴＨ

I have a copy of Zwei now but I can't check to see if these are from it, and YouTube isn't showing me anything for those names, but the RPGMusic list for Zwei doesn't have these titles...

This post has been edited by Andlabs: 31 August 2010 - 12:00 AM

[dsrb]

Nope, they certainly don't seem to be from Zwei. Speaking of which, I can now check those composer credits later if you want, or will you use your own copy?

[Andlabs]

My copy is a repro box + official disc only, so if you don't mind looking them up that would be cool (if this info is in the end credits, that's also cool, but I can't play it right now, unfortunately).

[dsrb]

Sure! The page with the logo and track list reads:

Composed by:
和智弥生
白津順子 (♪10•15)
中川輝彦 (♪11)
澤田朋伯 (♪9•17)

…where those names are, respectively:
* Yayoi Wachi
* Junko Shiratsu
* Teruhiko Nakagawa
* Tomonori Sawada

This post has been edited by dsrb: 31 August 2010 - 08:16 AM

[Namo]

Of all the Sega games I've ever played on any system, Knuckles' Chaotix has got to have the best Soundtrack. S/He needs to make a comeback. Liek nao.

[dsrb]

Of all the Sega games I've ever played on any system, Knuckles' Chaotix has got to have the best Soundtrack. S/He needs to make a comeback. Liek nao.

I should give it some attention, since Nanba worked on Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shiratsu on Zwei, both of which are great. Similarly I should give the Japanese Sonic CD soundtrack some listening time, as Naofumi Hataya also worked on NiGHTS. (I should probably play those two Sonic games a bit, too! )