Koji Kondo

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Koji Kondo
Background information
Born	August 13, 1960 (age 46) 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.

1 Biography
2 Musical style and influences
3 Video game sound-tracks
4 Albums
5 Notes and references
6 External links

[edit] Biography

Kondo was born in Nagoya, Japan. He took to music at an early age, writing simple tunes for fun even when young. At seventeen years of age, he decided to pursue music professionally^{[citation needed]}. He undertook classical training, and he learned to play several instruments^{[citation needed]}.

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)^{[citation needed]}. Kondo had never considered writing video game music before, but he decided to give the company a chance^{[citation needed]}. 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 C.D. quality sound^{[citation needed]}.

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^{[citation needed]}. This event drew nearly four thousand attendees^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Musical style and influences

Koji Kondo is widely acclaimed thanks to his unique partnership crafting the most recognizable themes and sound-tracks 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^{[citation needed]}. His songs are certainly memorable; the title theme song to Super Mario Bros. retains its iconic status two decades after its initial release. Not unknown in the musical community, Mr. Kondo can count talent such as Paul McCartney among his admirers^{[citation needed]}. Kondo's music has been cited as being as integral to the Nintendo style as the game design of Shigeru Miyamoto^{[citation needed]}.

Conversely, this familiarity is also the cause of most criticism of Kondo's work. Over nearly two decades 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 technological constraints^{[citation needed]}. This need for sameness over the years is something of a double-edged sword for Kondo; when he did try something different, as in The Legend of Zelda: 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)^{[citation needed]}.

"Super Mario Bros. Theme" has been on Billboard Magazine's Hot Ringtones chart for over one hundred and ten weeks, where it also hit #1^{[citation needed]}.

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^{[citation needed]}. 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 up-beat, ragtime-like style^{[citation needed]}. The Bowser theme would not sound out of place being played by a Mexican mariachi band^{[citation needed]}. 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^{[citation needed]}. All of this is hardly surprising; Kondo lists the late Henry Mancini as one of his most admired influences^{[citation needed]}.

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^{[citation needed]}. 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 planetarily^{[citation needed]}.

Kondo's work is also highly influenced by Eastern Asian music, which might not be surprising given his country of birth^{[citation needed]}. 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^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Video game sound-tracks

Devil World (with Akito Nakatsuka) (1984)
Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Wrecking Crew (1985)
Mystery of Murasame Castle (1986)
The Legend of Zelda (1986, 1987)
Shin Oni Ga Shima (1987)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988, 1990)
Pilotwings (with Soyo Oka) (1990)
Super Mario World (1991)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (with Yoko Shimomura and Nobuo Uematsu) (1996)
Super Mario 64 (1996)
Star Fox 64 (with Hajime Wakai) (1997)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Super Smash Bros. (with several others) (1999)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (with Toru Minegishi) (2000)
Super Smash Bros. Melee (with several others) (2001)
Super Mario Sunshine (with Shinobu Tanaka) (2002)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (with Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, and Toru Minegishi) (2003)
New Super Mario Bros. (with Asuka Ota and Hajime Wakai) (2006)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (with Toru Minegishi and Asuka Ota) (2006)

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Albums

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:
  - Super Mario Bros. (1, 7)
  - The Legend of Zelda (11)
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)
  - Yume Kōjō: 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:
  - Theme of Disc System (1)
  - Nazo no Murasame-jou (2)
  - Super Mario Bros. (4, 10)
  - Shin Onigashima (6)
  - The Legend of Zelda (9)
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:
  - Mario: Nozomu Sasaki
  - Kuribo (Goomba): Megumi Hayashibara
  - Princess Peach: Maria Kawamura
- Singers:
  - Shinichi Ishihara
  - Yashino Takamori
  - Kiyoko Itayagoshi
  - Takahide Inoue
  - Chika Sakamoto
Game Music Graffiti (1990)
- Cat. Number: COCA-6969~70
- Contains arranged versions of music from Famicom and Game Boy games
- Arranged by the Mario Freaks Orchestra
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Disc 1:
    - Super Mario Bros. (3)
    - Super Mario Bros. 3 (3)
    - Devil World (with Akito Nakatsuka, 4)
    - Disc System Theme (10)
    - The Legend of Zelda (11)
    - Nazo no Murasame-jou (12)
    - Super Mario Bros. 2 (not Super Mario Bros. USA, 13)
  - Disc 2:
    - Shin Onigashima (4)
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)
- Cat. Number: WPCL-560
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario Bros. (arranged by Nobuo Kurita, conducted by Kousuke Onozaki, 5)
  - Super Mario World (arranged by Nobuo Kurita, conducted by Kousuke Onozaki, 6)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods (arranged and conducted by Toshiko Watanabe, 7, 8)
- Performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music (1992)
- Cat. Number: TOCT-6429
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario World (8, 26-29)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods (6, 7, 30-32)
- Tracks 1-8 are arranged versions. Tracks 9-32 are original.
- Arranged by Takami Asano
Famicom Music ~ Best Selection (1992)
- Cat. Number: SRCL-2476
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario Bros. (1)
  - The Legend of Zelda (3)
- Contains arrangements of popular Famicom game music
Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music ~ Fun Together With Beyer (1993)
- Cat. Number: ACD-1143
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods (1-5)
  - Super Mario World (27-31)
- Contains piano solo arrangements by Asako Niwa
Super Mario Compact Disco: Ambassadors of Funk featuring M.C. Mario (1993)
- Cat. Number: ALCB-829
- Arrangements of music from various Mario games, rap/hip-hop style
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario World (1, 2, 10, 11, 20)
  - Super Mario Bros. 3 (7)
  - Super Mario Bros. USA (16)
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)
- Cat. Number: SRCL-2736
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario Bros. (3)
- Performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Yoshi's Island Original Sound Version (1995)
- Cat. Number: PSCN-5040
- All composition by Koji Kondo
Game Music Concert 5 - Live Best Collection - (1996)
- Cat. Number: SRCL-2739
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (2)
- Performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
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)
- Cat. Number: PCCG-00421
- All composition by Hajime Wakai & Koji Kondo
  - Koji Kondo (1-7, 32-39)
  - Hajime Wakai (8-31)
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)
- Cat. Number: TECD-35446~7
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario Bros. (2, 10)
  - The Legend of Zelda (4)
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)
- Promotion album included with the December 2002 issue of Famitsu Cube+Advance Magazine
- Conducted by Taizo Takemoto
- Performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
- Recorded at Tokyo Festival Hall, August 27, 2002
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - The Legend of Zelda (3)
  - Star Fox 64 (with Hajime Wakai, 9)
  - Super Mario Bros. (12)
  - Yoshi's Island (12)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (12)
  - Super Mario Bros. 3 (12)
  - Super Mario 64 (15)
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)
- Cat. Number: CN-P004
- Promotional album, available only to members of Club Nintendo
- Tracks 1-22 are original. Tracks 23-26 are arranged versions: 'recorded musical performances with instruments, presented by the Nintendo Music Staff'
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario 64 (2, 3, 26)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (7, 8, 10, 11)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (9)
  - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (with Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, and Toru Minegishi, 12, 21, 24)
  - Shin Onigashima: Part 1 (19)
  - Super Mario Sunshine (with Shinobu Tanaka, 20)
  - Super Mario Bros. 3 (22)
Mario & Zelda Big Band Live (2003)
- Cat. Number: SCDC-00315
- Composition by Koji Kondo (1-7, 9-18), Kazumi Totaka (8), Kenta Nagata (9, 10), Hajime Wakai (9, 10), Toru Minegishi (9, 10), and Shinobu Tanaka (4, 17)
  - Super Mario Bros. (1, 3, 5)
  - Super Mario 64 (2, 18)
  - Super Mario Sunshine (4, 12, 17)
  - Super Mario Bros. 3 (6)
  - Yoshi's Island (7)
  - Yoshi's Story (8)
  - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (9, 10)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (11, 14, 15)
  - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (13)
  - The Legend of Zelda (16)
Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 (2004)
- Cat. Number: SCDC-00317
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario Bros. (4-11)
  - Devil World (with Akito Nakatsuka, 26-28)
  - The Legend of Zelda (55-66)
  - Nazo no Murasame-jou (67-75)
Famicom 20th Anniversary Arrange Sound Tracks (2004)
- Cat. Number: SCDC-00320
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Shin Onigashima: The First Part (arranged by Takayuki "J99" Aihara, 5)
  - Nazo no Murasame-jou (arranged by Yasuhisa "Yack." Watanabe, 6)
  - Super Mario Bros. (arranged by Motoi Sakuraba, 8)
  - The Legend of Zelda (arranged by Metal Yuuki Group, 9)
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:
  - Super Mario USA (6-17)
Famicom Sound History Series "Mario the Music" (2004)
- Cat. Number: SCDC-00360
- Composition by Koji Kondo, Hirokazu Tanaka, Akira Nobuya, and Noriko Tsutomu
- Koji Kondo's featured compositions:
  - Super Mario Bros. (4-11)
  - Super Mario Bros. 2 (12)
  - Super Mario Bros. 3 (13-42)
  - Super Mario USA (43-53)
  - Dr. Mario (54-69)
  - Yoshi's Cookie (70-79)
Nintendo Sound History Series "Zelda the Music" (2004)
- Cat. Number: SCDC-00395
- Contains music from throughout Nintendo's history, from the Famicom to the GameCube