Kenji Kawai
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Kenji Kawai 川井 憲次 | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Kaai (かーいさん, Kāi-san) |
Born | Shinagawa, Japan | April 23, 1957
Genres | Film score Electronic music Instrumental music |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1980–present |
Website | www |
Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji, born April 23, 1957) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games.[1] Among his credits are Toei's Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever, Tsui Hark's Seven Swords and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon; Wilson Yip's Ip Man; Mamoru Oshii's films The Red Spectacles, StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, Ghost in the Shell, Mobile Police Patlabor, The Sky Crawlers and Avalon; the anime adaptations of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku; the live-action adaptation of Gantz and Hideo Nakata's films Ring, Ring 2, Chaos, Dark Water and Kaidan.
His nephew, Hidehiro Kawai, is a bassist in Fox Capture Plan, an instrumental band.
Career
After dropping out of a
After leaving Muse, Kawai began composing music for commercials in his home studio. While recording music for radio actor and voice actor Yūji Mitsuya, he met music director Naoko Asari, who advised him to compose anime soundtracks. Some of his work for anime soundtracks can be found in Ranma ½ and Ghost in the Shell. According to Kawai, he is not good at creating music from nothing, as he draws sounds from the visuals of the works. In the majority of cases, the images of the anime are not yet created, so he creates music when referencing storyboard visuals.[3]
Following his success as an anime movies music composer, he became involved in live action movies. He contributed music to horror films: Ring, Ring 2, Dark Water, Japanese-Polish science-fiction film Avalon, the Hong Kong film Seven Swords and in the 2017 live action film Death Note.
Kawai has worked on several projects with director
For the music found in Seven Swords and A Battle of Wits he was nominated for Best Original Film Score Awards at both the 25th and 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2006 and 2007.
Works
Anime/television
Film
Video games
Year | Title | Platform |
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1990 | Sansara Naga
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Famicom
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1990 | Bloody Warriors: Shangō no Gyakushū | Famicom
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1992 | Sorcerian | PC Engine |
1994 | Team Innocent: The Point of No Return | PC-FX |
1994 | Sansara Naga 2
|
Super Famicom |
1998 | Deep Fear | Sega Saturn |
2003 | Nobunaga's Ambition Online (Chapter of Hiryu) | PlayStation 2 |
2007 | FolksSoul | PlayStation 3 |
2007–2010 | Sangokushi Online | Windows |
Documentary
Year | Title |
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2009 | Apocalypse: The Second World War |
Awards and honors
- Asteroid M.P.C. 120069).[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b "(117582) Kenjikawai". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ "Profile" (in Japanese). Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ "作曲家・川井憲次「「トワイライトQ」が僕の感性のターニングポイント」 (2) 押井守監督との出会い". マイナビニュース. May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c 「ジーッとしてても、ドーにもならねぇ!」ウルトラマンシリーズ最新作「ウルトラマンジード」メインキャスト発表! (in Japanese). m-78.jp. June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ "Release".
- ^ "血ぃともだち". eiga.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Kenji Kawai at IMDb
- Kenji Kawai at Media Arts Database (in Japanese)
- Video on YouTube