KSL Composers Topic

Key Discussion
#1

There’s already a topic on Key Sounds Label music, but this topic will be more focused on the composers themselves, particularly those who are/were in Key or have been involved in their works.

Here, we can discuss about them, their music inside and outside Key, their style in composing music, their work process (if they ever talked about it), and either/both celebrate and criticize them.

Resident KSL composers

  • Shinji Orito
  • Jun Maeda

Formerly in Key

  • OdiakeS (left before KSL was even formed, but was still involved in Kanon)
  • Magome Togoshi (left during LB!'s production)

Other composers involved with Key’s works (I might be missing a lot of people here, and I’m not sure if any of them are part of KSL at this point)

  • Kazuya Takase (did arrangement for some theme songs)
  • Eufonius (Mag Mell)
  • Traditional (Ana)
  • Kenji Miyazawa (Planetarian)
  • Charles Crozat Converse (Planetarian)
  • PMMK (Little Busters!)
  • Manabu Miwa/Manack (LB!, Rewrite)
  • Mintjam (also did arrangement of theme songs)
  • Ryou Mizutsuki (various)
  • Maiko Iuchi (Rewrite)
  • Soushi Hosoi (Rewrite)
  • Yuuichirou Tsukagoshi (Rewrite songs)
  • Anant-Garde Eyes (Angel Beats! anime, Charlotte)

This will also include composers who weren’t exactly involved in the production of the game, but did arrangement of OSTs that was produced under KSL.

I still remember reading a MAL review of Onegai Teacher (haven’t watched it yet) saying that the OP reminded them of Air. That person’s just a few Google searches away from finding out that both Shooting Star and Tori no Uta is composed by Shinji Orito and arranged by Kazuya Takase!

Well, in hindsight, a lot of stuff that Orito has composed sounded quite similar, especially the kind of melodies that Shionari, Yuki Nohara, the intro of Shooting Star, and the last section of Yuriha share. Though he’s been trying to diversify it recently… if Todoketai Melody is any indication.

6 Likes
#2

Yay a composers topic! I’ll keep my thoughts short for now (since I’m on mobile) but I just want to give my appreciation to the composers of Key, as they have made my experience so much better.

One thing very nice about Key is that the composers are very kuch involved in the production process. Jun Maeda, for example, beingthe writer, can also give his own vision as to what a composition should sound like and hoe it should fit the story. And I have heard from other interviews how Orito, Togoshi, and others are all involved in learning about the story before they start composing. So yeah, that’s something definitely worth appreciating.

4 Likes
#4

Long text ahead! And I’ll only link tracks from ONE, otherwise I’d be linking too much.

Funny thing I’ve noticed from Shinji Orito’s earlier tracks is that… he had a funny habit of using violin strings as drones. As drones, I especially noticed this from ONE (e.g. Mitame o Ojousama) and Kanon (e.g. Hidamari no Machi), and Air (Nomichi). I don’t notice this as much in his latter compositions anymore, though.

Another one of his habit is composing emotionally gripping piano (or music box) tracks… then mixing drum rhythms with it! And the funny thing about it is that it works!! Haha. Well, ONE has Tsuisou, Kanon has Kaze o Matta Hi, Air has Kawa, and Clannad has Shionari. I think he stopped doing it after that.

As for my personal thoughts from selected composer’s style:

I noticed that Jun Maeda’s heartrending tracks often feel restrained. One example that best exemplifies this is Tomoyo After’s Hope. And boy his tracks are beautiful! I mean, Air’s Natsukage is still my all-time favorite track of his. I also noticed that he likes experimenting on rhythm: this especially works for Rewrite’s Tabi, which, by its title, gives a sense of wonder and, by its rhythm, aimlessness.

I have this weird personal bias towards Shinji Orito’s composition, even though admittedly his track record is pretty inconsistent: he has some great standout tracks (Clannad’s Machi, Toki no Nagare, Hito and LB!'s Hikari ni Yosete, for a few), but the rest of his tracks are kinda just there. Weird. It must be my own personal taste in music, or maybe the way he captures emotions, or his diversity of genre, which makes me think of him as a favorite.

Oh why did OdiakeS quit Key?? He has a really great track in ONE (Itsuwari no Tempest), and some of his stuff in Kanon are amazing (cue obligatory Shoujo no Ori).

And Magome Togoshi too! Planetarian’s Gentle Jena was my favorite Key track for a while (now? not sure anymore). Also Clannad’s Sora ni Hikaru. And Tomoyo After’s Worth Living. And Air’s Niji and Semigoromo. I guess the only track that I don’t like much from him is much of the Planetarian tracks and Clannad’s Kanojo no Honki. The Planetarian tracks kinda felt distracting to me rather than incorporating well to the game, while Kanojo no Honki… highlights Tomoyo’s coolness wayyyy too much imo.

Ryou Mizutsuki, though not an in-house KSL composer, was someone I noticed through Rewrite, Harmonia, and Narcissu 2. Her Narcissu 2 tracks are lowkey piano tracks that failed to stand out to me, her more emotional Rewrite tracks are amazing (looks at Scene Shifts There and Sanka), and Harmonia is just… just… Tristitia and Terrarum man. swoons

((Funny enough, after all these, I didn’t bother mentioning even a single LB! track at all. Welp. The OSTs there are solid, but idunno whyyyyyy XD Okay I’ll just mention Mio’s theme or whatev))

3 Likes