Toshihiko Sahashi (佐橋 俊彦)

[wat11]

Japanese composer series continues :) Toshihiko Sahashi!

From Wikipedia:

"Toshihiko Sahashi (佐橋 俊彦 Sahashi Toshihiko?, born November 12, 1959 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1986. Sahashi has composed music for various anime series (including OVAs, movies, and drama CDs), video games, movies, dramas, and musicals. His song "You and I, Unfulfilled Feelings" is often used on the American comedy-drama Scrubs.

His works include the original soundtracks for Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, Gunslinger Girl, Black Blood Brothers, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Hibiki, Kamen Rider Den-O, Full Metal Panic!, Hunter × Hunter, Simoun, Reborn!, and Saint Seiya Omega. Together with the London Symphony Orchestra, two symphonic albums have been released, each arranging his compositions from Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny. For the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's 30th anniversary, he again collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra for another symphonic music album.

The style of his composition is richly symphonic and classical (occasionally jazz). The use of sophisticated compositional techniques, as well as complicated harmony writing such as fugue can be often heard in his work, demonstrating his solid training in the western classical music. He also uses keyboard instruments to deliver more sentimental soundtracks to a good effect."

The style is right there so I don't have to say much. You can't have enough of him really. and he's really productive. Just listen.

Samples:

Zipang Justice & Freedom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9dOvYKsT_0

Zipang Main Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ6nyDAZkMs

War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCB0UPhD-Fw

Treaty of Friendship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34zxFenSKpY

Element Hunters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec-PCVkIRMg

The Big O - Stand a Chance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_76JP_cGJk

Ansia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLXKXnPI1MQ

Saint Seiya Omega https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dz6ktnG1Pg

Gundam Seed Destiny https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0B4L6QL3zM

 

[Kugayama]

^ I'm wondering if Sahashi-san or YK was responsible for the Anna ni issho Datta no ni theme and who was responsible for the Simoun OP theme that Chiaki Ishikawa sang (Sahashi-san was the composer for Simoun).

 

[Kugayama]

^ Have a listen to this clip:

Eminence ensemble performed at SMASH! 2011 Memories of Fantasia
The song
Toshihiko Sahashi (Mobile Suit Gundam SeeD)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZGdIs7DtnU

(Yes, I was there at that concert and very briefly met violinist Hiroaki Yura afterwards).

 

[wat11]

well according to this: http://www.webmail.vgmdb.net/album/40144 it's only Kajiura.

the orchestral arrangement of Anna ni issho Datta no ni is arranged by Sahashi though : http://vgmdb.net/album/35404

very cool Kuga! I wish I could go to a Sahashi concert (let alone a Kajiura one).

 

[Kugayama]

^ It was just an Eminence concert (composer Kenji Ito was present,interestingly he did the game music for Okami Kakushi, and YK did the vocal songs for the anime of Okami Kakushi with Takumi Ozawa doing the other music for the anime).

Afternoon Rain by Kenji Ito from the same concert (from the game music of Okami Kakushi):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdN_gqU7aRc

 

[wat11]

Eminence would be nice too! :D

 

[sora]

You guys should check out the gunslinger girl soundtrack. It's wonderful.

 

[ritardando]

I'm not a big fan of his (tbh I found some of his work incredibly dull, reborn OST for example) but Gunslinger Girl OST is wonderful. Wonderful soundtrack for wonderful anime with wonderful story (gunslingergirlfag here).