Yoko Kanno

Yoko Kanno
Kanno in 1999
Background information
Native name	菅野 よう子
Birth name	菅野 洋子
Also known as	Gabriela Robin
Born	(1963-03-18) March 18, 1963 (age 56)[1][2] Sendai, Japan
Genres	Jazz, classical, orchestral, electronic, new age, blues, folk, pop, art rock, ambient, post-rock, bossa nova
Occupation(s)	Composer, musician, conductor, producer
Instruments	Keyboard, piano, accordion
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Victor Entertainment (flying DOG)
Associated acts	Maaya Sakamoto, Megumi Nakajima, May'n TETSU100%, Seatbelts, Samply Red, ORIGA

Yoko Kanno (菅野 よう子, Kanno Yōko) is a Japanese composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks on anime films, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, she has written scores for Cowboy Bebop, Darker than Black, Macross Plus, Turn A Gundam, The Vision of Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Wolf's Rain, Kids on the Slope and Terror in Resonance, and has worked with the directors Yoshiyuki Tomino, Shinichirō Watanabe and Shōji Kawamori.^[3] Kanno has also composed music for pop artists Maaya Sakamoto and Kyōko Koizumi, she is also a keyboardist, and is the frontwoman for the Seatbelts, who perform many of Kanno's compositions and soundtracks.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Yoko Kanno was born March 18, 1963 in Sendai, Japan, her earliest experiences with music came from attending church with her parents.^[4] She studied keyboard from a young age on both the piano in her home and the organ at her kindergarten. In elementary school, she began participating in composition contests, but in high school, Kanno began to take more of an interest in literature than in music.^[4]

Kanno attended Waseda University, where she majored in literature, but she transcribed music for various student groups at Waseda in her free time. During this time, Kanno—whose parents had only allowed her to listen to classical music—was introduced to rhythm by a friend who played drums in a school band,^[4] she spoke of this experience in an interview with Akihiro Tomita:^[4]

I thought my friend was a genius. I had heard drums on the radio before, but it was like I had never really noticed them. Then I see drums performed live, and was able to experience a beat for the first time. I started to take heavy interest in music that wasn’t classical and joined the band elective.

While with this band, she studied the composition and style of popular music.

While at Waseda, Koei, a Japanese video game company, asked Kanno to compose the soundtrack to Nobunaga's Ambition; the game turned out to be a hit, and Kanno's music career was launched.^[4]

Professional life[edit]

Yoko Kanno's soundtrack themes include "Kiseki no Umi" (Lodoss War), "Voices" (Macross Plus), "Tank!" (Cowboy Bebop), "Yakusoku wa Iranai" (Escaflowne), "Gravity" (Wolf's Rain), "Inner Universe" (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and Stand Alone Complex O.S.T. In regards to making the Stand Alone Complex soundtrack she said:

I had this image of a formal and rigid 'manly' world for the original comic. So I tried to think of ways to destroy that world; the theme I had in mind was, 'be human.' It represented the sentiment of 'why don't we take it easy and be more like a human being?'—instead of being a workaholic salaried man working for his company. Or be it Tachikoma wishing to become human. I wanted to express these 'tangible fuzziness,' sort of. For the opening theme song called 'inner universe,' I had an image of digital bits and composed a score consisting of recurrent quick beats.^[5]

Having composed in various genres, including blues, classical, jazz, techno, and J-pop, she was once asked if she favored a particular genre:

Ah ... I hear everyone talk about how many genres [I work in] like classical, jazz and others, but personally, I don't divide music by genre when creating. I don't create by saying, 'I must create a classical piece here,' or 'I must create a jazz piece here.' When I create music, I don't consider at all which genre I like best, but what the scene or the anime calls for, like a love [theme] or a mood. There isn't one genre I like more than the others. I find all of them satisfying and all inspire me in different ways.^[6]

Since she works in the animation industry, she only receives instructions and storyboards from directors which helps her with composing. However, it is uncertain if all of her works are to be included in the finished project, she once said that this is a way she likes to work, for she does not have to deal with rules during composing.^[7] In reference to this, she once stated:

In my case, the creators talk to me and ask me to do a soundtrack a year or two before the animation is finished. At that time, I think of the plot in my brain, when the characters' names—everything about the characters—has not been decided yet; this is even when the title has not be decided yet.^[6]

She was the lead member of the project band called Seatbelts, which regrouped in the year of 2004 to compose the soundtrack of the PlayStation 2 Cowboy Bebop video game, released in Japan in 2005.

She has composed for Koei games released during the late 1980s to early 1990s and for Napple Tale, a Dreamcast game.^{[citation needed]} Due to her close involvement in the Cowboy Bebop anime, the game released by Bandai also features her work.^{[citation needed]}

Apart from anime and games, Kanno also composes for live-action films and television commercials; some popular brands she has composed for are Canon, DoCoMo, Fuji Xerox, Seven-Eleven, Microsoft, Nissan, Toyota, Shiseido, Avon, and MasterCard to name a few. Grand Funk Inc. is her recording studio of choice in producing for these two media. Contributions to films started in the 1990s but only since 2002 has there been a trend towards the medium. Most of the latter were shown in international film festivals.^{[citation needed]}

She attended Otakon and Anime Expo in 1999, as well as Anime Expo New York in 2002. In 2010, she made a surprise appearance at Anime Expo. Yoko Kanno performed her solo PianoMe concert at Otakon 2013.^[8]

Connection to Gabriela Robin[edit]

On many of Kanno's tracks, a woman named "Gabriela Robin" was credited as a lyricist and vocalist, but whenever these songs were performed in concert, either Maaya Sakamoto or Origa would perform them instead. In a 2009 written interview, Robin proclaimed that she would perform for the first time live at Kanno's 2009 Tanabata Sonic concert, but at the end of the concert, which featured Kanno directing the Warsaw Philharmonic, Kanno turned to the audience and sang "Moon", a song previously attributed to Robin from the Turn A Gundam soundtrack, revealing that "Gabriela Robin" was simply a pseudonym Kanno used to write songs mixing English and Japanese freely. In a later interview, Kanno said she had picked the name because the first orchestral recording she had heard was the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and at the time Yitzhak Rabin served as Israel's Prime Minister.^[9][10]

Personal life[edit]

In addition to Japanese, she speaks a little English and some French, but claims that her English is "poor" and she needs translation help to converse in French.^[6] In regards to spirituality and religion, she said:

I'm not religious at all, but Japanese don't believe in one God, but in gods everywhere in plants and animals. That's right. In Japan, Christianity has a wonderful image. People enjoy the image of Christ and Christianity in picture books, but not as a religion.^[11]

Besides music, Kanno also enjoys photography and writing, she has written a number of journals for Newtype magazine of which photos for illustrations are done by Kanno herself as well,^[12] and a selection of photos taken by Kanno of her protégé and former production partner Maaya Sakamoto were featured in the special event program for Sakamoto's 2010 thirtieth birthday concert at Nippon Budokan.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011, Kanno expressed her support and wishes to the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, composing a song titled "Kimi de Ite, Buji de Ite".^{[citation needed]} Later, she composed NHK's official support song on the occasion of the first anniversary of the earthquake entitled "Hana wa Saku" ("Flowers Will Bloom") featuring lyrics by Sendai film director Shunji Iwai; the song features notable natives from the affected areas of Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[edit]

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Solo studio albums[edit]

Date	Title	Notes
January 1, 1998	Song to Fly	Track 8 performed and all songs composed, conducted by Yoko Kanno. (Tracks 1–7,9–11 performed by Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Chorus, Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch, Franco Sansalone, Krzysztof Ciupinsky, Steve Conte, Jadwiga Rappé & Gabriela Robin.)
May 22, 2002	23-Ji no Ongaku	All songs composed, conducted by Yoko Kanno, ft. Maaya Sakamoto, released by JvC Victor. Translates as "11:00 pm Music".
May 2, 2008	CM Yoko	Compilation album of music for commercials done by Yoko Kanno over the years. All songs composed by Yoko Kanno
April 22, 2009	CM Yoko 2	Compilation album of music for commercials done by Yoko Kanno over the years. All songs composed and/or arranged by Yoko Kanno
May 27, 2009	Space Bio Charge	Yoko Kanno & the Seatbelts's album
June 8, 2011	Yoko Kanno produce Cyber Bicci	Credit: ILA. Compilation album of previous works with Ilaria Graziano, along with new materials.

Anime works[edit]

Anime Title	Year	Kanno's Role(s)
Porco Rosso	1992	Arranger for ending theme: "Once in a While, Talk of the Old Days"
Please Save My Earth	1994	Composer (other tracks by Hajime Mizoguchi)
Macross Plus	1994	Composer
Memories: Magnetic Rose	1995	Composer
The Vision of Escaflowne	1996	Composer (other tracks by Hajime Mizoguchi)
X Clamp Characters File Vol. 1–4	1996	Composer (one track for each album)
Clamp School Detectives	1997	Second ending theme
Noiseman Sound Insect	1997	Composer
Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight	1998	Composer for Opening theme
Macross Dynamite 7	1998	Composer for "Angel Voice"
Cowboy Bebop	1998	Composer See also: Music of Cowboy Bebop
Cardcaptor Sakura	1998	Composer for Opening 3 "Purachina"
Brain Powerd	1998	Composer
Turn A Gundam	1999	Composer
Jin-Roh	1999	Pianist
Escaflowne	2000	Composer (other tracks by Hajime Mizoguchi)
Earth Maiden Arjuna	2001	Composer
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door	2001	Composer Pianist for the Seatbelts
RahXephon	2002	Composer for Opening theme for TV & OVA
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex	2002	Composer
Wolf's Rain	2003	Composer for TV & OVA
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG	2004	Composer
Genesis of Aquarion	2005	Composer (other tracks by/in collaboration with Hogari Hisaaki)
Ōban Star-Racers	2006	Composer for Opening and Ending theme songs
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society	2006	Composer
Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha	2007	Composer
Genius Party	2007	Composer for "Baby Blue"
Genesis of Aquarion	2007	Composer
Macross Frontier	2008–2011	Composer
Ring of Gundam	2009	Composer
Aquarion Evol	2012	Composer
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled	2012	Theme song composer
Kids on the Slope	2012	Composer
Space☆Dandy	2014	Composer (ending theme and 4 tracks)
Terror in Resonance	2014	Composer

Video games[edit]

Game Title	First Released	Original System(s)	Kanno's Role(s)
Romance of the Three Kingdoms	1985	PC-8801, Sharp X1, FM-7	Composer
Nobunaga's Ambition Zenkokuban	1986	PC-8801, PC-9801, etc.	Composer
Genghis Khan	1987	PC-8801, PC-9801	Composer
Nobunaga's Ambition Sengoku Gunyūden	1988	PC-8801, PC-9801	Composer
Ishin No Arashi	1989	PC-9801	Composer
Uncharted Waters	1990	PC-8801, PC-9801	Composer
Nobunaga's Ambition Bushō Fuunroku	1990	PC-9801	Composer
Nobunaga's Ambition Haōden	1992	PC-9801	Composer
Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons	1993	PC-9801	Composer
Nobunaga's Ambition Tenshōki	1994	PC-9801	Composer
Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream	2000	Dreamcast	Composer
Cowboy Bebop	2001	PlayStation	Composer
Cowboy Bebop: Tsuitou no Yakyoku	2005	PlayStation 2	Composer
Ragnarok Online 2	2007	MS Windows	Composer
Continent of the Ninth	2011	MS Windows	Theme song Composer
Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second	2012	MS Windows	Composer

Movie works[edit]

Film Title	Year	Kanno's Role(s)
Yamato Takeru	1994	Composer
Asalto	1996	Composer
Boku wa benkyo ga dekinai (I Can't Study)	1996	Composer
Natsu jikan no otonatachi	1997	Composer
Tokyo.sora	2002	Composer
Mizu no onna	2002	Composer
03 +	2003	Composer
Shimotsuma monogatari (Kamikaze Girls)	2004	Composer
Ashurajo No Hitomi (Blood Gets in Your Eyes)	2005	Composer
Su-ki-da	2005	Composer
Honey and Clover	2006	Composer
Elegant World (The Show Must Go On)	2007	Composer
Say Hello!	2007	Composer
Surely Someday	2010	Composer
Petal Dance	2013	Composer
Our Little Sister	2015	Composer

TV work[edit]

TV Show	Year	Kanno's Role(s)
Yo ni mo Kimyou na Monogatari – Mama Shinhatsubai	2001	Composer
Mayonaka Betsu no Kao (The Other Side of Midnight)	2002	Composer
X'smap~Tora to Raion to Gojin no Otoko~	2004	Composer
Chichi ni Kanaderu Merodi	2006	Composer
Camouflage	2008	Composer
Kaze ni Mai Agaru Vinyl Sheet	2009	Composer
Gochisōsan	2013	Composer
Onna jōshu Naotora	2017	Composer

Works for associated acts[edit]

Band	Album	Year	Kanno's Role(s)
Tetsu 100%	Tokyo Taco Blues	1986	Composer for one track
	Tetsu 100%	1987	Composer for four tracks
	Ato3cm	1987	Composer for five tracks
	Jack in the Box	1988	Composer for three tracks
	Manatsu no Santa Claus	1988	Composer for one track
	Sunao	1989	Composition credited to band
Samply Red	Perfect Rouge	1996	Composition credited to band
	Ah-ra ii Kimochi	1996	Composition credited to band
	(with Riyu Konaka) Kiseki to Taitsuku	1996	Composition credited to band
	Happy Go Lucky OST	1997	Composer for 8 tracks
	Kemeko no Uta (Happy Go Lucky)	1997	Arrangement credited to band
	It's for my Ego	1997	Composition credited to band
	Perfect Rouge I, II, III	2002	Composition credited to band

Works for pop albums[edit]

(In Order of Starting Year of Affiliation)

Artist	Album	Year	Kanno's Role(s)
Chiyono Yoshino	Montage	1988	Composer for two tracks
	Song Bird	1989	Composer for three tracks, arranger for two tracks
	Melanger	1990	Composer for one track, performer on two tracks
Keiko Nakajima	Keiko Nakajima	1990	Composer for all tracks
Kyoko Endo	Renai	1990	Arranger for seven tracks
	Kobitori ni Naritai	1993	Arranger for all tracks
	Fuyu no Miwa	1993	Arranger for all tracks
	Hashire Hashire	1999	Arranger for two tracks
Aki Okui	Lost Melodies	1994	Arranger for two tracks
	Straw Color	1997	Arranger for one track
	Tsuki no Mayu	2000	Composer for all tracks
Hitomi Mieno	Hajimari no Boukenshya-tachi ~Hikari no Chizu~	1995	Composer for two tracks
Miki Imai	Love of my Life	1995	Arranger for four tracks
	Thank You	1996	Arranger for four tracks
	IMAI.MIKI from 1986	1998	Arranger for one track
	Blooming Ivory	2000	Arranger for one track
Yuri Shiratori	Atarashii Kutsu	1995	Composer for two tracks, Lyricist for one track
	Caramel Pop	1995	Composer and lyricist for two tracks
Kyōko Koizumi	Otokonoko, Onnanoko	1996	Composer for eight tracks, arranger for all tracks except 9 by Samply Red
	For my Life(Single)	1999	Composer for two tracks
Maaya Sakamoto	Grapefruit	1997	Composer for all tracks
	DIVE	1998	Composer for all tracks
	Single Collection+ Hotchpotch	1999	Composer for all tracks
	Lucy	2001	Composer for all tracks
	Easy Listening	2001	Composer for all tracks
	Single Collection+ Nikopachi	2003	Composer for all tracks
	Shōnen Alice	2003	Composer for all tracks
	Kazeyomi	2009	Composer for two tracks
	You Can't Catch Me	2011	Composer for one track
Akino Arai	Sora No Mori	1997	Composer for five tracks
	Sora No Miwa	1997	Composer for two tracks
	Hiru No Tsuki	1998	Arranger for two tracks
	RGB	2002	Composer for one track
Yasui Inoue	Kyuu Dan	1998	Composer for one track
Crystal Kay	Eternal Memories	1999	Composer for two tracks
	Komichi no Hana	1999	Composer for one track
	C.C.L Crystal Lover Light	2000	Composer for one track, Arranger for one track
Kei Kobayashi	Nagashime Play	2003	Composer for all tracks
SMAP	Say What You Will	2005	Composer for two tracks
	super.modern.artistic.performance	2008	Composer for one track
Yukawa Shione	Yuki No Waltz	2007	Composer for one track
AKINO from bless4	Lost in Time	2007	Composer for all tracks
Hajime Chitose	Cassini	2008	Composer for one track
Origa	The Songwreath	2008	Composer for one track
YOSHIKA	The World	2008	Composer for one track
May'n	May'n☆Street	2009	Composer for two tracks
Natsumi Kiyoura	Juuku Iro	2010	Composer for one track
Megumi Nakajima	Be with You	2012	Composer for one track
Clammbon	yet	2015	String arranger for one track

Commercial music[edit]

Companies that have commissioned Kanno for commercial music.^[13]

Hired vocalists[edit]

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References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Yoko Kanno Network (Japanese fan website)
• Yoko Kanno at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Yoko Kanno discography at VGMdb
• Yoko Kanno on IMDb
• Nippop Profile |Yoko Kanno
• Yoko Kanno discography at MusicBrainz
• Jmusic.fr.tc biography and discography (in French)
• Yoko Kanno Project
• Yoko Kanno at Media Arts Database (in Japanese)